Dr. Rajat Kandhari, Consultant Dermatologist, Dermatosurgeon and Cosmetic procedures, talks about surreptitious yet easy to do tips to look flawless this Diwali/wedding season
We all sure do love Diwali, it is the most awaited festivals in India, but with it, comes loads of running around, shopping, cleaning of the house to making it “guest ready”, parties and get-togethers, lots of sweets & goodies, less sleep and majorly stress ( when you don’t even realize you are stressed and body is asking for rest & care). It’s a festivity filled with lights and sadly loads of pollution and fire crackers, skin gets subjected to dust, pollutants, chemicals and smoke particularly on Diwali day and considering it’s the start of winters the skin also gets dry and dehydrated. So while you spruce up for the festive season take a little “time out” from the stressful schedule because you and your skin needs it. Here are some useful tips.
1) Cleansing – With Diwali comes lot of running around resulting in dust and grime settling on your skin. Few things which you could do is keep your wet wipes handy and also carry a thermal spring water mist / spray with you (available by Avene and Uriage) – this will not only rehydrate your skin but also keep it looking fresh, healthy and clean. For those with particularly oily skin a good facial scrub once or twice a week would be a good idea.
2) Make up and moisturizers– Since winters have just begun the humidity in the air dips so your skin would be shriveled and dry – choose a good moisturizer (depending on your skin type – for oily skins choose a light lotion or gel based moisturizer and for dry skin a nice creamy moisturizer would do the trick). Diwali comes with its share of get-togethers and parties and hence the need to use a lot of make-up. Use good quality make up and choose what suits you rather than “branded” make up – A waterproof mascara, eyeliner and transfer-resistant lipsticks to avoid smudging and staining and a mousse based foundation to avoid suffocating your skin. “ALWAYS” remember to cleanse your make up before you hit the bed else you are going to end up clogging all your pores, resulting in a breakout. Use water based cleansers, particularly for sensitive skins (Sensibio H2O by Bioderma is a good one)
3) Home Remedies – For those who believe in home remedies an oats (grind them) with a pinch of turmeric (antiseptic) and little honey paste would help as a good pack. Use the pack for 10 mins or so every few days. One could also use a milk and honey pack as milk contains lactic acid which helps to hydrate the skin and also acts as a mild peeling agent, thereby giving the skin a brighter look. Avoid thick and occluding packs such as multani miti for long periods as they may lead to occlusion of your pores.
4) Balance your calories – lots of sweets, drinks and merry making goes without saying we need to balance out our calories during the festive season. Fill yourself with salads and fresh seasonal fruits particularly on parties and steer clear from the fried foods. What you eat reflects not only on your skin and hair but also on your belly. A handful of dry fruits every day particularly almonds and walnuts would do one good not only during this season but during the rest of the year as well.
5) Cosmetic Procedures : For those who want to spruce up the glam quotient there are procedures such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels or “party peels” as they are know are a good idea as they give that much needed glow and yet are safe. For a fresher and rejuvenated look mesotherapy treatments with hyaluronic acid really adds to a fresher looking you.
