6 face washing mistakes that are damaging your skin, everyday!

Face-washing may be a simple everyday task that requires no great effort on your part. But when it?s not done right, it causes significant harm to your skin, each day. The mistakes that you may make while washing your face could lead to issues like irritation, dryness and even wrinkles. Read on to find out how you can avoid making these common errors, and save your skin from blemishes, ageing and lustreless look.

1. Using the wrong cleanser

The use of the wrong cleanser can throw your ph levels out of balance. The optimal ph balance of your skin is 5.5ph. This is the ideal level at which the thin protective layer on the surface of the skin (called acid mantle) can function to keep germs, toxins and bacteria at bay. You should therefore be picking your cleanser based on your skin type as it would come with the right ph balance. 

2. Not cleaning your hands before touching the face

Always clean the germs and dirt of your hands first before moving onto your face. Ignoring this crucial first step can cause you to transfer all the bacteria and dirt of your hands on your face, giving rise to common skin problems such as acne, pimples and blackheads.

3. Using a pre-used washcloth

To avoid the filth from clogging your pores, always clean the washcloth that you use with an antiseptic to keep germs and bacteria at bay. Once you're done washing your face, don't rub the cloth all over your face but pat dry it.

4. Washing face using with hot water

When it comes to the water that you splash on your face, you should always use lukewarm or room temperature water. This is because hot water leaves your skin dry as it washes away the skin's essential oils; and cold water can break the capillaries (fine blood vessels) of your skin. In contrast, mildly lukewarm water will keep your skin hydrated and healthy.

5. Not washing the face twice a day

Just as you shouldn't ignore this important skin care habit that keeps your skin clean, you also shouldn't go overboard with it. Excessive face-washing can hamper the natural oil production of your skin, giving rise to dryness and irritation as a result. Your skin requires the natural oil it produces to keep it smooth and supple. Ideally, you should wash your face twice daily - once in the morning for removing the bacteria and dirt that clogged your pores, and again at night before going to bed.

6. Rushing through the routine

Lastly, don't rush through your cleansing routine. Make sure to properly rinse your face of cleanser completely, otherwise the residues would cause your skin to dry up later on, leading to skin irritation.

It is therefore very important to pay attention to all the little details that make up your face-washing routine. By doing it right, you get to achieve the clear and blemish-free skin that you always wanted.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on consult.


6 Face Washing Mistakes that are Damaging Your Skin, Everyday!

5 hidden causes of acne, revealed!

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the openings of oil glands become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to disappear, others seem to crop up. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and can also scar the skin. But what causes the recurrence of breakouts?

These are attributed to certain hidden causes, which are:

1. Your drug prescriptions

Steroids found in prescription drugs are a key offender, whether taken internally or topically. If taken internally, the offending ingredient will be listed as prednisone, which is the tablet form of steroid. Prednisone is used to treat inflammatory diseases like poison ivy, allergies and arthritis. If medications are taken topically, it could aggravate acne or cause steroid acne. Oral contraceptives are also a common cause of acne.

2. Your beauty routine

Acne caused by topical lotions, creams and makeup are known as acne cosmetica, commonly appearing on face, neck, hairline and scalp. Applying a product regularly to an acne-prone area can do more harm than good. Some people go to bed with ointments or oils in their hair that can get on the pillowcase and then rub on your face. It's best to put a clean towel over your pillowcase every night to prevent buildup.

3. Your cell phone

Cell phones gather all kinds of dirt and bacteria and are a big cause of acne on the chin and around the mouth. Wiping down the screen of your smartphones every day with alcohol or cleaning wipes will keep your phone and your face clean.

4. Using toothpaste to treat a zit

Certain toothpaste can actually cause you to develop acne or an acne-like eruption on the lower parts of your face, including your chin. Fluoride and other whitening and anti-cavity ingredients are quite abrasive and could potentially burn your skin, cause irritation and initiate breakouts.

5. Your workout gear

It's not the act of exercising that is causing breakouts but other issues. If you are using a communal yoga mat, you may be on the side that someone else's feet or perspiration had touched before, with the physical contact causing breakouts. It's best to put a clean towel over it before working out, even if it is your personal mat.

