Shahnaz Husain
Looking after the skin according to its type and needs is the essence of a glowing skin. In the olden days, “ubtan” was made at home for skin care. This usually consisted of wheat bran (choker), gram flour (besan), yogurt (dahi) or cream of milk (malai) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi). All these were mixed together and applied on the face and body, before bathing. But first, the body was massaged with sesame seed (til) oil. Then the “ubtan” was applied and washed off after half an hour, while bathing. It helped to clear the skin of dead cells, leaving it smooth and bright, with a translucent quality.
Another ideal way for glowing skin on the body is to tie ingredients in a clean cloth, wet slightly and then rub the cloth bag on the skin while bathing. Mix powdered milk, ground almonds (badaam), rice powder and rose petals. The ingredients work on your skin, gently cleansing it and leaving it soft, smooth and vibrant. It also leave the body naturally perfumed and refreshed, feeling as smooth as silk.
I always maintain that night time cleansing is more important, in order to remove pollutants and make up before bedtime. The repair and restoration work of the body goes on while we sleep. So, cleanse the skin daily at night and rinse well with plenty of plain water. For normal to dry skin, take half a cup of cold milk and add five drops of any vegetable oil (til, olive or sunflower oil). Put this in a bottle and shake well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton wool. Keep left-over mixture in the fridge.
Tone the skin daily with chilled rose water, using cotton wool pads. Wipe and stroke the skin with them. Then, pat briskly with the rosewater-soaked cotton wool pads.
Exfoliating the skin once or twice a week works wonders, removing dead cells and brightening the skin. Mix ground almonds with yogurt. Rub gently, with small circular movements, washing off with water.
Or, take sesame seeds (til), dried mint (pudina) leaves and honey. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and apply on the skin. Leave on for 5 minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water. Sesame seeds actually have sun protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin.
Mix honey and lemon juice in equal quantities and apply daily on the face. Wash it off after 20 minutes. It leaves the skin very soft and glowing. Egg white can also be added to this mixture.
Dried and powdered orange and lemon peels can be added to face packs, to add a glow to the skin. Mix them with Fullers Earth (multani mitti) and rose water into a paste. Apply on the face and wash it off when it is dry. This also clarifies the skin and is particularly useful for oily skin.
Multani Mitti is said to clarify the skin and bring about a glow. Multani Mitti is a natural clay, which contains several minerals. It is of special benefit to oily skins, since it helps to absorb oil and reduce oiliness from the skin surface. It also tones, refines and tightens the pores, improving skin texture. It brightens the skin, leaving it smooth, soft and glowing. It can be combined with other ingredients to make a face pack and can easily be used at home.
For oily skin: Mix Multani Mitti with rose water into a paste and apply on the face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off when it is dry. For combination skin, apply the mask on oily areas of the skin.
For pimples and acne, mix it with sandalwood paste, rose water and neem leaf powder into a paste. Apply the same way and wash it off when it is dry.
For normal skin: Mix multani mitti with honey and yogurt into a paste. Apply on the face and wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes.
All brides go through some kind of stress, which can reflect on the face. To deal with this kind of mental stress, it is essential to learn to relax. It has been proved that physical exercise actually helps the body to cope with stress. A few weeks before the wedding, start taking a little exercise, like going for a walk. In fact, walking is good for both body and mind. Deep breathing exercises and meditation are also helpful, in terms of calming the mind and inducing relaxation
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