Get a glowing skin this winter

It's winter time. Arm yourself with beauty "ammo" and retain a healthy glow on your skin

Applying creamWinter time is celebration time. You need to look your best.

As the ominous cold and dry winter winds ravage your skin, you ought to be ready with your army of moisturisers, cold cream, and cleansing milk. Here are a handful of tips that can go a long way to help you retain that glow and shine.

  • For our mothers and grandmothers, skin care started from childhood. Massaging with body oil and lying in the open, or under the sun, was a regular practice. It helped the skin pigments synthesise vital vitamin D for the baby’s bones. With maturity, the teenage girl would be asked to pamper her skin with a paste of turmeric, besan and fresh cream.
  • The changing scenario of our hectic life seems to squeeze out all the energy and youth left in you. Pollution and dirt are the worst enemies of your skin. Moreover, busy working women no longer have time to pamper themselves with home-made products. What they can find time for is just a visit to the parlour, a quick facial, and probably an application of a popular night cream during dry winter months
  • Start oral evening primrose oil [EPO] capsules, 1,000 mg once daily, for three months during winter time. Apply moisturisers that have a long stay-life and are enriched with products like squalene, hyaluronic acid, essential fatty acids etc. During the day, sunscreen with in-built moisturisers of sun protection factor [SPF] > 25 is a must
  • Another important enemy of modern life is the wide range of pollutants that precipitate in the winter smog. These pollutants darken your skin; the dirt particles clog the skin pores and don’t allow the skin to breathe. In the process, your skin shrinks and you look older. So, good cleansing with liquid face wash rather than soap is a must
  • Application of various products only on the outer surface does not lead to an ultimate healthy skin. What one needs is a healthy diet and peaceful mind. Your meals should have ample amount of juicy fruits and vegetables along with at least 12-14 glasses of water a day. Intake of liquids helps your skin to retain the essential oils automatically and acts as a natural protection against dryness
  • There are certain parts of the body that require special care during winter months. These are your feet and hands. The feet tend to crack and they are the most neglected areas constantly exposed to dirt and dryness. Apply a thick vaseline-based cream and wear soft cotton socks
  • Your scalp too needs special mention as many of us suffer from dandruff that can have long-term effects like hair fall. Use a ketoconazole-containing shampoo once a week. For daily skin care, washing the hair frequently with a baby shampoo is good. Use a good brand conditioner soon after hair wash. Use of hair serums, after a wash, on moist hair is also nourishing for the hair
  • To further nourish the hair, start taking 10 mg of biotin tablet daily for at least three months. Almond, castor and olive oil mixed in equal proportions can be used for massage. However, for a hair pack, mix one full egg, two tsp almond oil, one tsp of castor oil and one tsp glycerine. Apply this for one hour and rinse. Repeat weekly for at least four weeks for best results. Use a good conditioner after hair wash.

So, follow these tips and keep looking great this winter!

Winter Hair Care

It’s a good idea to start early and get your hair into the best condition possible for winter. This is easier than waiting for damage to happen and then trying to mend it. Get a good cut, even if it’s just an all-over trim. This will make sure that the hair ends are strong and more able to fight the extremes of temperature. The dry and cold winter can be very damaging to your hair. Hair easily becomes dry during this time of year, from the dry indoor heating and the dry cold weather outside. Proper preventative steps need to be taken during this seasons to ensure that your hair does not get damaged. Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind, but make sure that it’s not so tight that it will restrict circulation in your scalp.

  • Use a conditioner daily
  • Once you have your hair moist, lock in the moisture by running your hair through cold water, this will also give your hair an extra shine
  • Don’t go outside with your hair wet, you risk breakage; your hair will freeze if it’s cold enough outside and may break
  • Limit your use of “hot” items on your hair such as a blow dryers and curling irons
  • If you need to use a “hot” item, use a leave-in conditioner before using the item on your hair
  • Avoid taking hot showers or washing your hair in hot water; use warm or cool water instead; the heat can dry out and/or damage your hair and skin
  • Hair products that have the word, “Replenish” on them are made to moisturise your hair
  • Try using a dry shampoo if you need to wash out your hair, one dry shampoo you can use is baby powder, simply sprinkle some onto your hair and use a comb to comb it off.
Apratim Goel
Dr Apratim Goel in the CEO and Medical Director of a chain of laser and cosmetic clinics called Cutis Skin Studio, Mumbai. An extremely passionate aesthetician and board certified dermatologist, she is an author and a voracious reader.

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