Dry Skin Causes and how to heal it? {Skin Care}

Beginning of Navratres (Indian festival which precedes Dusshera) signify the start of fall for me. The end of October signifies winter season and shivratri signifies the upcoming spring season. Yeah, I know it is actually holi but the thing is Hyderabad gets hot so quickly that there is literally no spring but only summers and rainy season starts in the mid of June.

This is my seasonal mind and body clock. Of course, things work very differently in the real life, thanks to the global warming :)

Anyways, since the fall is already here, have you noticed your skin drying up more than usual? Well, my skin has been getting drier and drier since the weather has given way to rains. And, I thought I would share some of the tips to avoid dry skin. Well, you might already be aware of some or all of them but let me just reiterate them!

Hair Removal

Waxing or shaving are both drying for skin so whenever you do it, make sure you treat the skin gently and thoroughly afterwards. 

After waxing, wash the area with warm water and follow with ice cubes and aloevera gel in case of irritation and moisturise there after. 

For shaving, a better and natural option is to use homemde shaving oil made of castor and coconut oil. 

Dry Brushing and Exfoliation

Well, it is extremely important to remove the dead skin cells so that you can allow the skin to heal and regenerate. 

Dry Brushing is my favourite way of getting rid of the dead skin cells but you can also use homemade scrubs or the commercial ones available in the market. 

Massages

Get some oil on your skin. Almond oil is rich in Vitamin E, coconut oil is rich in fatty acids important for skin and sesame oil is the recommended ayurvedic therapy for skin. Use essential oils for a relaxing and luxurious therapy. Do this after dry brushing for more effectiveness.

Turn down the shower temperature and time

Reduce the heat of the bath water and the length of time you take your shower. Hot water is extremely drying and helps the skin to age quickly. Make it warm and short and extremely relaxing.

Use natural products

Whether it is your soap or face wash or the body lotion you use, try to get the natural and organic products. Alcohol toners are a strict no no. And, natural oils are the best moisturisers. 

Over indulgence is bad!

Do not exfoliate your skin daily or over do on the AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid) exfoliators or peels. Even fruit based face masks like papaya or pineapple or sugarcane juice must be used sparingly. It is best to stick to besan + milk as lactic acid is milder than others. Also, people with acne must be careful and not use dairy products.

Applying body lotions and creams

If the regular watery and light body lotions are not sufficing your skin dryness, you should really check out the body butter segment or go for cocoa based products. 

If you have cocoa butter or shea butter available, you can also make yourself some of the products!! Don't forget to apply the products repeatedly in case you feel really dry.

Try to find products with ceramides. They are the protein molecules which make up the lipids layer of the skin along with other elements.

Avoid airconditioning

Absolutely impossible for people in corporates but a regular application of products combined with a good diet really helps.

Shift to dry fruits for snacking

Carry a handful of nuts in your purses so that you may gorge on them when you feel hungry and let your skin also feel supple. Vitamin E helps moisturise your skin from inside. 

Drinking Water

Well, hydration always beats dryness from inside. 

Use silk instead of cotton

Well, not only for hair but silk bedsheets and pillows both help your skin as well because they do not absorb the moisture from your skin. So next time you get your bedsheets, make sure they are of silk or a cheaper alternative is satin.   

Cottons and wools increase static in the skin. The undergarments can be a good quality satin, instead to prevent drying of skin.

Also try to avoid cotton towels.

Diffusers are a good option in winters

Humidifiers and diffusers which constantly introduce water into the atmosphere are a good option. 

Diffusers are amazing, in my opinion, as you can use essential oils and they create an extremely relaxing environment in the house while purifying it.

Hormonal Imbalances

Menopause, PMS, thyroid or any other imbalance in the body may make the skin dry. So, regular exercise is important to make sure the hormones act properly in the body. 

What are your tips and tricks to beat dry skin?

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All about Facial Oils? [Part - I] {Skin Care}

As you all know, I love oils. In fact, so much so that I would love to own all the apothecaries in the world! And, recently again, due to improper care my skin started to look and behave a bit weird so I thought I would go about giving it a good dose of care which does not ruin my easy life either. And, I have plethora of oils in my closet!!

