Mumbai, (Maharashtra) [India] Nov 05 (ANI): Diwali, the festival of lights, is just around the corner, but shopping, house decoration, takes away a chunk of your day and leaves you with no time for yourself.
In the days following up to Diwali, nobody wants to look tired or exhausted, and especially on the day of the festival, it is a strict no-no.
So, in order to glam up, here are few expert tips for your skin and your hair by beauty expert Shahnaz Husain:
Cleansing your skin during the night should be an absolute must, especially for city dwellers. Since, chemical air pollutants, dirt and grime that hang in the air acts as potent skin irritants.
-One should moisturise their skin on a regular basis and even protect it from sun exposure. For normal to dry skin, cleansing is recommended twice a day, with a cleansing gel, containing ingredients like aloe vera. Massage the cleanser lightly into the skin and remove it with moist cotton wool. Then apply rose water or skin tonic, using cotton wool.
-During the day, use a sunscreen, before going out or use moisturiser, if you are indoors. Moisturisers are available in cream and liquid form. For dry skin, during the night, post-cleansing, one should apply a nourishing cream on the face and massage it gently. Wipe off with moist cotton wool. You can apply a serum afterwards.
– For oily skin, mix one teaspoon pure glycerin with 100 ml rose water. Keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge. Apply this lotion after cleansing. This helps in moisturising the skin, without making it oily. Use cleansing milk or face wash to cleanse the skin afterwards.
-Makeup should also be removed at night. Since, it can cause dryness of the skin, thereby disrupting the normal acid-alkaline balance. It can lead to rashes and other eruptive conditions, like pimples and acne.
The use of facial scrubs also helps brighten the skin.
– Use a facial scrub twice a week. Mix ground almond (badaam) or rice powder with curd and a pinch of Turmeric. You can even add dried and powdered orange and lemon peels. Apply it on the face and rub gently on the skin, and wash off with water.
-Apply honey on the face daily for 10 minutes and wash off with water. If you have an aloe vera plant, use the gel, found in the inner portion of the leaves as a moisturiser.
-Grate carrots and apply on the face for 15 to 20 minutes. Since carrot is rich in Vitamin A and good for nourishing the skin in winter, and most importantly it suits all skin types.
-Mix half a teaspoon honey, one teaspoon rose water and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply on the face. Remove after 20 minutes with water. Suits normal to dry skin. Applying mayonnaise or egg yolk on the skin also helps to relieve dryness.
The onset of winter makes hair dry and frizzy, so get hold of these methods to make it look lustrous and healthy.
-Nourish the hair with oil treatments once or twice a week. Heat olive oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water; squeeze out the water and wrap it around your head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes and repeat the process for three to four times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better.
-Egg white is a natural cleanser for oily hair, since its protein content is beneficial. Apply egg white on the hair for about half-an-hour before you rinse it off with shampoo. To nourish dry hair, massage egg yolk or mayonnaise into the scalp. Leave it on for half an hour and then wash the hair. This process helps soften the hair which has suffered damage through colouring, straightening or perming.
If you have been working hard just before Diwali, here are a few pick-me-up tips from Shahnaz that will glam you up in no time
-Give yourself a manicure and pedicure the day before Diwali. After soaking the hands and feet in warm water, massage with a rich cream, so that the skin is smooth and soft. A good treatment for the hands is to rub them with sugar and lemon juice. Also, pay attention to details like waxing and threading too, at least a day in advance.
-A face mask can leave your skin clean and glowing. Cleanse the skin. Mix honey with egg white and apply it on the face. Wash off with water after 20 minutes.
-For those with dry skin, mix half a teaspoon honey, egg yolk or pure almond oil and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply on the face. Leave it on for half an hour and rinse off with water. After washing off the pack, give the skin a compress with cotton wool pads soaked in rose water.
-To take great care of hands and nails, mix almond oil and honey in equal parts and massage into the nails and cuticles. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wipe off with a moist towel. Mix together 3 tablespoons of rose water with one tablespoon glycerin and lemon juice. Apply it on hands and feet and leave for half an hour, and wash it off with plain water.
-If your hair is looking dull give it a quick conditioning treatment before your shampoo. Mix one teaspoon each of vinegar and honey with one egg. Beat them together well. Massage the mixture into the scalp. Then wrap the hair in a hot towel for twenty minutes, before washing the hair.
-To add an extra shine, boil used tea leaves in water. Take four cups of tea-water, cool it. Add the juice of a lemon and use it as a last rinse after shampoo. [source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]