Tips for glowing skin

Your skin is a clear indicator to your lifestyle and internal well being, here are a few popular beauty tips to give you that much elusive glowing skin.

Exercise: 

Exercising can do wonders to your skin. Indulge in some sort of physical activity on a regular basis and notice how it affects your skin for the better. Running, jogging, walking or swimming, take out around 30 minutes from your daily schedule and unwind.

Drink water: 

Probably one of the most advised beauty tips, keeping yourself hydrated on a daily basis is absolutely essential. Juices and other liquids are also highly beneficial. Drink around 10-15 glasses a day and it is sure to positively affect your skin. Additionally, excessive consumption of alcohol should also be avoided.

Go green: 

A healthy diet can do wonders to the quality of your skin. Incorporate a healthy dose of vitamins and proteins in your daily diet and notice the condition of your skin change for the tremendously. Figs, radishes, spinach etc are great for healthy, glowing skin. Nuts like almonds are also known to improve the quality of your skin.

Detoxify, sleep well for radiant skin

Hectic work schedules often keep women away from spending any time on nurturing their skin. But it's easy to do it at home by detoxifying the body and getting proper beauty sleep.

Sun, stress, pollution and dirt leads to several skin concerns like uneven skin tone, blemishes and dull looking skin. However, an expert at cosmetic brand Lakme has shared tips on how one can get the desired flawless and radiant skin in the comfort of your home, said a statement.

Detox your body: 

Your body is a result of what is going on inside it. Skin problems develop when your skin can't do its job of eliminating toxins efficiently. Drink warm water with lemon every morning to help flush toxins from the body. Reduce your intake of alcohol for a few days to give your body and skin a break. Up your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and water to boost the amount of skin-saving nutrients you're getting.

Get some beauty sleep:

Sleep affects your physical and mental well-being. When you sleep, you're allowing your body to begin the healing process. Good sleep directly leads to fresh looking skin. Try and hit the sack earlier than you usually do and you will see the result within no time on your skin.

Skin serum is in: 

Gone are the days when serum was only for your hair. Skin serums are the latest trend in skin care. Whoever thought skin serums were only used by experts at the salon, think again. You can now use skin serums even in the comfort of your home with ease. Vitamins in these serums help make your skin even and radiant.

Strip off your make-up before going to bed: 

Leaving make-up and dirt on skin doesn't just clog pores but it also causes skin dullness. Always wipe off your make up and wash your face with a face wash to remove all the dirt and grime that your skin has collected throughout the day. Massage your face with a hydrating creme after you wash your face to help replenish your skin while you sleep.

Don't forget to apply sunscreen: 

We know, you've heard it a million times, but stepping out of the house during the day without wearing sunscreen is like directly forcing your skin to dullness. Sunscreen not only prevents your skin from tanning but also keeps it moisturized and hydrated throughout the day. Applying sunscreen everyday helps your skin retrieve its natural moisture.

Summer skin SOS

You will no longer hate the warm weather for the setbacks it can bring.We give you a list of the most common seasonal skin woes - and the solutions to prevent or fix them, to stay gorgeous all season

1. Sunburns

Reason: Exposure to UV rays during

Prevent it: For the face, use skincare products that contain SPF 30 or more. For the body, use garments such as scarves to guard against UV rays.

Solution: When skin is sun burnt, it is inflamed. So, burnt, it is inflamed. So, you first need to cool it; a cold shower is quite effective for this purpose. You can also soak a towel in cold water and place it on affected areas. Go for whitening/brightening skincare products and moisturise well.

2. Summer rash

Reason: Sweat makes the skin moist. Skin that is moist collects dust and impurities that block the sebaceous glands and cause summer rash and acne.

Prevent it: Never scratch your skin. Sweat contains salt that can irritate the skin, creating an itching sensation.

When you itch, your skin develops rashes.

