HOW TO: BODYCARE
It should come as no surprise that just like the face, the skin on our body deserves some TLC too. Here’s a quick guide (okay a little extra of a guide) on what I do for really dry and dehydrated skin on my body on the regular.
- Water temperature: Showers are necessary. But from experience, I’ve learned that the temperature of the water with which you shower must be lukewarm and NOT scalding hot. In fact, the colder the water, the better (there are also a bunch of benefits to taking cold water showers that may actually surprise you. If you’re curious, go ahead and google it!)
- A mild body wash/soap: As much as possible, I stick to really mild body washes and soaps. Sometimes, I even go the extra step and use a body wash that is specially formulated without soap aka foaming agents (as soap can be quite stripping - and that’s not ideal for extremely dry skin.)
Recs: Sebamed: Liquid face and body wash or Dove: Cream Beauty Bathing bar - I particularly love the pink version of the Dove soap because it smells DIVINE. (both of which should be available at your local chemist)
- Aloe Vera gel: I use Aloe Vera gel when I get out of the shower and my skin is still 10-20% wet. This firstly has a very cooling effect on the skin - much needed in the sweltering Indian summer - and also helps to retain some of the moisture from showering.
Recs: Since I can’t get my hands on fresh Aloe Vera gel at all times, I use the Vaseline: Aloe Fresh Body gel (available at your local chemist)
- Baby oil: Adding some kind of oil/serum into your skin is basic skincare 101. This is mainly because optimal skin health is maintained by the presence of both water/moisture and oil. After the Aloe, I follow up with some kind of body oil to keep dry skin at bay!
Recs: You can very easily use any kind of oil that you can get your hands on. But, since I don’t like the feeling of thick oil on my skin, I use the Dove or Johnson’s: baby oil (available at your local chemist) or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Moisturising Baby oil (available at stores that stock imported goods or online.) I personally prefer Palmer’s - every time I use it I feel like a SNACK.
- Moisturiser: On top of all this, I go in with Moisturiser to really lock everything in and make sure my skin’s thirst remains quenched for as long as possible.
Recs: You can go as boujee as you like with your moisturiser but at the moment, I’m sticking to Vaseline: Intensive Care Aloe lotion (available at your local chemist.)
- Scrubs: I scrub my whole body to remove dead skin when I’m doing my weekly pamper routine.
Recs: You can DIY scrubs at home but at the moment I’m loving the Kama Ayurveda: Ubtan (available at Kama Ayurveda or online.) If you can get your hands on a pair of exfoliating gloves, then I’d highly recommend that you get it that instant - it will revolutionise your body care game.
My DIY scrub of choice: 1 part Brown Sugar/Coffee grounds + ½ part Olive/coconut oil
A note on waxing:
If you have dry and sensitive skin like me, I would 100% recommend that you get into Sugaring (also called sugar wax.) I’ve been doing this since the first time I ever got waxed (so around 7 years). Over time, I have found that the hair on my body has started to thin. Sugaring also has helped exfoliate my skin every month and leaves my skin feeling supple and fresh.
That’s about it.
I’ve finally seemed to have run out of things to add to this list of body care tips and tricks so I guess that means this is goodbye.
But not for long.
Until then,
Stay curious. Stay #freequal.
BY: SHALINI KUTTI