Health special: Simple skincare remedies for the winter

While we love to flaunt our jackets cardigans and stoles during winter the season doesnrsquot show much kindness to our skin mdash the face becomes dry hair turns brittle and our hands and feet lack sheen But if you think you need to buyexpensive bath and body products to combat this problem you are mistaken All you have to do is peek into your kitchen to scour some products and make some easytouse oilsWhen you apply oil or body butter on your skin it will first absorb nutrients for itself and only then pass it on to the internal organsWhatrsquos your skin typeBut before you mix your own homemade oil scrub and body butter first take a short lesson on how to recognise yourskin typeWash your face and observe the skin after 15 minutes If there is an oily residue then you have an oily complexion If there is no change and your complexion remains fresh and supple you have normal skin But if it gets flaky and stretches when you frown then you have dry skin Also if only your nose and forehead this makes up the Tzone get oily and the cheeks and rest of the face is dry you have c ombination skinDIY tipsShreya Sharan Pawar an entrepreneur who launched Burst of Happyness a company that sells natural body products in 2012 says ldquoWhile making a home remedy the first thing one should keep in mind is to ensure that you maintain good hygiene to prevent contamination Quite often people complain that their skin reacts to home remediesIf someone tells you to apply a paste of turmeric powder and milk on your face and you take a pinch of the condimentfrom your kitchen spice box your skin will definitely break out Disinfect your hands and use fresh ingredientsfor anything that you intend to apply on your body face and hair Itrsquos best to use surgical spirit to clean your handsrdquo says the 26yearold resident of Bhiwadi RajasthanKnow your oilThe next step according to Pawar is to understand the oils ldquoEvery oil has a special benefit If you have acne youshould not use heavy or sticky oils such as coconut that are bound to block your pores But if you have dry skin this oil is ideal for moisturising it Jojoba goes well with every skin type as its texture is similar to human sebumrdquo she explainsEssential oils Essential or aroma oils such as lavender geranium and ylang ylang are flower extracts that are concentrated and volatile in nature Check the contents before buying aroma oils as most commercial ones are mixed with alcohol which defeats the purpose of its benefits All you need is around two drops in summer and double the amount in winter in your base carrier oil when your skin needs more moisturisingBase or carrier oilsDr Ravi Ratan aromatherapist and cofounder of Aroma Tantra a setup that offers aroma therapy and products says ldquoEssential oils cannot be used alone and they should be clubbed with a base or carrier oil such as almond olive sesame coconut jojoba or avocado oil Base oils are basically vegetable oils and fatty acids that similar to the sebum our body createsrdquo says the author of Handbook of Aromatherapy which was published in 1996While olive and almond oils are heavy and greasy avocado and jojoba work with most skin types and are best moisturisers as they penetrate the skin very easily ldquoItrsquos best to mix base oils to make the perfect combination for your skinrdquo recommends Dr Ratan and shares a mixtureTake 15 ml of avocado oil 15 ml of jojoba oil 1530 mil of olivealmond oil and add 40 to 50 ml of grapeseed oil This will ensure the oil is not too sticky on your skin One can add three to four drops each of sandalwood vertiver and rose essential oils to this mixtureldquoDuring summer do not use avocado and olive oil Jojoba and grapeseed oil with a little VitaminE oil is all you need One can add geranium lavender chamomile frankincense essential oils to this mixturerdquo adds RatanHasslefree hairHow can we forget the tresses that go dry and coarse in the cold weather Argan oil and jojoba are great for the hairduring the dry weather Take 20 ml argan oil 10 ml jojoba and 15 ml sesame seed oil To this add rosemary herb Ylang Ylang and clarisage essential oils It will soften your tresses and release all the hypertension in your bodyrdquo says RatanSkin is the most ignored part of the body ldquoWe never really pay much attention to it When a person is healthy itshows on the skin and hair When we consume food nutrients first go to vital organs and the skin is always the last priorityThe skin however is selfish When you apply anything on it it will first absorb nutrients for itself and only then pass it on to the internal organs Thus external application of oils and body butters is extremely beneficial The ingredients should change according to the seasonrdquo he concludes