Red Wine + Honey Skin Facial {DIY}

Tags : Home >> Skin Care >> Home Remedies >> DIY

I have always wondered how it would be to apply exotic ingredients to skin. But, always fail to experience it when it really comes to them. Because I love to eat those fruits than apply them on the face! So, when it came to using red wine, I made sure that I would experience it. So, let us check out how this DIY turned out!!

Before that, lets talk a bit about red wine. We know it is made from grapes which are basically acidic and rich in Vitamin C and loaded with anti-oxidants. So, the wine, Refosco dal Peduncolo Russo (every wine has its own properties), we have today is quite deep in color and high in acidity. Since it is highly acidic, it is good for acne prone skin and drying as well. So, let us check out how it fares for us.

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Red Wine DIY Facial for Anti-aging skin care @ http://goo.gl/iJcYGX via @skyiseternal #perfectskincareforyou
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Ingredients

• 1tbsp red wine

• 1tbsp honey (to combat dryness)

Method

• Wash your face. Scrub it, if necessary. Steam your face, neck and décolletage for 5 minutes to open the pores. 

• Take the mixture of wine and honey and massage your face with it the way it is done during a facial. You can get your sister or best friend to do it as well!! 

• Since there is honey, the mix tends to get sticky so keep the steamer on in the interims so that the liquid gets penetrated into the skin and does not dry up.

• Keep massaging for 30 minutes in this way. Cover your neck and décolletage as well. Do not forget your ears and lips!! 

• You can wash it off immediately or let it sit on your skin for as long as you can as a mask. Whatever you do, wash off with cold water and apply moisturiser.

Results

There would not be an immediate glow on the face! But, the skin definitely looks plumpier and firmer. And, it helps with making the skin soft and smooth. The lines are less visible. Basically, you can say the anti-aging effects of the red wine shows up. And, the glow comes later on. So, I loved it and now it is your turn!

Have you ever tried red wine DIY? How did you like it? Or, would you like to try it out?

Other DIY's to try out:
Green Tea Hair Spray
Homemade Vanilla Oil
Henna Gloss Recipe

Do you like Dark Chocolates? {Your Opinion}

Yummyyyyyy!!! I have to confess. I have soooooooooooooo much craving for sweets these days and not the normal sweets like pastries and brownies and cakes and all but the pure Indian ones which are totally smacking of Desi Ghee :D Jalebis, Rasmalai, Halwa, Gajar ka Halwa, Kaju Barfi........yumm!!

I am missing them and my mouth is already watering...ummmm :D Anyways. lets come back to today's topic. So, do you like dark chocolates. You already know my answer. The first word of the post. But, let me talk about how I started liking them. Now, dark chocolates are an acquired taste.

So, once, someone told me that you are not supposed to eat it all at once. Its supposed to be relished everyday a tiny bit. Then, my Europe trip happened and I went to Switzerland from where I got wine dark chocolates and loads of others.

In fact, one I got had 72% cocoa and trust me when I say IT WAS VERY DARK!! And, the more darker the chocolate, more bitter it is. And, if you like sugary sweet things, be prepared to gag for the first time you put it in your mouth. But, once you start flavouring it bit by bit everyday, you are on your way to love Dark Chocolates. 

And, that's my success to loving one of the best things in life :) And, do you know that cocoa has lot of anti-oxidants and are a great anti-aging treatment as well??? Yup, see, chocolates are not so bad after all!! And, so, do you like Indian sweets or the dark chocolates or the usual pastry and brownie stuff???

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5 Tips for Autumn and Winter Skin Care {Five Series}

So, winter is almost at the door step and autumn has already made the air pretty dry. The climate of Hyderabad is dry and it just gets more and more drier and sitting in AC doesn't really help!!! Couple of days back, I felt my skin was getting stretchy even after applying loads of moisturizers. So, how did I overcome that? Check out.

Good Cleanser

A gentle, SLS-free cleanser has really helped with the hydration levels of my skin. Recently, I tried out an SLS-based face wash for review purposes and I was amazed at the difference it made to my skin. My skin felt dried up and starved of moisture.

Hydrating Moisturizer

I did realize in this entire process that simply using loads of moisturizer doesn't really help. A hydrating moisturizer is the need of the day. So, I used my trusted aloevera gel and it worked!!! Yup, try to get a water-based gel moisturizers. There are loads in the market, especially, from big brands.

Exfoliation

Yes, something which I have NOT been doing but its extremely important. Dead skin cells are more during colder and drier months so a hydrating scrub is very effectively in preserving the lipid barriers of the skin. Raw Sugar or Jaggery works out the best for me.

Oils

Yes, I know you are afraid of oils but not oils are really oily and using correct amount of oil is very necessary. A drop or two is generally enough. And, there are loads of facial and body oils these days which do wonders for the skin.

