Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love. Why not start by loving your skin? Take cues from the skincare rules that beauty influencers love to follow…
Do you have a regular skincare routine? Or do you just fall asleep each night and not worry too much about what is on your skin? If you don’t pay attention to seemingly trivialities such as cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin, then you must start now. Skincare is not vanity. It is self-care. Glowing skin is not only reflective of our outer beauty but also inner health and well-being.
Here’s how you can raise the bar for loving your skin:
1. Look within:
“When I was younger, beauty was all about makeup. It was about what was applied externally. I never considered that what I ate and how I felt could have such a huge impact on how I looked,” confesses Beauty guru Vasudha Rai and author of GLOW: Indian Foods, Recipes and Rituals for Beauty, Inside and Out. “It’s only now after more than 15 years of writing on the subject that I’ve realised that self-care, wellness, health, makeup and skincare all fall under the umbrella of beauty.” Her mantra for glowing skin is to do pranayama for at least 10 minutes daily.
2. Be consistent:
Just applying an eye serum once randomly or pampering your face with occasional facials will not fetch rewards if you don’t have a regular skincare routine. Organize your time and your products lineup. “My top skin-loving habit is to go for ingredient-dense skincare rather than just a fancy cream or a dry/oily skin cream. I get started by making a list of ingredients I want on my skin – hyluronic acid, retinol, Vit C and then devise a regime. It could also be some indigenous botanical extract. Like at the moment I am intrigued by Just Herbs’ Kimsukadi Oil. Some days, I do slip up but manage to stay consistent with my regime overall,” says Latha Sunadh, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle Asia.
3. Pamper your skin:
Hesha Chimah, beauty & lifestyle writer and content Creator is a firm believer of less is not more when it comes to skin care. Without fail she schedules weekly/monthly facials to give the skin that extra dose of tender loving care. “Irrespective of following a good skincare regimen, it’s important to let experts treat your skin a minimum of once a month. A part of my skincare ritual includes regular clean ups and facials from my dermatologist and I must say, it has changed my skin’s life! It’s plum, healthy and most clear it has ever been. Make sure you too opt for these depending on your skin type and weather conditions of your surroundings and trust me your skin will thank you later!”
4. Maintain makeup hygiene:
Makeup hygiene or rather lack of it inflicts most in the showbiz. “It’s not uncommon for some makeup artists not to wash brushes. If the brushes are not sterilized, your skin is susceptible not just to bacteria on the brushes but also to someone else’s skin infection. So if you are in a profession, like mine, which involves applying make-up as part of the job carry your own brushes,” advises model and influencer Arshia Ahuja. Makeup brushes are as personal as your comb, never borrow someone else’s. Make it a weekly practice to clean your makeup tools to keep the bacteria away.
5. Be comfortable in your skin:
Stress not only causes you to break out but also makes healing more challenging. So if you are anxious about that zit on your forehead, it just may lead to another one to pop up. Think of your skin as your best friend. So, when your best friend is in trouble, would you judge her or comfort her? Vaani Mahesh Rana, Social Media Manager, Just Herbs, has a magical trick for keeping her acne in check. “I talk to my skin when it’s about to breakout and profess love. You got to have sense of humor to deal with acne,” she grins. Of course, we are not saying that you don’t reach out to anti-acne skin solutions. Do that but with a sense of ease and faith.
6. Don’t forget to exfoliate:
“We tend to over moisturize our skin but non-brasive exfoliation is the best way to show some skin- love,” states Geeta Rao, previously the beauty director at Vogue India, now an influencer, blogger and brand story teller. This daily skincare step lifts off all the daily debris and dead cells so that your skin can breathe, she adds
7. Keep it clean:
The name of the game is to clean up. The fear of makeup clogging the pores is baseless if you know how to keep your skin clean. For instance, if you wear matte textures and water-proof makeup, just remember you need to use an oil-based remover (such as micellar water) to take it all off. “Personally, I alternate between cold-pressed coconut oil and micellar water. Coconut oil is my go-to for removing matte lipsticks and eyeliners. It removes all traces of the pigments and at the same time nourishes the lips and the delicate area around the eyes. As a bonus, I find my dark circles fading,” states Aparrna Gupta, Editor, JH Edit. Former beauty editor at Verve, she now contributes articles to leading lifestyle publications and regularly blogs on all about beauty.
8. Drink water:
Last but not the least; remember that water is the key. Rai’s secret to healthy skin is simple – drink four litres of warm water every day. This simple and inexpensive step goes a long way to reducing skin dryness and increasing moisture. When you drink adequate water, the skin looks healthier and is less prone to wrinkles.
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