How often do you buy expensive make-up and then refuse to throw them out till they are over, squeezing the tube till the last drop to get your money’s worth? If you are nodding your head after reading this, you should know that every cosmetic product comes with an expiration date and using them beyond that is an open invitation to some serious skin and eye infections. Dr Kiran Lohia, MD, sheds light on this issue which many women fail to take into account. Using cosmetics beyond their expiry date is dangerous – here’s why!

Why shouldn’t one use cosmetics beyond their expiry date? What are the dangers?

Beauty products should absolutely have an expiry date. Expiry dates are there to help protect you from the side effects of using old products. Once an item is past its expiry date, the preservative can stop working, giving you the risk of infections. Also, some actives can actually become stronger, possibly causing skin irritation. Some ingredients can degenerate, putting your skin at risk of rashes and other skin problems.

Can there be any serious skin or eye problems due to expired cosmetics?

Serious skin problems that can occur include allergic rashes, irritations, boils and infection. Eye infections are another possible issue, so eye related products need to be carefully maintained and thrown out after 1 year.

In India, the expiry dates aren’t always mentioned on small quantity products like eyeliners, mascaras, etc. So when should one discard them?

The typical shelf life of any make-up is two years, while the shelf life of eye make-up is one year. Eye make-up should be thrown out more often because of the risk of eye infections. The skin is a much better barrier than the eye is, putting the eye at more risk for possible side effects from expired products.

Here is a list of commonly used cosmetics and their approximate expiry dates:

•  Liquid foundation and loose powder – 2 years
•  Mascara – 1 year
•  Eyeliner (liquid) and eye shadow (cream and powder), pencil eyeliners – 1 year
•  Lipstick, lip glosses and lipliner – 2 years
•  Nail paints – 2-3 years
•  Hair products – 2 years
•  Sunscreen – 2 years
•  Fragrances – 2 years
• Face creams and body lotions – 2-3 years

Is there any way to increase the shelf life of cosmetics?

Nearly all products are sensitive to heat, and should always be kept in a temperature-controlled environment. Heat accelerates the degeneration process, reducing the shelf life of your skin care or make-up items. Light exposure affects vitamin A derivatives such as retinol, vitamin C and most oils, causing oxidative damage. This makes the ingredients ultimately inactive. So, keep your skin care and make-up in a dark and cool room to prevent these possible problems. So, storing in a fridge where it is cool and dark will help preserve your products, allowing you to keep them for a longer time.

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Mumbai-based dermatologist Rashmi Shetty points out the benefits of vinegar and advises to rinse your tresses with it for a natural shine.

Rinse with vinegar: Mix two tablespoons of vinegar in a cup of lukewarm water and rinse hair with it. It helps in giving hair the perfect shine and volume.

According to Dr Aparna Santhanam, dermatologist and cosmetologist, it is important to avoid dryness. She has some tips for monsoon hair care:

Eggs-honey-curd pack: Mix two eggs, two tablespoons of curd, juice of half lemon and few drops of honey and spread it evenly, starting from root to tip. Wash it off after half-an-hour to get a smooth and manageable texture.

Balance protein in diet: Since hair is made of protein, ensure that you maintain a balanced protein diet. A portion of good seasonal fruits, green leafy vegetables, cereals and coconut water in your diet must be included. Try and pull together your hair in a soft band rather than using any metallic clips as they tend to break your hair.

Avoid chemical treatment: Don’t go for any kind of chemical treatment on hair during monsoon as the chemicals used on the hair react adversely to the rain water leading to severe damages.

Follow these simple DIY tips to get rid of any hair woes in the monsoon and keep your tresses looking beautiful and healthy.

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Luthra specialises in varied make-up techniques like theatrical, traditional, beauty and high-fashion, and has been trained under renowned Bollywood make-up artist Baba Mero.

High Fashion Make-up: This is what you see models or actresses wearing on shoots and fashion shows. It involves a lot of creativity. One can create anything louder with a lot of colour variations. It can also be a combination of two or three colours with smoky eyes. 