My recommendation would be a drop or two of Apricot Oil which goes on skin like silk and makes skin amazingly soft and NO grease either. I do wanna use other amazing oils like rosehip and such and will report back after I use them ;) And, by the way, the oily skin gals can also use oils.

Layering

This is one of the tips which is really effective. Sometimes, products used can be ineffective on their own, especially for dry skins!!! So, layering helps a lot. I do that sometimes for both my face and body. The aloevera gel goes first and then I use a drop or two of any facial oil. Similarly, a body oil coupled with a great body lotion helps the body.

Please remember that all the above tips apply all over the body and not just the exposed parts. So, follow them and enjoy the soft skin this winters :) And, I am so excited for winters. Its my favorite-st climate :D How do you keep your skin protected in winters?

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Suggestions Please - Serum or night moisturizer for radiant skin!

So, I am trying to improve my skin condition and I have been thinking that some pampering is due so I was hoping you could all gimme suggestion for some night moisturizer or serum or any product which does not have sunscreen or makeup base and which can be applied anytime. 

I want something which can make the skin radiant and glowing and keep it that way for long! I did think of Vitamin C capsules from TBS but I am not really sure if I this is a good time to try them out the word on that product is quite mixed. Any high-brand product which is easily available in India would also be appreciated.

Do you think Ponds Gold Radiance would be good? I do not know if it is still in the market. I guess they have discontinued the range. I also had Forest Essentials gold youth serum or something in my mind. Anyways, since I have already given a lot of options, I am waiting for your inputs :)

What happens when you do not use Sunscreen? {Sunscreen}

This post is specially for people who have not yet adapted this routine thinking it to be just a frivolous stuff. Well, may be it was and that was the doubt which made me do this little experiment. I forgo-ed sunscreen for almost two weeks and now I am putting up these findings.

I have been using sunscreen more or less regularly since a year. And, I apply sunscreen only once in a day. But, I do apply a good amount of it for proper protection. And, yes, I do go out in the peak time of 10 AM - 4 PM as well. So, lets get on the with my findings.

My arms are back to whatever state they were tanned prior to my use of sunscreen. Interestingly, I observed the tanning only after a couple of days without sunscreen. The first day I didn't apply sunscreen, my skin was looking more or less the same. 

Talking about the face and neck, yes, they are also tanned. Not as much as my arms coz I did use sunscreen on and off. And, I am using a lightening oil as well at night to combat this tanning but still I know that my complexion has grown darker. 

So, now that I know that sunscreen is extremely important to preserve my skin complexion, I would try not to skip it. And, this is my first advise to everyone who love their skin. Oh! Btw, please remember that the benefits of using sunscreen are apparent only if you use the proper amount and after around a month of use. That's when you will see changed in your skin, be it color or texture. 

So, what do you think? Do you find yourself getting tanned whenever you skip sunscreen? 

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5 Steps to get fairer skin?

5 Steps to get fairer skin? {Five Series}

PS: This post is for all those people who have asked me to give tips on fairer skin. I am sorry that I couldn't reply to you all personally but hope this post is helpful to you :)

Since quite long, I have been seeing a trend of questions on this topic from people who are either getting married or who have darker skin tones. So, first of all, I would like to say that you can't really lighten the skin complexion. The skin color is determined by the amount of melanin your skin has and you can't do anything to reduce the amount of this pigment inside your skin. Ok, after that bit of science, I would like to say that you can do somethings to preserve your original complexion.

Sunscreen

Yup, that's the first step to any kind of skin care. And, I totally stress on the importance of this routine. I would suggest Neutrogena Ultra Sheer but my favourite is MVO Moisturizing Face Screen. I have often heard complains that the sunscreen does nothing but the secret lies in using the proper amount of sunscreen to provide full protection.

Double Cleansing

To remove makeup or sunscreen after an entire day of work, use oil or a good makeup remover before washing your face. Its one of the most important routines of the night. 

Face Wash and Tone

Use your face wash as you would and don't forget to use the toner if your face is oily. I would suggest using homemade toners for your skin type. Green tea for oily and combination skin and rose water for dry skin. You can do other experiments with them as well.

Moisturize and Nourish

One of the most important routines even if your skin is oily. Get a good moisturizer. Or, use aloevera gel if your skin is oily. Its the best bet. For dry skin, I would suggest using a facial oil or serum instead of moisturizer at night. 

Face Scrub and Mask

The above steps were regular routine. But, some extra love is needed to keep skin in perfect condition so exfoliate on every alternate day for oily skin or if you layer too many products on your skin at day time. And, if you have dry skin, exfoliate twice a week. 

For dry skin, use sugar to exfoliate. For combination and oily skin, mix salt and sugar to exfoliate. They have alpha-hydroxy acids which help with removing the blemishes and dark spots on regular usage. Also, they keep the skin supple and improve the skin tone by making the skin look brighter.

After scrubbing, always follow with a mask. You can use any commercially-available products. I would not suggest you to use fruit masks after scrubbing with sugar because fruits also have active enzymes and sugar also have active enzymes so that can too much for your skin at a single time. 

