We know you are missing your regular salon appointments, thanks to the current lockdown and safety measures that we all must adhere to. Plus, between Zoom meetings and other household responsibilities, you are probably struggling to find even half an hour for yourself.
Being perfectly groomed is perhaps the item on your list of priorities…But it shouldn’t be! If you look good, you feel good. And this is the one thing in your control. So don’t neglect your hair and skin care routine. Remember that a few basic tips and tricks can bring the lustre and sparkle back to your personality.
“Our skin is the largest organ of our body and we should not take it for granted. Ingredients like kumkumadi, ubtans, manjistha, neem, turmeric and gulab, are handy at home and help rejuvenate and renew skin cells, act against hyperpigmentation, allergy, dark spots, pimples and ageing to lend the skin a younger natural glow,” emphasises Deepshika Deshmukh, who launched her skincare line, Love Veda by Love Organically, during the pandemic.
Moisturise and hydrate
In these testing times, it has become imperative to meticulously wash or sanitise our hands which leads to dry, cracked or chapped palms. Anita Golani, Founder, iORA, a DIY Salon Kit series, recommends the use of an aroma-free, chemical-free, and gentle handwash/soap, followed by gently wiping it off with a towel. “Use natural wellness items, natural oils, body-butters and aloe vera gel, and naturally hydrating ingredients like ghee, coconut oil, almond oil and milk cream,” she suggests and recommends drinking plenty of water as well.
Up your facemask game
To regain your lost glow, apart from cleansing and moisturising, facemasks prove to be of great help by restoring your daily intake of essential nutrients. Renowned beauty expert Shahnaz Hussain’s therapy for oily skin is a blend of milk, oatmeal, honey, and gram flour in equal quantities applied all over your face to get a fresh sparkle. Dry skin calls for an intensely moisturising agent, for instance, almond oil substituted for milk, in the mask, to bring that glow back to your skin.
Yogini, mountaineer and philanthropist, Radhika Iyer Talati, Founder, Beauty by Anahata, recommend summer skin essentials using at-home ingredients like roses, sandalwood, aloe vera, coconut milk, and honey, to flaunt that dewy and fresh skin. “Just like how our body needs exercise and blood circulation to be fit, our face also needs a massage, like basic rolling of the eyes, pulling out the tongue, fluffing the cheeks to keep us looking young,” she explains.
Tend to your crowning glory
Remaining indoors has, seemingly, at least one benefit: Damage to our hair by the harsh sun is at bay. However, we still have to deal with rough, frizzy strands. Oiling our hair is as important as shampooing and conditioning. Most Indians swear by a good head massage with a desi oil
Saumya Ahuja, Co-Founder at Mikami, a hair-care product company, emphasises the importance of the right measurements of ingredients. She explains, “To get the desired results, oil pods need to be curated with the right type of blends for each type of hair problem, in accurate proportion. Oil Pods by Mikami is a premeasured system of micro-dosing your tresses with oils in the exact amount required for nourishment.” And this can be done in the safety of your homes.
Oils are vital in protecting our hair from damage. Dr Bharti Magoo, a Mumbai-based Dermatologist and Aesthetician and owner of Golden Touch Clinic, helps us understand the importance of various kinds of oil and why oiling is crucial. “Oil seeps into the hair and lessens the amount of water absorbed by the strands. It plugs the slit between the cuticle cells and thwarts the hostile elements from passing into the follicle. There are several mineral oils and vegetable oils used to avert hair loss and help the regrowth process,” she says.
Home-spa of coffee body scrub by Dr Bharti Magoo
1. Combine 1/2 cup fresh ground coffee and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
2. Mix 1/2 cup coconut oil into the mixture.
3. Scrub the mixture over your body gently.
4. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Then, rinse thoroughly.
DIY tips for dark, scruffy elbows and knees by Anita Golani
1. Olive oil and sugar scrub for 10 minutes.
2. Mix 1tsp of vinegar and gram flour with curd. Apply the mask onto your knees or elbows and wait for 15 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water.
3. Turmeric paste shines dull elbows and knees. Rinse it off after 10 minutes with cold water for best results.
DIY skincare tips from Bengaluru-based beauty blogger Vaishnavi K.U (Instagram handle @grubmode):
1. Spraying rose water hydrates and calms your skin.
2. Applying sunscreen - even while indoors - protects your skin cells and prevents indoor tan.
3. Use potato or cucumber slices, or tea bags, or cotton pads soaked in milk to deal with puffy eyes.
4. A hair mask of fenugreek and curd paste gets rid of dandruff.
5. Rinsing your hair with rice water (which is nutritious for your hair) after your hair wash prevents hair loss.
