Spring Skin Care

Here are some tips to help you tide over the change of season:

For normal to dry skin: Prepare a cleanser at home by mixing half a cup of milk with half teaspoon of any vegetable oil, like sesame seed (til) oil, or olive oil, or sunflower oil. Put the mixture in a bottle and shake well. Wipe your skin with this, using cotton wool and keep the remainder in the refrigerator for the next 2 or 3 days.

Skin Toning: Skin toning helps to improve blood circulation to the skin surface and add a glow. Mix half teaspoom alum with 50 ml rosewater and one teaspoon pure glycerine. Keep in the fridge and use it to tone the skin.

Or, grate cucumber. Add yogurt and apply on the face. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Tones the skin and removes winter tan.

Daily Nourishing of Dry Skin: Take pure almond oil and massage it on the skin every night, after cleansing, with outward and slightly upward movements, for 2 minutes. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.

Tulsi is very useful for eruptive conditions. It helps to soothe rashes and eruptions. The paste of tulsi leaves can be applied on the skin and washed off after 15 minutes.

Sandalwood paste can be applied on the eruptive conditions. Or, mix sandalwood with a little rose water and apply on the entire area. Wash off with plain water after 20 to 30 minutes.

Pimples / Acne: Or, add 2 drops of tea tree oil to 2 tablespoons of water or rose water. Apply this on pimples.

For itchy skin, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a mug of water and pour it on the affected area. It helps in getting relief from itchy skin.

For dry and rashy skin, add a little turmeric paste to milk and apply on the rashes for quick healing.

Neem: Simmer a handful of neem leaves on very low fire in 4 cups of water for 1 hour. Leave it overnight. Next morning, strain the water and make a paste out of the leaves. Apply it on eruptions and rashes. The water can be used for rinsing the area. Neem contains organic sulphur compounds with versatile healing actions that are of particular benefit to the skin.

Fruit Mask would be good for all skin types. Mix together ripe papaya pulp, grated cucumber, grated apple, mashed banana and apply on the face. Wash it off after half an hour. Curd and oats can also be added to this.

Clays like fuller's earth (multani mitti) have a cooling and soothing effect. Mix it with rose water into a paste and apply on affected areas.

Bicarbonate of soda helps to relieve itchy skin. It can be added to the Multani Mitti pack. Apply on rashes and eruptions and wash off after 5 minutes.

Body Scrub: Twice a week, apply body scrub. Mix sesame seeds (til), dried mint (pudina) leaves, curd and honey. These ingredients are not normally used, but they have a remarkably rejuvenating effect on the skin. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and curd and apply on the body. Rub gently with circular strokes and wash off with water.