Solution: Use a good-quality powder to prevent the skin from becoming too moist.
Make cleansing a part of your daily beauty regimen. Gently cleanse the skin with a cleanser, around two to three times a day. When outdoors or in office, apply moisturising lotion to a cotton pad and gently wipe the sweat off the skin instead of using a dry tow el. Moisturisof ing lotions to are mildly s acidic and do not irri tate the skin. ill 3 pm tate the skin.

3. Acne

Reason: Acne is the direct result of the direct result of dehydration due to sweating and excessive reproduc tion of bacteria. For adults, stress and lifestyle factors can disrupt the pH balance making the skin acne prone.

Prevent it: Change the way you cleanse. The key is to lather up the foam and cleanse gently, so that excess sebum is removed, but essential moisture is retained in the skin.

Solution: Gently wash the face with a cleanser, then apply a toner and a moisturiser (cream or emulsion) with a light texture. Sleep well, eat healthy, and avoid foods that are high in fats. Since your skin is very sensitive, apply products that can increase the `barrier function' of the skin.

4. Dry skin

Reason: Scrubbing can cause dry ness as it damages the stratum corneum (uppermost layer of the skin). Dif K t t ferences in humidity between indoors and outdoors and exposure to air conditioning are among other causes.

Prevent it: Maintaining an optimal moisture balance for your skin (balance between water, oil and moisturising elements in the skin) is important for healthy, beautiful skin. Most people with dry skin only use a cream. However, in order to restore the optimal moisture balance, apply a toner and an emulsion before applying a cream. This will create protective layers on your skin, thus increasing its barrier function.

Solution: Religiously moisturise your skin every morning and before you go to bed. The right way to apply the cream is to use the palm of your hand and apply it in a slow motion.

5. Uneven skin tone

Reason: The reason is different for different areas. Decrease in blood circulation and d haemoglobin in the blood affects the area around the eyes, making them appear darker. Exposure to UV rays causes melanin to build up which changes the colour of your cheeks. And if you notice uneven skin tone on your entire face, it may be due to lack of translucence because of ageing.

Prevent it: Moisturisation, sun protection, and facial massage are keys to avoiding uneven skin tone.

Solution: When massaging the face, pay attention to using the correct amount of cream. For the 
area around the eyes, take a towel, soak it in warm water, squeeze it and place on your eyes for a few minutes. This will increase the blood circulation and refresh your eyes.

Beauty tips to keep in mind

• Lather the cleansing foam until it is thick and creamy, and then use it to gently cleanse the face. Do not scrub, as it will damage the skin. The foam will act as a cushion and collect dust and impurities from the skin.
• Do not apply heavy moisturisers on oily skin as the pores can get clogged with oil and lead to blackheads and pimples.
• Be beautiful from the "inside" by paying special attention to food. Opt for healthy, natural and light options like salads and take vitamin and mineral supplements.

• After cleansing, use a toner. This will replenish the moisture in your skin and make it supple and soft. A smart way of using the toner is to take several cotton pads and soak them in the toner. Place the cotton pads on dry areas like a mask for 10 minutes.
• Apply sandalwood paste on pimples, acne, rash and heat boils. If there is a rash, mix sandalwood paste with a little rose water and apply on the affected area. Wash it off with plain water after 20 minutes. You can also use talcum powder containing sandalwood for conditions like prickly heat or body rash.

(Inputs by Hiroko Watanabe, skin expert, Shiseido and beauty expert Shahnaz Husain)

How to get revitalised and youthful skin

Healthy hydrated cells are said to be the key to staying young, so get the flow on your face from inside. Glowing and youthful skin may not be far away.

Beauty expert Kathryn Danzey, favoured by celebrities for gaining that extra glow, gives advice to achieve that glow from the inside out in two weeks and says healthy hydrated cells are the key to staying young.

At the anti-ageing health and beauty show at London Olympia, Danzey said that it takes three-four weeks for the skin cells to be renewed and only five days for the stomach lining. So, one should use the food and drinks consumption to help promote our healthy skincare routine.

