Parvesh Handa - 100 Beauty Techniques

Balancing a Dry Skin

If your skin is dry if it feels tight, looks dull and perhaps is flaking if it lacks moisture and oil you should know the basics of self-care. The following care must be taken:

• Dont wash with hot water.
• Dont clean with soap.
• Use a moisturizer for a couple of times a day.
• Do not use artificial fragrances - which can hurt dry, sensitive skin.

Guide to Professional Care:

• Misting: Spray your face with a fine mist of water it is the best treatment for dry skin. For maximum benefits, you should always apply a moisturizer that contains humectants before misting through a bottle with a pump sprayer that emits a very fine that wont disturb make-up. You can also mix 10 drops of essential oil or a blend of oils in water. Some excellent oils to use are lavender, rose, chamomile, ylang-ylang and rose geranium. You should mist at least three times a day: morning, noon and evening.
• Aromatherapy: Daily use of warm facial compress using aromatherapy essential oils will greatly benefit dry skin by hydrating the skin and stimulating the water and oil glands. Essential oils such as lavender, rose and neroli are very gentle, harmonizing and balancing for the skin.
• Nutritional supplements: Skin supporting nutritional supplements can also help heal dry skin. Here are few recommendations by the experts:

1. Black currant oil (1,000-2,000 mg daily) is a rich source of omega-6 fatty acids, which are crucial for normal skin.

2. Beta-carotine (15 mg a day taken twice in two parts each with lunch and dinner) is crucial for soft, smooth and disease-free skin.

3. Zinc (15 mg daily with a meal) is important for repair of damaged skin tissue and its deficiency can cause dry skin.

4. B-complex vitamin (100 mg a day after a meal) fulfils the deficiencies of thiamin, riboflavin, pantotheinic acid or biotin can lead to dry skin.

5. Vitamin C (1,000 mg two to three times a day after meals) helps bolster the immune system, which leads to healthier skin.

6. Vitamin E (400 international units once or twice a day after meals) helps replace cells on the skins outer layer.

Normalizing an Oily Skin

If you have oily skin with medium to large pores, a shiny appearance and a tendency to have blackheads and blemishes you may actually need more oil in your diet, the kind that contains fatty acids. There are two ways to deal with oily skin externally and internally. Here are some treatments that alternative healers recommend.

• Flaxseed oil: Include 1 to 3 teaspoons a day of flaxseed oil oil rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids are found in vegetable oils and seed oils are must for healthy skin cells no matter what type of skin you have.
• Food: Cut down on saturated fats. People who eat a lot of red meat and dairy products, which are loaded with saturated fat can end up with oilier skin, clogged pores and more blemishes. So for healthier skin maximize fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fish. Minimize foods with saturated fat.
• Aromatherapy: Adding a drop of the essential oil of neroli to lavender floral water and spraying the mixture on your skin several times a day is an excellent treatment for oily and overactive skin. Lavender tones and cleanses the skin. Neroli is considered a skin tonic. It penetrates the skin and helps regulate the production of the sebum or oil.
• Herbs: Herbal tea such yarrow, sage and peppermint removes leftover cleanser and dirt from the oily skin.
• Steaming the face: Steaming helps to deep-clean oily skin. Steam the face for 5 to 8 minutes once or twice a week. After steaming rinse with warm water., then splash with cool water and pat dry. Warm water activates the oil glands, while cooler water slows them down.

Physiological Effects of Massage

To obtain best results from a facial or scalp massage one must have a thorough knowledge of all the structures involved e.g. the muscles, the nerves and the blood vessels. Every muscle or a nerve has a motor point. The position of motor points will vary in individuals due to difference in body structure. The massage activates, circulation, secretion, nutrition and excretion of the skin. There are several beneficial results such as nourishment of skin at all structures reduction of fat cells in subcutaneous tissues flexibility and softness of skin, increase in circulation of blood, stimulation of activity of skin glands, strengthening of the skins fiber muscles, soothing and refreshing of nerves of skin and pain. The frequency of the facial or scalp massage depends upon the age and condition of the skin to be treated. If the skin is in excellent condition a weekly massage is sufficient.

Remember, when indulging in a facial massage try to relax, speak softly or as far as possible keep silent and massage in a quiet environment, maintain utmost cleanliness, make sure your hands are not very cold or warm before touching the skin and the nails of your fingers should not be too long or pointed. All self-massage movements must be made in the direction of the lymphatic circulation e.g. towards the heart. When you massage arms or legs, movements must go upwards from extremities towards the trunk. Do not massage yourself if you are suffering from fever, heart ailments, disorder of the blood vessels, a skin disease, varicose veins, vascular lesions and passing through seventh month of pregnancy.