5 Steps to get fairer skin? {Five Series}

PS: This post is for all those people who have asked me to give tips on fairer skin. I am sorry that I couldn't reply to you all personally but hope this post is helpful to you :)

Since quite long, I have been seeing a trend of questions on this topic from people who are either getting married or who have darker skin tones. So, first of all, I would like to say that you can't really lighten the skin complexion. The skin color is determined by the amount of melanin your skin has and you can't do anything to reduce the amount of this pigment inside your skin. Ok, after that bit of science, I would like to say that you can do somethings to preserve your original complexion.

Sunscreen

Yup, that's the first step to any kind of skin care. And, I totally stress on the importance of this routine. I would suggest Neutrogena Ultra Sheer but my favourite is MVO Moisturizing Face Screen. I have often heard complains that the sunscreen does nothing but the secret lies in using the proper amount of sunscreen to provide full protection.

Double Cleansing

To remove makeup or sunscreen after an entire day of work, use oil or a good makeup remover before washing your face. Its one of the most important routines of the night. 

Face Wash and Tone

Use your face wash as you would and don't forget to use the toner if your face is oily. I would suggest using homemade toners for your skin type. Green tea for oily and combination skin and rose water for dry skin. You can do other experiments with them as well.

Moisturize and Nourish

One of the most important routines even if your skin is oily. Get a good moisturizer. Or, use aloevera gel if your skin is oily. Its the best bet. For dry skin, I would suggest using a facial oil or serum instead of moisturizer at night. 

Face Scrub and Mask

The above steps were regular routine. But, some extra love is needed to keep skin in perfect condition so exfoliate on every alternate day for oily skin or if you layer too many products on your skin at day time. And, if you have dry skin, exfoliate twice a week. 

For dry skin, use sugar to exfoliate. For combination and oily skin, mix salt and sugar to exfoliate. They have alpha-hydroxy acids which help with removing the blemishes and dark spots on regular usage. Also, they keep the skin supple and improve the skin tone by making the skin look brighter.

After scrubbing, always follow with a mask. You can use any commercially-available products. I would not suggest you to use fruit masks after scrubbing with sugar because fruits also have active enzymes and sugar also have active enzymes so that can too much for your skin at a single time. 

If you plan to use fruits, remember that they have active enzymes which do both the jobs - exfoliation and acting as a mask so keep the fruit juices on your skin for 15 minutes and wash off. Using sugar to exfoliate and using fruit juices as mask afterwards can make the skin sensitive. Honey is a good mask in such cases.

These are the steps I follow regularly to keep my complexion glowing. Please remember that whatever you do to your face, do the same to your neck and decolletage. You don't want your neck and lower body to look older and uncared for. But, also remember NOT to overdo things EVER. Keep things regular and you will notice difference in a month. 

What's your secret to preserving your skin complexion? Are you already following a particular routine or going to follow this routine? Do share your results :)

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Kasturi Turmeric {Ingredient}

Turmeric is, I am pretty sure, high on everyone's DIY beauty list except for one fact that it leaves a really detestable yellow color on the skin. But, if used in lesser quantity and mixed with other flours, it generally has no side effect except leaving the skin absolutely glowing, right?

Recently, I was in a small fair-trade market where I spotted Kasturi turmeric being sold. I have to say it was quite heavily priced at 35 bucks for just 50gms. It need not be that expensive when India is home for the spice. Anyways, let me talk about it.

I have facial hair issues. Not so much as hirsutism but enough that it makes me irritated. So, I went for threading once last month after a lot of deliberation. Believe me, do not make that mistake if you have not done it YET! And, as you know turmeric is one of the best ingredients to lessen facial hair.

I mixed a spoon of the powder in water and applied in on the face. My face was on fire! It was exactly similar to the last time I used Banjara's product. I have totally striked off the product and brand from my buying list but actually the fault was mine.

Kasturi Turmeric is very very strong and should NEVER, EVER be used on face neat. Mix it with milk or curd or better yet besan or something else. My Gosh...that was my biggest beauty faux pas which I did not realize till it was too late.

But, I have to say that though it is believed it does not stain THAT much, it was quite enough to say that I do not think there was any difference in Kasturi Turmeric staining or normal turmeric stain! Anyways, after that horrifying skin burning incident, I mixed it with a face wash powder I had recently got. And, now, I can use it without burning my skin or needing to mix it with milk.

How much it has affected my facial hair is something I can not say because I had discontinued using it in between but I shall once at least use the product continuously for a month or two and let you know about the results. I had to leave it to test some products but after it is done, I shall get back to the routine. But, I have to say that those days I could see my skin glowing more than usual :)

Have you tried Kasturi Turmeric?

