The biggest festive season of the year is here, which means it’s time to add a glow to your skin. With many parties, get-togethers and events to attend to this season, looking your best is sacrosanct. Looking after the skin according to its type and needs is the essence of glowing skin. Fortunately, you don’t have to go seeking expensive products to get good skin. All you need is to head to your kitchen and enlist the help of some simple ingredients. Here’s a guide:
For the perfect glow
An ideal way for glowing skin on the body is to tie certain ingredients in a clean cloth, wet slightly and then rub the cloth bag on the skin while bathing. Mix powdered milk, ground almonds, rice powder and rose petals. These ingredients work on your skin, gently cleansing it, and leaving it soft, smooth and vibrant. It also leaves the body naturally perfumed and refreshed, feeling as smooth as silk.
Nighttime cleansing is more important in order to remove pollutants and make-up before bedtime. The repair and restoration work of the body goes on while we sleep. So, cleanse the skin daily at night and rinse well with plenty of plain water. For normal to dry skin, take half a cup of cold milk and add five drops of any vegetable oil (sesame, olive or sunflower oil). Put this in a bottle and shake it well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton wool. Keep the leftover mixture in the fridge.
Tone your skin daily with chilled rose water, using cotton wool pads. Wipe and stroke the skin with them. Then, pat briskly with the rosewater-soaked cotton wool pads.
Exfoliating the skin with scrubs once or twice a week works wonders, removing dead cells and brightening the skin. Mix ground almonds with yoghurt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Rub gently, with small circular movements. Then, wash off with water.
Or, take sesame seeds, dried mint leaves and honey. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and apply on the skin. Leave on for five minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water. Sesame seeds have sun-protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin.
Mix honey and lemon juice in equal quantities and apply daily on the face. Wash off after 20 minutes. It leaves the skin soft and glowing. Egg white can also be added to this mixture.
Clay to the rescue
Multani mitti is said to clarify the skin and bring a glow. Multani mitti is natural clay, which contains several minerals. It is of special benefit to oily skin since it helps to absorb oil and reduce oiliness from the skin surface. It also tones, refines and tightens the pores, improving the skin texture. It brightens the skin, leaving it smooth, soft and glowing. It can be combined with other ingredients to make a face pack and can easily be used at home.
For oily skin, mix multani mitti with rose water into a paste and apply on the face, avoiding the lips and the area around your eyes. Wash it off when it is dry.
For combination skin, apply the mask on the oily areas of the skin.
Dried and powdered orange and lemon peels, as well as yoghurt, can be added to the pack for all skin types.
For acne-prone skin, mix multani mitti with sandalwood paste, rose water and neem leaf powder into a paste. Apply the same way and wash it off when it is dry.
For normal skin, mix multani mitti with honey and yoghurt into a paste. Apply on the face and wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes.
Spray it on
Make a facial spray for acne-prone skin by mixing 100 ml mineral water with 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil. Keep the spray bottle in the fridge.
Note: Home beauty recipes should not be made in large quantities. Always make them fresh and use them immediately.
(The author is a beauty expert)
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks