Chase the winter blues away!

Today, both men and women, love to be pampered in the beauty parlour. Be it a body massage with aromatic oils or talc or a Lancome manicure or a range of highlights in the hair, all are within easy reach, (well mostly).

A look at most beauty parlours of Chandigarh shows how they are inundated with requests for secret recipes to have that perfect skin, or the glossiest hair in town. However, to have all these, more important than emptying the contents of glitzy bottles on your body, is what actually you eat to keep fit. Nothing beats having a good, balanced diet as the glow you get from within, is the thing that matters.

Only those external cosmetic aids, like foundations and other so called skin treatments, exfoliating agents etc must be bought that belong to good, respectable brands. But come winters, and nothing seems to protect the skin from the "dryness monster". Skin starts looking dull and the advent of fine lines makes one wonder if "this is it"! But, as always, mother nature has given us many things to conquer the winter bug. A meal of spinach or mustard saag with a dollop of butter or ghee with makki di roti not only tastes divine, but also supplies vitamin A, proteins and fats in generous quantities. Very important for good hair and an energetic day. Similarly, a glass of fresh musammi juice or a strawberry crush will give you fantastic skin, as drinking water in any form helps in clearing the skin of dirt and dust particles. In winters, it is imperative to have at least 12 glasses of water everyday, something that we conveniently overlook. But remember, it is always better to eat good than just "polishingthe exterior", says Neelam Kothari, a beautician who favours herbal and natural therapy for looking good.

There also are many things in the kitchen that serve as fabulous face packs, exfoliating agents and astringents etc. A very good scrub for all skin types can be made by putting a little sugar and a little salt in any oil or ghee and rubbing it on the skin clockwise and anti-clockwise direction to remove the dead skin and dirt. Similarly, a slice of tomato or cucumber can be cut and rubbed on the feet, face, hands etc as an exfoliating agent. This can be done while you are even watching TV! Used lemons, too, need not be thrown away. Their rind can be used to scrub the dirt off the elbows. But it is advisable to not put lemon directly on the skin as its astringent qualities can prove to be quite hard on the delicate skin. It is always a better idea to mix lemon juice with besan, a little cream and a pinch of turmeric to put on the face. This type of a scrub suits all skin types as the cream prevents dry skin from drying further and lemon juice and turmeric aid in ridding the oily skin of excess oils. Turmerichas been a proven antiseptic and any pack carrying this miraculous yellow powder leaves a healthy golden glow where ever it is put.

There also are some people whose skin does not take kindly to the cold winters. Dr Dhami, a reader in the Government Medical College, Sector 32 and specialising in dermatology tells of people coming with painful lesions on their limbs in cold months. These are called Chill Blains, and are caused by cold weather extremities. The peripheral parts of the body itch, get red and can even get ulcers in extreme cases. Dhami recommends usage of lukewarm water, wearing gloves and having blowers and heaters to protect one from the winter onslaught. He also cautions against using very hot water and soap in winter, as it can dry the skin very much. For those with acne, Dhami recommends "peeling agents" that peel a very superficial layer of the skin and remove the black heads and white heads along with pimples.

Beautician Pamma Singh of Hotel Mountview’s health club "Nirvana" swears by the aromatic oil massage that the club offers. Apart from relaxing the nerves, a good body massage aids proper blood circulation and gives the necessary fats to the body. At the average cost of Rs 300, "Nirvana" has many kinds of facials and body massages to choose from. However, the call is "back to the roots" here also. So you hear about the importance of oiling the hair twice a week, rubbing thin gourd slices on the face and putting a thin layer of honey on the face as a mask to replenish the moisture, as electric facial machines and other gizmos vie for your attention. "Natural products are always better," says Neelu Grewal of Innoxa-8 beauty parlour.

She also recommends synthetic products for various treatments, but insists on the quality. Neelu likes L’Oreal hair colours, Oriflame, Avon and Revlon foundations and insists that Chandigarh has come a long way since she first opened shop 12 years ago. "People of all age groups are more aware and confident these days, than lets say, 10 years back." says Neelu. Asked about a good off the kitchen shelf scrub, she tells of a paste made of ground green dal, a little oatmeal, curd and two lemons for the oily skin. "Basically, it is important to take care of the skin daily, keeping it clean and moisturising it than having a monthly facial," she adds. And the town’s glitteratti chooses to come out in designer ware when the chilly nights start weaving their magic. Over exotic cocktails, roasted grams and chicken kebabs are the rounds of high fashion done. So this is the time when pampered skin, that adopts the minimalistic look during the day, comes out to dazzle everyone.

Burnished shades of lipsticks, eye shadows and blusher are all the rage this winter with stress on very natural style of make up during the day, as well as the evenings. The new style is called "Paper make up." "We will see the soft smudgy look this season" chimes Pamma but it remains to be seen whether our fellow residents can wriggle out of their set make up ideas. This subject is touche with all. Says 17 years old Ragini, "Me and my matte lipper were born together and we will die together". Her classmate Sona vehemently disagrees and is all for the "new glossy look" that she happened to see in a foreign fashion mag.

Neelu Grewal informs us that the glossy look on the lips really is "in" but has her doubts over how many people here can leave the comfortable monotony of leaving their set matte shades of lipsticks and experiment with new ones. Highlights in the hair also take a new meaning this winter. Now you will see "block highlighting" which includes highlighting a section of hair only. And you have a plethora of colours to choose from. Burgundy, Mahogany, Burnished copper in addition to the regular browns and blacks are just waiting to be picked up. You can also take your own pack to beauty parlours, who, at a little service charge, do your hair for you. Using these colouring agents is quite easy and one can use them at home also without much hassle.

Winters are for eating good, rich food. So here’s all the best for chill!