CHENNAI: Horses sweat, men perspire, women...glow.’ Or so goes a great quote from Veronica Lodge. That’s one of the two of Archie’s girlfriends by the way, for those who are unfamiliar with comic book territory. And as a woman, one has to smile at the memory and hopefully get a little creative as we ‘face’ the dreaded kathiri veyil head on. We caught up with some experts in the field of skincare over the launch of the new Clarins UV Plus Anti Pollution formula with plant-powered protection from cantaloupe and black currant extracts for that all natural glow.
And national training manager of the brand, Meeta Awatramani surprised us with some basics that as it appears most of us have down wrong. For starters, she shares, “Wet wipes during the summer are a definite no-no.” And here we thought that carrying the little pouch of refreshing napkins in our handbag was thinking like a weather-friendly fashionista!
“The reason you want to avoid these is that they have alcohol in them, and anything with alcohol dries your skin out,” she explains. In fact, while most of us are still figuring out the discipline of upping our water intake to stay hydrated this summer, what many don’t realise is that working in an AC environment all day is actually working in the opposite direction. “Air conditioning dehydrates your skin just as perspiring makes you lose water,” adds Meeta. And let’s face it, while staying off this luxury is a tad too far to go for beauty, there is a counter measure compromise. “It’s called a moisturiser,” the beauty expert states with smile.
As for those who say nay to taking any effort at all on grounds off — ‘it’s no big deal’ — listen up. Not only can the harsh effects of the sun this season darken and dry out your skin, according to the Delhi-based trainer, it can also age you. “With this generation’s lifestyle and the environment today, premature aging begins in the early 20s,” Meeta tells us. And the best way to proactively repair your skin is to develop a daily skin care routine that one can actually stick to. How long does it take? “For me?” Meeta responds, “seven minutes, and that’s including make up!”
7 Minutes to Glowing Skin