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Complexion Care in Winter - Makeup Tips

Winter is dreaded by many because usually it brings a challenge to every complexion, but you can look your best if you take a few precautions. During the winter months your complexion needs extra care and attention because the oil glands just below the surface of the skin become relatively inactive and produce less moisture than usual. This and the increased dryness of the skin due to the drying effects of the sun and the wind are responsible for causing the tiny wrinkles and giving rise to various skin ailments like scaling, itching, chapping and eczema.

The best way, however, to counteract these ailments is to dispense with the use of soap completely, because it has been known to have a marked degreasing action on the skin. Instead, clean your face with milk cream or top-of-milk blended with a few drops of lime juice and a pinch of turmeric powder. Excessive use of cosmetics, hair dyes and sprays, too many hot baths and perfumes also make the hair dry. Every night before going to bed, take one tablespoon of milk cream and mix in a few drops each of glycerine, olive oil and rose water. Mix well and apply over your entire face, neck and hands. Leave overnight; in the morning wipe off gently with a tissue paper, then bathe the skin in warm water until it begins to feel warm and also rinse for the same length of time in cold water. Pat dry with a soft towel.

Also, massage your body well with olive or coconut oil blended with a few drops of rose water 10 minutes before your bath to make your skin soft and glowing. If dryness has resulted in scaling, take foods rich in vitamin A, because this vitamin is stored in the fat just below the surface of the skin counteracting any tendency towards dryness and roughness. In case the scaling is quite severe, also take this vitamin in the form of tablets but as this vitamin sometimes produces toxic effects in the body if taken indiscriminately, it should only be taken under medical supervision.

Another common skin ailment in winter is eczema. Initially the surface of the skin becomes red but later it turns dry, rough and scaly. Here are two effective remedies for this ailment. Grind a walnut to a paste, squeeze out its oil and apply on the affected parts a few times daily. In case this does not give relief, try this remedy.