Winter has announced its arrival. The weather has turned nippy and your skin is the first one to bear the brunt of elements (read cold winds). The basics of skin care remain the same for winter too: cleansing, toning and moisturising but you need to tweak these products a bit. In summer, a foaming face wash was good but as the temperature dips you should switch to a mild cleanser, preferably a lotion. Similarly your toner should be of non-drying types and your moisturiser should be a richer version of the one that you used in the summer. Priya Singh enlists ten must have beauty essentials that every girl should keep in her vanity kit.
1. Heavy duty moisturizer with SPF protection: Cold winds can strip moisture from your skin, particularly your facial skin. Wear moisturisers diligently after cleaning your face. Switch to oil based moisturisers in place of water as they form a barrier on your skin and look for “nonclogging” oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Do not avoid sunscreen protection just because it’s winter. The rays of the sun will wreak damage on your skin nevertheless. Sunscreen Protection Factor 15 is good for Indian skin tones.
2. Gentle exfoliating agents: In these months our skin’s turnover rate goes down, hence you should add a gentle exfoliating agent in your skin care ritual to remove the dead cells from your skin. Any scrub which has AHA agents will be a good exfoliator. Lactic acid (sour yoghurt) is a wonderful exfoliator that removes dead cells without being harsh. Gentle peeling creams are better than the regular scrubs. Remember to tone (rose water) your skin after exfoliating it and follow it up with a good moisturiser.
3. Switch your face masks. Give hydrating face masks a chance now. Avoid face masks that have clay in it as they can absorb extra oil from your skin. Now, your masks should have ingredients like glycerine, honey which can nourish your skin.
4. How about hand creams? Your hands bear the brunt of cold weather more than your face. Shower these with some TLC and you’ll be rewarded with a soft and smooth pair of hands. Exfoliate your hands and apply a good hand cream later. Wear cotton gloves later to seal in the moisture.
5. Put your best foot forward. Winter means dry, dehydrated and cracked heels for many. Not only this is painful but embarrassing too. Dip your heels in a basin of warm salted water in which baking soda and shampoo has been added. Scrub the topmost layer gently with a good quality pumice stone. Refrain from buying the cheaper version available at your local kirana store. Follow it up with a generous massage by a rich, hydrating foot cream.
6. Have you splurged on hair masks? The cold winds and the dipping temperature steal moisture and lustre from your precious strands. Protect your hair by wearing nourishing hair masks. Make it once-a-week affair and your hair will bounce with health.
7. Lip balms. Your lips don’t have any oil glands. Naturally they dry out faster than your skin. Hence buy a good quality lip balm to keep your lips hydrated and well moisturised. You can also switch to creamy lipsticks in place of the long lasting ones to keep your lips happy.
8. Eye cream: The delicate skin around your eyes can get really damaged by cold air and harsh winds. Even though you might apply in the AM, applying eye cream mid-day when you leave your office will keep the skin around the eyes protected.
9. Oil massage. This sounds delicious and feels heavenly. At least once a month treat yourself to a whole body oil massage. You can use coconut or olive oil for the massage and your skin will definitely feel better and more hydrated later.
10. Body butter: This is thicker than a regular lotion and provides much needed nourishment to the dry and dehydrated skin.
In winter you may not feel thirsty but you should have ten glasses of water to keep your skin hydrated. If you use room heaters then place a bowl of water in the room so that your skin doesn’t feel parched when you wake up. Hot water baths may feel heavenly, but you should avoid it as it can dry your skin. Instead prefer tepid water and put a capful of baking soda in it to keep your skin moist. Emphasise on healthy foods and be regular with exercise and the result will reflect in a healthy glow on your face.
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