The importance of rituals: Skincare is self-care.

Consciously dedicating a few minutes to caring for your skin each day and turning it into a ritual will transform this everyday activity into a meaningful act and even a therapeutic one.

One suggestion for a New Year’s resolution is to set aside a few minutes each day to devote full attention to your own care. Your skin will benefit from it.

A good meal depends on the ingredients you use and also the dedication and attention you devote to it. In the same way, your skincare depends on the ingredients you use and the loving care with which you apply your cosmetics.

Whether it’s the first or the umpteenth time, the act of cleansing, polishing, hydrating and nourishing your skin should be performed with care and attention. Remember: skincare is self-care.

This ritual must include the following steps:

CLEANSING

• Take a slow careful look at yourself in the mirror in search of any signs of negative emotions, such as anxiety, jealousy or anger. If you find any, soften your expression and your mind, and smile.
• Cleanse your skin—this is the most important step in achieving a luminous, radiant skin. Use Rice & Neem-Pure Cleansing Oil. Cleansing your skin with oil may seem contradictory, especially if your skin is oily. Water-based products and foam cleansers cannot dissolve the natural sebum produced by the skin, nor can they break down the oils found in make-up, particularly in mascara and eyeliners.

Use:

Trickle a little oil into the palm of your hand, and massage your face and neck with your fingertips. Pour a little water into your hands and carry on massaging your skin. This will create an emulsion that mixes with your make-up and with other residues. Rinse your skin with plenty of lukewarm water and remove the emulsion with a dry 100% cotton cloth (cotton pads) or with a natural silk cloth.

POLISHING

As with a jewel, no skin will be luminous if it isn’t cleansed and polished. To achieve a lustrous skin, cleanse and exfoliate it gently and naturally every day with Navarakizhi Milk. This soft, natural exfoliator contains an ingenious blend of finely ground herbs and milk, which must be dissolved in water when applied.
Massaging your skin with Navarakizhi Milk every morning and removing any dead skin cells will make you feel like you’re starting the day with new skin.

Care wisely for your skin–no jewel will give you greater radiance.

TONING

Before embarking on this ritual, make yourself a herbal infusion to restore your balance, and set aside a little of it in a bowl.

When it has cooled, apply it to your face to tone your skin after polishing it.

  Infusions to restore your balance:

• Jeevan Ayurveda Vata-Brahmi Tea if your skin is cold and dry.
• Jeevan Ayurveda Pitta-Haridra Tea if your skin is sensitive.
• Jeevan Ayurveda Kapha-Moringa Tea if your skin is oily.
• Gotu Kola Skin Care Tea if your skin needs radiance.

NOURISHING

Apply the moisturising cream that balances your skin by massaging it in. The massage should be gentle, moving upward in outward movements (see the video). If you are over 30 years old, add a few drops of Rasayana Serum to the cream.

DEVOTING SOME TIME TO YOUR OWN CARE IS A NECESSITY, NOT A LUXURY.