Tag: exfoliate

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Beauty

Summer-proof your skin

Skin care for the summer is really about revisting the basics to achieve great skin – cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising.
by Glen Lewis

Spring cleaning doesn’t just have to be for your home or office – you can also do it for your skin! And the summer season always brings new battles for your skin care.

With summer upon us, it’s good to get into a healthy skin regimen so that you can stay beautiful no matter what the weather is outside.

Winter can be a horrible time to dry out your skin in all that cold weather and leave you with rough or even scaly feeling patches that you want to get rid of (especially when you can finally lose the coat). The most important thing you can do in this season is try out different products and see which ones are right for you, so that by the time the temperatures really kick in, you know exactly what your skin needs so you can protect it from the heat and the sun’s rays.

Exfoliate

The first step in any healthy skin regimen is to exfoliate. If your skin is feeling a little dry and irritated from the cold winter, you want to make sure you still use an exfoliant, but don’t overdo it, because it could do more harm than good. Finding a gentle cleanser that will clear away any impurities from your skin while not drying out your skin too much will be the perfect balance your skin needs in order to bring back its healthy glow. In order to get that glow you want, you have to clear away the dead skin cells and repair the damaged areas.

Hydration

After exfoliating, it is essential to hydrate your skin. The best thing to do is to find a moisturiser that is hydrating and not oily. You want to repair and prevent, not overcompensate with a product that has too much of a lotion base.

Clearing the dead skin away and then helping your skin retain moisture will give you the fresh face you want for spring and put you in a great routine for when summer rolls around. It would be best to find a moisturiser that has SPF to use in the morning so that it can protect your skin during the day when you’re exposed to the sun. It also has beneficial vitamins that will make your skin brighter and smoother.

Focus on your whole body

Your skin care shouldn’t focus only on your face – your entire body could benefit from some exfoliation and hydration. With a body wash containing exfoliating beads, you take care of the rest of your body, too. And finding a body lotion that repairs all that dryness can be the perfect combination to leave you looking and feeling fresh during these warm days.

By repairing the damage caused by winter and revealing that smooth, bright, healthy skin underneath, you will be in the perfect position to prevent any damage that will come in the summer. Equipping yourself with products that react well with your own skin tone will be beneficial not only to get you through the season, but through the rest of the year as well.

Gwen Lewis is a journalist who has a passion for beauty and makeup, and hopes that these tips and tricks help you have glowing summer skin.

(Picture courtesy www.burkewilliamsspa.com, toptenpk.com, greenbeautyteam.com)

Categories
Beauty

Smooth moves

Soft and silky legs are what every girl wants to flaunt in cute skirts and sexy shorts during the summer. Follow these simple tips for the smooth legs you always wanted.
by Beverley Lewis

A lot of people advise against it, but shaving can actually get you the smooth skin you want, provided you do it right.

– The trick to shaving legs is to wet your skin and let it soften from the heat and moisture. When you shave in the shower, make sure that the water is warm and not very hot as this will dry out your skin.

– You cannot shave dry skin. Shaving is a natural exfoliater and if you try to dry shave, you run the risk of clogging up the razor with dead skin while putting yourself at risk for nicks and razor burn. Be sure to exfoliate your skin before shaving. It gets rid of all the dead skin cells.

– There are several ways to exfoliate. You can use exfoliating gloves or dry brush before you shower or use a mild scrub.

– Next, finding a razor that works well for your skin, given the pressure you use while shaving, the texture of your skin, and the density of hair growth, takes some experimentation. No single type of razor works well for everyone, though the newer triple blades seem to work wonders.

– After finding the one that works best for you, the main thing is to change the blade frequently—dull razors make for poor shaving results. There’s no need to waste your money on shaving creams formulated especially for women, they are virtually the same as the creams sold for men. Avoid shaving products that contain irritants (such as alcohol, menthol, and peppermint). Used over newly-shaved skin, irritating ingredients can cause red bumps and ingrown hairs.

– If you find yourself without shaving cream in the shower, use hair conditioner or body wash instead. This is far easier on the legs than shaving with a bar soap or bar cleanser. For best results, shave against the growth of hair using careful strokes and applying even pressure.

– After you’re done, apply moisturiser and remember, if your legs are going to be exposed to sun, apply a moisturiser with sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater) that contains the UVA-protecting ingredients avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide.

Beverley Lewis has worked with beauty magazines and has amazing tips to share. Have a beauty question? Send it to us at editor@themetrognome.in or tweet it @MetrognomeIndia and Beverley will answer it for you.

