Skin Care in Winter

The icy winter winds work havoc with your skin, and chapping of skin becomes a common problem. But, the most vulnerable to cold is dry skin which cracks easily if un-cared for. Many a time cracked skin bleeds too. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid exposure. Also you have to take care of other parts of your body like palms, feet, back and neck, etc. Icy winds also fade the complexion of your skin. If the skin is dry, then minimize the use of soap to as little as possible. Cold cream and olive oil are effective in reducing dryness. But, before this it is essential to deep-cleanse your face. For deep-cleansing, take a cotton swab, dip it in water and squeeze it. Apply cleansing-milk and rub it thoroughly on your face and neck. Do not use unheated milk which might result in opening up unwanted pores on face. Tomato and raspberry juice is best suited for facial cleaning. At night, do not use water after cleansing, but use wet towel for wiping. The towel should be drenched in hot water and then squeezed. After this, facial massage with skin-tonic mixed with almond oil is beneficial. Massage should be continued for at least ten minutes so as to enable the cream to penetrate the skin.

Skin-tonic can be either bought from the market or prepared at home. For homemade tonic-take fifty gm. of marigold petals, soak them in a half litre water in a stainless steel pot and warm it on heater. Keep the flame low. Keep lid on the pot so that the steam does not escape. Now take pure wax, melt it and mix it with the mixture of marigold and heat it on a medium flame for half an hour. When the cream gets cold, fill it in a bottle. This is your skin-tonic. Cold cream is much in use during winter. For homemade cold cream-peel a cucumber and cut it into small pieces. Take four parts of almond oil, one part pure wax and put it on low heat When the two get mixed completely then add pieces of cucumber and heat on a low flame for forty-five minutes. The cucumber pieces should be one­fourth of the mixture. Stir slowly while heating. You may add a little perfume for fragrance.

During winter, dry skin regains its glow by massaging. Massage hands, arms and other exposed parts of the body with 'hand lotion'. It prevents skin from chapping while working in kitchen. 'Hand lotion' can be prepared by mixing lemon juice in rose water. 'Milk cream' should be applied on wrist and fingers to keep them soft. Dryness of skin can be removed by a massage with olive oil, or mustard oil or almond oil followed by a sun bath. A little after sun bath water bath with luke-warm water should be taken which helps in removing tiredness; and it also increases blood circulation in the veins. To prevent the lips from chapping, a light application of cold cream or vaseline on the lips is essential before going to bed. Using chap stick also helps.

Following are some of the measures to protect the skin in winter:

• Do not use soap. If your skin is oily, then wash your face with soap only once a day. Cleansing-cream must be used on face in case of a dry skin.
• For oily skin use skin-tonic.Do not wash your face with very hot water. Use of moisturizer reduces dryness of the skin.
• Do not forget to massage your face with cold cream or skin-tonic before going to bed.
• Use as little make-up as possible if you have pimples.
• Dry, cold winds of winter often chap the skin. To guard against it, make a paste by adding white flour to milk and rub it well on face. Dirt and dust will come out with the maida paste leaving the skin soft.
• If you have a dry and rough skin, take the seeds of watermelon, pumpkin, cucumber and kharbuja (known as charon-magaz) in equal quantity, grind them in milk. Make a paste adding fresh milk cream.
• Apply it on your face. Leave it for one hour and then wash it off.
• Take mustard seeds. Clean them and grind. Make a paste either in milk or water. Daily use of this paste is good to give glow to the skin.
• Mix water and vinegar in equal quantity. Apply it on your face with a cotton swab. If the skin is dry, use cold cream for a light massage.
• Add a spoonful of olive oil to a bucket of water for your bath. This also gives a glow to the skin. If the skin is very dry, massage with warm olive oil fifteen minutes prior to bath.
• In summer protect yourself from hot winds of the heat-wave by applying on your face lime water mixed with milk oil in equal quantity. Keep it for fifteen minutes. Beware, that it does not go into your eyes.
• For dry skin, a very useful solution can be made thus: Take a spoonful of almond oil, ten spoonfuls of un-boiled milk and a pinch of sugar. Mix and beat the mixture well. Apply it on face with a swab of cotton. Let it remain for fifteen minutes. Wash it off with tepid water.