Being a health and beauty enthusiast, Shambhavi Mishra of TalkSassy quotes, “I believe that beauty resides inside and outside of one’s body”. She believes that we are what we eat and it all depends on how we care for ourselves. A lifestyle, beauty and fashion blogger, with an experience of 8 years in journalism and anchoring both in print and electronic media. Here she shares her journey and enlightens us on how to care for oneself.

Skin care

Creating a routine

Always follow the basics of skin care regime of cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Cleansing your face is a must to keep it healthy. For this process, you can opt for a nature-infused product. Choose a mild toner such as rose water, which is natural and good for skin. You can even pick a natural facial mist and spray on your face.

Moisturising is needed to keep your skin from getting dehydrated. Shambhavi suggests, “Use a good cream with SPF for the morning ritual and you can skip the cream and go for facial oils for the night routine”. Essential facial oils have more benefits and help rejuvenate skin naturally and quickly. These oils penetrate deeper into your skin and nurture them such as avocado oil, as it has a good amount of fatty acids. She adds that “following night routine is very important as that is when your skin is relaxed and heals well”.

Getting to know your skin type is a must

The popularly known skin types are – Normal, Oily, Combination and Dry. Our skin can also be sensitive under any of the type mentioned. Normal skin has oil secretion which is equally spread across your face, while oily skin has secretion in the C zone, which mainly along the cheeks. She shares that “Normal skin type does not face much of problems as that of an oily skin, which is prone to acne”.

Dry skin as known, secretes less oil and thus needs more moisturizing and care. Combination skin is a tricky one, as it has a mix of 2 skin types. While T zone of your face, which is the forehead, nose and chin area is oily, the rest of your face is either normal or dry. Sensitive skin types are prone to having easy breakouts if the correct product is not used.

Shambhavi shares that “Our skin has its own life cycle and ability to heal after any damage, but if we keep trying on new things or products it may not heal completely and can cause harm”. She also adds, “Not to wash your face too much, as it leads to drying it out. For people with oily skin, they can cleanse around 3 – 4 times a day and not more”.

Tips on choosing products

Choose organic brands and their products, so as to avoid paraben, sulphate and other harmful elements. “Your skin needs the love of natural essentials. See to it that you provide them internally by consuming good food and using natural products for outside,” says Shambhavi.

When it comes to makeup, “Go for a light foundation always, a heavy foundation can be used only if really necessary. Choose a good BB cream and CC cream suitable for your skin. Use facial oil base to get smooth makeup finish,” she adds. Go for products which has none or minimal chemicals in them.

Food intake for good skin

“Organic turmeric is one of the most amazing things which helps keep your skin healthy,” she says. It can be consumed in different forms such as in food, infused liquid intake or capsules. It can also be applied to face externally as packs as well. Consuming it on a daily basis or using it externally is good for our body, skin and hair. She adds, “Neem is also one of the natural ingredients which helps our body and skin, as it helps cool the body and avoid internal heat which may also result in pimples.”

A few DIY packs that she recommends, which can be made from your garden and kitchen:
• A mixture of aloevera, cream and turmeric.
• Besan and raw milk are one of the best scrubs.
• Fruits/ vegetable mashes and peels are always good.
• Dry beetroot, grind into powder, mix with honey and use a lip balm or lipstick.

Hair care routine

It’s important to care for your hair just like you do for your skin. “Oiling your hair is a must, as it helps your scalp and it helps avoid dry scalp and dandruff,” shares Shambhavi. For people with oily hair, you can apply a lesser amount on the scalp and more on roots.

Shampooing and conditioning with correct product, depending on your hair type is necessary. Wash your hair at least twice a week. For people with frizzy hair or dry scalp, avoid shampooing twice and rather wash your hair in one go. Avoid blow drying and opt for natural drying or towel dry, as too much heat can damage your hair.

Here we have a few natural ingredients that Shambhavi suggests you can use for hair care:
• Multani mitthi (fuller’s earth) makes hair softer and shinier.
• Aloe vera for scalp and hair is beneficial.
• Onion oil/ fresh onion juice is really good for hair.
• Mayonnaise is a moisturiser for dry hair.

Our body needs to be treated like a temple, and caring for it properly can help you feel refreshed, motivated and active. In this hectic lifestyle, it is a challenge to find time to pamper yourself. But always keep in mind that a healthy routine can do wonders and make you fall in love with yourself every day. Well, take few pointers from Shambahvi’s beauty tips and motivate yourself to care for your body.

Click here to read about makeup tricks as revealed by Shambhavi