If you plan to use fruits, remember that they have active enzymes which do both the jobs - exfoliation and acting as a mask so keep the fruit juices on your skin for 15 minutes and wash off. Using sugar to exfoliate and using fruit juices as mask afterwards can make the skin sensitive. Honey is a good mask in such cases.

These are the steps I follow regularly to keep my complexion glowing. Please remember that whatever you do to your face, do the same to your neck and decolletage. You don't want your neck and lower body to look older and uncared for. But, also remember NOT to overdo things EVER. Keep things regular and you will notice difference in a month. 

What's your secret to preserving your skin complexion? Are you already following a particular routine or going to follow this routine? Do share your results :)

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All about Facial Oils? [Part - II] {Skin Care}

Continuing from yesterday's sermon on how to use facial oils, we will talk about different methods to use facial oil and how oil helps the skin. Read on...

Extra Rich Treatments using Facial Oils

Now, there are two kinds of options available to you. You can try either of them. Leave the massaged facial oil as a moisturizer just as it is for a nightly treatment.

Or, you can keep on massaging for 5 minutes to ensure that most of the oil gets absorbed into the skin. In this method, you can take a bit more of oil, like 10 drops, if you feel like. Keep the oil for 5 more minutes if you want or take a tissue and blot off the excess oil on the skin. And, follow with your favorite night cream or serum.

Another simple method is the Oil Cleansing Method itself. One can use heavy or the lighter oils, as the preference lies. Take a generous quantity and massage for 15 minutes. If done on clean skin, skin does absorb quite a good amount of oil.

And, use a face wash cloth to remove the rest of the oil just as in the OCM treatment. Do not wash the face. Follow with your favorite product or leave it just as it is. Also, let me tell you that this method with the oil which suits your skin is absolutely amazing to remove blemishes and scars and dark spots!!

My Skin is Oily. How can I use oil???

This is the most common question when it comes facial oils. Yes, you CAN and you SHOULD use oils. The trick is to find the correct oil which suits your skin. My recommendation would be to start with grapeseed oil. And, you can probably use 1-2 drops instead.

Why facial oil helps any kind of skin?

Well, for one, oil is the only thing which can actually break down the dead skin cells binds and wash them off so oil acts as an exfoliant for all kinds of skin. Also, the molecular formula of oils is similar to the lipids present in our skin. [Remember the lipids?]

So, these oils go and form bonds with the lipids ensuring that skin remains at its best. Now, these lipids are mainly fats which is why we are advised to intake as much of Vitamin E and omega 3 as possible.

This is why oil is recommended even for oily skin. Also, oil and lipids on the skin only control the excess secretion of sebum as well so if skin is properly hydrated, skin generally does not produce more of oil.

So, you think you are up to use oils now? 

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All about Facial Oils? [Part - I] {Skin Care}

As you all know, I love oils. In fact, so much so that I would love to own all the apothecaries in the world! And, recently again, due to improper care my skin started to look and behave a bit weird so I thought I would go about giving it a good dose of care which does not ruin my easy life either. And, I have plethora of oils in my closet!!

So, that was when I started searching for how to use facial oils most optimally. Well, I know many of you are scared just when an oil is mentioned but guess what it is the best thing you can do for your skin. But, before that best, you do have to go through a fair share of trials and errors to know which one works best for which skin.

How to find the best oil for yourself?

Is your skin dry? Go for coconut oil. It has the fatty acids which instantly lift and plump up the skin and hydrate it from inside.   

Sesame oil is generally for normally dry to combination skin. 

Apricot oil is something which gets absorbed very very easily into skin. Grapeseed oil is also equally amazing for oily skin. 

I am not sure of almond oil. Some say that the molecules are too big to penetrate the skin so it does not really cause breakouts. But, I have no history of breakouts so I can not really answer that. But, it is great for under-eye areas.

Olive oil is something I will never really recommend. I have heard quite a lot of complaints about it but many raves also but personally my preference is not that.  

One more oil which I have used is evening primrose oil. I absolutely love it and would recommend it for mature skin, especially.

How to use Facial Oil?

Any oil should be used on damp skin. Why? Damp Skin is a good absorber and oils get spread on damp skin more easily. 2-3 or maximum 5 drops of any oil is enough to cover the face, neck and décolletage. Or, one pump if your oil comes with that. 

Always remember to treat your neck and décolletage with the same products you would use for the face whether a mask or scrub or face wash or even the makeup remover or even sunscreen. 

After that bit of lecture, let me tell you how I use the facial oils. This is when toner comes into use the most. Wet the face with the toner either using a cotton ball or just with the toner collected in cupped palms and then while your palms are wet, take the drops of facial oil and rub the palms till they get a bit warm.

Press the palms on your face starting with cheeks and then forehead and then nose and chin so that least amount of the oil gets deposited on the T-zone. And, then start massaging into the face and then neck and décolletage. There is no need to use more oil unless you feel dry. 

