Mirror, mirror on the wall! What does your skin reveal us all? It whispers to the world, three things about you – your age, health and how much you care about your skin.
How we look is largely defined by what we see of ourselves in the mirror. It is not the heart or the brain, not the liver or the lung but our skin.
Flawless skin is a woman’s best friend, for it enhances her attractiveness and sex appeal. That’s probably why we give the skin so much of our attention, time and money. The skin mirrors our emotions by changing colour. We turn pale when we are sick or frightened, we blush when we are embarrassed, and we break into a cold sweat when we are nervous. A rash heralds a food allergy, deficiency or disease, while hormonal changes of menopause cause hot flushes.
Advances in beauty and skincare products have helped reduce the effects of ageing, conceal blemishes and even fight sunburn. Yet, with each passing year, you can see the changes on your skin- fine lines, wrinkles, a coarser texture, less elasticity, spots of hyper-pigmentation (age/sun spots), sagging and a less attractive skin tone and appearance.
There are several reasons for this besides ageing – heredity, general health, one’s lifestyle and exposure to the sun.
Heredity includes things that we wish our parents hadn’t given us like dark circles, enlarged pores and hair loss and greying.
Your general health does affect the appearance of your skin. Medications and ill health can slow the skin’s natural rejuvenating processes and increase skin problems.
Lifestyle plays a significant factor in the appearance of your skin. Insufficient rest, a diet that lacks the proper nutrients, lack of exercise, frequent weight changes, insufficient water, smoking, drinking, all hurt the skin.
Exposure to the sun is one of the biggest culprits in the ageing process. It can result in premature wrinkling besides sunburn and darkening. Extreme exposure can even lead to skin cancer.
Using appropriate skin care products can often deal with issues like excessive dryness or oiliness, dehydration, and help in improving the tone and texture of the skin. Indian skin rarely burns under the sun but tans profusely. Use of a sunscreen lotion is a must which offers protection against UVA and UVB rays.
Tips on Skincare
- Use a cleanser, rather than soap to wash your face.
- Wash your face in the morning and at night. Use a toner that doesn’t contain alcohol.
- Use a moisturizer every day. It helps protect your skin from dirt and pollution in the air.
- Regularly use of a masque that is appropriate for your skin type. It helps tighten pores.
- Regular use of scrub helps deep clean your skin and makes your complexion bright and clear.
- Have a well- balanced diet which is a careful mix of items from the milk group, meat/fish/poultry or pulses group, vegetables and fruits, chapattis, breads and cereals. Adolescents need extra nourishment to fuel their growing bodies. On the other hand, the middle-aged burn fewer calories, they should cut down on fats and carbohydrates while fortifying their bodies with vitamin and mineral supplements.
- Constipation is nature’s way of telling your system needs roughage to function regularly. Drink plenty of water. Skin looks its best when it is well hydrated.
- Regular exercise promotes blood circulation, gives skin a wonderful healthy glow. Swimming, hiking, tennis, badminton, bicycling and yoga can do wonders for the face and figure. For the elderly, walking is the best and safest.
- A good night’s sleep does a lot for your daytime beauty. Sleep has a miraculous power to renew and revitalize the skin. Beauty sleep means more than just flopping into bed. Before retiring, cleanse your skin of day’s impurities and make-up. Shavasana helps you to relax mentally and physically before you drift off. Seven to eight hours of sleep a night is adequate.
Your skin will retain its smooth and firm texture and youthfulness when it is cherished with day-to-day beauty care.
Stay happy and young forever!
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