We all love our skin! Having a beautiful – radiant – glowing – spotless – clear – smooth skin, is the dream of every woman! Well, why shouldn’t we? But here’s the big question – why do we suddenly realize we want skin like that? Obviously because when we had it, we took it for granted and we didn’t take enough care of it, which resulted into not-so-happy skin!

So, thumb-rule – Take care of your skin, at all times. When it looks like your skin does not need care, trust me, that’s when it needs the most. You need to maintain your skin at its best, and work harder towards it when it’s not. Our skin needs constant care, attention and the right regimen for it to remain in the pink of its health.

Skin Care Basics

– One cannot underestimate the importance of cleansing – toning – moisturizing. You need to wash your face clean and remove every trace of makeup before you go off to bed. Our skin heals itself while we sleep, absorbing all that we feed it. Of course we do not want our skin to be layered with makeup in that case.

– Make sure to use a natural toner like rose water, lavender water, witch hazel water, apple cider vinegar, green tea or honey to add a natural glow to your face. Market bought toners are usually alcohol based and have steep astringent properties, which tend to dry your skin and rip off the protective layer on your skin. Its best to use natural alternatives that are not only gentle, but are very effective, safe and have added benefits too.

– It’s vital to moisturize it right with the right amount of nourishment that you need for your skin type. Choose to use a water-based moisturizer if you have oily-combination skin, a heavy cream if you have dry skin, lotion/cream enriched with retinoids and antioxidants if you have mature skin, and so on.

– Exfoliation plays a very important role in sloughing off the dead cells, thus promoting cell regeneration. However, it is vital that you use exfoliates depending on your skin type. Sensitive areas need gentle exfoliates and tougher areas need stronger exfoliates. Like your face, neck, underarms, hands are all sensitive areas and need gentle exfoliants like oatmeal, almond powder, basil, green tea extracts, turmeric, chickpea flour, yogurt, cocoa powder etc. Areas like elbows, knees and heels need tough exfoliation and so you need walnut shell powder, apricot seed powder, rice flour, coffee grounds or pumice stone powder for better results. If these harsh exfoliants are used on sensitive areas, the harshness of the granules will damage our skin and result in inflammation and scarring. Also the frequency of exfoliation should be limited to 2-3 times a week and should not be too frequent.

Below are some Do-It-Yourself, 3-ingredients, simple masks for glowing radiant skin!

1. Get rid of blackheads, naturally:

1 tbsp. oats powder (gentle exfoliant)

+ 1 pinch turmeric (anti-microbial)

+ 1-2 tsp milk / rosewater (toner to tighten pores)

Make paste and apply on the area desired.

Leave it on for 15 mins. Wet your hands and scrub in circular motions.

Rinse well with lukewarm water. Moisturize after.

2. Remove tan, naturally:

1 tbsp. tomato juice (skin lightening)

+ 2 tbsp. sugar (fine granules) (gentle exfoliant)

+ 1 tsp. sandalwood powder (anti-microbial, skin-lightening, soothing)

Make paste and apply on the area desired.

Leave it on for 15 mins. Rinse well with cold water.

Moisturize with sunscreen.

Repeat every alternate day for 2 weeks for best results.

3. Instant glow face mask:

2 tbsp. mashed papaya puree (reduces skin blemishes)

+ 1 tsp lemon juice (deep cleans, skin brightening)

+ 1 tbsp. chickpea flour (gentle exfoliant)

Mix well, apply on the face and leave it on for 10 mins.

Rinse with ice cold water. Moisturize thoroughly.

Almost every natural ingredient present in our kitchen has some skincare or haircare benefit. Only if we know how to use it in the right way, for the correct reasons, blending it with suitable ingredients in the appropriate proportions. They can prove to be very effective if used liberally and can almost reduce the need to get chemical treatments, peels and therapies which all give you temporary results. By using natural alternatives, the progress maybe slow but the radiance will stay for life.

Stay blessed, stay natural, to glow from inside out.