10 beauty tips to protect your skin from air pollution

Amid rising pollution levels, it is important to protect the skin too. Opt for activated charcoal along with a regular cleansing regime for proper skincare, say experts. Shikhee Agrawal, Head Training, The Body Shop, and beauty expert Shahnaz Husain give the following tips.

1. Make sure you cover your face with a soft cotton cloth so that pollutants do not stick to your skin.

2. Follow a regular cleansing regime for your face. Keep a cream cleanser and toner handy so that you can clean your face every four hours.

3. Avoid touching your face now and then. Keep a hand sanitizer permanently in your bag. This will keep your hands away from infections.

4. Smear a layer of sunscreen before stepping outdoors and indoors too in winters. Regular application of sunscreen on your skin will create a barrier between the skin and harmful UV rays that will disrupt the skin damage such as inflammation and pigmentation on the skin.

5. Maintain a rich in antioxidants diet to repair your skin. For this include green tea, basil leaves, green vegetables, beans and blueberries in your diet.

6. Use power anti-oxidant ingredients like Vitamin E, Vitamin C, cumin seed thyme and buddleja extract. These detoxify the skin from pollutants and reveal a healthy luminous skin.

7. If you have dry skin, use a cleansing cream or gel. For oily skins, cleansing milk or face wash may be used and also use a facial scrub after cleansing. Look out for products with ingredients like sandalwood, eucalyptus, mint, neem, tulsi and aloe vera when you buy cleansers. The anti-toxic and tonic properties of such ingredients have helped in clearing the skin congestion. If the skin is prone to eruptive conditions like acne, pimples, rash, it should be protected with specialised creams that not only protect, but also reduce oiliness and deal with the problem.

8. Skin brushing helps in the elimination of toxins. It is used in the treatment of cellulite, which is caused by deposits of water, fat and other wastes collecting in pockets beneath the skin. The entire surface is brushed, using a rough cloth, or a natural bristle brush. Begin from the feet and go upwards. Then brush from lower to upper arms. Go across the shoulders and back. Brush gently on the chest and abdomen.

9. Activated charcoal is used to detoxify the skin, because it purifies the skin, drawing out toxins. It also refines the pores and removes dead skin cells. This actually brightens the skin. Activated charcoal can be used in face masks.

10. Mix activated charcoal with aloe vera gel and rose water. Apply a thin layer on the face, avoiding the lips and area around the eyes. For acne prone skin, add three to four drops of tea tree oil and rose water to activated charcoal, for a face mask. Wash off the mask after 20 minutes.