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Beauty ESSENTIALS
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Essential oils not only bring glow to your skin but soothe the mind too
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OUR SKIN is perhaps the most vulnerable part of the body. It is constantly exposed to pollution, grime and changes in weather conditions. Not surprisingly, skin problems are common and affect almost everyone at sometime or the other in their lives. Hence, you need to take proper care of your skin.
Essential oil for skin care
Essential oils are good for the skin. They improve the blood circulation. They act like an antiseptic and help in healing skin inflammations. . They also stimulate the growth of new skin cells.
Daily skin care
An effective skin care routine as we all know comprises the CTM — cleansing, toning and moisturising.
Aromatherapy caters to different types of skin. Given below are some tips for a glowing and smooth skin using essential oils.
Normal skin: Even if you have a blemishless and acne-free skin, you cannot neglect it. A skin care routine is essential to maintain it.
* Cleansing — in the morning wash your face with a mild PH soap, preferably use a face wash. At night, cleanse with a cleansing milk or cream containing chamomile or rose oils.
* Toning — Tone your face with a cotton wool pad dipped in rose water diluted with cold water.
* Moisturising and conditioning — use facial oil every night. You can also make it at home by adding 2 drops of rose oil to 3 tsp of almond oil. Massage in circular movements with your fingers across the forehead, around the sinus areas and over the cheeks and chin. On the back and front of the neck massage with upward and downward strokes. Once a week mask — Try this refreshing herbal mask. Mix one tablespoon of Kaolin with curd and pulps of grape or peach. Add 2 drops of rose oil (not rose water). Apply on face. Let dry for 10-15 minutes scrub in circular movements and wash.
Oily skin
Cleansing — Use a face wash meant for oily skin every morning and at night. Use a cleansing milk, which contains camphor or peppermint oil, if you cannot get it you can go in for this home remedy — to a cup of curd add a drop of spirit of camphor oil and a drop of peppermint oil.
Toning — Do not use an alcoholic astringent (i.e. commercial astringent available in the market). Alcohol dehydrates the skin and actually stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. For toning, take a glass of water, add a drop of benzoin oil and a drop of peppermint oil and splash it on your face.
Moisturising and conditioning — You might wonder why use oil on an already oily face, but essential oil is different. They balance the skin condition. You can make an antiseptic facial oil by adding 2 drops of lemon oil to 1 tsp. of soya or jojoba oil. Take a few drops of this and gently massage into your skin. Then keep a hot towel on your face for the oil to penetrate deep. Use an exfloliating scrub twice or thrice a week. Make a scrub by mixing equal quantities of fullers earth (Multani mitti), sandal wood powder and dried and powdered orange peel. Massage and rinse off.
Pigmented skin
Occurs generally due to too much exposure to the sun and excessive penetrisation caused by the presence of unexfoliated dead cells on the skin surface (also affects the complexion).
Cleansing — Clean with a mild cleansing milk containing chamomile or rose oils.
Toning — Add two drops of Benzoin oil to rose and use this as a toner.
Conditioning — Massage the pigmented areas with 1 tsp. of castor oil to which 1 drop of lavender oil has been added. Make a facial oil by mixing 1 tsp. of jojoba oil, 1 tsp. of castor oil and 3 drops of lavender oil. Massage a few drops of this mixture on your face daily.
Ageing skin
Ageing brings in a lot of changes in your skin. Rejuvenating the skin is a constant battle. Essential oils can delay the appearance of wrinkles.
Cleaning — Use a rich cleansing cream containing rose and jasmine oil.
Toning — Use rose water. If you do not have rose water, apply juice.
Conditioning and nourishing — Massage your face every morning and at night with a mixture made by adding 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil, 1 tablespoon of almond oil and 3 drops of jasmine oil.
Scrub — Wash your face 2 or 3 times with this homemade scrub. Make a paste with almond powder and milk. Apply on the face, leave for 15 minutes and rinse. When you visit a beauty parlour go in for an aromatherapy facial. The beautician will suggest oils for the facial according to your skintype. Aromatherapy facials help to clear skin congestion and improve the texture. The mask, which is applied at the end of the massage, also contains essential oils. Besides doing good to the skin, aromatherapy facials soothe your mind and body too.
LILY MADHOK
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