Wash, hydrate, exfoliate for a clear, glowing skin

Diwali is one festival when everyone loves to dress up, especially in silk and other rich fabrics.

CHENNAI: Diwali is one festival when everyone loves to dress up, especially in silk and other rich fabrics. But in all the run-up to the festivities, people often forget to take care of their skin. Dr Jayanthy Ravindran breaks down the skincare regime to ensure a sparkling festive season.  
Get that glow

• To have a clear and glowing skin, it has to be hydrated. So, drink plenty of water.
•  Use a moisturiser which protects water from the skin from being lost.
• Use homemade scrubs for your skin to look fresh. You can use anything with granular texture like simple sugar or salt. Do not rub them vigorously on your skin.
• You could also use an exfoliant which removes dead cells. You can buy it from a pharmacy or if you want to go for natural products, opt for sugarcane juice, curd or apple. This will give you an instant glow.
• Before applying make-up on your skin, it is very important to apply a barrier cream. Normally, people apply a moisturiser followed by sunscreen and then make-up. Barrier creams lock in moisture and block out environmental irritants. You can find them in any pharmacy shop.
• If you want to go for the natural option, make a pulp of amla, apple and orange. Mix it with chickpea flour or curd, and apply it on your skin.
• Make sure to remove the make-up with a remover that has minimal acid content. You could use water, but oil-based make-up products require a remover.
• If any of these cause inflammation, wash your face with water immediately.
• Protect from pollution
• While bursting crackers, you are exposed to a lot of heat. This will cause open pores. After bursting crackers, immediately wash your face with cold water. That will help you manage your pores.
• Use the exfoliant (a natural one like mentioned above) and scrub to remove all the dirt and pollution from your face.
• Apply a mask made of curd and turmeric. Leave on for 20 minutes and wash your face.
• Apply a moisturiser. If you are not prone to acne, you can use oils like coconut or almond to moisturise your skin.
• People with oily skin can use gel-based moisturiser.
• Apply sunscreen, the next morning when you step out as exfoliants can make your skin photosensitive.

Not so sweet
Eating a lot of sugar can affect your skin, but it is unavoidable during Diwali. Sugar could lead to premature ageing, dark circles, stimulate oil production and trigger acne. Reduce the quantity while you resist the temptation.