I am a 25-year-old working woman. The air conditioner in my office is on all the time. As a result I find my skin and hair becoming drier with each passing day. Can so much dryness be caused due to the air conditioner? What can I do to avoid this problem?

Yes it is possible that working in an air conditioned atmosphere all the time can cause this kind of a problem. This happens due to the low temperature, lack of humidity and more air changes. These physical conditions not only rob our skin and hair of its natural moisture, but cause a decrease in the activity of oil and sweat glands as well. The problem gets further aggravated due to lack of thirst and decreased intake of fluids. To overcome dryness of skin use a moisturiser over the skin and body. What would also help is to wash you face in between by around 3-4 pm and reapply the moisturiser. For the hair as well make sure you apply a good conditioner every time you shampoo your hair. Along with this use a serum or a leave-in conditioner after the wash to help seal in the moisture.
Be particular about your intake of fluids like water and fruit juices. Use a good moisturizing skin cream during the night. Going for a facial at least once a month would help a lot. For the hair do a regular hair spa treatment or deep conditioning treatment at least two times a month.

Is it advisable to use a facial scrub for oily skin? After only one use of a scrub I am not very satisfied and am finding my skin little irritated. Please advise.

Scrubs are meant to remove the outermost dead layer of skin and dislodge blackheads etc. Various preparations like besan powder, orange peel powder, lentil powder, walnut shell powder, silica and aluminium grains are used in scrubs to achieve the abrasive effect. Oily skin being more prone to acne, does not react well to some scrubs as scrubbing the face with hard and coarse grains damages the skin and results in infections. For oily skin, wash your face with mild soap and water frequently to keep your face free from oil and dirt. Use oil free or shine control cleansers for the face to reduce oil. For a facial scrub, use a pack with besan powder, lentil powder and orange peel powder mixed with rose and cucumber water and a little honey. Leave it on your face for 15-20 minutes and then scrub off gently when it is still wet. Using very coarse and hard grains in the packs, scrubbing the dry pack on face and scrubbing it too hard will damage the skin. Also, do not use scrubs when you have active acne on your face.

I am a 25-year-old lady. I had beautiful pink lips but over the last six months I am noticing that they are losing their original colour and have started becoming dark. Please advise.

Darkening of lips can result from frequent use of perfumed lip cosmetics, frequent lip licking and allergy to some fruits, particularly citrus fruits etc. Avoid licking your lips too often. If you have started using some new lip cosmetics over the past 6 months stop using them immediately. There are very good brands of make-up available in the market these days. Invest in a good brand of lipsticks and lip glosses. Use lipsticks with sunscreen or apply a sunscreen on your lips before applying lipsticks. You can use mild AHA creams over night to reduce the darkening. Going in for a mild Fruit peel treatment will also help.

YOUR QUESTIONS
Beauty therapist Manjul Gupta  answers queries on style  and grooming. Write to her at Living c/o Deccan Herald,  No. 75, M G Road, B’lore -1 or email: styletips@ rediffmail.com