The beauty expert has a 3-dimensional approach to ageing:

• Hydrating and strengthening the cell wall is vital.
• Topical applications.
• Treatments to protect and reverse.

Cellular hydration diminishes with age and it's impossible to hydrate cells that are weak. Danzey advised that drinking collagen - a big beauty trend at the moment, could help one look young for long.

Collagen Shots have 10,000 mgs of marine extract collagen per serving. Collagen type I is a major protein found in connective tissues and skin, and plays an essential role in maintaining skin tone, suppleness and elasticity.

After the age of 25 collagen synthesis reduces at a rate of 1.5 per cent a year and by the age of 45 collagen levels fallen by as much as 30 per cent.

The visible effects of this process are the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and dry skin. Collagen Shots will solve all of these problems, by consuming one shot per day.

H3O hydration is a revolution that provides all the minerals and ions that are essential for hydration at a cellular level to create healthy hydrated cells.

• Hypotonic hydration with hyaluronic acid for cell hydration.
• Key minerals to transfer nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells.
• Turn on the switch to convert dormant energy to active energy to encourage weight loss.
• Helps regulate the level of oxygen in blood.

Moisturisers from the kitchen for all skin types

Beauty in it's most natural of forms is not only the easiest to achieve but also the most accessible.

All-natural beauty treatments revitalize your skin and body, and are both effective and affordable. We suggest a few all-natural beauty treatments for all skin types that you can find inside your very own kitchen cupboards and refrigerators!

Oily skin: 

If your skin tends to get oily, let these all-natural, readily available products be your new best friends:

Avocado: 

Many beauty and health experts recommend the avocado juice for soft, glowing skin. Avocado is rich in Vitamin A that essentially offers clear, beautiful skin. Apart from this it is loaded with several other minerals like potassium, iron and copper that can collectively work wonders in giving your skin the right kind of moisture. "You can simply mash up an avocado or two and apply it on your skin and rinse it off after 15-20 minutes. Avocado juice is also a complete energizer and can boost you up completely," says Seema Rai, skin expert.

Bananas: 

They are rich in Vitamin A as a result of which, bananas help immensely in restoring dull and damaged skin. To give your skin some natural moisturizer, mash a banana and apply it gently all over your face, keep it on your face for around twenty minutes and wash it off with some lukewarm water.

Additionally the Vitamin C present in bananas can help in giving your skin that natural glow.

Normal skin: 

For those who're blessed with normal skin that is between dry and oil and habituates well with any climate, try these:

Grapes: 

The Vitamin E present in grapes retains the moisture in the skin and also helps in the rejuvenation of deal skin cells. Mash a handful of grapes and use cotton to apply it across your face. Wash after a while. For best results, apply it a few times a week. Also, due to the presence of antioxidants, grapes can act as a natural sunscreen.

Cucumber: 

Cucumbers restore moisture and maintain supple, healthy skin apart from several other benefits. "Cucumbers act as a good moisturizer for the body and skin. Antioxidants delay ageing of the skin and thus keep the skin rejuvenated. Simply by keeping cucumber slices on the eyes at night can relieve the puffiness better than any medication as it contains vitamin C," says Dr Shefali Trasi-Nerukar, dermatologist.

Dry skin: 

If you have skin that generally lacks moisture, here are a few natural treatments that won't only retain moisture but also keep it there:

Coconut oil: 

Not only is it a natural moisturizer, it also acts as a make up remover, and a body scrubber. It sinks deep inside the pores, softens and moisturizes the skin completely, and also cleans away dirt and grime. Additionally, a coconut oil massage is recommended for strong and healthy hair.

Papaya: 

These are best known for retaining water and removing dead skin cells thus giving way to supple, glowing skin. If you have dry skin, mash a papaya with some honey for instant skin moisturizing and hydration. "Papaya is very helpful in combating dry skin problems. Raw papaya pulp is rich in antioxidants especially vitamin C which helps in moisturizing and brightening the complexion," says dermatologist Dr Apratim Goel.