In order to do such make-up, you need to keep these pointer in mind: The base should be stronger. Play with colours to highlight the eyes, and use a blush of mid-tone. Apply brighter shades on lips depending on the requirement of the shoots and shows.

Everyday Make-up: You can experiment with make-up when you are going for a party but your daily look also matters and needs to be right. Luthra recommends the ‘no make-up look’. For this, use light and nude shades to enhance each and every feature of the face. Keep the base absolutely neutral to make the skin should look flawless. 

For eyes, use colours like champagne, beige, light peach and a brown liner to enhance them. For lips, nude shades similar to your skin-tone can be used.

Traditional Make-up: Going to a wedding or a family get-together and want to look gorgeous in your sari? Opt for traditional make-up. Colours like gold and copper go well with most attires. But one can always play with shades like green and purple.

The base should be light and look flawless. Make sure that you use only waterproof and smudge-proof cosmetics as touch-ups can’t be done do often. For eyes, choose colours according to your dress. Extend the liner outwards as it gives more traditional look. Most people opt for brighter shades for lips like red as it goes well with Indian attire. 

Theatrical Make-up: Loud and bright is how Luthra describes this make-up style. One can play with a lot of colours and variations and it involves a lot of creativity. The base is thicker with loud eye make-up. 

Now that you know the different styles, here are some dos and don’ts you can keep in mind:

Dos and Don’ts for Day Make-up: Day make-up is generally very light and natural looking. Luthra says to avoid foundations as it gives a sticky look. She advises to go for concealing and powdering for a flawless effect. Keep the  eye shadow of lighter colours like peach, light brown and beige and don’t use kohl at all. Make sure that your mascara or liner is waterproof and smudge-proof. Lips can be neutral, light peach or pink.

Dos and Don’ts for Evening Make-up: Evening make-up should be fun and experimental. Opt for a smoky look as it goes well with any outfit. Use earthy colours like ash brown, grey and kohl. She advises to use darker shades with natural tones. For lips, play with brighter shades like red and coral but make sure they have a matt finish.

Tips to Tackle Weather-Related Problems: Make-up usually melts in the hot and humid weather. So before make-up, wash your face and apply ice cubes as it helps control the sweat and stays for a longer period. Use primer for a smoother base. Powder your face for a radiant look and after make-up, use fixing sprays by Mac for keeping your make-up intact.

Always use products with a liquid base or powder base instead of cream and oil-based as they are sticky and use concealer as it helps make a smoother base. 

Follow these and you won’t have a bad make-up day again. 

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So, what’s on offer?

Executive base: It helps strengthen soft nails. The multi-functional conditioning base coat compresses the nail keratin.

Lavender base: It is enriched with lavender essential oil. It moisturises dry and flaky nails. The base is ideal for sore nails and also those which are infected with fungus.

Nail and cuticle conditioner: It has blue jojoba beads and conditions nails and cuticles. Pressure massage with it will cause the beads to burst. This will release their moisture into the nail plate.

Vitamin dose: It is a form of vitamin that is delivered to nail-bed cells. It rejuvenates, moisturises, strengthens and nourishes nails. It contains vitamin B1, B2, B12, C and P.

Cuticle remover: It softens and lifts the skin on the nail and around the cuticle area.

Cuticle oil: The cuticle treatment, formulated with almond oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil and vitamin E, rehydrates the cuticle and nail plate.

Bio Sculpture also provides soft, medium and hard gels for nails. The gels have beauty as well as health benefits. They don’t damage natural nails. In fact, they strengthen and protect them. 

The gels are available in 170 colours, you can try numerous nail art designs, they don’t chip or smudge and are fade-resistant, they extend nails naturally.

Their spa range includes Spa Soak, Spa Salt Scrub, Aprikot Kernal Scrub, Min Moisture Mask, Spa Butter, Heel Balm, Anti Fungal Treatment and much more.

