Disclaimer: Not even the most luxurious skin care ritual can replace a healthy well balanced diet, sleep or active life style, so all the below tips are in addition to that yummy greek salad, zzzzzzzzzzz and yoga! :)
Summer is when you have probably the least amount of time to spend on your skin care what with all the vacations & stuff but is unfortunately also the time when you gotta really put some efforts into pampering your body so you can glow in the Sun shine.
My philosophy for Summer skincare is - pack a punch. When I finally get around to do some skin care, I want it to be super-performing.
Here is what I have been trying for my face, skin and hair [ this is only DIY stuff and its not a comprehensive list, I definitely use many other products]
For Face
Stage 1: Preparation
Wash your face with a mild cleanser, which does not dry your skin.
Next, rub all those dead cells away with a natural exfoliant - I prefer using a mix of rice powder, and yoghurt.
Apply your favorite skin care oil. Mine is a mix of Jojoba, rose hip seed oil and grape seed oil.
Make sure to warm it before application and massage it well onto the clean skin.
Leave for 5mins.
Stage 2: Applying the face pack
This is one of my favorite summer skin care packs:
Ingredients: Slices of pumpkin, beets, carrot and papaya, black cherry or raspberry, coffee powder [1 tbsp], cocoa powder, coconut milk or natural milk powder
Mash up everything in a blender with water [or preferably rose water] till it becomes a creamy thick puree.
If you have acne, add a drop of tea tree oil into the mix before application. If you have sun tan, add some drops of lemon juice & tomato juice to the mix.
Make the face pack and leave in the fridge at least 15mins before the application. Remember to make this fresh every time, don't use a pack older than 4-5 hours.
Apply the face pack and leave it on for at least 20mins or till it becomes really dry.
While the mask is on your face, try to rest and avoid any activity.
Softly wash off the pack.
Stage 3: Moisturising the skin
After applying any pack, its important to bring back the moisture and lock the goodness inside.
I apply a mix of a serum and skin care oil.
After application remember to lightly massage your skin.
How do you look now? Got that glow? :)
For Body
Lets face the truth - no point if you have the most glowing face, unless your body and hair also look great. I don't know about you, but when things get busy I tend to care only for my face & hair and ignore my body.
This pack is aimed at making your body feel loved and cherished..
Stage 1: Preparation
Take a shower to clean your body.
If you don't want to wash your body twice, you can also use a wet towel dipped in hot water to clean all over your body.
Use a body scrub to remove all the dead cells.
Apply your favorite skin care oils. Mine is a mix of Coconut oil, jojoba, avocado and a dash of grape seed.
Warm the oil before application and massage it well onto your body
Stage 2: Body Pack
Ingredients: Rice powder, coffee powder[2-3 tbsp], cocoa powder [2 tbsp], coconut milk, 4-5 almonds soaked overnight, sliced potato
Mash up everything in the blender to get slightly thick creamy pack. If you wish to get an exotic scent, add Jasmine or Ylang Ylang oil to the mix
Apply the pack all over your body. If you wish to remove any tan, add a juice of 1 lemon and 1 tomato to the mix. Leave the pack on for at least 15-20mins.
Remember not to use soap while washing off the pack.
Once dry, apply your favorite body cream.
For Hair
This is a hair care pack I learned from my Grand ma. She had the most awesome shiny black hair even when she hit her 50s! Remember that this is not enough to get shiny hair, you have to eat and live healthy cos nothing shows the state of your internal health like your hair and nails.
Stage 1: Preparation
Before you apply any hair oil, make sure your scalp is not sweaty. If so, leave it for drying.
Also, if you've sinusitis or a tendency to get cold very often, avoid applying too much oil and reduce mask application time by half.
Mix your favorite hair care oils.
Mine is a mix of - Coconut Oil, Pure Olive Oil and Jojoba Oil
This is an optional step before applying the oil; however its amazing, so try if you can. Always make a fresh mix.
Take an iron pot and heat it on medium flame. Add a dash of butter and add any or all of the following herbs: Holy Basil, Fenugreek and Rose mary. After 2mins, add some coconut milk and heat the mixture till the coconut milk starts loosing the white color and turns clear. Take the pot off the heat and leave it to cool.Once its warm to touch, filter this and add the oil mix to the above hair oil mix.
Warm the oil mix and apply on your scalp [not hair] with soft circular motions.
While applying oil, make sure you apply with your finger pads and not nails.
Stage 2: Hair Pack
Ingredients: 4-5 almonds soaked over night, fenugreek powder, spinach leaves, hibiscus leaves and flower [if you can get it, its awwwwesome!], henna powder or leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves and sea weeds soaked in water
Use as many of the above ingredients. If you suffer from scalp infections or dandruff, mix in some tea tree oil. Mash everything together and apply immediately. Leave for 20mins at least and wash off.
To increase the efficacy of this hair pack, wrap a hot towel on your hair for 10mins. If you don't wish to spoil your towel this way, use a hair dryer for 5mins towards the end to get the same heating effect.
Don't use a shampoo while washing off the mix. If you find the hair too oily for your liking, use a mild gentle shampoo very lightly on scalp and mostly on hair.
After towel drying your hair, warm up some Argan oil on your palms and apply to the last half of your hair up to the roots, to get a beautiful shine.
So how do you like it? Let me know once you tried it and if you have any suggestions on improving this :) Ciao...
Note: All images in this post are courtesy of Pixabay.com
