Bye-bye, face and body bloat

Puffy face & neck?

Heat expands blood vessels in the face and neck, allowing fluids to pool. What can help: a chamomile oil massage. “The pressure of massage guides fluids out through lymph nodes in the neck,” says Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., author of The Fat Flush Plan. And the oil’s azulene constricts blood vessels. To do: Mix 4 drops of chamomile oil with 1 Tbs. of jojoba oil; rub onto your face and neck. Move your thumbs along the underside of your jaw, starting at your chin and pushing out toward your ears. Sweep your palms down the sides of your neck. Repeat five times. Summer-related swelling can turn ankles into cankles, toes into sausages and bellies into balloons! To the rescue: targeted massages that use healing oils to increase circulation and flush trapped fluids. You’ll look and feel 15 pounds lighter in a flash!

Swollen feet?

A fast and easy way to shrink cankles and soothe puffy, achy feet? Massage the area with lavender oil, says Gittleman. The rubbing action helps redistribute trapped fluids while antiinflammatory lavender oil works to reduce swelling.

To do: Mix 6 drops of lavender oil with 1 Tbs. of coconut oil. Rub the oil on your feet, then place your hands on each side of one ankle and massage up to your knee using long strokes. Next, rub from your heel up your calf to the back of your knee. Repeat 10 times, then repeat on the other leg.

Bulging belly?

The lymph system gets sluggish on hot days, leading to water retention around the waist. But researchers in Sweden found that daily abdominal massage significantly reduces belly bloat within a week. That’s because massage helps activate the lymph system to move stagnant fluids out of the body. And Michelle Schlekewey, an aesthetician at the Golden Door spa in San Marco, California, recommends using cardamom essential oil to speed results since its warming properties trigger sweating to help rid the body of “false fat.” Plus, the oil’s vitamin A helps improve skin elasticity for a tauter tummy!

To do: Mix 8 drops of cardamom oil with 2 Tbs. of olive oil. While sitting upright, use your fingertips to gently massage the mix in a circular motion, starting at the lower-right side of your stomach and moving counterclockwise around your belly button. Repeat 10 times, inching in toward your belly button as you go.