Our nails are an indicator of our general health and keeping them clean and shapely is important. Manicures not only keep our nails looking good but also prevent diseases by removing any dirt deposited on them.

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Another research by the University of California, Berkeley, found that lipsticks could contain as many as nine different metals, News.com.au reported.

The study suggested that a lipstick used twice a day, provides more than 20 per cent of a person’s acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aluminium, cadmium and manganese, while some exceeded the ADI for chromium – a metal that has been linked to stomach tumours.

Berkeley researcher Katharine Hammond has revealed that some of these toxic metals are occurring at levels that could have an effect on long-term health.

Earlier studies have shown that over-exposure to some chemicals has been linked to toxicity in the nervous system and cancer.

It is now known that parabens mimic – synthetic preservatives in everything from toothpaste to shampoo – are the hormone estrogen, which raises concerns over a link to breast cancer and fertility issues.

Meanwhile, a recent study by Stony Brook University in New York found that gold nanoparticles accumulate in stem cells and could accelerate ageing and wrinkling, slow healing and lead to the onset of diabetes.

Bionsen spokesperson Charlotte Smith said that lots of the hi-tech, new generation cosmetics and beauty ‘wonder’ treatments contain more chemicals to be able to achieve better results, which means women carry more chemicals than ever.

Using so many chemicals every day on your skin and hair can lead to problems later. It is better to make the switch to natural products which do not contain chemicals and have no side-effects. There are several ingredients in your kitchen shelf which can become herbal moisturisers, scrubs and hair and face packs. They may not give you instant results but will not harm your skin either.

With inputs from ANI

Black

For black hair that has gone grey, use henna in combination with sesame (gingelly or til) oil and curry leaves. Boil some sesame oil, add a few curry leaves and keep this liquid in a tightly closed container. Anytime you want to colour your hair, add some henna into this extract and boil for a few minutes. Cool the mixture and apply it on your hair, wait for three to four hours and then wash your hair using shikakai.

Some people also use castor oil with henna instead of sesame oil and leave out the curry leaves. Just boil henna with castor oil in an iron pan and set aside until the oil turns black in colour. Then apply it to your hair and leave it on for three to four hours and wash with shikakai.

Burgundy

If you are looking for a burgundy shade, cut and grind a beetroot and mix this juice into henna to make a paste. Apply this on your hair and leave it on for at least an hour. Wash your hair after this and your hair is coloured in a natural way. 

Brown or red

Henna alone gives a copper-red colour and indigo (neel) gives a blue colour; by combining henna with indigo in different proportions, you can get varying shades of brown. If you want a reddish tinge, keep henna levels high and if you like browner shade, include more of indigo.

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Coconut oil – Body lotion and anti-dandruff agent

With its composition of medium chain fatty acids, coconut oil is extremely effective at keeping skin healthy and free from dryness and wrinkles. Use it alone or in combination with some other oil or herb, for your skin or also hair – coconut oil works equally well. Because of its ability to penetrate deep into the hair shaft and also the skin, this oil acts from deep within to ensure conditioning and moisturising effects that last for long. Coconut oil is also a source of antioxidants such as vitamin E and so, using it regularly can also help prevent those wrinkles that appear on the skin with ageing.

Henna – Hair dye

Hair dyes work their magic instantly and this is what makes it tempting to reach out for one when you need to hide your greys and look your best. But most synthetic hair dye products contain chemicals called secondary amines or tar derivatives that have been linked to cancer. Switch over to a natural hair dye used since times immemorial – henna. Combine with sesame oil and curry leaves, or mix with beetroot juice, or add into a mix of curd, lemon juice and tea – whatever the shade you desire, henna can help you get it and in the process, also keep your body cool.

Turmeric (haldi) and fruits – Rejuvenating face pack

If you don’t have the time or motivation to head to a beauty parlour, the easiest way to get glowing skin on-the-go is to use a face pack. However, a commercial face pack is quite likely to contain chemicals – preservatives at the very least – that may not be good for you in the long run. Instead, make use of simple ingredients in your kitchen to rejuvenate your skin and give it a soft glow. Mix in some turmeric powder with a little curd and apply on your face. Or, mash ripe papaya fruit into a rough pulp and apply – this will also help reduce the appearance of black spots on the skin.