So, that was when I started searching for how to use facial oils most optimally. Well, I know many of you are scared just when an oil is mentioned but guess what it is the best thing you can do for your skin. But, before that best, you do have to go through a fair share of trials and errors to know which one works best for which skin.

How to find the best oil for yourself?

Is your skin dry? Go for coconut oil. It has the fatty acids which instantly lift and plump up the skin and hydrate it from inside.   

Sesame oil is generally for normally dry to combination skin. 

Apricot oil is something which gets absorbed very very easily into skin. Grapeseed oil is also equally amazing for oily skin. 

I am not sure of almond oil. Some say that the molecules are too big to penetrate the skin so it does not really cause breakouts. But, I have no history of breakouts so I can not really answer that. But, it is great for under-eye areas.

Olive oil is something I will never really recommend. I have heard quite a lot of complaints about it but many raves also but personally my preference is not that.  

One more oil which I have used is evening primrose oil. I absolutely love it and would recommend it for mature skin, especially.

How to use Facial Oil?

Any oil should be used on damp skin. Why? Damp Skin is a good absorber and oils get spread on damp skin more easily. 2-3 or maximum 5 drops of any oil is enough to cover the face, neck and décolletage. Or, one pump if your oil comes with that. 

Always remember to treat your neck and décolletage with the same products you would use for the face whether a mask or scrub or face wash or even the makeup remover or even sunscreen. 

After that bit of lecture, let me tell you how I use the facial oils. This is when toner comes into use the most. Wet the face with the toner either using a cotton ball or just with the toner collected in cupped palms and then while your palms are wet, take the drops of facial oil and rub the palms till they get a bit warm.

Press the palms on your face starting with cheeks and then forehead and then nose and chin so that least amount of the oil gets deposited on the T-zone. And, then start massaging into the face and then neck and décolletage. There is no need to use more oil unless you feel dry. 

So, these are my few cents on the topic. I hope this article has helped a bit. This is the first part though. I was writing the post and realized it was just too big so I thought I would publish the rest in a separate post.

So, do you use facial oils? If yes, are there any tips for us? 

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From the Archives : Acne - How to take care of your skin?

Acne is one of the most afflicting skin disorders. Getting rid of acne is not very difficult if a strict routine is followed. The only thing to be kept in mind is to be strict with yourself whether in diet or skin care routine.

First things first. Never exfoliate your face. That just worsens the problem. You want to slough off the dead skin. Use milk. Apply raw milk on face with cotton very gently and wait for it to dry. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear). It gives a relaxing effect to your skin.

Do not ever touch your face and do not let your hair fall on your face. The dirt and oil form the fingers and hair does cause bad outbreaks. You might also want to make a change in your hair products if you have outbreaks near forehead or chin. This might happen if your skin is giving allergic reactions to the ingredients of the products.

Use a separate hand towel or wash cloth for your face. Do not use your body towel to clean the face. Use a very very gentle cleanser. Best if you can get a dermatologist recommended cleanser which is more gentle as compared to over-the counter products. A cleanser with bacteria fighting abilities would be preferred. Be very gentle while cleansing your face. Any rough movement can cause an outbreak. Wash in circular motions.

Lets talk about your skin care products. First thing is a very light moisturizer. Preferred if it has spf properties also so that you do not have to cake your face in lot of product layers which will lead to closed pores. Makeup products should be water based and best if in a powder form or if you can avoid them totally, that would be the best. At night, try to keep your skin completely naked instead of slathering any anti-aging cream. That would allow your skin to breathe.

Change your pillow covers every day. The dirt and oil is soaked up easily by the pillow covers and if you use the same ones night after night even for a week, they would cause some outbreaks. Hygiene is a very big part of your skin care regime. Change the face towel also daily and wash in an antiseptic like dettol or savlon. That would keep it bacteria free and dry them in direct sun light. That would prevent any humid bacteria build up.

Now, lets talk about your diet. Cut on junk, oily and spicy food. That just increases the outbreaks from the inside. Decrease the amount of sugar and salt too. Also cut down on alcohol, coffee, carbonated beverages and smoking. They all contribute to your aggravated acne condition. No energy bars or energy or fruit drinks too. They are just full of sugar and nothing else. Reduce the chocolates too even if it is the dark chocolate you prefer.

