Get ready for a summer make-up detox

Deep cleanse the deep seated impurities, stale residue of makeup, dead skin debris which probably is accumulated in the pores. Here's how
1: Exfoliate: The superficial layer can be detoxified from the top which can be done via exfoliation whereas for the deeper layers, you need to give importance to your diet and water intake which is addressed later.Exfoliation will make skin smoother and also ready to absorb the active ingredients in other products that matter. Exfoliate with home made packs. Use ingredients such as lime juice, sugar granules and milk powder. This will enable you to exfoliate the dead skin layer. Lime juice contains alpha hydroxy acid that softens the dead skin cells, milk powder has lactic acid that will moisturize the skin and the sugar granules will exfoliate the face. This mixture is apt for dry skin. For oily skin add a bit of Fuller’s earth to the mask.
2: Hydrate: Since we are washing our faces more often, we must hydrate to maintain balance. Due to constant washing, the pH of the skin can get altered leading to dryness of the facial skin. To prevent this, try and moisturise as often as you wash. Look for products such as glycerin, castor oil or petroleum jelly or even anything that you already have at home. At night you can apply something heavier before you sleep.
3:Detox: Detox from blue light (phones, I pads, TVs). We have already been educated about the UV light being harmful for the skin. But the uncommon fact is that besides the UV light, the blue light in the (visible) spectrum is damaging too. Sunlight is the main source but our digital devices emit a fraction of this blue light energy too. And they are much closer to us and we use them far too often. Long-term exposure to these concentrated blue light energy can cause skin damage, including pigmentation, inflammation and breakdown of collagen causing photo-ageing. Hence as discussed in the above question, do wear sunscreen, try and limit your screen light (however difficult it may be at this time), if you have been reading books on your devices, switch over to reading books instead of e-reading. Use your smartphone smartly- add the screen limit time in your device which can show you the amount of time you have been spending on your device. This way you will be able to keep a tab on the amount of time spent and be able to limit it.
Some other tips:
- Do not put your fingers into a jar of cream, use a spatula instead.
- Avoid using sponges for make-up.
- Sharpen your eyeliner, lip liner, eye pencil, every time you use.
- Remove all your make-up and cream applied during day time before you sleep
- Better sleeping habits, better hygiene, more dietary care, reduction in stress, more exercise and quitting smoking will help in detox and effectively and affect your overall health.
Inputs by Dr. Jamuna Pai, SkinLab India