Aloe vera – Dry skin moisturiser

Moisturising creams for dry skin generally contain ingredients such as petrolatum that tend to be contaminated with harmful chemicals. Instead of taking the risk of these being absorbed into the body through the skin, opt for one of nature’s best skin moisturisers and softeners – aloe vera. Simply make a cut on the fleshy leaves of aloe vera plant, collect the gel that oozes out and apply to your skin.

Garlic and sandalwood (chandan) – Anti-acne effects

A natural powerhouse of antioxidants, garlic helps purify blood and this gives the skin a distinct glow. However, it can also be used directly on the skin for instantaneous relief from pimples. Just peel out the outer covering over garlic clove and rub the clove over the area where the pimple has sprouted. An alternative way to use garlic is to grind a few cloves and make into a paste using some curd; this face pack is effective in reducing acne.

Sandalwood is another excellent alternative to anti-acne creams and also has a moisturising effect. Mix a few drops of sandalwood oil with almond oil and massage this into the skin. Or you can add a few drops of the oil into boiling water and inhale the steam.

Make a paste by using one cup of curd, half a teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of sandalwood powder and one teaspoon of sugar. Massage the paste on your face with gentle circular movements, leave on for half a minute and then remove by rinsing the face with cool water and pat dry.

Soapnuts (reetha) and shikakai – Gentle cleansing shampoo

Shampoos available in the market make use of chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate to produce foam that can cleanse dirt and grease from hair. But along with this, they also remove all oil from the scalp that is so essential to nourish your hair. A natural alternative that avoids such damage is soapnut or reetha in combination with shikakai. Mix equal quantities of soapnut and shikakai powders and make into a paste with warm water; wash hair using this paste. If you find your hair feels a bit too dry with this 1:1 proportion, experiment with lesser quantity of soapnut powder.

Pomegranate seeds (anar ke dane) – Natural lip colour

Exposure to the sun, smoking, dehydration and too much caffeine can turn darken your lips. But dark lips may also be a result of using lipstick daily for a prolonged time. The chemicals in it can cause this and you’ll need more lipstick to hide the darkness… the cycle goes on! Break this cycle and get back the natural pink of your lips with a scrub made from pomegranate seeds. Crush pomegranate seeds and mix in some milk cream; apply to your lips every day and your lips will be naturally red and full. You can also combine crushed pomegranate seeds with sugar and olive oil and use this paste to gently scrub your lips.

Whether it is a skin lightening cream, a hair dye, moisturiser, body lotion or any other cosmetic you need, there is a natural alternative available that is free from harmful chemicals, make use of them. 

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Interestingly, it’s not always just the products and treatments that renowned beauties indulge in. For many, pristine skin and healthy bodies come in the most unlikely ways.

Home remedies

Cate Blanchett uses oil of macadamia and olive on her skin to add that soft finish. Actress Emma Stone swears by grapeseed oil. Aishwarya Rai, considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, uses a home-made mix of gram flour, turmeric and milk to keep her skin flawless, as well as yoghurt scrubs and cucumber slices under the eyes. Michelle Yeoh cleanses her face with lemon juice infused water while Scarlett Johansson believes in the power of apple cider vinegar on her face.

Coffee grounds 

Halle Berry makes her own body scrub by mixing coffee grounds with her shower gel. It stimulates blood flow and exfoliates the skin. A caffeine based mixture is also said to temporarily diminish the look of a sagging jaw line.

Mashed strawberries 

Mashed strawberries mixed with honey, avocados or yoghurt can bring on a healthy radiance to the skin. But Catherine Zeta-Jones also uses the juicy red fruit to whiten teeth. Strawberries contain malic acid, a natural whitening agent.

