If the concealer has been acting as your best friend all this while, covering up for your flaws, it’s time to pay attention to your skin. Meri Saheli brings to you the top skin-saving secrets of celebs and super tips from experts for that flawless glow and a gorgeous you.
Are you tired of treating some or the other part of your body throughout the year? If it isn’t some blemishes, then, it is frizzy hair or chipped nails or cracked lips. Here are a few tried-and-tested ways to get that perfect, glowing look:
Sunscreen is a must
The sun could be your skin’s harshest enemy. Dr Uma Singh advises, “Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours, or more often, if you’re swimming or perspiring.” Ishween Anand suggests protecting your hair too, “Using a hair conditioner that contains SPF helps in not only protecting the hair from the sun but also in preventing dryness”.
Protective clothing is in
Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.
Clean make-up utensils
You cannot expect your skin to look fresh and clean if your make-up kit isn’t. Dr Indu’s top tip includes cleaning your beauty brushes always, for a bacteria-free face.
Say no to hot baths
Avoid hot water baths strictly, advises Dr Mohan Thomas, if glowing skin is what you desire.
“A hot water bath will dry out all the moisture from your skin and make it rough and dull.”
Cleanser freshness
Ishween says, “Make cleansers your best friend. The use of a cleanser 2-3 times a day is a must; it will immediately lend a fresh look to your face.”
Banish sleep lines
Your sleeping posture is as important in maintaining glowing skin as is any other skin-saving habit. Dr Uma advises, “Sleeping face first on the pillow or on your side in one position creates facial skin creases that eventually become permanent. These sleep lines or wrinkles can be averted by sleeping on your back, which effectively counters the effects of gravity that accumulate over the day, keeping your facial skin looking young and radiant for a longer period of time.”
Kick off the dead cells
Indulge in exfoliating creams to clean off the dead cells from your skin. Dr Mohan says, “The cell turnover rate is higher when the weather is cooler and thus exfoliating creams are a must-have in your vanity bag.”
Nail care is essential
Ishween’s top tip: For shining and healthy nails, do not keep a darker shade of nail paint on for too long. Also, after every week, remove your nail paint and let your nails breathe.
Lipstick is not a lip treatment
Confusing lipsticks as a lip care treatment method has been a common beauty faux pas among many women. Dr Uma cautions against this. “Lipstick does not give you healthy lips. Apply a moisture-rich lip treatment under your lipstick or a thicker lip protection balm on top of your lipstick when you’re headed out.”
Homemade Beauty
Knowing your skin type shall help you in more ways than one in achieving that perfect glow for your skin and here are some easy homemade beauty tips by Dr Uma that you can follow for your skin type:
For Oily Skin
Make a paste of 2 tbsp of wheat flour with some water. Apply this on your face in an upward motion. Let it dry and then wash with cool water. Pat dry. This removes the excess oil from your skin.
For Dry Skin
Prepare a moisturiser by mixing ¾ cup rose water, ¼ cup of glycerine, 1 teaspoon of vinegar and ¼ tsp of honey and keep it in a bottle. Use regularly for cleansing.
For Normal Skin
Take the juice of half an orange or tomato and mix it with two teaspoons of curd. Now massage it lightly on your face in an upward direction. Allow it to dry and wash with cold water and pat dry. It gives a nice glow to the skin.
For Combination Skin
Mix 3-4 tablespoons of multani mitti or Fuller’s Earth with 8-10, ground pudina (mint) leaves. Keep this pack in the fridge overnight. Take it out in the morning and let it remain at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Now apply it on your face. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Wash off and pat dry.
