Look around you and it is impossible not to notice advertisements showing women with flawless skin and healthy complexion. Have you ever wondered what it would take for you to possess a healthy and glowing complexion? If the answer to that is a resounding yes, then it is time you took stock of the beauty regime you go through religiously every day and make changes that may take you one step closer to achieving that alabaster skin.

The festive season has just passed, and 2015 presents the perfect opportunity to make resolutions that we hope to stick to, if possible. Why not, for a change make a resolution to have a healthy complexion and skin free of dry flakes, large pores, oil slicks, hormonal breakouts, dark circles, and eye bags that become more prominent after a certain age. Taking care of your complexion doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive routine as there are some natural treatments that you can easily try at home.

1. Honey and Basil

Honey might be a surprising way of getting fair skin, but some swear by it. Take a teaspoon of honey and apply it on your face and massage gently in circular motion, at least twice a day. Leave on your skin for up to 20 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. After a couple of weeks, you will notice that your skin has smoothed into a light golden complexion. Basil not only tastes good, but can even work topically on your skin. Take a few basil leaves, grind them with stone, and then apply the mass on your skin. Leave it on for a couple of minutes and then wash with lukewarm water. Within a few weeks, you will notice the difference.

2. Rose Water

Rose water promises you a fair skin in less time. You can purchase rose petals or simply pluck them off rose blooms and allow them to soak in water for a day. Now apply this water on face regularly. If possible, whenever you wash your face, you can wash with rose water. Remember not to apply soap when you wash your face with rose water. There are many cases wherein people used rose water and got not just fair complexion, but close to pink complexion.

3. Keep Stress in Check

Stress takes a toll on nearly every part of your body, including your skin, because stress increases the body’s production of hormones such as cortisol, which can make skin oilier and decrease its ability to fight off acne-causing bacteria. Regularly practice stress-management techniques, like yoga, deep breathing, and meditation. This can help keep conditions such as acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and seborrhoea at bay.

4. Exercise

Indulge in any activity that will get you sweating, something that’s not hard to do here in tropical Malaysia. Sweating is your body’s way of not only cooling itself, but also eliminating toxic chemicals that can build up under skin. Regular exercise maintains healthy circulation and blood flow throughout your body, including your skin.

5. Choose Water-Based Hair Products

Some conditioners and styling creams contain oils or waxes that can clog pores and create acne, especially on the forehead, the back, and the hairline. Even if you’re careful to avoid getting them on your skin, they can run down your face and body as you shower and when you sweat. Instead, look for water-based formulas and avoid those containing mineral oil, beeswax, or microcrystalline wax.

6. Exercise Restraint

Keep your hands off your face! Because your hands touch so many surfaces, they are a magnet for dirt and germs. Rub your eyes, stroke your chin, cup your cheek and you’ve transferred everything on your hands to your face.

Stop with one glass of wine or one alcohol-infused drink. Overdoing it enlarges the blood vessels near the surface of your facial skin.

Avoid rubbing your eyes. The skin on your face is extremely delicate, especially under your eyes. So if your eyes itch, apply a cold pad or washcloth to the area, or try a cotton pad moistened with toner.

7. Sleep a Full Night

Being sleep-deprived puts stress on the body, causing it to release more adrenaline and cortisol, which can trigger breakouts and other skin problems, says a clinical professor of dermatology. Make getting seven to eight hours of shut-eye your last good-skin move of each day.

The remedies above are simple enough for any individual to practice at home. All one needs is a little discipline and willpower to keep at it every day to see and feel a real difference!

Read more:

• 10 Super Foods to Make You Super Healthy
• Exploring Kerala’s Ayurvedic Treatments for Better Health
• Healthy Eating in Kuala Lumpur

Source: The Expat Magazine January 2015