Deep Cleansing Face Mask: with Fuller's earth(multani mitti)

Having managed to successfully kick myself into a skin care phase, a face mask was inevitable. For the first 3-4 days, This was my routine:
Morning: Wash with Cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin. Alternate with Vicco foam wash. Tone with Acnes powder lotion if cetaphil used. Apply Lacto calamine or Vicco turmeric cream.

Evening/night: Wash with Cetaphil/Vicco foam wash on alternate days. Tone with Acnes if Cetaphil used. Apply Vicco turmeric cream.
On alternate days appy tretinoin acne medication after washing with cetaphil but without toning.

When I thought about my previous phase I remembered how important face masks were in my routines. Now, I am not an advocate of regular usage of face masks because a)they can stress the skin when used on a daily basis due to the pull caused when drying and because of the concentration of active ingredients and b) washing them off wastes water unless you like me have techniques.

Here's my mask washing technique:
Wet and soften the mask with water and then rub gently till it no longer adheres to skin. Take a bowl with about 2 cups of water and wash the mask into it by taking palmfuls of water and using it to slide mask off . I don't change the water until the mask is nearly off. Only then do I take clean water and remove what remains. I regulate my water usage with cups and I have noticed that my skin is completely clean with 3 more cups of water.
This method is a bit of trouble the first few times you do it but you get the hang of it very soon. I believe that water conservation is very important and that the earth shouldn't suffer for my vanity.
Most of us really waste a lot of water in the name of skincare but actually we need very little. You will notice this the moment you start measuring and using water.

To make masks more effective clean your face with a good cleanser before putting them on. This helps them penetrate more effectively and also increases their saturation limit.

So, here's the mask:
1 heaped tsp fuller's earth(multani mitti)
1/2 tsp kasturi turmeric( or ordinary turmeric if you can get rid of the stains)
1 tsp honey
milk or rosewater
Use the milk/rosewater to mix the mask to the desired consistency(not too runny).

Fuller's earth deep cleans and reduces the appearance of pores.It absorbs oil. turmeric is antibacterial and helps diminish acne, blemishes and scars. Honey moisturises and is anti-bacterial.

This mask is best used twice a week(once a week if you have very sensitive skin).

I liked the effect this mask had on my face and neck. My skin felt clean without being dry or stretchy.

For those of you who don't know, kasturi turmeric is a variety of turmeric which gives the same benefits but does not stain like normal turmeric. It is not eaten and is used for cosmetic purposes. Don't worry, unless you're allergic to it, it won't hurt you. Neither is it toxic. Its been used by Indians for centuries.

Truly Beautiful Skin

Hi you all!

So, I told you all about my phases of skin and hair care. Now, I'm trying to push myself into a phase of skin care because benign neglect benefits my hair the most. And what happened today might just make that easier.

Today, we went to meet an acquaintance of ours who had recently been sick. We met her mother there, who'd come down to look after the woman and boy, am I glad that I had the chance to meet her! This is one naturally sophisticated and beautiful old woman who has truly aged gracefully.

Not only was she gentle and sweet but physically beautiful as well. She must be around 76-80 but has absolutely gorgeous skin that can put celebrities that age to shame. She has no wrinkles! Yes none! Her skin is smooth and flawless, the only sign of aging being the loss of elasticity in the skin which is natural at that age.
She has folds at the corners of her eyes and lips, but only because of gravity and the afore-mentioned loss of elasticity. She has no lines on her forehead, no furrows....It was just amazing to look at her. Even more so after I learned that she had once burned a part of her face(it was mild but still left a mark which is now invisible).