So, these are my few cents on the topic. I hope this article has helped a bit. This is the first part though. I was writing the post and realized it was just too big so I thought I would publish the rest in a separate post.

So, do you use facial oils? If yes, are there any tips for us? 

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The Green Beauty Skin Care Tag [Part - II] {Skin Care}

So, this is the continuation to the green beauty skin care tag which I had done yesterday. 

You're in a pharmacy and you can pick only one item. What?

The pharmacies in India are hopelessly under-stocked. So, my pick would be evening primrose oil tablets. Evening Primrose Oil is amazing for anti-aging skin care and to prevent dryness. So, 10 1000mg tablets would last like a month or so. 

What are your Top Skin Care Tips?

• Sleep

It is the the biggest anti-aging remedy or pampering you can ever provide your skin. Disconnect from technology and television and sleep early at around 10:30-11 and get up at 6:30-7. That's the optimum beauty sleep you should get. 

• Hydration

Use a hydrating product for your skin or in my case a toner before moisturizing or aloevera gel. Seal with a moisturizer which does not allow water to evaporate from the skin or in my case a facial oil. 

And, intake a lot of fatty acids like flax seeds or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Proper hydration and moisturization also helps prevent blemishes and dark spots.

• Sunscreen

Yes, it is very very important. I wish I could suggest my favorite sunscreen to everyone but its so damn expensive and looking at the exchange rate these days, it would be better to stick to something easily available. So, use your favorite sunscreen in the recommended quantity for proper protection and avoid sun in the noon time. Though, I really don't always do that!!

So, these are my top skin care tips which have helped my skin in the long run. And, of course eating healthy is always helpful. So, what are your favorite skin care tips???

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From the Archives : Downward dog position for dark circles {Skin Care}

Downward Dog position is one of the important and easiest yoga postures and carries a multitude of health benefits. It helps stretching your spine so relieves you of painful backaches in the long run. It calms your mind and improves your concentration.

It relieves headaches, indigestion, stress, insomnia and strengthens arms and legs. It is also good for high blood pressure and asthma patients. But, apart from all the health benefits, there are a lot of beauty benefits which can be derived if one practices this yoga position everyday.

Let us look at the beauty benefits. Check out here for a step by step instruction on how to perform the downward dog position.

• It uplifts the face and firms the skin giving it a natural glow as all the blood flows to the face when you are bent down in the downward position.
• Since there is more blood flow towards the eyes, your eyes look more bright and alive. 
• It is a perfect cure for dark circles and puffy eyes.
• There's more blood flow towards the scalp too which helps in providing nutrition to the hair follicles and promotes hair growth. 
• Double chin disappears in gradual time and the neck firms up.
• The skin tone and color improves and the discoloration disappears leaving an even color all over the face and neck.

So, start doing this yoga position everyday for 10 times holding each position for 1-2 minutes approx and see the difference in a few days. The best part of this position is that it also helps in weight control all over the body.

So, have you tried this position? 

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How many times do you avoid sun at noon? {Your Opinion}

This has been my issue since quite long. So, I thought I would pose this question to you all. How easy or difficult do you think is avoiding sun at the peak time in the noons? For me, its always the noons when I can get my works done or find time to go out for shopping or anything!!! Especially, when on a vacation, you are always out in the noons. So, how do you exactly avoid the sun in the peak time of 10-4? 

For me, I do put on a lot of sunscreen which gives me protection and use umbrella and scarf both to avoid the sun. But, sometimes, its just not possible!! Anyway, reapplication of sunscreen is very important when you tend to stay out so please bear that in mind. Also, its very important to follow with an after-sun treatment so as to control some of the damage done to the skin. But, it is advisable to avoid sun at the peak time at any cost. 

So, what do you say?

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How to make the skin clear and get rid of scars and blemishes and dark spots? {Skin Care}

So, last week I had left you with the post on melanin production. So, in that post, I had specifically mentioned that you can do nothing to lighten your skin color but you can always keep your skin clear and avoid from getting tanned. So, how to go about doing that?

Sunscreen

This is the first and foremost principle for any skin care routine. Applying sunscreen regularly keeps your skin young and also free from tan. Well, ok, lemme reiterate that sunscreen does not prevent tanning but it is comparatively lesser than if you go into sun without any protection. And, if you are using physical sunscreens, you can be assured that the tan is minimal. That does reduce a lot of your work!!

AHA's

As I mentioned in the last post, lactic acid and glycolic acid have been believed to reduce the melanin content in the skin. So, may be a weekly routine of this might help. Let me again say MIGHT! Because, what I understand is that a 50%-70% concentration of these acids might be really successful in doing the intended but yes an occasional use can definitely give a healthy glow. 

Now, lactic acid is present in milk and glycolic is mostly present in sugarcane juice or jaggery or, most available, sugar. Milk is generally considered to be safe for daily usage and it is famous since ancient times for its benefits on skin. But, I will suggest all the oily skin and acne-prone skin people to stay far away from it.

