AS_I_2015_01_02_

asiaSpa India January-February 2015 49

D

D.I.Y SCRUBS

S

caly, rough and fl aky - that is how even

the softest skin begins to feel as soon

as the air gets nippy. Cold winter air

depletes the natural moisture from the

skin, and our comfy room heaters only

worsen the problem. Not just that, win-

ters also bring in a surfeit of skincare challenges, and

pray, God save dry skin that demand extra attention

in winters. Dry skin is synonymous with dead skin

cells, which build up on the epidermis leading to a

dull and fl aky appearance. Most of us tend to neglect

the process of exfoliation from our grooming rou-

tines in winters because of the belief that it would

dry the skin further. This is a myth as exfoliating the

entire body can actually prevent body acne. Exfoliat-

ing with scrubs also help, keep ingrown hair at bay

by preventing the build-up of dead skin cells over

freshly waxed follicles.

Body scrubbing is believed to stimulate

circulation, the lymphatic fl ow, the meridians, and

also massages the deep internal organs, gently.

What’s more, it even relaxes sore muscles. It is not

the scrubbing, but the harsh chemical scrubs that

make the skin dry. The best scrubs are found in your

kitchen. Take your pick from this do-it-yourself list.

Scrubbing is as important as

moisturising to keep dry skin at bay

in winters, says Aarti Kapur Singh.

Hop into your kitchen for

making a customised scrub

suited to your skin type

winter skin

scrub

woes

Tamarind-Rose Exfoliator for sensitive skin

While tamarind has natural buffi ng properties that

provide an instant glow to the skin, rose petals are

bestowed with natural moisturising properties. Mix a

handful of tamarind pulp with an equal measure of

dried and coarsely crushed rose petals, and apply on

damp skin and leave on for about 10 minutes. Take

it off by massaging in circular movements, and wash

off with lukewarm water.

Almond-Maize Flour Body Scrub for very dry skin

Combine half a cup each of coarsely ground

almonds, maize fl our, brown sugar and sea salt

crystals in a dry vessel. Fold in 30 ml each of jojoba,

castor and coconut oil. Add fi ve-six drops each of

carrot seed and lavender oil. This can be stored in a

sterilised glass jar for about a month. To use this, rub

gently in circular movements for about fi ve minutes.

If the mixture dries up, moisten with warm water.

Pat dry after washing off with warm water and

follow the regime with a moisturiser.

Lemon-Marigold Scrub for sunburnt skin

Mix a cup each of Kosher salt or Himalayan Rock

Salt, Epsom Salts and sugar with a cup each of

almond oil and castor oil, along with two tablespoons

of extra virgin olive oil. Add the zest of two lemons

and a cup of dried and coarsely crushed marigold

petals. For a fresh fragrance and to increase the

natural whitening properties of the scrub, add fi ve

drops each of lemon and orange essential oils.

Moisten the skin and apply the heady mixture with

fi ngertips in circular strokes. Wash off with warm

water and pat dry.

Spice Scrub for fl aky skin

This is a wonder scrub that needs no oil to be added

in case you have oily skin that is prone to acne and

blemishes. Simply blitz half a cup each of almonds,

walnuts, aniseed, fenugreek seeds, fl ax seeds and

sesame seeds in a grinder. Once the powder is

very fi ne, add a teaspoon each of cinnamon and

ginger powder. Pound a teaspoon of cloves, white

peppercorns and star anise in a mortar and add the

powder to the mix. You can also add a teaspoon of

vanilla essence if you like, before storing it in an

airtight container. Before using, mix a small amount

with water or rosewater. Leave it on for two minutes

before scrubbing, and wash off with warm water. In

case you have in-growth and itchy skin, make the

paste with mustard oil. This scrub can even be used

on delicate facial skin - just replace the mustard oil

with apricot or almond oil.

