Now trending: DIY beauty

Covid dealt a heavy blow to many businesses, especially those related to beauty and personal care.

KOCHI: Covid dealt a heavy blow to many businesses, especially those related to beauty and personal care. However, unlike many who bowed down and accepted defeat, Smitha Mathew decided to put in use the skills she had acquired over the years. She began giving tutorials through her YouTube channel Smitha Mathew-Beauty Tips. “It is just a fledgeling project and is two-month-old,” said, Smitha. “When I had to shut my parlour, due to Covid restrictions, I thought of finding another way to keep myself busy,” she said and drew up a plan to show simple and natural ways to do facials. 

“I use ingredients that are available at home to prepare facial masks. Unlike the store-bought ones, which are mostly costly, the facials that we prepare at home are safe and cheap,” she said. Besides shooting beauty tip videos, Smitha also gives tips on how to make use of old sarees and make plain materials like organza, chiffon and georgette very trendy.

Most of the times women are at a loss as to what can be done with the sarees that are old or no longer in fashion. “However, instead of chucking them into the farthest corners of the wardrobe, we can convert them into Kurtis,” she said. That is another year or so of extended life for the saree and healthy for your pockets, she added.

“Most of the times, when we see a material in a shop and wish to wear it as a saree, we end up coughing up a lot of money in embellishing it with beads, aplic-works or other things to make them look trendy. However, instead of giving the material to shops and pay huge amounts, these design works can be done right at home. I do that and have shot videos on how to do so,” she said. 

Natural home facials

Honey facial

• Honey is a natural skin tightening product. It helps in tightening skin, prevents sagging and anti-ageing
•  Cleanse your face and neck using face wash which you are currently using or use skimmed cow’s milk.
• Make a mixture using 1 tsp brown sugar,1/2 tsp milk and 1/2 tsp honey.Apply this mixture on your face and scrub for 3 to 5 minutes
• Make a mixture using 2 tsp honey and 2 tsp lime juice. Massage your face using this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes
• Make a mixture using 1 tsp honey,1/2 tsp aloe vera gel,1/4 tsp wild turmeric powder,1/4 tsp sandalwood powder. Apply this pack on your face and keep it for 25 to 30 minutes

Tender coconut facial

• Tender Coconut facial will give you brighter, glowing and spotless skin in 7 days
• Cleansing: Use cow’s milk for cleansing
• For scrubbing make a mixture using tender Coconut flesh and milk. Take 1 tsp of this mixture and add it to 1 tsp of green gram flour. Make a paste and use this paste as a scrub.
• Massage your face using same tender Coconut flesh and milk paste.
• Make a paste using kaolin powder(multanimitti) and the above-mentioned paste made out of tender coconut flesh and milk.If you want you can add some coconut water.