By Shahnaz Husain
During summer, when the skin looks dull with sweat and oil deposits, scrubs can work wonders, removing dead cells and brightening the skin. Scrubs play an important role by keeping the pores free of clogged oil, thus preventing blackheads and pimples. In summer, naturally cooling ingredients can be used to make scrubs, like multani mitti, rose water, sandalwood, fruits, cucumber, aloe vera, while natural antiseptics helps to prevent rashes. These are neem, tulsi, pudina. Other home ingredients for scrubs are ground almonds, oats, rice flour, wheat bran (choker), cucumber or pumpkin seeds, dried orange and lemon peels.
For dry skin, use a scrub only once a week. If the skin is sensitive, with reddish patches or rash, avoid scrubs. For normal to oily skin, scrubs may be used more often.
For oily skin with enlarged pores: Mix oatmeal with egg white and apply on the areas. When it dries, dampen with water and rub gently with circular movements, washing off with water.
Ripe papaya has a cleansing action and contains an enzyme called papain, which helps to remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin. Add oats and curd to papaya. Apply on the face and rub gently on the skin, washing off with water.
Take sesame seeds (til), dried mint (pudina) leaves and honey. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and apply on the skin. Leave on for 5 minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water. Sesame seeds actually have sun protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin.
Dried and powdered lemon and orange peels, along with dried and powdered mint (pudina) leaves can be added to facial scrubs to help add a glow. In fact, mint also helps to keep the skin clear and prevent summer eruptions. Apply the mixture on the face and leave on for a few minutes. Then, rub gently, with small circular movements, washing off with water.
For all skin types, make a powder of green tea leaves and mix it with curd and aloe vera gel in equal quantities. Apply on face leave on for a few minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water.
Take one cup olive oil and mix with Epsom salts or sugar. Add a little grated lemon rind. Apply on the face and rub gently. Wash off. The remaining scrub may be kept in the fridge in an airtight jar.
bout Shahnaz Husain
Shahnaz Husain, pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement, heads the Shahnaz Husain Group, with a global network of franchise ventures and 375 Ayurvedic formulations. A Case Study at Harvard for Brand Creation, she is now a Harvard Subject for “Emerging Markets” She was honored with the Padma Shri Award and is the first woman in 105 years to receive the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from Success, the U.S. business magazine. Indeed, Shahnaz Husain is a leading international beauty icon