Coming to using glycolic acid, it is quite strong for skin especially when you are going to use freshly squeezed sugarcane juice so I would say go easy on the skin. Use it as a face mask mixed with any flour and wash off after 10-15 minutes and no more! 

And, if sugarcane is not available, you can use brown sugar, raw sugar, powdered sugar or powdered jaggery as a face scrub mixed in honey. But, be sure not to use it more than twice a week, no matter what skin type. Exfoliating the skin everyday is not a good idea, howsoever much you might love your skin after that!!

Also, papaya and pine apple juices are quite effective. They can also remove the tan and dead skin cells and the dark spots and blemishes and scars and what not. But, these remedies should again be used only twice a week and no more because they can end up drying the skin a lot!

Vitamin C

That is another great home remedy which works absolutely fantastically. And, the best part is that not only it exfoliates but it also rejuvenates the skin. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis which is important to keep the skin youthful and smooth. 

But, here I would again suggest instead of lemon juice, tomato juice should be used on a daily or alternate day basis. It really helps! The reason being lemon is drying on skin as it is too acidic.

Other Home Remedies

There are a whole lot of other spices and vegetables and fruits which can be used on skin like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, mint, cucumber, berries, date juice, turmeric, mustard and probably all other spices in the world!!

So, what are the simple ways to keep your skin clear and avoid blemishes and dark spots?

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Turmeric infused Almond Oil {DIY}

This was a DIY I have done like almost an year back. But, I did not share it because I wanted to try out the oil and wanted to report back the effects. So, let's have a look at the ingredients.

Ingredients

Almond oil - 100ml

Turmeric - 1 tbsp

Saffron - a pinch of strands

Spices (nutmeg + cinnamon + cloves) - 1 tbsp

Method

Put all the ingredients in a glass bottle/jar and leave for a month undisturbed. Shake the bottle once in a day and if possible leave in direct sunlight for an hour or two everyday. After the stipulated period, strain the oil and it's ready to use.

Results

I have to say that it has not been long since I have started using the oil so can not really report back on everything.

For the starters, it did help with some of my breakouts. I used to spot-apply the oil on the suspicious bumps and they used to disappear by the next morning.

As regards to complexion changes, I do not really think I have noticed any changes yet. Also, the blemishes on my neck do not really look any different but I do keep on bothering the skin repeatedly without letting it heal!

I shall keep on trying it and will report back if I see any changes.

Have you used any turmeric infused facial oils?

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Nivea Sun Light Feeling Daily Face Sun Fluid 50+ Very High {Product Review}

PS: There are no pros and cons in this review!

Actually, I am very good at adjusting with products. I never really end up hating anything but I do feel very disappointed when I use a product and I am not happy with it!! Doing a review while not bashing up the product entirely is a tricky situation. Anyways, you might as well have guessed that this is one of those products! 

So, let me start with the claims and packaging. The biggest claim of this product is the instant sun protection as compared to the other chemical sunscreens which need a 20-minutes incubation period on the skin before they start protecting you.

Honestly, I have no idea about the formula and anyways I am not a chemist so I will not talk about that. The problem which I have with this product lies more in the application part. 

It says a few drops would suffice. Now, in all of my knowledge of sunscreen, it takes quite a lot of product for adequate protection. So, this claim was a bit difficult to digest. I, however, tried to use the regular quantity. And, my face was like a pan of oil.

I am guessing that the base of this sunscreen is basically oil because if I do not shake the bottle, a transparent solution comes out which feels oily. So, its probably an unstable emulsion. Whatever it is, it really does not get absorbed into the skin and makes the face really oily which is a huge disappointment. 

I tried using only a few drops which also did not bode well for my face. That was fine for my hands, though. But, then, I have doubts about how much it really protects. And, re-application is a forgettable job.

As to protection, honestly I have not used the product for more than a week overall because I could not bear the oiliness so I can not really comment on the protection aspect. And, I do feel very guilty about that but I couldn't just do it. I will keep the product for now and will give it a try again when my skin goes dry in winters.

Price: Rs 449 for 50ml

How do you feel about the products you end up disappointed with? How do you manage to review them?

PS: Product sent by brand for consideration. 

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Specialized Ingredients and Skin Care {Skin Care}

PS: Please spare time and write honest testimonials about my blog here and make Perfect Skin Care for you one of the winners in Indiblogger Awards. You will have my undying gratitude :) Now, let's move on to today's discussion. 

So, I had decided early this year that I would resort to anti-aging skin care but unfortunately I am not really doing anything except trying to use sunscreen without fail! That itself is of such a big help that you do not really need anything else. 

But, of course, you must have come across the information suggesting Retinoids, AHA's and all kinds of things to get rid of wrinkles and other aging signs! Well, I totally agree that they work really well but I am of the league that better not try them unless you really need them or use them sparingly!

