The festive
season is here again! Soon it will be Diwali. Start taking care of the skin and
hair a few weeks before. Night-time cleansing is an absolute must, especially
for city dwellers. Chemical air pollutants, dirt and grime hang in the air.
They are potent skin irritants. Make-up should also be removed at night. All
these can cause dryness of the skin, or disrupt the normal acid-alkaline
balance of the skin, leading to rashes and other eruptive conditions, like
pimples and acne.
As Diwali
approaches, the weather also changes. Seasonal changes also influence the skin.
The humidity becomes less and the skin loses moisture to the atmosphere. So,
one needs to keep the skin moisturised and also protect it from sun-exposure.
For normal to dry skin, cleanse twice a day, with a
cleansing gel containing ingredients like aloe vera. Massage the cleanser
lightly into the skin and remove it with moist cotton wool. Then apply rose
water or a skin tonic using cotton wool. During the day, use a sunscreen before
going out in the sun. Or, use a moisturiser if you are indoors. Moisturisers
are available in cream and liquid form.
For dry skin, at night, after cleansing, apply a
nourishing cream and massage it on the face. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.
You can apply a serum afterwards.
For oily skins also need moisture. But, if you
apply creams, you can get pimples. To moisturise oily skin, mix one teaspoon
pure glycerin with 100 ml rose water. Keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Use a little of this lotion after cleansing. This moisturises the skin, without
making it oily. Use a cleansing milk or face-wash to cleanse the skin.
For brighten and glow skin the use of facial scrubs helps to
brighten the skin and add a glow. Use a facial scrub twice a week. Mix ground
almonds or rice powder with curd and a pinch of haldi. You can also add dried
and powdered orange and lemon peels. Apply on the face and rub gently on the
skin with small circular movements. Then wash off with water.
For going outside apply a sunscreen before going out
in the sun. So, you can look for a sunscreen lotion or cream, depending on your
skin type. You should also look for day creams, nourishing or night creams and
serums.
As Diwali and winter
approach, try some home remedies to relieve dryness.
Apply honey
on the face daily for 10 minutes and wash off with water. If you have an aloe
vera plant at home, the gel found in the inner portion of the leaves can be
applied on the face to moisturise it.
Grate
carrots and apply on the face for 15 to 20 minutes. Carrot is rich in Vitamin A
and good for nourishing the skin in winter. It suits all skin types.
Mix half a
teaspoon honey, one teaspoon rose water and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix
into a paste and apply on the face. Remove after 20 minutes with water. Suits
normal to dry skin. Applying mayonnaise or egg yolk on the skin also helps to
relieve dryness. Suits dry skin.
Tips For Hair
Nourish the
hair with oil treatments once or twice a week. Heat olive oil and apply on the
scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap
the towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat
three-four times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better.
Egg white
is a wonderful natural cleanser for oily hair and its protein content helps to
add body. Apply egg white on the hair about half-an-hour before your shampoo.
To nourish dry hair, massage egg yolk or mayonnaise into the scalp. Leave it on
for half an hour and then wash the hair. It helps to soften the hair and is
very useful for hair that has suffered damage through colouring, straightening
or perming.
If you have
been working hard just before Diwali, a few "pick-me-up" tips will help.
Give yourself a manicure and pedicure the day before. In fact, after soaking
the hands and feet in warm water, massage with a rich cream, so that the skin
is smooth and soft. A good pick-me-up treatment for the hands is to rub them
with sugar and lemon juice. Pay attention to details like waxing and threading
too, at least a day in advance.
A
pick-me-up face mask can leave your skin clean and glowing. Cleanse the skin. Mix
honey with egg white and apply it on the face. Wash off with water after 20 minutes.
For those with very dry skin, mix half a teaspoon honey, egg yolk or pure
almond oil and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply on
the face. Leave it on for half an hour and rinse off with water. After washing
off the pack, give the skin a compress with cotton wool pads soaked in rose
water.
For hands
and nails, mix almond oil and honey in equal parts and massage into the nails
and cuticles. Leave on for 15 minutes and wipe off with a moist towel. Mix
together three tablespoons of rose water with one tablespoon each glycerin and
lemon juice. Apply on hands and feet and leave for half an hour. Wash off with
plain water.
If your
hair is looking dull give it a quick conditioning treatment before your shampoo.
Mix one teaspoon each of vinegar and honey with one egg. Beat them together
well. Massage the mixture into the scalp. Then wrap the hair in a hot towel for
20 minutes, before washing. Your hair will have more body and look shiny and
manageable.
Give your
hair a tea-water and lemon rinse after shampoo, to add shine. Boil used tea
leaves again in enough water. After boiling, you should have about 4 cups of
tea-water. Cool and strain it. Then add the juice of a lemon and use it as a
last rinse after shampoo and Read more
(By Shahnaz
Husain)
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