Here are a few tips from experts on how to take care of your skin and hair amid the pandemic. By Team Viva
The fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic is a quarantine lifestyle which also means parlours that have downed shutters. Our skin and hair are bearing the brunt. Therefore, right from using cleanser, face masks to hair oil, it is very important to take charge of your skin and hair as less physical activity and extra sleep hours can result in dullness. Utilise the gift of time that this global crisis has bestowed on you to the fullest. Pamper your skin, experiment with hair colours and see what suits you the best.
It’s the best time to indulge in self-care and beauty practices as we are all sitting at home. The plus point is that there is no stress of rushing to work and no excess pollution. You could just sit in your pajamas with an oily and messy hairdo and a refreshing face mask, while working on your laptop. Imagine what rejuvenating effects it will have on your skin if you follow the regime daily.
Dr Blossom Kochhar, founder of Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic and chairperson of Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, suggests that people must use this little extra time to be productive, instead of lazing around. Bollywood celebrities like Anushka Sharma were recently seen giving her husband Virat Kohli a haircut while Taapsee Pannu experimented with her hair colour and haircut. You can do it too.
Here are a few easy tips from experts to take care of your skin and hair at home.
That perfect face glow
Eating healthy, working out, staying happy are some of the ways to achieve that perfect glow. “Climb stairs for 10 minutes. This is a good workout. If you like to dance, then dance to a song in the room. This will keep your hair and skin healthy. Be active for at least 20 minutes each in the morning, afternoon and evening. This also helps in the circulation of antioxidants in the body,” says Aashmeen Munjaal, beauty expert and owner of Star Salon n Academy.
Amid this lockdown, it is very important to have a routine and divide time equally for exercise and other physical activities. “The key is to follow a routine of using cleanser, toner and moisturiser everyday. This will help the body follow a pattern,” says Vedika Sharma, founder of Mantra Herbal.
Stay hydrated and banish processed food
Processed food is not good for the skin. It affects both the body and skin negatively, especially when physical activities are reduced. The less processed the food, the better it is. Aashmeen says, “Unprocessed, fresh food will strengthen your immune system and also help in producing antioxidants, which are very important at this time. Drink fruit juice and coconut water. Eat fresh vegetables, fruits and salads.” Light food with fewer spices and a healthy soup are good for skin and body. Staying hydrated is the common solution for all the skin, hair or body problems. Vedika says, “It is extremely important to have clean and healthy eating habits during this time. We should keep ourselves hydrated at all times and drink about three litres of water every day. We should also hydrate our hands and moisturise them often as they get dry and dehydrated due to frequent washing and sanitising.”
Switch to natural ingredients
It is always better to use natural products for skin care instead of readymade cosmetic products. This time is the time to find the skin and hair care ingredients in your kitchen best suited to your needs.
Aashmeen says, “You can follow my tried and tested recipe. You will need a cucumber, tomato and a potato. Wash and grind all these. You can make its ice cubes and apply one cube daily. A tray will last for a week for the whole family. This will keep the skin glowing. At this time, when you are not able to go to the parlour, adopt this method to make your skin glow.” Dr Blossom too is on favour of digging into the kitchen for self care. “Personally, the reason why I feel it is the best time is because I can use things from my kitchen which are really fantastic and are filled with minerals and vitamins. Natural ingredients have no substitutes.”
Even for hair care we should use natural things like curd. “Do not use detergent-based shampoos and regularly massage your scalp for naturally shining hair,” says Dr Blossom.
Kill that dead skin
The season is changing and there are higher chances of dead cells accumulating on the surface of your skin leading to dull skin. Though we usually use an exfoliator to remove dead skin cells, here is a face pack by Aashmeen for different skin type. “For dead skin, add half teaspoon each of semolina and bran and mix with a teaspoon of gram flour to make the skin glow. If the skin is oily, then add rose water to this mixture. If the skin is normal, then mix with curd and if your skin remains very dry, make a pack with mustard oil. Vary the ingredients according to your skin type while keeping the gram flour, semolina and bran constant. Apply and leave for sometime. Remove the pack by moving your hands in circular motion. Keep moistening the pack by adding water in between. It helps in improving the blood circulation, makes the skin glow and also gets rid of dead skin.”
