Beauty, as the saying goes, is only skin deep. But the importance of skin goes a lot deeper.
Tips for a Glowing Skin:
Avoid Long Steamy Showers:
Instead, opt for shorter, cooler sprays. Long, hot showers strip the skin of its moisture and wash away its protective oils. So limit your showers to 10 minutes and keep the water cool.
Apply Aloe Vera Gel Daily:
Smooth some aloe vera gel over extra dry skin everyday. The acids in aloe eat away at dead skin cells and speed up the healing process. Buy a pre-prepared product or cut the end off of an aloe leaf, split it open and spread the gel on the dry area.
Drink Plenty of Orange Juice:
Orange juice is rich in vitamin C, essential for the manufacture of collagen, which helps to keep the skin smooth and youthful. Other foods rich in vitamin C include guava, kiwi fruit and red peppers.
Get Rid of Excess Oil:
De-shine your face by periodically dabbing on loose powder to blot excess oil. Don’t use pressed powder, which actually contains oil as an ingredient.
Exfoliate Every Day:
Use a loofah every day to keep ingrown hairs and scaly skin under control. While you’re in the shower, gently scrub bumpy or scaly skin with a circular motion to remove dead skin cells.
Cook with Garlic Every Day:
A 1996 Danish study found that skin cells grown in a culture dish and treated with garlic had seven times the lifespan of cells grown in standard culture. They also tended to look healthier and more youthful than untreated cells. Plus, garlic extract dramatically inhibited the growth of cancerous skin cells.
Keep Hands Off Your Face:
Because your hands touch so many surfaces, they are a magnet for dirt and germs. Rub your eyes, stroke your chin, cup your cheek, and you’ve transferred everything on your hands to your face. As an extension of this, use headphones or a headset when talking on the phone.
Change Moisturizer Every Season:
Every time the seasons change, replace your moisturizer. Your skin needs more moisture than in summer. So when it’s time to wear a heavy coat, it’s time to buy a heavier moisturizer. When you swap your coats for t-shirts, switch to a lighter one.
Choose Cosmetics Carefully:
Keep your beauty products simple, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Stay away from anything with colour or fragrance, or anything that produces bubbles or has ‘antibacterial’ on the label.
Natural and Home Remedies for a Glowing Skin
That fruits are the best medicine is a well-known fact.
A cup of fruit juice a day is sure to guarantee a clear complexion. How about a massage with a fruit pulp or a fruit facial? Fruit facials have been there for at least a decade now. But with people getting more wary of effect of chemicals on the skin, a majority of them are now resorting to using something from their own kitchen. What better way to pamper your skin than with pure stuff which is free of toxins and not harmful to your skin?
Besides the fact that they hydrate and rejuvenate your skin, the very smell of a fruit on your face is quite de-stressing. Unlike the chemical beauty treatments, fruits are cost-effective, natural and also bring a visible difference. Here are a few fruits and their properties, choose what suits you best!
Banana: This is one fruit that's abundantly available in India all through the year. We know it's a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium and helps reduce menstrual cramps. The effect of banana on skin too is not something that can be ignored. Bananas are rich in vitamin A, B and E and hence works as an anti-aging agent. A fresh mashed banana facial can do wonders for your skin.
Lemon: Lemon juice is an important ingredient in most Indian recipes. This is also a fruit of all seasons and almost always finds place on your kitchen shelf or refrigerator. With its vitamin C content, its juice will keep your skin beautiful. A glass of warm water with a tsp of honey and a dash of lemon juice on an empty stomach every morning is a great skin cleanser. With its astringent properties, it can be used to lighten the skin tone and also diminish acne scars. Rub the inside of a lemon peel on your elbow remove dark spots. Mix lemon and honey and use it as a natural bleach on your skin.Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away is cliched, but its health benefits are indisputable. Apple's antioxidant property prevents cell and tissue damage. Studies by nutritionists have shown that apples contain abundant amounts of elastin and collagen that help keep the skin young. Applying a mixture of mashed apple, honey, rose water and oatmeal can act as a great exfoliating mask on your skin.
Orange: Rich in vitamin C that improves skin texture. Like apple, orange too contains collagen that slows skin aging process. Rub the insides of orange on your skin to tighten the skin. Oranges can be dried and powdered and used as a natural scrub. Like lemon, oranges too help clear skin blemishes.
Papaya: The benefits of this fruit on skin have perhaps been talked about since the time of our ancestors. Papaya is rich in antioxidants and contain a special enzyme called papain that can kill dead cells and cure skin impurities. A glass of papaya milk or just applying the flesh of papaya on your skin can do wonders to your skin.
Mango: Rightly called the king of fruits for not just its taste but also for health benefits. The soft pulpy fruit has an amazing effect on skin too. Rich in vitamin-A and rich antioxidants, it fights against skin aging, regenerates skin cells and restores the elasticity of skin.
Cocoa: The bean has high levels of flavanols, plant compounds with antioxidant properties that help protect skin from sun damage. Apart from sipping it in the morning and evening you can also use it as a bath soak - add 1/8 cup ground cocoa powder and 1/3 cup fat-free dry milk in your bathtub.
Strawberries: The vitamin C in strawberries help protect skin from environmental damage. Puree the berries in a blender and mix in chilled curd and add a half of lemon juice. This will help lighten dark spots. Strawberries have high dosage of vitamin C and ellagic acid which is essential for the production of collagen and acts as an antioxidant.
Avacado: It is the king of beauty foods. It is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, which help keep skin plump and smooth. Add avocados to salads and shakes to help bring out the shine.
Tea: All teas are good for the skin but green and white are especially beneficial because they have double the antioxidants of black tea.
Almonds: Go nuts with almonds as it contains high levels of catalase, an enzyme that may help slow the graying process.
Coffee: It helps protect skin from sun damage and prevents the breakdown of collagen and elastin that causes wrinkles and sagging. However, don't drink more than a cup per day as coffee can also cause dehydration
Curd: The calcium and phosphorus in it helps strengthen tooth enamel and protect your teeth from cavities. It is also high in protein, which is an essential nutrient for the production of collagen, a fibrous substance that keeps your skin looking young. You can also apply it to the face to sloughing away dead skin cells and unclogging pores.
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