Beauty basics with SHAHNAZ HUSAIN
There’s something about the sleepy, calm vibe on Sundays that makes doing things more rewarding. Sunday is the perfect day to treat your skin after a long week and make sure you’re glowing for the week ahead.
To help you out, we have detailed an amazing self-care Sunday routine below. So, sit back, relax, and let us show you why Sundays are for self-care.
Don’t convince yourself that you are wasting time, or that you could be doing something more productive, the whole point is to be productive toward yourself.
Save enough time to have a luxury bath! Give your arms, legs and body a good massage with olive oil, sesame seed or almond oil, paying attention to elbows and knees. Apply oil on hands, feet, elbows and knees and drown in luxury bath.
You can try one of the following bath additives. A bath that leaves your body soft, smooth and perfumed can make you feel really good.
Honey bath: Add two tablespoons of honey to a bucket of bath water. It is said to induce relaxation and leave your skin soft and moist.
Vinegar: Add two tablespoons of vinegar. This helps to relieve itching.
Eau de Cologne: Adding a few drops of cologne makes you feel cool and leaves the body fragrant.
Rose oil: Add 2 or 3 drops of essential oil of rose to a bucket of bath water. This also leaves the body fragrant and soothes the nerves.
Sandalwood oil: Essential oil of sandalwood can also be added. 2 to 3 drops are enough. It is also said to calm the nerves, apart from leaving the body perfumed.
Almond oil: Add one tablespoon almond oil to your bath water if you have a dry skin.
Epsom salts: If the water is hard, try adding one tablespoon of Epsom salts to the bath water.
After-bath body lotion: Mix together 100 ml of rose water with one tablespoon pure glycerine. Keep in a bottle with a lid.
Body and face pack: Mix ripe papaya pulp with two parts honey, two parts yogurt, two parts powdered dried orange and lemon peel and three parts oatmeal. Apply on face / body and wash it off after half an hour. Mix liquid ingredients gradually, to get the right consistency.
Beauty bundle for bath: An ideal way of using natural ingredients is to tie ingredients in a clean cloth, wet slightly and then rub the cloth bag on the skin. You can use besan, oatmeal, dry and ground mint leaves, rose petals, almond meal, a little turmeric powder.
Exfoliate: You should be exfoliating at least twice a week, but definitely on Sunday. Slough off the dead skin cells and debris from the week with a gentle exfoliant.
Tips:
Your bath or shower water should not be too cold or too hot.
Give your body a scrub with a loofah or sponge.
After drying the body, apply a moisturising lotion, while the skin is still damp to seal in moisture.
While your face pack is drying, soak cotton wool pads in chilled rose water and apply over the eyelids. Lie down and relax for 20 minutes.
Plan to get a little extra sleep, especially if your average day involves waking up early. Even just an extra half-hour can do wonders for your mentality the whole Sunday through.
