After the last winter, my skin had lost so much of its natural healthy look that I got seriously worried and decided to do some extra special weekend pampering in addition to my usual skin care routine. I have been trying this out for the past month and I am seeing some good results, so thought will share with you all. If this works for you or if you have better suggestions, do let me know :)
So without much ado, here is what I do...
My skin type: Normal to Oily.
Mornings : Cleansing time,
This is when I do things to help my skin & body cleanse & remove impurities. As soon as I wake up, I usually drink water every day. On Saturday& Sunday, after drinking water, I do some exercise for 15-20mins to warm up my body.
Then I boil some water, add some basil leaf, some green tea powder and keep on boil for another 2mins.
After that once the water drops to warm temperature, I mix in some turmeric & lemon juice or Vit C Crystals.
I usually mix this with a full 1 Ltr jug of warm water and try to drink in as much as possible.
I try to eat as healthy as possible on weekdays but its not always possible.
So I try to prepare as many different types of salads as possible on the weekends.
Since in the morning, it is not good to eat too many acidic food, I try to avoid citrus fruits.
This is a favorite pre-breakfast snack of mine:
- Mix some cut fruits like - Apples,Melon, Papaya & Mango
- Add some natural honey for taste and consume immediately
Through out the day, I try to eat a mix of nuts & dries berries.
Noon: Moisturizing time
My grandma used to say that oil absorbs faster on a warmed up body. I don't know how true is that, but may be the increased blood circulation does help in faster absorption of oils.
On weekends I take my bath before lunch.
So an hour before bath, I apply a mix of the following oils:
- Base oil : avocado, coconut, jojoba, grape seed , pure virgin oilve
- Essential oil: Carrot seed, orange, rose hip seed
I apply the mix on my face & body. To make this more effective, massage in the oil for at least 5mins.
After that, I do some exercises [in privacy of course :)] to warm up my body, for at least 15-20mins.
After this, once I cool down, I apply a mix of the following oils on my hair:
Base oil - [see above list]
- Essential oil: Rosemary, Basil, Tea Tree, Cyprus , Lavender
Once you apply oil on your hair, it is not advisable to exercise, which is why I apply oil just before bath.
Immediately after bathing, I apply a body oil that absorbs easily. You can get body oils from The Body Shop or from Yves Rocher or any other brands you prefer. I like body oils better than cream moisturizers as they give better hydration and long lasting effects.
After bath, I try to apply a hydrating mask or cream on face to lock in all the moisture.
Night: Treatment time
For any treatments on face, night is the best time as you don't have to worry about sun exposure.
I apply a glycolic peel or a brightening mask etc followed by a good night cream.
Before sleep, I drink a juice with below mix to boost up my blood circulation & help my skin from within:
- Carrots
- Beets
- Ripe pumpkin
- a small slice of ginger
- Dates/Cranberry/Blue berry/Black berry
So thats what I do. I also try to eat as healthy as possible over weekend to make up for lazy weekdays.
If you have any suggestions, do leave your thoughts below :)