Swathy and Sky

Besan turns skin black? {Skin Care}

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Ok, so this might be a surprising news for you. But, the good news is that this is NOT TRUE. It is one of the long living myths which came into my notice yesterday. I had a talk about it with one of my friends and she told me that besan turns your skin dark even though it makes it glow. Kinda conflicting, right?I tried telling her that it is not possible but all my words were for deaf ears. Seeing her conviction in this myth, I decided to clear it on a mass basis and state the reason why the skin might turn dark after using the scrub. And, I know that this is not true because of my personal experiences and also because I have asked a lot of people about this.

Besan or ‘Sunnipindi’ or whatever scrub you may use like masoor dal (red lentils) or rice flour polish your skin by removing the dead skin. And, in this process, they reveal a new layer of skin. Thus, the result is a clean glowing skin. As a matter of fact, besan is extremely useful in getting rid of dark spots and other conditions of the skin and gives a flawless complexion.But, if you venture out in the sun unprotected by sunscreen, your newly revealed skin is going to be subjected to a lot of environmental factors like dust, pollution and sun. The result is dull and tired looking dark skin. Thus, the connection that besan turns skin black. So, always wear a sunscreen. And, clean your skin well after a session in the sun.

And, I would love to know of any such myths which might be existing and clear them.

Get the most out of your scrubs

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When you are scrubbing your face or any other part of your body, the general trend is to scrub and wash it off. But, yesterday, I thought of improvising a little. While scrubbing my face yesterday, I did it for no more than 3 minutes and then left the scrub on to let it dry. After it dried, I washed it off. My skin was smooth and moisturized. And, I ended the routine with a little of cleanser to wash off any scrub residue left on my skin. There was no need of a face mask and I firmly believe in not overdoing my beauty routines. The result was an even complexion with perfectly glowing skin.

Tip: You can use the products from the market or you can make various scrubs at home. For over the counter products, you can improve the results by adding a capsule of vitamin E oil or a little of aloevera gel before scrubbing. This would give even better results.

Should you use a body cream or a body lotion?

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There is a lot of confusion between which product is better for skin: a cream or a lotion. So, I would start by giving you a definition of both the terms and then you can yourself decide which is the best for you.
Lotion: It is a mixture of few drops of oil in water held together by a chemical substance because oil and water do not mix.
Cream: A mixture of few drops of water in oil. The density of the product can vary according to various formulations.
When compared, body lotions are easier to apply as compared to creams. But, when your skin is damp, creams are also easy to apply as they spread well in contact with water.
Which one is better?
I can not answer this question. It is a personal choice but I can answer a different question: why cream than a lotion? Have you ever felt that your skin has become drier after applying a lotion? I have. This problem is common in people with dry to normal skin and in extreme weathers. Why so? Because, when you apply the lotion on your body, it spreads easily creating a large surface area for water in the cream to evaporate quickly. Thus, it ends up drying your skin after a little while instead of keeping your skin moisturized. The rate at which evaporation takes place is dependent on the environment and the viscosity (thickness) of the lotion. More thick the lotion is, better it will keep your body moisturized.
My Recommendations
Thus, I would just recommend that recognize your skin type correctly and choose products mentioned for your skin type only. Using wrong products can affect your skin and make it look aged.
Dry Skin: Oily creams or thick lotions
Normal Skin: Your choice and preference
Oily Skin: Oil-free moisturizers and light watery lotions
Now, a latest skin type is aging skin. How do you categorize it? Well, according to me, it should go under dry skin because as you age, your skin loses its tendency to keep moisture intact and becomes dry. Also due to the loss of collagen, it is no longer firm.
Whatever my thoughts be, I would definitely love your opinions on this topic. Do not forget to write down your comments.