Also, workout gear that constantly rubs in a certain area can cause frictional acne. Constant rubbing ends up making you sweat, causing skin irritation and eventually developing into tiny red bumps. Though it looks like a heat rash, it is actually acne.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Do You Know that Dandruff Causes ACNE?

5 Hidden Causes of Acne, Revealed!

It is a common knowledge that beer has health benefits when used in masks, scrubs, as conditioners, etc. This reason is good enough for even non-drinkers to stock up their fridges with cans of beer. 
Here are a few ways by which we can use beer to make our skin and hair better:

Use beer as a conditioner - Beer happens to be an excellent conditioner. Mixing one cup warm beer with a teaspoon of jojoba oil makes a natural, non-greasy conditioner. Wash your hair with your regular shampoo and use this mix as a conditioner. The beer in it will give volume to your hair while jojoba oil will add shine and luster.
Use it for a face pack - Take two to three strawberries mash with a fork, add few drops of beer and make a paste. Rub this paste all over your face in a circular motion. Rinse after 15-20 minutes and apply moisturizer on your face.
Soak in beer laced water - Beer can be used in bubble bath too! Mix some soap with beer of your choice and add the mix to the running bath water. Soak in this water and feel your skin become soft and smooth.
Use beer as a hair-pack - Wash your hair with your usual shampoo. Now pour the mixture made of distilled water, beer, two teaspoon apple cider vinegar and few drops of essential oil (any scent), on your hair. Make sure it reaches the hair that is inside as well. Rinse this mixture with lukewarm water. You can do this once a month.
Get the beer glow - Take half a teaspoon of beer, one egg white and a drop of almond extract. Whisk them together and keep aside. On your washed and dried face, apply the mask and let it dry until your skin feels tight. Wash it off with lukewarm water.
From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over Whatsapp, Facebook and other media.

Do You Know What Beer Does To Your Hair & Skin?

Acne could be a real headache for normal skin. It not only ruins your face, but is also tough to get rid of. The condition is characterized usually by red pimples or blackheads and occurs due to infected or inflamed sebaceous glands. If you are skeptical about using chemical products, here is list of acne related treatments with alternative medicines:

1. Apple cider vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar has multiple qualities. It can dry up the excess oil present in the face thereby ensuring that the bacteria cannot feed upon it. Its alkaline property helps the skin's pH to come down to an accepted level. Last, but not the least, apple cider vinegar directly attacks the acne causing bacteria and eradicates them from within. This pack is easy to prepare and can be applied multiple times a day.

2. Honey and cinnamon combo: Cinnamon possesses antimicrobial properties and attacks acne right from the word go. Honey, on the other hand, is a natural cleanser which helps to drive out the acne from your face. The pack is prepared by mixing 2 spoons of honey and 1 spoon of cinnamon. Before applying it on the face, it has to be ensured that the face is rinsed well with water. Owing to the pack's sticky nature, it should not be left on the face for more than 15 minutes.

3. Milk and honey paste: There is a wide misconception about milk causing acne. Unless injected inside the skin, milk actually improves the skin tone and limits acne outbreak. It also helps in reducing skin irritation and redness. Honey has antibacterial properties and fights acne. The pack is prepared by adding 1 spoon of honey and 1 spoon of milk and applied on the face for no more than 10 - 15 minutes. The mask can be washed off with warm water and by lightly rubbing the skin in circular motion.

4. White portion of the egg: The white portion of the egg has unaccountable benefits. Being rich in protein, it helps to fight acne and reduces blemishes of the skin. The vitamin present in the white portion combat acne and soak up excess oil present in the skin. This pack should be applied for 15 minutes followed by a thorough face wash with lukewarm water.

5. Mashed papaya: Papaya ingredients are found in almost all beauty products these days. Raw papaya is a great remedy for acne problems though. Papaya also helps to remove excess fat from the skin and eradicates dead skin. It contains an enzyme called Papain, which is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. It also restricts pus formation in the skin. Papaya can be mashed evenly and applied on the face for 15-20 minutes before washing it off with plain water. This pack can be tried three or four times a week to see visible changes in the face.

Acne Treatment With Alternative Medicine

Top 10 Everyday Skin Care Hacks

You skin needs just a little care daily. There are some very simple ways in which we can provide that much needed affection and get back radiance and softness. And all this without any extra effort!

Try these everyday regimes for the glow.

