Let your skin glow!

Here are tips from experts to take care of your skin this winter.

MUMBAI:

While you spruce up your home and shop till you drop, don’t forget to spend some time on yourself too. When the weather gets cooler, people often forget to drink water. Drink at least eight glasses of water every day.

During the winter, your skin gets dry and dull, which means moisturising is essential. Consuming greasy, fried foods promote breakouts and dull skin –limit the intake if you can’t resist.

Sangeeta Amladi, head of medical services at Kaya Skin Clinic in India, doles out some handy tips on how to make homemade face packs or masks; a natural way to get smooth, supple and glowing skin.

For oily skin

Tomato mask

Mash up a ripe tomato and leave it on your face for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and feel the difference immediately

For dry skin

Banana mask

Mash up a ripe banana. Add some honey and apply it on your face and neck for 15 minutes. Rinse with water, and pat dry with towel.

Honey mask

Apply pure honey on your face and neck until it’s dry (15 minutes). Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Renowned Indian beauty expert Shahnaz Husain also stresses on fruit packs. “They not only add a glow but also remove tans and softens the skin,” says Husain. Here are her tips for glowing skin:

Daily treatment

Fruit pack

Mix a grated apple with ripe papaya pulp and a mashed banana. (Yogurt or lemon juice can be added to the mixture for better results).Mix it and apply to face for half an hour. After you wash it off with plain water, you’ll love your skin.

In the cold and dry weather, people complain about tight, red or itchy skin. To nourish your skin, experts prescribe oil-based moisturisers and bath oils.

“Look for an oil-based moisturiser rather than using a water-based one. Oil protects skin and retains more moisture than a cream,” said Divita Kanoria, chief wellness officer for the Vedic Collection in India. “Primrose and avocado oils are great for skin. Also, exfoliation of dead skin periodically helps the moisturiser sink in better. A good body and facial scrub can help remove dead skin cells.”

Skin nourishment

A few drops of almond and essential bath oils into everyday bath. “This is a once a week cleansing routine that will make you feel fresh and your skin will be free from dry cells,” said Kanoria.

Last resort: Beauty products

If nothing works, hide behind make-up, but pick your beauty products with care. Simal Soin, dermatologist at the capital-based Three Graces in India, suggests choosing quality over name brands.

Try these home remedies for a brighter tone and smoother skin. Remember to drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and stay away from rich, oily foods for flawless and glowing skin.

Soin’s tips

1. Opt for waterproof mascara, eyeliner and transfer-resistant lipsticks so that the make-up doesn’t smudge or stain

2. Wash and cleanse the face and rub ice cube for few minutes to lower the sweating so that the makeup stays on for a longer time

3. Highlight the eyes with pastel colours. (Pink and lighter shades of brown always look subtle and beautiful)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2012.

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