Now, I know for a fact that she has had no cosmetic procedures done because she could not have afforded them and where I live, people of that generation frown upon such things ( unless medically necessary). So I complimented her on her skin and asked her for tips. She told me that she doesn't do anything special; she cleans her face with a solution of unboiled milk and sugar and then washes that off with plain water. Soap does not touch her skin as far as possible. She uses whatever cream she finds at hand as a moisturizer  which is usually Boroline or Ponds' cold cream or Nivea.
My mum then told me that my aunt who has gorgeous skin cleans her skin with a mix of plain flour and milk cream. The paste is applied, allowed to dry and then rubbed off vigorously with dry hands. It falls off, forming these eraser dust-like things. Some of you might wonder how it cleans but it is the concept of like dissolving like working here. Most dirt that sticks to our skin is non-polar, so it sticks onto the fat in the milk cream which is non-polar too. Then, a water-only bath is taken.

The sweet old lady also told me to drink plenty of water. She complained that most of my generation is dehydrated and that is why we have so many skin problems.
She has also never used makeup of any sort. Not that she would ever need it anyway- she is astoundingly lovely even at her age.

Until I met her, I always had doubts about skin care. What is the point of spending time on skin when eventually it would break down one day when we were old? Why cry about something that wasn't going to last anyway?
But now I have proof of the fact that good skin care can keep your skin beautiful even when you are old. I have seen a lot of people older than her who have the usual old-people skin but she is truly different.

This has renewed my passion for skin care once again.

A Fact About Myself

This is something you all ought to know. It will explain why my entries are so sporadic and also I'm sure that a lot of you are this way.

My obsessions switch between skin and hair. 4 months a year I'm nuts about my skin and the rest of the year I'm nuts about my hair. When I obsess with my skin I absolutely neglect hair(it seems to help my hair though)
and vice versa(neglecting skin is bad for me).

Behavior when I'm on skin care mania:
1. Wash hair once a week unless working out (actually, washing hair less often is good for it and not dirty at all as long as you give it a good brushing or combing. I also do water-only washes a couple of times in a week)
2. Bundle it into a french roll secured with jaw clip.
3. Comb just once a day
4. Completely forget that I have hair on head on holidays

Behavior during hair care mania:
1. Force self to bathe
2 Use wet wipe to clean face and follow up with compact powder once a day
3. Forget about lotion for days on an end
4. barely remember deodorant (fortunately I do not suffer from BO problems-I barely sweat in normal stink zones)
Now that I have controlled acne neglect no longer poses a problem but I still have to be careful.

So right now I'm on a hair obsession.
So, why am I not writing some hair posts?
I have to find a routine or products that I'm completely happy with.

So, until I find something worth writing about.........

The Secret to Smooth Skin-Homemade body scrub

I was googling 'oil for smooth skin' when I came across this article: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/07/diy-skin-smoother-for-silky-soft-legs.html

Although Jillee used it as an aftershave exfoliant, I used this while bathing, after washing with soap. After I saw how amazed all the ladies commenting were by this scrub's effect, I just had to try it out.

But I thought the big grained sugar(which is all I have) would be too harsh and scratch my skin while salt which can also be used would seriously kill a couple of scratches that I have. So, I reinvented the scrub and i am bowled over by it. It is seriously amazing, much better than any OTC body scrub I have ever used( I can't remember which brand that was).

So, here's what I did:
I took 2 heaped tblsps of rice flour, 1 heaped tsp of sugar and salt each in a bowl and poured in sesame oil. I don't know how much oil I put in exactly; I stopped pouring the oil when it reached the consistency I wanted(semisolid-the oil shouldn't float on top). Then I added the juice of a quarter of lemon. I mixed it till the oil and juice were no longer 2 separate components.
This was sufficient for me; I still have some scrub left over( I'm 5 ft 3 inches tall). I rubbed it gently for a couple of minutes on wet skin and then rinsed it.

Because I didn't use any more soap after scrubbing there was a layer of oil on my skin(I don't mind that because I'm not going out anywhere). You can also use this scrub first and soap later if you don't want the oil layer.

It is tremendously moisturising and you will be amazed by how smooth your skin feels and this is just in one use. And I didn't even shave!

Depending on how sensitive your skin is you can adjust the amount of oil you put in. If you find sugar too harsh then plain rice flour alone will do as well coz its gentler.

