Winter Skin Care Tips from Dr. Snehal

Dr. Snehal Sriram, Head, Medical Services, Kaya Skin Clinic has certain essential tips that will help keep your skin glowing even in the chill.

• For one, she says, eat a balanced diet, which includes vegetables, fruits, and fresh fish every day.
• Try to avoid alcohol and coffee. Both dehydrate the skin and cause more drying and itching.
• Use a humidifier inside the house to keep the skin moist.
• Exercise helps produce sweat and increases blood flow to the skin, which improves the skin’s hydration.
• Colloidal oat meal baths, in addition to preventing water loss, also soothe the skin.
• While taking a shower in winter, alternate moderately hot water with cold water for a few seconds. This provides an internal massaging effect with improved circulation and better hydration of the skin.
• Don’t worry too much about the havoc played on the skin by the changing weather. Just lead your life normally and welcome the arrival of winter.

Do:

• Apply lots of moisturiser around the eyes as the skin is very delicate.
• Drink at least 7-8 glasses of water a day.
• Protect lips with lip balm/gel
• Always wear gloves, scarves, etc while you go out.
• Use soap-free moisturizing cleansers
• Add emollient/mineral oil to bath water (1-2 drops per bucket)
• Apply moisturizer immediately after your bath
• Use sunscreen regularly
• Use a night cream on face and body before sleeping. Remove excess cream with moist cotton wool, which does not soak up moisture from the skin.
• Always remove make-up before bedtime. Cosmetics can dry out the skin.
• For hair, use mild moisturizing shampoo and conditioner after shampoo
• Trim split ends

Don’t

• Use soaps, scrubs and loofahs
• Use toners and astringent
• Use scrubs and grainy packs.
• Sit for long hours under the sun or in AC
• Try treatments like straightening, perming, blow drying
• Shampoo frequently

Home care
Dr. Snehal Sriram’s home care tips

• Mix honey and milk and apply. Mix half-a-cup honey to bath water for soft and smooth skin.
• Aloe Vera helps remove dead skin cells and is soothing, healing, and moisturising.
• A facemask of egg white and honey removes tan from face.
• For oily skin, soak multani mitti and mint powder in yoghurt for 30 minutes. Mix well and apply on face. Leave till dry. Wash off with lukewarm water and rinse with cold water.