My grandmother, Ruby Biswas, who happens to be an aesthetician, is also my personal fairy godmother. And I am not calling her a fairy godmother randomly. She actually has magical powers. Don’t believe me? Then I should definitely tell you how she helped me get rid of the stubborn acne and zits, who come to spend their summer vacation on my face every May and June, in no time.
Want in on some of her secrets? Then continue to read on.
Drink up water like plants!
“If you don’t drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day, you can jolly well bid adieu to your glowing skin”.
The most important thing, which tops all the tips, is hydration.The first signs of lack of water in our body gets reflected on our skin with a feeling of dryness and a constant urge to itch your skin, which we all know counts as skin abuse. So, it’s essential that we are well hydrated at all times.
My grandmother’s special tip for flawless, glowing skin is adding a few mint leaves and cucumber slices to your water bottles, to make it a detox drink. It is not only a refreshing drink, but a great boost to get that die-for summer body.
Say hello to your new bestie- Sunscreen!
“Unless you want to get into an unending struggle with tan removal regimes and spend your entire summer to fix skin discoloration, swear by a good sun protectant for your skin.”
A good sunscreen has an SPF count of 30. So when you’re purchasing one, make sure you read the label carefully.
But some of us are quite skeptical to apply creams on our face as most often than not, the brands which claim to be organic are actually not! Truth busted- No product can be 100% “organic”. Yes, they include natural ingredients but these ingredients go through several procedures and are combined with other ingredients, making them close to natural but not completely organic.
However, if you are confused and still don’t know which sunscreen to opt for, you can just make your own sun protectant at home with ingredients which you know are completely real and safe. Just mix a quarter spoon coconut oil (it has SPF 7) with a quarter spoon of aloe gel. You can add a few drops of lavender essential if you want as it has natural soothing and skin repairing properties. Combine this mixture with 2 spoons of non- toxic powdered zinc oxide. That’s literally it! But don’t forget to reapply your screen every 4 hours as sunscreens last only for a few hours.
Exfoliation to the rescue
“Exfoliate! Exfoliate! Exfoliate! But remember not to be too harsh on your skin.”
Exfoliation is extremely important as it helps control the oil secretion levels of your skin, while removing dirt and dust which clog up your pores and give rise to acne.
But always remember to go for a scrub which does not use abrasive substances which can damage your skin and cause it to redden and irritate.
Ruby Biswas, my grandma’s go to scrub is the ‘Smooth Talker’ face scrub by the brand Jhelum Loves. The scrub is made with careful amounts of coffee and apricots and infused with Vanilla and Orange essential oils, Coconut oil, Cocoa butter, Coffee & Apricot and Crab Apple, Olive & Honeysuckle Bach Flower Remedies. It literally works wonders on the skin! Just apply a thin layer of the scrub mixed with a teaspoon of cold milk evenly on skin. Leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with splashes of cool water.
Shampoo away your worries, dandruff and zits
“Keep your scalp clean at all times. One devil invites another. An oily scalp with dandruff will lure in uninvited guests like pimples.”
Shampoo your hair within a gap of two days so that you ensure your scalp is clean but also don’t rip your hair off its natural oils. Use a shampoo free of parabens and one that suits your hair type and skin. Spritz your freshly washed hair with a generous amount of a good hair mist. My grandma recommends Jhelum Love’s ‘Strand Aid’ hair mist. Containing ingredients like Rosemary, Cypress, Tea Tree, Lavender, Clary Sage and Cedarwood essential oils and Crab Apple and Cherry Plum Bach Flower Remedies; this hair mist does a great job in cleansing, energising and refreshing your scalp and strands.
A Fruitilicious summer
“Your body is your temple. Please treat it like one because like they say, you are what you eat. So if you want your skin to glow, reduce the amount of oily snacks and switch to juicy fruits!”
Make fruits like tomatoes, papayas and grapefruit your buddies this summer. Tomatoes and Papayas both are rich in antioxidants; while tomatoes help reduce UV induced skin discolouration, papayas help keep wrinkles at bay. Grapefruit, on the other hand, is rich in Vitamin C which helps to produce the correct amount of collagen required by your skin. This aids in fighting skin conditions like dandruff and its cousin, acne.
So now that you have my Super Granny’s secrets, I hope you will have a great summer, with your skin shining brighter than the sun.