Head massages 

Bollywood mega-star Kareena Kapoor swears by warm oil head massages to bring that soft shine to her hair. Olive, castor, coconut or almond all work. A great second benefit: You’ll get an encompassing sense of relaxation, which is always a beauty plus.

Mini workouts 

Snatch spare moments to burn a few calories – Yeoh stretches and squats while brushing her teeth. Jessica Biel squats against a wall several times a day, especially when on the phone!

Content courtesy: The Style Glossy

Kavita Daswani is the managing editor of The Style Glossy Asia. 

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Scrubs are essentially used to get rid of the dead skin cells from our skin. If not cleansed from time to time, they can clog pores which can lead to skin problems like acne or pimples. They also age the skin faster by blocking proper blood circulation. Scrubs exfoliate the skin and free it from these dead cells.

When to scrub?

Scrubbing is recommended by various skin experts but the number of times one scrubs their face depends on their skin-type. People with oily skin can scrub more often than people who have dry, flaky skin; or youngsters can scrub more often than older women with mature skin. The micro-beads present in scrubs will clear out your skin and make it smoother and glowing.

But even then, scrubbing can leave your skin feeling raw and harsh if done in excess. Remember, scrubbing is not a daily skin routine. It should be done only once in a week or 15 days, based on how your skin reacts to it. People who have sensitive skin should ideally ask their dermatologist how often they should use a scrub as it can lead it redness and rashes if overdone.

How to choose a scrub?

Not all of them are same and each face will react differently to them. So how do you find the right one for your skin? Here’s how. After you know your skin-type, choose one which suits you best. If you have oily skin, a gel based scrub with bigger micro-beads will work best for you. If you have dry skin, choose one which is cream based and has moisturising properties. This will make sure that your skin does not get too dry after the process. People with sensitive skin should be careful while choosing one. They should buy one which is extremely mild and use it sparsely.

Apart from cosmetic ones, one can also make their own scrubs at home. There are many natural scrubbing agents and they can be handy if you want to exfoliate your skin. Sugar is one of them and is suited to most skin-types. Coarse, ground coffee is another option. Since it has antioxidants, it is good for sagging skin. Oatmeal also makes for a good scrub if you have irritated skin and sea salt is particularly good for areas like elbows and knees.

So, we can conclude that scrubs aren’t all bad if used in moderation. They help our skin to rejuvenate by removing the dead skin. But keep in mind, if you have cuts or bruises then it is best to avoid scrubbing as it will irritate the skin further and cause a burning sensation. So include it in your beauty regimen and get younger looking skin. 

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Just Herbs silksplash neem-orange rehydrant face wash: It is a face wash that cleanses face gently and also moisturises at the same time. Neem, orange, cucumber, chandan, calendula, aloe vera and honey are the main ingredients. It removes dust, grime and even make-up residue. 100 ml costs Rs 245. Buy it here.

Montagne Jeunesse blemish mud face mask: Made of aloe vera, evening primrose, Mediterranean clay, rosemary, willow and witch hazel, the mask gives clear skin. Apply it evenly over face (excluding eyes and lips) and neck with fingertips. Lie back and relax for around 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry. It is available in a 20g sachet and costs Rs 150. Buy it here. 

The Body Shop absinthe purifying hand care range: It consists of products like hand butter, cream and wash. These will help to keep hands clean and soft. You can buy this range at any The Body Shop store. Prices vary for different products.

Omved tired foot soak: It refreshes sore muscles. Himalayan pink rock salt, present in the foot soak, draws out impurities from body, epsom salts relaxes muscles while softening skin, and peppermint relieves aching feet. To draw benefits from the product, take a bucket, put water and add the foot soak and dip your feet into it for few minutes. It is priced at Rs 300 for 100g. Buy it here. 

Thalgo marine algae cleansing bar: It cleanses impurities and regulates oil production so it is ideal for those with oily skin. A 100g bar is for Rs 710. Buy it here.

Source: IANS

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