Drink lots and lots of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Drink lots of fresh fruit juices made at home. Keep your body light and exercise for a hour or two daily or thrice in a week. Drink fresh lemon juice every day in the morning. Follow all the tips I talked about today and you should see some improvement in a week or two.

So, what are your acne skin care tips?

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Tips to Quick Skin Care Routine {Skin Care}

I am a very very lazy person as you all would already be aware! So, I am always on the look out on how to shorten the skin care routine. So, let me share some of my shortcuts which do not really compromise on the quality of skin care. 

Use Shower Time Optimally

If you use homemade face washes cum masks like besan mixed with something, keep the mix of the flours or powders in enough quantity to atleast last you a week in a handy jar. Take a scoop and mix with water or milk and apply a thick paste while you get ready for your shower. 

Switch on the geyser, choose your clothes for the day or do other miscellaneous works in which the mask dries off a bit. If using a face wash instead, get into the shower, use that and follow with a face scrub and then apply a thin layer of a face mask. (I hate to apply face mask separately after shower because it involves so much of washing up and don't forget your neck!!) Use body gloves for a quick and thorough scrub. Rinse, wipe off and moisturize.

And, when you have a bit of time like on holidays or in the evenings when you feel like pampering yourself, finish the shower and then apply the face mask on damp skin and wait for 15-20 minutes. In the mean time, wash off the clothes which you need to. And, then, finish off with a final shower completely before proceeding with after shower routine. And, always moisturize on damp skin.

Hair Wash Time

When washing your hair, shampoo and rinse. Again, shampoo and rinse. Condition. While you wait for the conditioner to soak in, shave off or give a pedicure and manicure to your feet hands or wash your combs and brushes or better yet, cut your nails!! After the task is done, finish rinsing your hair with cool to cold water. Follow with regular body routine. 

I can not think any more of shortcuts or shall we say time-saving tips. Do you have any such tips? 

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The Green Beauty Skin Care Tag [Part - II] {Skin Care}

So, this is the continuation to the green beauty skin care tag which I had done yesterday. 

You're in a pharmacy and you can pick only one item. What?

The pharmacies in India are hopelessly under-stocked. So, my pick would be evening primrose oil tablets. Evening Primrose Oil is amazing for anti-aging skin care and to prevent dryness. So, 10 1000mg tablets would last like a month or so. 

What are your Top Skin Care Tips?

• Sleep

It is the the biggest anti-aging remedy or pampering you can ever provide your skin. Disconnect from technology and television and sleep early at around 10:30-11 and get up at 6:30-7. That's the optimum beauty sleep you should get. 

• Hydration

Use a hydrating product for your skin or in my case a toner before moisturizing or aloevera gel. Seal with a moisturizer which does not allow water to evaporate from the skin or in my case a facial oil. 

And, intake a lot of fatty acids like flax seeds or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Proper hydration and moisturization also helps prevent blemishes and dark spots.

• Sunscreen

Yes, it is very very important. I wish I could suggest my favorite sunscreen to everyone but its so damn expensive and looking at the exchange rate these days, it would be better to stick to something easily available. So, use your favorite sunscreen in the recommended quantity for proper protection and avoid sun in the noon time. Though, I really don't always do that!!

So, these are my top skin care tips which have helped my skin in the long run. And, of course eating healthy is always helpful. So, what are your favorite skin care tips???

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My Skin Diary - August 2013

Gosh...its unbelievable how this year is just flying by! I hate it and love it at the same time. Anyways, my skin was not behaving very well this month. I don't know why but I did get an issue of lot of small bumps on the skin and by small, I mean very very small. You can just see that the skin is not looking smooth.

You will ask me if I did anything for it. Well, honestly, I did nothing specifically. My best guess is that it was because I did not use sunscreen. But then, this month I have cut some serious slack with sunscreen and those boils did not come later on when I stopped using sunscreen again.

