9 ways to give your skin a break from makeup

Dubai - It's a good idea to rid your skin of makeup products once in a while for it to retain its natural glow

Day in and day out, we hear about the latest trends in the world of beauty - that new highlighter on the shelves or that full-coverage foundation that just came into the market. But have you ever considered giving your skin a break from all the makeup products?
I had that thought run across my mind the other day and it occurred to me that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea - why shouldn't we let our skin breathe once in a while? While there's no denying the pleasure of a Friday spent barefaced in your pyjamas, is there any actual health benefit to letting your skin breathe? I certainly think so!
Here are a few things you could do to give your skin some much-needed downtime.
1. Clean your face and neck with a natural face wash and follow it up with a rosewater rinse twice a day to remove any skin-damaging pollutants.
2. Skip the long, hot showers (yes, I know that is hard to do in sunny Dubai) and opt for shorter, cooler sprays. Long, hot showers strip the skin of its moisture and wash away protective oils. So, limit your showers to 10 minutes and keep the water cool.
3. Run a humidifier every night to moisturise the air in your bedroom. Not only will it ease itchy, dry skin, you'll also be able to breathe the moist air more easily.
4. Get your beauty sleep. Sounds clichéd, I know, but I cannot emphasise the need for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep enough. It is when you are sleeping that your skin renews and restores itself.
5. Keep your beauty products clean. Make sure you clean all your brushes and blenders. There is a lot of harmful bacteria that gets onto our products, and these eventually latch on to our skin.
6. Use a loofah daily to keep ingrown hair and scaly skin under control. While in the shower, gently scrub bumpy or scaly skin in a circular motion to remove dead cells. For extra-smooth skin, sprinkle a few drops of an alpha-hydroxy product on the loofah before scrubbing.
7. Planning to head to the beach? That might be a good idea, but try to steer clear of scented lotions and perfumes. Scented products can lead to blotchy skin, but only when exposed to the sun.
8. If your skin is cracking, apply aloe vera gel over it. The acids in aloe vera eat away dead skin cells and speed up the healing process. It is quite simple: cut off the end of an aloe vera leaf, split it open and spread the gel on the dry area.
9. Last, but not the least: as hard as this may sound, keep your hands off your face. Since your hands touch so many surfaces, they are a magnet for dirt and germs. Rubbing your eyes, stroking your chin or cupping your cheek transfers the dirt and the pollutants from your hands to your face.