Retinoids and sisters/brothers are very strong!

I have heard retinoids being used for the eye area to prevent crow's feet and fine lines around the eyes, majorly. They might also be useful for frown and laugh lines. But, the issue with them is that they make your skin extremely photo-sensitive and if you do not use adequate amount of sunscreen to protect your skin, you might be doing more damage to your skin!

Moisturizer Havoc

I have an example to quote in this. I had reviewed my mum's long-time moisturizer, moisturex, long time back. But, soon after I had read the ingredients, it struck me that the product might not have been as good for her as I am supposing. The product has 10% of lactic acid and daily application of it has probably made my mum's skin sensitive. Many of the reader's comments also suggested this perception!

My mum has very sensitive skin and now I have realized that she can not even use something else because nothing else suits her! I once tried giving her a pampering treatment using Pond's flawless white face mask sheets. After keeping it for like 10-15 minutes, she removed it and let the gooey stuff on the mask seep into her skin. But, soon after she started complaining that her skin was burning! I have tried those same sheets and never have I felt it doing anything to my skin, good or bad, lest burn my skin or tingle it!

May be I am presuming too much when I think the product has made my mum's skin sensitive! Her skin often flushes when she comes back from being in sun but I do not remember if she had the very problem before using the above-mentioned product. So, I can not really conclude that the product made her skin sensitive or photo-sensitive!

Usage of Fresh Fruits on Skin

Ohk, not only the products but also the home remedies which we try out on a daily basis might not be a great idea! Few months back I had done a post on pH levels of citrus fruits to determine how safe lemon is for daily usage. And, turns out, it can make you age faster even if you see great results because it is very acidic!

Same goes for fruits rich in AHA's like papaya or pineapple. They should NOT be used on skin for more than 5 minutes and should be used at most twice a week! AHA's are very strong acids which no doubt are really beneficial to skin but they can be dangerous if misused a lot! In fact, in higher concentrations, they can cause skin peeling.

Vitamin C serums

There are a lot of DIY's I have been seeing over-time using ascorbic acid or like. I have thought of doing them myself as well. But, may be they should also be used occasionally like once or twice a week for a skin prep instead of making it a daily routine.

Salicylic Acid Face Washes

No doubt, they are amazing on acne-prone skin but they do dry out the skin a lot, the effects of which might not be felt immediately. I have never really prescribed to the usage of such products but lately I had used Garnier Pure Active which has the acid as one of its ingredients. No doubt, I loved it but it fails miserably on dry skin and I am not using it in the longer run! 

Long back I had talked about the aspirin face mask, DIY's for which can be found immediately on googling but should not be used in more than a concentration of 1-2% because they can result in drying of skin and hyperpigmentation, not to say photo-sensitivity!

Thus, these are my personal observations and opinions that any product having specialized ingredients should be used with care and caution and exactly as prescribed. Any deviance from the instructions can actually be really harmful for skin. 

Please note that this post is entirely my opinion and observations put in words. I would love to know what you think about the issue. So, comment on!

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Have you started with a new skin care routine, men?? {Five Series}

So, two weeks back sometime I had mentioned that Garnier has come up with a new campaign #SayNoToBars specifically targeted at men for their lack of skills or interest at personal grooming. Today, I would like to talk about why is it really important to use a face wash instead of a soap. 

Now, I have done a post on how is a soap different from a bar and how a man's skin is different from a woman's. So, assuming that you have read both of those posts, I would say I am extremely thankful that Garnier and other brands now a days are coming up with men-specific ranges. So, let me just go through five specific reasons why a face wash trumps the soaps. 

Hygiene

Soaps are handled by all family members unless you have one specifically for yourself (which in every case I would recommend) and imagine the number of germs accumulating by being handled by so many people!! Face wash is a squeeze and go. And, you do not have a soap case to clean and cover every time you use it. 

Travel-friendly

So, damn easy to pop and go. You can have on in your laptop case and use it at the office after a polluting ride on your bike (unless you are a car freak)! And, of course, it doubles up as body wash when you are out of station. 

Made specifically for your face

The face skin is different from the body and much more sensitive and needs to be handled with care. Thus, a face wash which has been specifically designed for your face instead of a bar has all the actives which will provide a deep cleansing and moisturizing wash. The ingredients will keep your skin soft and young, as well.

Soap is alkaline and skin is acidic

So, coming to a little more technical ground, our skin has a pH level of 5.5 where as all the soaps are alkaline which is why if you use a non-regulated pH product on the face, it will damage and dry out your skin and make you age faster. 

Your Acne might be due to soaps!!

The difference in the pH levels of your soap and skin can cause the sebum of your skin to get washed off thereby allowing bacteria to breed on your skin and causing breakouts. Face wash helps prevent such breakouts. 

These are just the starting reasons why you might want to shift to face washes. so, what are you waiting for?