So, may be the answer just boils down to maintenance. I have not been looking after my skin very seriously. I do tend to take it a bit for granted because my skin is, touchwood, really good. Thanks to my genes and no credits to me. But, I would reiterate the fact that howsoever good your skin might be, do not ever forget taking care of it.

Face

Day Routine

• Face wash - Nivea Visage Refreshing Face Wash + Olay Total Face Cleanup
• Moisturizer - Rustic Art aloevera gel
• Base before Sunscreen - Garnier Eye Roll On
• Sunscreen - MVO Face Moisturizing Screen + MVO Everyday Sheer Coverage
  
• Foundation / Makeup - Ponds BB Cream
• Kajal - Maybelline Colossal
• Lip Balm - Maybelline Berry Crush

Night Routine

• Cleansing Milk - Garnier + Mustard Oil
• Face wash - Nivea Visage Refreshing Face Wash + Olay Total Face Cleanup
• Toner - Liz Earle + Kama Ayurveda Vetiver Water
• Moisturizer - Rustic Art aloevera gel
• Facial Oil - Turmeric infused Almond Oil + Primrose Oil

So, I have to say here that the turmeric infused oil is working really well on reducing the breakout size for me. A few days back I had a bad case on my neck. I think I accidentally scratched my skin in sleep and it was an angry breakout whose size had reduced to half and 1/3rd the night and night after respectively on using the oil. So, yes, I would definitely encourage you to try it out. 

Body

Day Routine

• Moisturizer - Vaadi Herbals Body Oil
• Sunscreen (arms) - Neutrogena 

Night Routine

• Moisturizer - Vaadi Herbals Body Oil

Current Skin
My skin picking habit has left my neck tortured as I had mentioned earlier as well so I am STILL looking forward to reversing that damage and containing my habit. Do you have any advises? 

How did your skin fare in August? What were the products you loved and hated? 

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Prominent Skin Conditions {Infographic}

5 Skin Care tips to deal with Roscea, Psoriasis and Eczema {Five Series}

Every day there is one comment on the blog about wither of these skin disorders. And, my only answer to them is to consult a doctor and I really wish they do! The reason being these are problems which are best treated under medical supervision. If left untreated, these issues can aggravate and cause more harm to the skin in the long run!

So, I came across an article by Dr. Perricone for these disorders while browsing through my mails. It is more a list of Do's and Donts' in such a case. So, let us begin.

Sensitive Skin

If you are suffering from any skin disorder, your skin is very very sensitive so avoid anything which can mildly be stinging for the skin. Exfoliation on the affected areas is a big no no. No alpha-hydroxy acids or any chemical peels or even the usage of fresh fruits in the skin care regime.

Do not use any orange or tomato or lemon or papaya or pineapple juice on the face. Using retinoids and any other skin supplements like vitamin C serums or products containing hydroquinone are also discouraged. Anything which increases the sensitivity of the skin can aggravate the problem!

Sunscreen

Protect the areas from direct sunlight. Slather on a thick layer of sunscreen and reapply often. Physical Sunscreens are preferred as they generally trigger lesser allergies than the chemical sunscreens.

Moisturizer

Keep the affected areas moisturized using hydrating moisturizers or body oils or face oils. Often the scalp skin is also affected with these disorders in which case hair fall becomes a common problem. So, make sure that you keep the scalp moisturized using couple of drops of oil or aloevera gel. Coconut, almond, apricot oils work really well to moisturize the scalp!

Also, it is important to keep the skin moisturized from inside. Eating a lot of omega rich foods is helpful. Or, taking Vitamin E rich foods. A table spoon of coconut oil everyday is also advised for improving the skin suppleness and hydration.

Diet

Another important thing to take care of is diet. Spicy food, alcohol and caffiene generally triggers allergies. Also, eating spices like ginger, garlic, turmeric are good for health. And add lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts and whole grains. Processed foods should be strictly avoided.

Exercises

Regular exercise is one of the keys of healthy living. It helps reduce stress levels and allows people to sleep deeply and calmly, among other things. And, helps with healthy flow of blood.

Please add some other points to the post!

PS: This post is supposed to be only a precautionary measure to prevent aggravating the already existing issue. It, by no way, should be taken as a treatment for the aforementioned disorders.

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