If you are acne-prone don't use this scrub on your breakout zones aka face, back, shoulders.

This scrub really helps with dry skin as well. It can be used 2-3 times a week. Any more will chafe skin.

Review: Oriflame Body Lotion with Green tea

The weather is kind of dehydrating now where I live and my skin is seriously dry. Its really annoying having oily skin above the shoulders and dry below.

I bought this lotion a few months ago when there was a discount in the catalogue. Now, that I've finished half of it I think I can review it.

I was happy with it in the summer. I use it everywhere below shoulders and it did moisturize well in the summer. But in the last one month, ever since it has been getting drier this lotion is insufficient for me.

This lotion is supposed to be for normal to dry skin. It costs Rs.590 for 400 ml so it is rather expensive but I got it in discount.

Ingredient List: (from the bottle and website)AQUA, GLYCERIN, ISOPROPYL PALMITATE, CETYL ALCOHOL, STEARYL ALCOHOL, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, HYDROXYPROPYL STARCH PHOSPHATE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CETEARETH-20, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, PENTAERYTHRITYL DISTEARATE, IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA, SODIUM BENZOATE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, PARFUM, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, XANTHAN GUM, CITRIC ACID, CAMELIA SINENSIS EXTRACT, LACTIC ACID

It claims to provide all day hydration and intensive moisturization.

So, does it live upto its claims?

Sort of. it does not hydrate my skin all day long but it keeps dry itchiness at bay in the summer. But, now as winter approaches(it is still really warm though) it lasts for only around 4 hours. It also does not leave your skin smooth. It forms a sort of layery powdery feel once it dries. It won't work on very dry skin.

The bottle has a flip cap. I am anyway never bothered by packaging as long as it doesn't leak.

It is a pretty good sealant for body oil, however.

Will I buy it again?

No, not for this price anyway.

My Acne story- Update

I haven't been following my skin care routine the last two months because of exams. So, while my skin hasn't gone back to its pre-treated days it has gotten worse.

Now, I use my tretinoin cream on alternate nights after washing with cetaphil cleanser. On the night I don't use tretinoin I use Acnes powder lotion, leave it on for an hour and then follow up with an ayurvedic oil called Kumkumadi Thailam. I know you're all thinking, "oil" now, but kumkumadi thailam is formulated for people with acne and it hasn't broken me out yet.

In the morning I put on Lacto Calamine Classic after toning with Acnes.

My skin has improved hugely in 8 months. The redness from the scars is barely visible now and while the mild pits will I suppose never go, my skin is a lot smoother.

Retinol-An Anti-aging secret?

No one wants to age right? So, that has a created a multi-billion dollar industry for anti-aging skin care. But as we can all say from a lot of experience, how many of these creams actually work?

But it seems retinol actually does. This is a derivative of vitamin A and is used in acne medication.  It has shown evidence of working on wrinkles and some other signs of aging and therefore is used in a good number of products now. But  are these really effective?

For retinol to be absorbed and work it must be in a form that our cells can utilise, like tretinoin. But that's not how it is present in the over-the-counter(OTC) products. Neither is it present in sufficient quantities to make a major difference. Tretinoin creams are only available by prescription or through the internet.

But, many of you may have found some of these OTC creams and lotions working for you. This I would say might be the effect of a good regimen rather than the product itself. Usually when one starts with a new anti-aging product there is that urge to be thorough and follow  a new regimen faithfully which might consist of new cleansers, toners, moisturisers and also a new diet. We become so meticulous with this that we start thinking that its all the effect of the new product.

One of the medicines my dermatologist prescibed is a tretinoin cream. It has been very effective in reducing scars and acne and I also feel that my skin looks a lot smoother and fuller on the days that i use it.

It is inadvisable to use tretinoin creams without first consulting a doctor because they don't suit everyone. My derm had me do blood tests before he prescribed it. Also pregnant women should never use these.

On a parting note, don't be fooled by the claims big companies make. Do research the chemistry of the ingredients before spending a ton of money on any product.