It’s time to take a chill pill

Skin experts share tips on keeping your skin healthy & problem-free.

With winter here, it’s time to change your make-up kit and customise it for the chilly weather. Winter is extremely harsh on your skin and can make it dry and chapped. Chapped lips, flaky skin, dull appearance... there are so many issues. But fret not, experts offer some quick fixes for all your skincare worries this winter... Let’s take a look...

Swati Kapoor, co-founder, SoulTree

The cold winter weather and heating systems can be harsh on your skin and leave it dehydrated and damaged. The right skincare and make-up can do wonders for the skin. Opt for products that are rich in texture and provide moisture to the skin, keeping it hydrated and nourished. To keep the eyes simple, add a light coat of black mascara. Since mascara can tend to be a little drying, look for ones with nourishing ingredients like castor oil, black seed oil that helps in hydrating and strengthening the eyelashes. It is essential to exfoliate the lips to remove dead, dry skin, helping improve the tone and texture. After exfoliating, apply a lip balm that will help soothe dry, flaky lips and restore moisture. Do this before applying lipstick or lip gloss.

Sharad Kulkarni, in-house expert, Kama Ayurveda

It is known that winter means dull and dry skin. The only solution is to hydrate and moisturise your skin at regular intervals. Try including heavier products that last on your skin for a long time. Body oils and intensely hydrating creams should definitely be a part of your skincare routine. Including additional steps such as adding hydrating serum into your regular regime and keeping a refreshing toner handy will ensure your skin remains healthy, and will also prevent dry skin.

Ayurveda suggests altering your diet to include immunity-boosting foods during the winter. Ghee and turmeric helps fight any cold or flu coming your way. Starting your day with an oil massage will improve blood flow and stimulate the organs, flushing out all impurities. This will also build resistance to stress and illness.

Dr Rashmi Shetty, celebrity dermatologist, Pond’s Skin Expert

I always recommend a good light moisturiser enriched with Vitamin E or something like a hydrating gel that gets quickly absorbed into your skin and is also cooling. Don’t neglect the lips and nails, use a good cuticle oil and an oil-rich lip balm to keep them from getting chapped and dry.

It’s important not to forget to hydrate yourself so, drink water and a lot of other fluids. Regardless of the season or weather, our skin always seems to react to something or the other, whether it is acne that has been activated by dust, or dark spots due to pollution, or even the dry skin that leaves us itchy.

And now that winter is here, our skin tends to get drier than usual. That is why it is important to have a list of things we must do to take care of our skin daily. Try to use products with glycerin — it’s a magic ingredient when it comes to skincare. Especially in the winter when the skin is dry, it helps draw water into the body and leaves a soothing effect on the skin. I recommend using a good glycerin-enriched cold cream in the colder months when the skin is dry and irritable.