Gentle Skin Scrubs

Commercially available facial scrubs have too much of a rough, grating effect on my skin. My skin is very sensitive and rough too. What can I do everyday that will not hurt my skin?

• Barbara

Walnuts are very soft and gentle for the skin. Deshell a walnut and make a fine powder from it; mix the powder with rose water or papaya purée or cucumber juice. Apply on the face. Scrub off after 20 to 30 minutes. Do this twice a week for effective results.

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My skin is very rough and dull. I cleanse my face every day with cleansing gel and also use a toner and moisturiser but my skin isn’t getting soft. Even my palms are rough. Please help.

• Sandhya

The first important thing to add to your diet is a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water. Water helps cleanse and moisturise the skin. Stick to your routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising. Twice a week, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with water. Apply the mask on your face and hands and rinse after 20 minutes. Your skin will soften and get nice and smooth.

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Thanks for your beautiful home remedies. My knuckles are dark and dry on my hands and feet. I find that because of my fair skin, the contrast looks terrible. I’ve been using fairness creams on them but in vain.

• Shail

A very simple effective home remedy is to take a whole lemon and grate it very fine. Massage this on the knuckles and leave it overnight. The rind has the lemon which helps bleach the skin, and oil that will moisturise the skin, adding sheen to the cuticles. Avoid harsh cleansing products to cleanse and always wear gloves when you rinse clothes or pots.

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I am getting married in India but need to get all my beauty treatments done in Dubai. Kindly suggest a simple body scrub that will make my body glow and that I can do by myself.

• Molly

Congratulations on your wedding! A simple and effective body glow scrub is to, first, rub your entire body with olive oil then pat 2 tablespoons of salt on the palms of your hands and scrub your body in circular movements gently, yet effectively. Rinse with warm water, followed by a cold rinse. Do this everyday for your skin to glow and smoothen.

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My mother is very much against cosmetics. She has beautiful skin that is blemish-free. She said she used cream as a child on her skin everyday and that is the reason her skin is so beautiful. I hate the smell of cream — is there something I can use every day to keep my skin clean and nourished? I also have open pores and would like to close them too.

• Prerna

Cream is an excellent cleanser and moisturiser. I understand if you don’t like applying cream on the face. Add 1 teaspoon of honey to 2 drops of lemon juice. Massage this on the entire face well. Avoid warm water on the face, especially if you have open pores. A cold damp face cloth to clean the mask is best. Do this everyday. Honey is a cleanser and moisturiser, and lemon juice a toner and bleach.