Glowing Skin Blog

IS GLOWING SKIN A PRIVILEGE ONLY FOR SOME ?

Or can it be attained by anyone ?

It is a common fact that we all yearn for glowing skin, trying out various products, different regimes, sometimes taking extra supplements to achieve that ultimate sign of beauty, "A GLOWING SKIN".

Some of us are inherited with it, thanks to our genes, and some of us work upon to achieve perfect skin.

So today, let's get started with this all-time favorite topic of having a GLOWING SKIN.

To begin with, let's define a Glowing Skin in general term :

Skin that is soft, moist, even toned and clear, having small pores is called a Glowing Skin.

A glowing skin is deficient of dullness, dryness or being flaky.

• Now the most important factor is :

What does it take to get a glowing skin ?

And to this I shall say, THE CONSIOUS EFFORTS one is taking to make skin glowy, is what it takes.

Which includes observing, analyzing and monitoring the basics, which will lead us to having a glowing skin, :

* Health ( if there is any underlying condition due to which skin is getting affected )

* Lifestyle ( healthy lifestyle gives healthy skin, sufficient sleep, being body active by moving and stretching, meals on time, healthy mental and emotional attitude etc.)

* Food ( healthy food gives healthy benefits )

* Water ( adequate water intake )

* Environment ( if one is more at outdoors than indoors, sun exposure, pollution, climate etc. ) Now comes taking care of skin, after understanding the skin conditions, keeping in mind all above factors.

* Choosing the right products and following a healthy skincare regime ( pls. refer to our CTM blog for more inputs on this ).

How much time it takes to achieve a glowing skin ?

I have been asked this so frequently, on an everyday basis by my customers.

I can understand that it's a major concern once we buy an expensive product that claims of making skin bright and glowing.

So let's understand this :

It takes 8-10 weeks for any good skincare product to start showing improvement on skin's texture, tone and quality, forgoing any persisting health issue.

• Our new skin cells take this much of time (8-10 weeks) to be formed.

• The right kind of nutrient in product helps to regenerate new skin cells, by getting rid of old, dry and dead skin, bringing forth the fresh, new texture.

Can glowing skin be achieved by using only one product ?

Many a times we feel that by using only one product which claims to bring glow to our skin, will do the magic and we are sorted (Eg. Glow Serum by PBP). It will work, but yes, in accompaniment of other factors.

A simple example is : without using a good face-wash or proper exfoliation (using a face-scrub), no product will work effectively, as it is not been allowed to penetrate, because the skin is dirty or has dead cells.

Therefore, in combination with other mandatory requirements, skin gets its glow with the right kind of products.

Is it possible to lighten skin color by beauty products ?

This is the most sought after aim of the majority of people that I have witnessed in my years of experience.

There is a huge misconception or a misunderstanding when it comes to having a glowing skin.

We often misunderstand SKIN BRIGHTENING with SKIN WHITENING.

It is a misconcept that we define glowing skin with a white or fair skin.

A glowing skin doesn't necessarily has to be white.

India is a vast country having varied regions with different climatic conditions which plays an important role in the kind of skin each person has.

The skin type of people from extreme North and North-east is drastically different from other parts of India.

Irrespective of these differences, in general, Indian skin type produces more melanin which is a skin pigment, responsible for the type of our skin and it's colour. Exposure to sun aggravates it's production, leading to skin damage.

Therefore, we have to be very particular about sun protection, and always invest in a good sun protection cream/lotion.

This is a pure fact that one needs to accept.

Going against the nature and fighting it's natural course has always proved harmful.

It's a sorry state of affair that we define beauty with such parameters.

And in this attempt to achieve skin whitening, we end up using certain products which contain vicious ingredients.

A basic example of this is to use bleach on one's skin.

In some bleaches, Mercury is the active ingredient, and it's toxicity is to a level that it can cause mercury poisoning, psychiatric problems, neurological issues and kidney problems, to name a few. It can easily be transferred from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

Skin lightening products do come with a risk and the claims of instant boost of whitening and brightening in a week's time are definitely from such product manufacturers which have chemicals and unhealthy ingredients in them, that provides instant boost.

Few chemical agents that one should be aware of and can keep a check before buying any products are :

* Triclosan

* Oxybenzone

* Parabens

* Phthalates

All these can lead to many serious health conditions like fertility issues, obesity, cancers, psychological disorders etc., apart from affecting our skin adversely.

We in India, are blessed with such grand reservoirs of natural herbs and ingredients, which, when added in our cosmetic formulations, can do wonders for our complexion, in terms of lightening as well as the quality of skin.

Some really good and effective natural herbs that works as complexion enhancers are :

* Vetiver ( skin lightening )

* Chamomile ( relives acne )

* Sage ( considered a rockstar when it comes to anti-ageing )

* Aloevera ( Uber hydrating, helps in skin cell turnover )

* Rosemary ( fights free radicals, collagen development )

These are basic benefits, in addition they work really well for skin improvement holistically.

It is always wise and healthy to rely upon our natural resources for beauty care, be it skin brightening or skin lightening. I personally take it as my responsibility to propagate this view that one should accept and appreciate one's natural skin color, and put in all efforts to make it healthy, even toned, bright and glowing. A soft, supple, hydrated and plump whiteish or dusky complexion is as equally attractive and charming as a fair and healthy skin.

Some example from PBP skin care range are :

Apricot and date scrub cum pack (a mix of hand-pounded dates, apricots and peaches, added with almond oil and ghee, helps in lightening pigmentation, melasma, scars and marks, making skin bright)

Ghee cream (made through the process of 100 times washing of clarified butter, added with saffron, hydrates, lightens and brightens the skin)

And in the add I cannot stop myself from again mentioning the importance of water, how precious this natural reservoir is for our skin health.

Drinking adequate quantity of water a day not only hydrates, but also removes toxins from our body, giving us in return a more plumper and glowing skin.

Parting words - Our body, our skin is our asset, it's a personal choice to be happy and content with the kind of skin color that each one of us are blessed with, or to strive to have a whiter complexion.

Both are possible.

What is to be taken care of, is to protect ourselves from unhealthy products and practices.

End of the day, a healthy, natural glow is always superior than an artificial, unhealthy whitening of skin.