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From the Archives : Oil Cleansing Method {DIY}

So continuing in the same series, let me bring this long lost post. This is one of the very much recommended beauty practices for both oily and dry skin beauties. It helps with tan removal to acne healing. And, its amazing as it removes makeup and cleanses the skin and detoxifies it. Since it is a little intense treatment for the skin, it should be done only once or AT MAX twice a week. 

Yes, by the name, you can make out it uses oil. So, please do not be afraid or prejudiced. I have always maintained that oil is amazing for skin when you know how to use them and which ones to use. So, here is a tip - Always use cold-pressed and extra-virgin or virgin oils whether it is olive or coconut or almond or sesame. Also, sesame oil is the one which is recommended heavily in ayurveda as apparently it is the only oil which can pass into the blood stream. Anyways, let us start with the post and please let me know of the doubts and clarifications.

A few days ago I had talked about OIL CLEANSING. Well, let me introduce to you something which I stumbled across a few days ago. I tried it and trust me, its amazing. I do not know how well it removes make up but it makes your skin squeaky clean without drying it. Rather, it leaves your skin smooth and supple. And, your skin glows the next day. You would love yourself.

It removes makeup fantastically as any oil would. 

Before proceeding, let me give a little background into OCM method. Oil is said to dissolve all the grime and dirt and dead skin cells and blackheads and what not. So, in this method, we especially use castor oil because castor has the most cleansing properties of all oils. Since castor is a drying oil and is extremely thick and concentrated it is not advisable to use it naked on the skin. It should be diluted with some other oil. Many people in the west prefer olive but I would suggest almond or coconut or sesame. No personal grudges with olive but it is something I do not really find amazing. If it works for you, go ahead!

Procedure:

• Start by keeping everything close to you. You would need a dry smooth cotton wash cloth (not too harsh for your skin), a bottle containing castor oil and olive oil mixed in a proportion suitable to your skin* oils and running hot water.
• Apply oil generously to your face and neck skin and massage it well the oil into your skin well using firm hands for around 5-10 minutes. It feels relaxing and is soothing for your face muscles. Exercise your cheek bone, jaw bone, nose, chin, forehead and eyes (use ring finger for eyes). The finger movements should be outwards and upwards towards the ear from the chin, cheeks, nose and upper lip area.
• After massaging to your heart's content, soak the wash cloth in hot running water and cover the face apply it on to your face. Keep the warmth of wash cloth to the point you can bear. Make sure the cloth is not too hot and let the warmth seep into your skin. Keep it on the face until it cools down. Then, wipe your face to remove the oil. You will find a lot of oil gone from the face. Wash the wash cloth in running hot water and repeat this step until all the oil is wiped off from the face and neck. Use the same wash cloth.
• Wash and soak the same wash cloth under hot running water for sometime to clean it and saturate it. Again apply it your face, keep till it cools and then, wipe away your face. Repeat this cycle till you feel your skin is clean. 3-4 times should be enough. 
• After you are done, DO NOT use any facewash. You can apply moisturizer according to the need of your skin. In place of moisturizer, you can apply a drop of the same oil used to cleanse your face. If it does not feel dry and tight, do not apply anything on to your face. Your face needs to breathe. Go and have a nice sleep.

Next morning, you need not cleanse your face. A wipe with a wash cloth or a splash of cold water is enough to clean it. Your skin would be glowing. Oil cleansing not only removes grime, dirt and make up from your face, but also, the blackheads and blemishes. This procedure should not be done too frequently. I think 2-3 times is fine in a week. Care should be taken not to scratch the skin.

Go and check it out for yourself. Have a happy cleansing.

* Remember, castor oil is quite thick and can be drying for the skin if used in large quantities. It has cleansing properties but is too strong on skin if used alone. That is why you need another light oil to dilute it. You can also use jojoba oil. For the mixture of oil, you can use 75-25 castor-olive oil combination for normal skin. You can experiment with different proportions till you find the one suiting your face.  The proportion of mixture should be such that for dry skin people, castor oil should be less in proportion like 50-50 or 60-50 and people with oily skin can have 80-20 as the proportion. But, since every skin is different in its needs, you should find out the right one for yourself. It would take trial and error but remember one rule, do not use too much of castor oil. It will dry your skin irrespective of its type.

PS: Italicized and striked paragraphs/sentences are new additions. Rest of the post is as it was published earlier. 

Olay Total Effects 7 in One cream + serum duo SPF 15 {Product Review}

I am doing this review as a part of blogadda program so I had to use it for 7 days and post the review. Unfortunately, the clever me totally skipped that part of the deal!!

So, here goes a quick review of the product and I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to whomsoever it may concern. Also, please note that I have not tried the product for a month as I regularly do!

Price: Rs 369 for 20gms

Pros

gets absorbed into the skin easily!

doesn't feel heavy on skin!

prevents skin from getting dull!

Cons

does not really stand tall on all it claims!!

