Beauty and skincare guide to get an effortless glow for your everyday look

Effortless beauty has more to do with healthy skin rather than anything else but your skincare routine doesn’t have to be tedious to give your skin that glow. Stressful schedules, inadequate sleep, an unhealthy diet and excess sun exposure are some major factors robbing your skin of its shine.

While not everyone is blessed with picture-perfect, glowing skin, some alterations in your skincare routine and lifestyle can give you radiant, flawless skin. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Plabita Sharma, National Training Head at The Body Shop India, revealed a few simple yet effective tips:

1. Use a sunscreen with a broad spectrum – Protecting your skin from UV rays is fundamental to achieving glowing, healthy skin. Never forget to apply sunscreen before heading out. Use one with at least SPF 30 and PA+++ (or PA++++) as it protects you from UVA and UVB rays. Ensure you reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours when you are outdoors.

2. Exfoliate regularly – When you don’t exfoliate your skin, the dead cells accumulate on its surface, making it look dull and patchy. You can use a gentle physical exfoliator (face scrubs) or a chemical exfoliator (face acids). If you use a physical exfoliator, ensure it isn’t too harsh on your skin. Use exfoliators with finely ground particles or grain-like particles that gently buff the dead cells away. If you are using chemical exfoliators, choose those that contain AHAs and BHAs (Alpha/Beta Hydroxy Acids). AHAs do not penetrate deep into your skin, are mild, and contain lactic and mandelic acid, making them ideal for beginners. BHAs exfoliate the skin surface and cleanse your pores.

3. Add a serum to target skin concerns – The serum is a concoction of active ingredients powerful enough to target specific skin concerns. The concentration of powerful ingredients is much more than regular face creams, making it a better solution for skin issues. A good facial serum helps reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and spots, leaving your skin supple and flawless but ensure you choose a serum that is best suited for your requirements to address your skin concerns effectively.

4. Never skip the moisturiser – Keeping your skin hydrated is essential to avoid dryness, irritation, and patchiness. Moisturising religiously reduces the chances of skin problems. But using the right moisturiser for your skin is important and can help maintain its balance. When skin is too dry or oily, problems like acne start to pop up. If your skin tends to be oily, you should look for lotions instead of creams and try one with an exfoliating ingredient. However, people with dry skin should opt for creams as they tend to have higher oil content. Moisturising fights wrinkles and helps your skin stay radiant and youthful.

5. Eat green veggies and sleep well to avoid any puffy eyes – Fruits and green vegetables are rich sources of essential vitamins and minerals you need to keep your skin healthy. They are rich in antioxidants that prevent free radical damage, maintain hydration levels, and improve overall skin and body health. Skin care and lifestyle changes don’t give you instant results but will ensure your skin is glowing, healthy, and supple in the long run.

6. For a no make-up look, a bit of Fresh Nude Foundation with lip tint should do the trick – A good foundation can cover up all the blemishes and spots on your face in no time. However, if you want that glow on your face, buy a liquid foundation. Liquid foundation has a comparatively high moisture content, which helps reflect light. Make sure to get a non-comedogenic formula.

According to Dr Merin Liza Jacob, Co-Founder Green and Beige, “The quickest and easiest way to a well put skin is to hydrate it. As much as you keep hydrating your body with your intake of water, hydrate your skin too with a light weight moisturiser or serum on a regular basis. This keeps each underlying cell healthy and your skin pliant, giving it a healthy glow and shine. That unmistakable healthy glow that radiates off a healthy skin, the secret is hydration.”

We often put a lot of effort into achieving a flawless look and put multiple products on our faces but it’s just about the right use of minimal products, said Nitin Ghuliani, Brand Manager, Swiss Beauty. He listed a few tips that you can consider for an effortless everyday look:

1. Make sure you put a toner on your face before applying a foundation, as it will set the base to sit properly by closing the open pores. A primer would help but keeping the skincare in check is as essential as the final makeup look.

2. Instead of using a brush to blend your BB cream or foundation, use your fingers. It will give you a more natural look. Using a compact powder after this step is a must to seal it in.

3. Avoid contours and bronzers when it comes to an everyday look. Instead, apply a decent shade of blush to your cheeks. Avoid the nose for a natural look. You can also use the lip shade you are wearing as a blush.

4. Replace lipstick with a lip tint to get a natural look. Pro tip: It will look flawless if you use the tip of your finger to blend.

5. Don’t go heavy on the eyes. Choosing between kohl and eyeliner will be a good idea. You can complete your eye look with a long lash mascara.

6. You must always use smudge-proof and long-lasting products, especially during hot and humid weather. Always look for makeup products that can be used for multiple purposes and are easily portable.