By Shahnaz Husain
There are some mistaken ideas about beauty care. Since the wrong beauty habits and ideas are not clarified, people continue to make some common beauty mistakes. They need to be clarified:
Washing the face with soap and water several times is good for greasy and problem skin.
No, this is not true. The skin should not be washed with soap and water more than twice a day. Soaps make the skin too alkaline and this actually predisposes it to problems like acne.
Cream should be applied on the skin and left on all night.
The skin can only absorb that much and no more. In fact, the pores should be free of cream when we sleep. However, if the skin is very dry, a light liquid moisturiser can be applied after wiping off excess cream with moist cotton wool.
Applying cream around the eyes at night and leaving it on helps to prevent wrinkles.
This is a wrong practice. Actually, the area around the eyes is very delicate and thinner than most other areas. Cream should never be left on all night around the eyes. A special under-eye cream should be applied and removed after ten minutes.
A normal skin does not need routine skin care.
This is a common misconception. All skins need daily care, to remove the pollutants and dirt that settle on the skin, as well as to protect and maintain its health and beauty.
Blackheads are collections of dirt in the pores.
This is not correct. Blackheads are caused by the collection of hardened sebum (the skin’s natural oil). Since the pore is open, the tip is exposed to the air and gets oxidized, hence the black-coloured tip and the name “blackhead.”
Adolescents do not need to worry about acne as they will soon grow out of it.
This is absolutely wrong advice. Actually, adolescents need protective and corrective care for acne, because it can spread and cause extensive scarring. Acne can be prevented and controlled with appropriate daily care.
Sunscreens need not be applied in winter.
Sunscreens need to be applied in winter too, especially since we spend more time out in the sun. Sunscreens help to protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
If there is hair loss, massage of the head with oil will promote hair growth.
If there is hair loss, the roots are weak and massage can cause more hair to fall out. Just move the skin of the scalp with fingertips in small circular movements.
About 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.’