My Experience

Well, for the starters, I do not like the fact that it has spf 15. Since it is an anti-aging product which is a cream-serum combo, it should have either been a night cream (I am sure Olay has something in that category as well) or have a higher sun protection factor if it was intended for morning use.

Anyways, a moisturizer should not be used as a sunscreen so it works out perfectly. The product is really light on the skin provided you don't tend to overuse.

A pea-size drop is enough to cover face and neck. It gets absorbed into the skin within seconds without leaving any greasy feeling. And, the result is a well-hydrated skin. 

Given that I have not been taking care of my skin prior to the arrival of this product, I did see some laugh lines along the mouth. The proper moisturizing from the product did help smoothen them. They are still there but less visible because of supple skin. 

One thing I noticed since I started with this product was that my skin was not getting dull by the end of the day which it had started to when it was peak summers. May be it is this product or the weather itself! Hyderabad has been awesome lately :)

the seven claims! please click on the pic to enlarge and read them and i am sorry to not get a clear pic! next time I shall do better!

But, sine the main ambition of the product is to address seven signs of aging, let me talk about how it fares on those grounds. The pic above shows the seven effects and it also claims to give more fairness. 

Honestly, I do not think I saw any difference on those seven claims! I have a few fine lines under the eye on which there was no effect but then it has been just like 10-14 days I have been using the product! Wrinkles need little more time to improve!

On grounds of even skin tone, I do not think I saw anything either. When I apply the product, it helps brighten the skin but that is that! It does not lighten the skin tone or anything. 

I have few dark spots on the neck but unfortunately there is no improvement in them either! Now, there is change in the skin pores. When skin is adequately moisturized, pores do seem less in size so that is the only change I have seen! 

One thing more I have noticed is that the effects of the product are visible only as long as you keep on applying it. So, I think the product would be more effective when it is used along with its night time counterpart!

can you see the yellow ribbons in the product? that's the serum at work!!

My Verdict

The product is worth being tried once. It might be a good moisturizer for all those who are searching for one! And, it can be used on oily or combination skin as well!!

Have you tried out this product? Do share your experiences!

I am trying out Olay Total Effects as a part of the product review program at BlogAdda.com

  

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Does your night moisturizer have spf? {Your Opinion}

Where did this question come from? I recently got a product to review and I was too excited to try it out so without checking out the details of the product, I simply used a pea-size amount for the face.

And, then, I sat down checking the details. And, then, I realized it was not an anti-aging serum-cum-mositurizer meant for night but has spf factor of 15. So, it was supposed to be used only in the morning.

And, it got me thinking if the night creams should have spf factor at all? Well, the obvious answer comes to no but the thing is the thing is even lights and television and computer screens emit radiations which harm our skin.

So, technically, should we not protect our skin from them as well? What do you say?
 

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Re-application of Sunscreen {Sunscreen}

Treat this as the second part to yesterday's sermon on sunscreen. Sometimes I do feel my posts sound like sermons? It's ok. You need not be polite :P Anyways, lets proceed.

So, where was I? Yeah, I was talking about how much sunscreen to apply. I finished with that and left you to think about re-application! This is probably one of the most frustrating routines of skin care. And, there are quite many roadblocks to reapply sunscreen.

I have makeup on!

Sunscreen is supposed to go under makeup and not over, right? So, how can I reapply it? Well, fair enough!

Its so yucky!

The two finger rule itself not being enough, you have to apply the same amount of sunscreen every two hours. How many layers of stickiness should I have on?

Fortunately, quite a lot of high-end sunscreens are coming matte. So, you can probably go with reapplications. But, seriously, I am the wrong person to answer this.

I use Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Face Screen and one pump of it itself makes my face oily after a few minutes and using more of it is way too difficult. I have tried re-application but honestly my work place also doesn't facilitate the process.

Taking a sunscreen bottle to the washroom kinda looks weird to me. I don't do touch-ups there so I have only one application and the days I try re-applying, the tint gets too much for the skin and either it shows up as patches or white cast!

One of the ways to reapply the sunscreen is by removing the previously applied layer. Well, there is a huge hitch in that. If you have makeup on, you can obviously not remove the entire thing and reapply so that goes a little impractical as well.

So, the answer again comes back to the same thing - apply according to your schedule and amount of time you would be spending outside. If you stay inside, there is no need for re-application. But, you might go for just one thin layer so as to protect yourself from the light and computer radiations. 

But, you have a team outing or a shopping spree planned, you can go for a thick application. In such cases, always make sure you have applied a thicker-than-usual amount of sunscreen and follow with lighter makeup. Also, make sure that the loose powder you do touch-ups with has adequate protection. 

Though, I would like to make another point here. Just as a bit of sunscreen doesn't really provide any protection, a bit of loose powder dusted on the face doesn't give spf 25 amount of protection. For that much of protection, you need almost 1/4th of the product quantity.

What do you do? Do you re-apply your sunscreen? How do you protect yourself when outside all day long?

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