(Picture courtesy missbudgetbeauty.co.uk) 

Categories
Beauty

Be fresh-faced all summer long

With increasing heat and humidity, you’ll need to keep your face clean and fresh all day. Try these easy tips.
by Beverley Lewis

Ah, summer. A time for cold showers and water-rich foods. This is also the season when you need to keep your face fresh and cool – often, just having a clean, sweat-free face does wonders to get you through the day.

Try these tips for a fresh face all summer:

1. Get cleansed. Use a high quality cleanser to wash your face off sweat and grime. Make sure the cleanser is suited to your skin type. Try and wash your face twice a day to get rid of all impurities and keep the skin fresh. But ensure that the facewash you use does not contain any lauryl or laureth sulfates, as well as petroleum-based ingredients, as these tend to damage the skin due to the harsh chemicals in them.

2. Scrub it! Exfoliating skin helps remove dead skin cells and brings new skin cells to the surface. This helps keep the skin soft and gives you a glowing complexion.  

Make this simple scrub at home: You will need a tablespoon of sugar or salt, plus a tablespoon of almond or coconut oil. Mix this until you get a coarse paste. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to this mixture if you like a bit of fragrance. Use this scrub daily.

Or if you don’t have the time, simply use a natural bristle brush to get rid of dead skin on your body. Your skin will feel invigorated after you exfoliate and you will end up looking young and healthy. You can also buy readymade scrubs to suit your skin type.

3. Get toned. Use a good toner, as this will help close your pores and remove any excess cleanser and dirt and also help restore the skin’s natural pH balance. If your skin is oily, you’ll want to use an astringent as this helps get rid of the excess oil. For very dry skin, use rose water and witchhazel for oily or acne-prone skin. Using a toner or an astringent is an important step, as it helps prep the skin.

4. Moisturise. Make sure that the skin on your face and body is well-moisturised during summer, as air conditioning zaps moisture from your skin. Try and use a light water-based moisturiser and avoid thick body butters and creams, as they do not get absorbed into the skin and can lead to skin infections and breakouts.

If you want to go natural, apply grapeseed oil with a few drops of rose hip seed essential oil, as this is easily absorbed into the face and body and gives you a fresh, glowing complexion.

5. Back to nature. There’s so much fresh fruit available at this time of the year, and this is the ideal time to take advantage of all that Mother Nature has to offer our skin. Putting fresh fruits on the face and body helps revitalise it with vitamins and minerals. It is also a quick and easy fix.

If your skin is oily, grab a lemon or strawberry and apply some of the juice on your face and let it dry. Do this if you want a fresh dewy complexion.

For dry skin, mash a banana or avocado and let sit on your face for about 30 minutes and then wash it off. A face mask made from fresh cucumber is also great for any skin type and can help reduce red, puffy eyes.

6. Summer essentials. Whether you’re heading to the office or to the beach, you need to apply a good sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Make sure that the sunscreen you choose is labelled ‘broad spectrum’, which means it blocks both UVA and UVB sunlight.

Always apply sunscreen before heading outside. Remember to cover often-forgotten spots such as the back of knees, ears, eye area and neck. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Then reapply every two hours, or sooner if you have been walking around in the sun, especially between 11 am to 4 pm. Also, remember that water-resistant sunscreen wears off sooner, so keep reapplying it every hour you spend outdoors.

Clothing can also help. But forget about tossing on a flimsy white tee. A white T-shirt has limited protective value. If you can see through the tee, the sun can shine through and burn the skin. Dark, tight-woven clothing that covers all exposed skin is best. You can also buy clothing that is specially treated with chemicals that help protect against ultraviolet sunlight.

On a side note, if you do get sunburned, aloe very gel is a great way to treat the burn and heal the skin. You can also use a wide brim hat to protect your face and hair and a good pair of shades to protect your peepers.

7. Drink plenty of H20. This is extremely important. Your skin is a reflection of your state of health on the inside. Drinking lots of water flushes out toxins and helps keep the skin moist and hydrated. Also, in summer we tend to sweat more, so replenishing lost fluids is important. Make sure you drink filtered water. Tap/city water usually contains lots of added elements like chlorine and fluoride, plus heavy metals like lead or iron. The point is to get rid of toxins, not introduce more into your system.

So, although the summer might try to throw you and your skin a curveball,  if you follow these few simple solutions you will look and feel great and have everyone complimenting you on your healthy glowing complexion.

Have a beauty question? Write to us at editor@themetrognome.in or tweet your query @MetrognomeIndia and Beverley will answer it for you.

(Pictures courtesy sibubeauty.com, elizadomestica.com, skincancer.org)

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