Not happy with the way your skin looks and feels? Have you been putting in enough time to take care of your skin? Just cleansing and moisturising may not help, especially if you spend time outdoors, being exposed to pollution and harmful UV rays. Apart from making healthy lifestyle choices, you also need to put in some extra love and care for your skin. Of course, not all of us have the time, but incorporating a night time skincare routine into your daily plan can help you go a long way in keeping your skin looking young and healthy.
Here's a five-step skincare routine to help you get started:
Start by cleansing your skin
Going to bed with makeup on is the worst thing you can do to your skin. It leads to chemical accumulation, blocked pores and reduces the ability of the skin to absorb nutrients. Make sure that you use a gentle cleanser first to remove makeup and grime. If required, follow up with a foaming face wash.
A great skin cleanser is castor oil. It works wonders in drawing out dirt from the pores while also having anti-inflammatory properties. People with all skin types can benefit from it. Here's how:
1. Use one-third castor oil mixed with two-thirds of any oil of your choice; almond, sunflower seed, virgin olive or any other natural, organic oil.
2. Massage the oil gently onto your face with firm strokes while focusing on your problem areas.
3. Use a soft washcloth soaked in warm water to cover your face. The warmth will allow the pores to soften and open up in order to gently release the toxins and impurities.
4. Gently wipe without scrubbing and repeat again. This should remove the oil along with the dead skin cells, bacteria and impurities from your face leaving you with deeply cleansed skin.
Use a skin toner
A skin toner helps in reducing the pore size, balances skin's pH and removes any leftover dirt and makeup. Toning will further nourish and hydrate your skin leaving it supple and refreshed.
If you are looking for a natural skin toner, you can use rose water. Rose water brings about a refreshing effect and suits all skin types. Take a few drops of chilled rose water and apply all over the face and neck using a cotton ball. Another natural skin toner is green tea, which you can mix with a few drops of tea tree oil to create an antibacterial toner.
Apply anti-ageing serums
Use anti-ageing serums as they nourish and restore the natural glow and youthfulness of tired, ageing and pigmented skin. Plant polyphenols, carotenoids and flavonoids present in these serums help in slowing down skin ageing. Once applied, let your skin fully absorb the serum for some time while you rest.
Massage with night cream or gel
Begin by spreading the cream or gel across the forehead, down the nose, across the cheeks, the chin, neck and towards the chest. Gently massage the cream in upward strokes and circular motions by using your fingertips. This helps in evenly distributing the moisture all over your skin while increasing blood circulation.
Finish with facial oil
Facial oils repair and replenish the facial skin while you sleep. Apply four to five drops of facial oil on fingertips and gently massage it in circular motions from the nose towards the ears. It helps in sealing in moisture.
Follow these simple steps and keep you skin looking young and refreshed.
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