We all want perfect skin but unless you were born with the right genes perfect skin is unattainable. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve its current state and sport a glow that makes your skin look really nice. All you have to do is follow some simple beauty routines and not compromise on it, no matter how tired or lazy you feel at the end of the day. The Week had Kshitiza Bidari, of Elia Beauty Parlor in Old Baneshwor, tell us what exactly we should be doing to get that flawless looking skin.
Nightly routine
Night is the most important time of the day for your skin, as it gets to rest and rejuvenate for the morning. “If you have a set nightly routine, you will realize that you wake up in the morning with healthy plump skin,” says Bidari. Step one of having a beauty routine is to identify the type of skin you have. There are four types of skin: dry, normal, oily and combination skin. Combination skin means that you may sometimes have dry or normal skin or your T-zone is oily. You should modify and adjust the products you use according to your skin type.
Make-up Removal
Never go to bed with bits of makeup still clinging on your face. Make it one of the most important rules of your life and try never to break it. Makeup blocks pores and sleeping with it increases the chances of having breakouts. “You don’t need expensive makeup removers in order to breakdown your makeup completely, making it easy to wash off,” says Bidari. Soak a cotton pad with coconut oil (don’t use cotton balls here, wisps of cotton thread will stick to the lashes) and place them over your eyes. Let it be for a few seconds and then wipe and clean gently. Make sure you do the eyes and the lashes in sections to get off all the makeup properly. After you are done with the eyes, move on to the rest of your face.
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After using coconut oil, if there is still any product left on your face, use a makeup removing wet wipe to get it off. Keep a packet of wipes on your bedside table and in your bag. It will come in handy on days you just want to get into bed as quick as you can. Just remember to be gentle while using the wipes.
Kshitiza Bidari,
Cleansing
Use a foaming cleanser for your face instead of soap or face wash. When your skin has a tight, squeaky-clean feeling, it means that all the essential oil in your face has been stripped off which isn’t a good thing. “Your skin has been stripped of the moisture it needs, and moisturizes won’t replenish the natural oils of your skin,” says Bidari. Cleanse your face after you have removed your makeup using the oil and the wet wipes. This final step will ensure that there is no residue left on your face. Always remember to pat your face dry with a towel; facial skin is very delicate so don’t scrub it to dry it.
Night cream
If you are looking for a good night cream, take a chance on retinoid creams. These are special products that have been derived from Vitamin A and have the ability to smooth fine lines and boost collagen production. Although a little expensive it lasts a long time because a pea sized amount is enough for a single use. However, you have to be extra careful about sun protection if you use this product. These usually can only be bought with a doctor’s prescription so you should consult your dermatologist on whether it’s a viable option for you or not.
If retinoid doesn’t work for you, or you can’t get your hands on a retinoid product, try the various night creams available in the market to find one that suits your skin perfectly. Night cream is an essential part of giving some nutrition back to your face.
Morning routine
If you have gone to bed at night having followed your nightly routine, you will wake up with a plump and healthy feeling skin. Since nights are the most important part of a beauty regime, there isn’t much to do in the mornings.
Cleansing
In the mornings, you can just take a wet towel and gently wipe your face. “I always recommend people to do this because in the morning you don’t have dirt stuck on your face that needs to be washed out. You just need to wipe off the access oil on your skin and you’re good to go,” says Bidari. However, if you don’t feel clean without washing your face, then the foaming cleanser is the way to go. Try to avoid soap or face wash at all costs.
Moisturizing
Apply a moisturizer before any other makeup product when you have cleaned your face. “I personally wait a few minutes for the skin to absorb the moisturizer completely before I apply anything else,” she says. However, she also says that it is her personal choice and that you don’t really have to wait to apply makeup.
Most of her clients claim that they don’t use moisturizer because they have oily skin. Bidari says that no matter what kind of skin you have moisturizing is essential. People who have oily skin should find a lightweight moisturizer that hydrates the skin, or go for a gel based moisturizer that isn’t oily.
You should then apply sunscreen lotion, no matter how the weather is. UV rays are very harmful to the skin and cause wrinkles. The easiest way to keep them at bay is by applying sunscreen to not just your face but your chest area and the back of your hands as well, especially if you drive.
You can then move on to applying makeup. Bidari suggests that you go at least one day a week without makeup to let your skin breathe.
