Wonder Wash

Pollution is the bane of urban life and the chemicals in the air are growing at an alarming rate. We have already seen the destructive effect of pollutants on vegetation and buildings. Can you imagine their effects on the human body, specially the skin?

The skin, which is the outer layer, bears the burnt of air pollutants, which not only attacks the surface of the skin, but also gradually leads to accumulation of toxins. The effect of pollution does not cause an immediate reaction and that is why we tend to neglect it initially, and gradually the skin acquires a greyish look and starts losing the sheen. In areas where there are chemical industries, the pollutants can lead to problems like rashes and discolouration and even dermatitis. It is, therefore, quite important to deal with air pollution as far as in is concerned.

The first step is the removal of pollutants from the skin surface. Daily cleansing is thus very important. For night time cleansing, use a cleansing product containing aloe and lemon. This helps to remove impurities without disturbing the moisture balance and also enables to soften the dead epithelial layer and facilitates the removal of wastes from the skin surface. Restoring the normal acid-alkaline balance is yet another feature that the procedure brings across.

If your skin is oily, it tends to attract more pollutants and grime from the atmosphere. They require deep pore cleansing. Merely Washing with soap and water makes the skin more alkaline and predisposes it to bacterial activity. It is, therefore, recommended that you use a medicated soap and homemade scrub given below. Protect the skin by using herbal plant extract as it has biologically active ingredients that can be absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin and influence it at cellular level. Herbal products help in the elimination of toxins and wastes. Its anti-toxic and tonic properties are of great value in cleaning skin congestion, resulting from exposure to chemicals in the air. For eruptive skin problems arising from exposure to pollutants, use cleansers, ointments and packs containing extracts of clove, sandalwood and camphor. Sandalwood has powerful healing properties and is one of the best-known natural antiseptic and germicidal. It is ideal for oily skin conditions. Make a paste with sandalwood and water by rubbing on a rough surface. You can store it in a small container in the fridge and use it at night on pimples, allergic rashes, scars and pigmental patches.