Five Series

5 Practical Winter Skin and Hair Care Tips for this Autumn and Winter

Swathy · September 19, 2023 · 4 Comments

Originally published in November, 2014.

Winters are not easy for our skin and hair. The dryness sucks out the moisture from both. Let us check practical winter skin and hair care tips you can include in your daily life.

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Btw, did I share with you guys that I am in Delhi and the weather is decidedly chilly and dry and my skin is really not doing that well without a moisturizer. Not that Hyderabad is not equally dry, though. So, how are you thinking of taking care of your skin from the onset of winters. Have you prepared it for the change in weather?

So, once upon a time when I had written about winter skin care, I had mentioned that our skin care regime starts with having a bath in a day but now I would like to change it a bit. Our skin care regime starts with how we start the day and what we eat. As it is, we take less water in winters and if the body lacks good fats, skin does tend to get dry.

Tip #1 – Water does not hydrate your skin!!

Okay, so a very common misconception is that if we drink 10-12 glasses of water, it should be enough to hydrate the skin from inside out. Well, that is not so! Water is necessary to maintain hydration levels but not enough. So, what out body needs is good fat and omega 3 and vitamin E for keeping soft and supple.

Solution : Load on the nut even before the winters set. If you do take any smoothies or oats or other cereals, put a spoonful of nuts in it. Otherwise, powder the nuts together and eat them with your meals once or twice a day. Another good option is flax seeds or alsi beej (in hindi). Roast them and powder them. Consume within 10 days.

Tip #2 – Moisturize inside the shower!!

I have always recommended layering, specially in winters. But, an even better option which is helping me get through these days is moisturizing inside the shower. Take your lotion with you and once you wipe yourself off, moisturize immediately. Forget the 3-minute moisturization rule. And, remember this instead.

The skin is plump and extremely absorbent in the shower due to the heat and immediate cleansing so it drinks up the moisturizer or body oil you apply and prevents the water from escaping keeping your skin hydrated for an entire day.

Sometimes, if your skin is extremely dry, you might need to apply the body lotion again in the later half of the day. At that time, you can use your toner and dampen your skin and then follow with the moisturizer; unless you take bath twice in a day!

Tip #3 – Sugar is your best friend right now!

Still feeling dry? Moisturizing is not enough? Your skin needs regular exfoliation in the winters. And, you really do not want to use anything else right now. Sugar is hydrating as well as exfoliating so it is your best bet. I would recommend the homemade body polish which makes my skin absolutely amazing twice a week! Unless you have acne-prone skin in which case you need gentler exfoliation.

Another tip I would love to include here is that dry brushing should be a regular in your daily routine. It helps increase the skin cell turnover everyday and helps the body lotions and oils to get absorbed better in the skin. Also, it prevents the dry skin itch almost all day long.

Tip #4 – Not only hair but scalp also dries out!!

So, when you are busy taking care of your skin, do not forget that taking good care of scalp will keep the blood flowing to the follicles and promote hair growth which is generally less in the winter months. Also, scalp can get dry and tighten so I moisturize my scalp with 2-3 drops of pomegranate oil. You could also try out grapeseed oil for the oily skin or hair.

Tip #5 – And, get going!!

Do not ditch the early morning exercises in favor of warm blankets because it will make you lazier and prone to junk food cravings. And, in turn, cause you to accumulate more fat and make your skin dull. A fresh morning exercise can rev up your blood circulation as well making your skin well-accustomed to the weather changes.

And, the bonus tip – Do not forget the sunscreen. Winter sun is just as strong as the summer one because UVA rays are still aging your skin.

These were my winter skin and hair care tips. Now, its your turn. How do you take care of your skin in autumn and winters when the weather dries out? Share your winter skin and hair care tips in the comments below!

9+1 Steps to Glowing Skin

Swathy · May 9, 2018 · 128 Comments

Updated from 29th April, 2015. I have never personally believed in striving for fair skin. In fact, I am wheatish to brown in skin tone and I love my skin. I like to keep it glowing and thus my fetish for using different products. So, here is my take on the popular 10-step Korean skin care routine for glowing skin.

Since quite long, I have been seeing a trend of questions from people who are either getting married or who have darker skin tones. They always want to know how to lighten their complexion or becomes fairer. So, first of all, I would like to say that you can’t really lighten the skin complexion. The skin color is determined by the amount of melanin your skin has and you can’t do anything to reduce the amount of this pigment inside your skin.

What you can instead do is focus on getting glowing skin and making sure your skin is not getting tanned or getting prone to hyperpigmentation which turns the skin darker than its original skin tone. So, the steps in your skin care routine should include protect and repair segments of products. Protection usually includes using sunscreen on a regular basis diligently and repair involves a plethora of other steps which I shall be discussing here.

Please note that the following skin care routine can also be termed as the new age skin care. I have tried to include everything I know here.

Protection Routine

Glowing Skin Step #1 – Vitamin C Serum

Contrary to usual belief, Vitamin C serums increase the strength of your sunscreen and do not make your skin photo toxic. It is only citrus fruits which make your skin so.

5 Reasons Why You Must Apply Sunscreen Everyday

Swathy · May 2, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Updated from 8th June, 2016. As much as I can preach to the choir about the benefits of sunscreen, I can not reap those benefits myself. I am lazy and have a very undisciplined routine in that way. But, I can see the dark spots and blemishes and hyperpigmentation on the skin on my bad days which acts as a constant reminder to why one should apply sunscreen diligently. So, check out the five reasons not to skip this routine.

As much as I love to preach that you should NEVER skip sunscreen, it is one rule I can never follow thoroughly. Either my laziness or the feel when I apply anything on my skin stops me from pursuing the course.

Having said that, I always try to start the routine and maintain it successfully as much as I can. Thus, I know the difference in the skin when you regularly apply sunscreen and when you discontinue it. So, lets see what you lose by not following the number one skin care rule.

5 Reasons Why You Must Apply Sunscreen Everyday

Sun damage is cumulative. The damage an be minimized with proper protection and skin care routine over a period of time but skin never really recovers from the damage already wrought on it. So, beware when you decide to skip the sunscreen next time.

Quality of Skin Changes

You would notice a marked change in the quality of your skin. If you skip sunscreen, your skin becomes a little tough and looses the plumpness which it naturally has and it has nothing to do with lack of hydration. It is something very subtle and indefinable but you feel it when you have alternated in the periods of putting on sunscreen and skipping it.