48 asiaSpa India January-February 2015 aaaasasiasasasasaasiasaasiasiasasasasiaaasasasasasasiasasaasiasasasasiasasasasiasiaaaaaaaasiasasasasiasiasaasiasiasiasiaaaaasaaasiasiasiaaaaaaaaaaasiasiaaaaasaaaaaaaasasaaaaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaasiaaaaaaasaaaaasiasiasississsssisississssissssssssssissssssisssssssssssssssssississsssssiiiiiiiiiiiaaaSpaSpaSaSaSaSaaaaaSpaSaaaSaSpaSaaSaSaSaSaaaSaaaSaaaaaaaaSaaSaSaaaSpSSSSSpSpSpSSpSSpSSSpSSSSSSSSSpSpSpSpSpSpSSSSSSSpSpSpSSSSSSSpSpSSSSSSSSpSpSSSSSSSSpSpSpSSSSpSSSpSSpSpSSpSSSSSSSpSpSSSSSSSpSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSpSSSSSSSSpSSSSSSSSpSpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppaaa aaaaaaaaIaaaaaaa aaaaaaIa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaIaIaaaIaa aaIaaaaaaaaaaaIaa aaaa Iaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa a a IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIndindindndindindinnndindindindindindinndindndndindindindindindindindindindndindindinndnndindindindindinndindnnnndindndnndinnnndindnnndnndndnndindindindndndndindindndindinnnddddddiddididdddddddddddididdddddddddidddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddiddddddddididdddddddddddddddddiiiiiia Jaaa a JaJaaJa JaJa JaJaJaJa aJaJa Jaa a Ja Ja JaJaJaJaaJaJaJaJa JaJaJaJaJaJa aaaaJaaaaaaJaJaaaa Ja aaJaJaaaaaJaaJaa a Ja aaa aa aaaaaaaaaaaaaJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJaanuanuanuanuaanuaananaanuanuanuanuaanuanuanananuanuanuanuanuaaaanananuanuanuanuanananuaaananaananaanuanuaaaanuanuaanuanuanuaanuanananuaaaaaaaanuanuananuaaanuaanaaanaanaaanuanananuananaaanaanaaanananuaaanuanuanuaanuaanuaaanaananuanuanuanuanuaannnnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnunnunununnnunnnununununnnnunununnnnuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaryaaryaaaryaryaryaaryaryaryaaryaryaryaryaraaaryaryaaryarararyaryaryaryararaaraaryaryaryaryaaryaaryaryaryaaaryaaaryaryaryaryaryaryaaaraaaaaaraararaaaaryaaryaararaaraaaaryaryaryaaaararaaaaaryaryaryaryaryaaraaaaaararyaryaaaaryaaaaaaaryaaryaaaaryaarrryrrrrryryryrryrryryryrrrryrryryryrrrrrrrrryryryrrrryryrrrryrrrryryryrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-F-Fe-Fe-Fe-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F--F--F---F--F--F--F-F--F-FFFeFFFFFeFeFFFeFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFeFFFFFFeFFFFFFFeFeFFeFFFFFFeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebbbbbbbbrbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbrurrurrruuuaryarararyaaryryryyyy 202022220001515151555555555555555555555555555 555555555555555555555555555555555 494944449449494949 4949 49494949444949494944949494949494949999999999999999

yskin

alt

ojoba,

h of

edin a

his, rub

inutes.

ater.

d

ock

f

espoons

mons

old

e

fi ve

with

arm

peppercorns andstar anise in a mortar andadd the

powder to the mix. You can also add a teaspoon of

vanilla essence if you like, before storing it in an

airtight container. Before using, mix a small amount

with water or rosewater. Leave it on for two minutes

before scrubbing, and wash off with warm water. In

case you have in-growth and itchy skin, make the

paste with mustard oil. This scrub can even be used

on delicate facial skin - just replace the mustard oil

with apricot or almond oil.

“For a fresh fragrance and to

increase the natural whitening

properties of the scrub, add

five drops each of lemon

and orange essential oils”

Untitled-25 48-49 02/01/15 3:58 PM