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Auravedic Ritual Cleansing Ubtan Mask Sandal Saffron {Product Review}

Price: Rs 200 for 50gms

Pros

makes the skin silky soft and glowing!

cleanses the skin really well

Cons

leaves the yellow tinge on skin!

My Experience

Last time I had reviewed the Auravedic Skin Lightening Mask which was basically this ubtan mixed in oil or honey base as a ready made mask. This product is just a variant of the homemade ubtans and works like a charm!

As you can see, it has all the good ingredients and smells herbal. It is a soft powder which when mixed with milk (that's how I used it mostly), goes on the skin smoothly and dries up in 5 minutes.

and you can see the product gets accumulated at the neck!!

And, then, you can scrub it off. Results? It is not at all harsh on skin and leaves the skin totally smooth and silky in texture. And, the skin glows very naturally. And, the best part is this ubtan can be used everyday, even twice a day.

Now, lets come to its biggest con. It leaves a yellow tinge on the skin, especially the palms, fingers and the nails!! Otherwise, its an amazing product. And, oh, it also cleanses the oil off the skin.

I once used it after using coconut oil to remove the sunscreen and after washing my face with this product (I used only water to mix it that time, not milk), the oil was totally gone from the face. And, the skin wasn't dry either.

I loved the product but I am definitely lazy to mix it with milk and use it everyday so I have ended up using only a bit of it yet but yes, it is a good product to be tried out!!

PS: Product sent by brand.

Other products from Auravedic:

Auravedic Botanical Actives Pulpy Facewash Honey Almond

Auravedic Pomegranate Grapeseed Face Polish
Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing Lotion

Some Random Product Reviews - Part IV

Dove Essential Nourishment Body Lotion Deep Care Complex

My Experience

When the ads came up on television, I was quite excited about it but then never really came around buying it. So, when I got this in a package from BeBeautiful, I was kind of excited to try it out. 

And, I am happy that I didn't buy it. No, I don't wanna say its a bad product. But, it has quite many disadvantages. As you all would already be aware, my skin is dry and, in winters, it needs proper moisturisation with thick lotions. 

So, I thought this would be a good fit. It glides on skin very easily and disappears soon enough. And, here, starts the problem. After a while, it becomes sticky! Even the clothes start sticking to the body!! 

And, it was still sticky when I used to take only a pea size amount which was quite surprising. And, considering Hyderabad is a dry climate area, humidity issue is ruled out.

Lakme Peach Milk Moisturizer

My Experience

It is a thin pinkish lotion. There is an issue with the product. Sometimes, you can see only pink water coming out of the bottle which means emulsion is not stable. So, I had to shake the bottle every time before using. 

Now, when I used it as a moisturizer, my skin felt dry after 20-30 minutes of application only. So, I had to discontinue using it as a moisturizer but it was perfect for a body lotion. 

My body never felt dry except my arms which are prone to excessive dryness. So, I would suggest this as a body lotion unless you have a normal skin. I am not sure if it suits oily skin!

Ponds White Beauty Peel-Off Instant Brightening Mask

My Experience

This was another product I wanted to try but never got around buying it and I am glad. Nah, the product is good and delivers immediate but short-lived results. But, the problem is its smell.

When I apply this product on the face, it smells so strongly of something like ammonia or some chemical that it becomes difficult to breathe. The smell doesn't linger on skin. It stays for just a few seconds while applying the product. 

But, its enough to deter a person to use the product. One needs to apply a thick layer of this mask which dries off in about 15-20 minutes and then it peels off easily without clumping anywhere. 

The results were amazing when I used it for the first time. I could see immediate brightening of the face. But, sadly, it wasn't visible after 2-3 hours which was quite disappointing. 

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Sleep and Skin {Skin Care}

So, having girl colleagues and girl friends can actually be awesome! Oh, I do have many girlfriends but none in Hyderabad so I used to miss the gossip part. Now, I am getting that in extra-servings. That's getting a little irritating but I am digressing. 

So, one day we were just talking about dull skin and not so good sleeping routine. So, my colleague told me that why the skin glows after a really good refreshing sleep. The blood circulation improves in the scalp and the face during the cleansing process which makes the skin glow. 

Now, if you did not have proper sleep, the circulation is not good and the face goes dull. Anyways, that is also the reason why hair grows well when you have proper sleep routine. Ok, there is another theory which I want to share with you.

Have you ever wondered why sometimes you wake up feeling refreshed and sometimes you feel so sleepy, both after having the same amount of sleep? That is due to the 90-minute cycle of sleep. So, the body goes through all phases of sleep every 90 minutes. And, you need minimum of 4 of these 90-minute cycles (4 hours) for a restful sleep.

