While Cleopatra of Alexandria bathed in milk and honey to give her skin the radiance it rightly deserved, the forest dwellers of Satpura and Vindhya are also privy to a secret or two of their own.
Situated in those lavish green jungles are many a natural hot springs. The legend has it that bathing in them cures the skin of its ailments.
One such hot spring is Garam Pani Kund situated in the backwaters of the river Narmada in a town called Mandla in Madhya Pradesh.
It is established in the village folk lore that the hot spring’s water detoxifies the skin revealing a fresh and healthy skin. Some researchers think it may be due to the presence of sulphur rocky reefs inside the hot spring.
But alas our modern day maladies don’t magically teleport us every morning and evening to these mineral rich kunds (hot springs) and hence we ought to cleanse our faces in the best way possible.
But why is cleansing such a crucial step towards having glowing skin? We have transpired all the secrets here:
Removes dirt, debris, pollutants
While there will always be the new ‘it’ thing in terms of cleansing, water is the original it thing.
Water is the skin’s primary natural cleanser. Just how we take a shower and rid ourselves of the dust and debris we have accumulated on our way, we should also take special care of our facial skin and cleanse all the dirt, debris, pollutants which hitched a ride on our skin during the course of the day.
Our skin has glands underneath which produce oil to nourish the skin. As we go on about our daily lives we come in contact with dirt, dust, debris and all sorts of pollutants.
And this eventually creates a menacing buildup on our skin of oil and dirt which unless cleansed away properly by water leads to several types of acne and results in a faster ageing process.
A new German research suggests that air pollution is a major contributor to accelerated ageing process, in particular to dark spots and laugh lines. Traffic related air borne particles make us age faster.
Cleansing our faces becomes even more imperative in the light of these developments.
Helps other products to spell their cast
Imagine if you were to paint a masterpiece, would you paint it on a dirty, crumpled paper or a blank, clean and clear canvas?
Just like how the clean canvas would serve as a proper base and properly absorb all those beautiful colours that make for a beautiful painting, your naked skin is also the first base which needs to be pristine if it were to properly take on the other products you apply to it.
Don’t shy away from night-time cleansing
Night cleansing is crucial, even more important than the morning cleanse if you were to compare, though we highly recommend practicing both to get that coveted glowing skin.
Just like how our daily sleep rejuvenates us and prepares us for the next day, our skin also works on its own mission every night when we sleep which is to repair itself from the wear and tear It had suffered during the day.
Our skin does have that mysterious ability to understand to tell the night from the day. So if your skin is not clean enough, it will have to fight the dirt oil build-up first then go to its repair mode, which will eventually slow down the repair process and leading to aging and dull skin.
Water = Hydration
The first ingredient, in most of the products that we use, is Water/Aqua/ Eau.
Water not only cleanses but hydrates. If we are not properly cleansing our skin, we are not properly hydrating it either. If our skin is clogged then we are not The cleaner the skin, the more retentive it is towards water which ultimately boosts hydration and keeps skin soft and supple.
Healthy Cleansing Habits to Form
A Natural Cleanser Should Come Handy :- While water is crucial for cleaning our skin, it’s also important to note that cleansing your skin with water alone only removes about 65% of the dirt and oil accumulated on the skin. (there would be a link here) So we need a cleanser to help water cleanse our skin effectively.
We also know that our skin produces oil which nourishes itself and while it’s important to cleanse the dirt-oil buildup on our skin, using chemical-laden harsh cleansers would not only rid of that buildup but strip our skin of all the natural oils too.
A natural cleanser is a must for oily skin, dry skin, acne-prone skin— basically for whatever is your skin type.
The right cleanser should be a natural face cleanser full of with enriching Vitamins C & E, and the fabled antioxidants to neutralise free radicals and uncover a glowing skin.
Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, Just About Right!
The jury is still not out of whether the skin pores actually open and close when we use hot or cold water. But we do know that warm water softens the dirt-oil buildup on your skin and makes it easier to get rid of it.
Use too hot water and you might strip your skin of the natural oils, or worse even burn the skin.
Use too cold water to cleanse and you’re at the risk of not cleaning the skin properly.
Hence, the water temperature extremities should be avoided since it may cause irritation.
Vary of the Products Afterwards: As important as it is to choose a natural cleanser, it’s also best to be cautious of the products which you’re going for in the next steps.
The move towards a more natural, cleaner approach to beauty is essential to eliminate the toxicity of harsh chemicals from our everyday lives.