Skincare Beauty tips to upbeat the winters

Just as food, clothing and shelter, a healthy beauty regime is a must for our skin. Do not forget to scrub your face and moisturise without fail, suggest experts

Shikhee Agrawal, Head-Training at The Body Shop and Sonia Mathur, Head Training at Divine Organics have listed a step-by-step regime:

* Discover your skin: Get a skin consultation to know your skin well. Skincare regime varies with skin needs and concerns. It is important that you identify your skin needs and work on it.

* Cleanse: First and the most basic step is keeping your skin clean. Wash your face with a sprinkle of lukewarm water. Hot water shower or face wash leads to dryness and dehydration while a splash of cold water leaves you frozen. Cleaning your face with rose water helps in waking up your skin after a long sleep.

* Exfoliate: Our skin is enveloped by smog, pollution and dirt and exfoliation is the best help to such a skin at least twice a week. Papaya, orange( extracts of vitamin C ), rose petals, Chinese ginseng, acai are strong exfoliaters and great for varying skin concerns.

Latest in exfoliation is the facial peels which act as powerful exfoliators and dissolve all the inactive proteins and dead skin cells. The regime is excellent due to its healing and protecting properties and reduces the damage caused by UV rays and environmental pollution.

* Mask your face: With cleaning and scrubbing once your skin is free from all dead dry cells, lock the open pores after scrubbing with face masks made from natural ingredients such as charcoal, vitamin E and C, blue corn, honey and oats, seaweed, tea tree and aloe vera infused with rosehip oil and rose petals. These face masks exfoliate and invigorate to vibrant and healthy looking skin.

* Moisturize and hydrate and nourish: Take a spread of vitamin E, seaweed, and vitamin C enriched moisturiser to activate the skin cells with a replenishing skin and glow.

* We tend to neglect drinking water in winters. Hydrate your skin by drinking 8-10 glasses of water to cleanse from within.

* Defend and protect your skin: Smear a layer of sunscreen with SPF and UVA filters to protect your skin from premature ageing, dryness, and dullness.

* Avoid touching your skin every second. No matter how itchy your skin feels, wipe your face with a gentle soft wipe or cloth. Touching leads to bacteria build up. IANS