If you wake up between this 90 minute cycle anytime, your head feels groggy and heavy. If you had a restful sleep, that was because you completed the 90 minute cycle, that may be 5, 6 or 7 in number. For example, if I am getting up at 7:00 and sleeping at 10, I got 9 hours of sleep which is 6 cycles of 90 minutes. 

So, if you get 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or any number of cycles of sleep, you will wake up refreshed but if your sleep breaks between this 90 minutes, you would not be refreshed and you would have a sleep hangover almost all day. Also, it is necessary that you should not oversleep either. 

So, having a set routine of sleep helps the body maintain itself. What do you think?

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Have you tried Aloe Vera? {Skin Care}

Yup, I know you would have already used it. I have also been recommending aloe vera since ages. But, today, I am going to talk about my friend's routine with aloe vera which she is very diligent about.

She is from Delhi and surprisingly she did not find aloe vera plant in Hyderabad. Really, right? Nah, aloe vera is easily available here but she or rather we were too lazy to buy a plant and nurture it.

Also, keeping an aloe vera plant among girls can dry it faster than a rose plant in a desert :D Well, obvious, no? Granted that aloe vera plant is quite adaptable but still you get my point! Anyways, coming back to my friend, she got lotsssss of aloevera leaves from home and keeps them stored in the fridge. 

And, almost every evening or once in three days (I don't know the frequency), she takes a small piece of the leaf and rubs the entire gel on her face for like 30 minutes or so while watching television. 

And, then, she rolls off all the extra pieces or small sticky things present in the leaf which cling to the skin and lets the gel get absorbed entirely. And, she sleeps just like that without washing it off.

Results? S attests to the fact that this is one of the reasons why her oily skin turned normal. She is prone to pimples but fortunately its frequency has decreased. And, as I said, she does this very very diligently!!

So, for all the oily beauties, try this and you might get lucky! Also, for all skin types, aloe vera improves hydration of the skin and makes the skin glowing and really supple!! This is one of the great skin care tips for summer as well.

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Cosmedic Lumifast Brightening Face Mask {Product Review}

Price: Rs 330 for 50gms

Pros

gives a subtle glow

Cons

bad packaging!

might not suit really sensitive skin

not really inexpensive!

instructions to use not very clear!

My Experience

I have used this product for a very long time (above 2 months) and took my own time to review it. Even now, I would say I am confused. It comes in a really bulky tub which is heavy and has a very narrow mouth so getting the product when the tub is almost empty is kind of difficult. A tube would be better. 

The product is ashy grey in color and smells weird. It is a thick cream and doesn't really glide on skin easily. First of all, the instructions are not very clear as to how the product should be used? Is it supposed to be used on dry skin, wet or damp?

So, to clear the confusion, the cream glides on well only on damp skin. And, let me tell you that it doesn't glide on really smoothly unless you take only a bit of the product. If you take excess on your finger, it will clump on your skin. I apply it on face and neck. 

When on skin, it tingles a lot for a few seconds but its not exactly an uncomfortable feeling. I leave it on for 10 minutes. Now, taking it off is a damn pain. Best way to take off this product is using a wash cloth. The product is so sticky that it makes the cloth also sticky!

And, it takes a lot of water also to wash off. Now, results? I did not really see much of brightening. But, this mask served more as a nourishing face mask which leaves a subtle glow of hydrated and healthy skin. This glow stays till next morning. 

I wish they improve on the packaging and mention proper usage instructions. Also, I felt that it might not suit sensitive skin or dry skin either coz I sometimes found it a bit drying or even those who are sensitive to lactic acid. I found it a bit expensive as well!

Availability
Online - Cosmedic Website
In stores (only in Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Meerut) - check locations here

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Other products from Cosmedic:

Cosmedic Avederm Soothing Facial Cleanser

Cosmedic Alpha Q Brightening Face Wash

Does Coconut Oil make the skin dark? {Your Opinion}

So, I was discussing this matter a few days back with my colleagues. One of the girls said that coconut oil makes the skin dark!! I was quite surprised because a long time back some body had said that besan (chickpea flour) also turns the skin dark!

I was pretty sure that this statement was equally a myth. But, then, I decided to google a bit on it. I did not really find any thing useful!! It just says that coconut oil is amazing for hair and skin and all. I have been using coconut oil for like, a month, now.

I mainly use coconut oil to remove the sunscreen from my face, neck and arms. I haven't noted any discoloration or pigmentation recently. In fact, my skin has become more plump and more hydrated and my skin has started to glow. 

When I had dry patches, I had hoped that coconut oil would be able to make it fine but that was something I could not achieve but then it was the product which was making the skin dry. Anyways, what do you think?

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