1. Adopt Hydration - The first thing your skin needs to stay beautiful is adequate 'hydration,' or what they call in plain terms as plenty of water. So bottoms up to at least two liters of water daily.

2. Avoid Dehydration  - While you are busy hydrating your skin, remember to be careful and not dehydrate by staying out under the harsh sun for longer than 10-15 mins at a stretch. Ditch the caffeine habit (Soda, coffee, tea) as it dehydrates your body on the cellular level, inviting the onset of those dreaded wrinkles early than anticipated. 

3. Apply Lesser Layers - Your skin is your body's largest organ and it needs to breathe. So try and not swathe it under layers of heavy makeup and pore clogging chemical body butters on a regular basis.

4. Give It Fresh Air - To get your skin breathing truly fresh, put on your exercise gear and head outdoors to spend some quality time with Mother Nature at the nearest park or maybe you can take that long pending weekend trip out of the city!

5. Don’t Stress - Do not be stressed all the time unnecessarily. Learning how to manage stress effectively can take away years from your skin. 

6. Exercise - Run. Jump. Dance. Get moving, in short. The more your skin sweats, the better will it look and the elasticity would improve dramatically too. 

7. Get Nutrition - Get in the habit of starting the day with plenty of fruits and a healthy breakfast with the right amount of protein, carbs and essential fats. Fats are required by your skin to lubricate and moisturize from the inside. But make sure you stick to good fats found in olive oil, eggs, yogurt (the ones without any additives or artificial sugars), and whole grain breads etc.

8. Go Smoke-free - Just stop smoking and you would see a dramatic improvement in your skin tone within a few weeks (yes, it takes time to reverse that kind of damage) 

9. Wear Sunscreen - Slather on the sunscreen before you leave the house but make sure it's SPF index must be 30 and above for it to be effective under the harsh Indian sun.

10. Exfoliate & Detox - Scrub-rub-a dub every week. NOT every day though.. Make sure you use organic scrubs made with rice granules or sugar grains instead. Use a natural face mask such as Banana mash or a Tomato-Cucumber-Honey paste every alternate day to detoxify, cleanse and moisturize your face and body. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.


10 Only Skin Care Hacks You Will Ever Need

6 ways to minimize visible pores on your skin

Pores are openings in the skin through which your body's natural oil, called sebum, is released. They appear larger when they are clogged with dirt or oil, and are home to hair follicles. Dead skin cells and sebum which, put together, form a pimple can stretch out pores. Aging and exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun also contribute to the appearance of pores on your skin. Pores can be controlled with the right skin care. 

Here's how:
1. Choose your skin care products wisely 
Zinc and magnesium help to maintain your skin's oil balance and clear pores. Products with softening ingredients like rosemary and lavender may soothe your skin and prevent pores from stretching out. You should use products with salicylic acid as an ingredient since it unclogs pores, exfoliating your skin. 

2. Maintain cleanliness
Washing your face temporarily stops your pores from holding extra oil or dirt. Exfoliating two to three times a week can also control the cropping up of pores on your skin. However, these are temporary methods because you will have large pores naturally if your skin is oily.

3. Applying sunscreen
Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun for too long can make your pores look bigger. Applying sunscreen on the face and on exposed areas of your skin with SPF 30 can minimize your pores. Also, wear a broad-brimmed hat and withdraw stepping out in the sun between 10 A. M. To 4 P. M.

4. Treating the spot
Oily skin tends to have larger and more noticeable pores. Some areas of your face may be oilier making the pores visible. A clay mask can be used for spot treating if the pores on your nose, cheeks or forehead are large. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your skin and rinse it off with water after a few minutes. The clay extracts the extra oil out of your clogged pores so that the skin looks sleek. Using blotting paper on your oily areas can also be effective. 

5. Maintain a proper diet
Avoid food that is oily and high in fat because unhealthy oil can agitate the skin leading to clogged pores. You should eat low-fat foods like fruits and vegetables instead of munching on chips, cookies and candies. 

6. Remove makeup before going to bed
One of the biggest blunders that you can do is to leave your makeup on and go to bed. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores, stretching them out over time. Even if you forget to wash off your makeup at the sink due to some reasons, make sure that you at least remove it with face wipes. 





6 Ways to Minimize Visible Pores on Your Skin

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