Dust Allergies

With the changing weather and increasing pollution, it's not unusual to find yourself down with the sniffles. The worst part is that some of us are more prone to colds and allergies than others. Routine as these ailments sound, it's no trivial matter when they start affecting your daily life, forcing you to stay in bed for a day or two every month. It's time to fight back and we show you how. Take a look at 10 ways to keep dust allergies and pollution-induced diseases at bay.

Dust-proof the home

• Okay, we'll confess, there's no such thing as a dust-free home in India. But you can minimise the dust in your home by opting for furnishings that do not trap too much dust. Thick curtains, carpets and upholstery are dust magnets. Besides, washing them too can be quite a task. Opt for thinner curtains and upholstery, and do away with carpets wherever possible.
• Make sure to maintain your air-conditioner and get someone to clean the filters periodically to ensure clean air in your home environment. A good way to do this is to sign a yearly contract with a service company.
• Use water (read: wet mops and dusters) to clean surfaces and floors in your home. After all, water is the best way to trap dust.
• Always ensure windows are shut properly while you are out of the house. The less dust you allow to enter the house, the better.
• Don't wait for spring (or Diwali) to spring-clean your house. Instead do a ceiling-to-floor clean up every four to six weeks. You might want to use this time to clear out junk and other seldom-used items that accumulate dust too.

Stay safe outdoors

• You may not look too pretty with a doctor's mask, but don't let that keep you from wearing one to cover your nose and mouth while you are travelling. One of the main causes of respiratory problems is air pollution.
• As far as possible, avoid busy streets and highways while travelling to work on an everyday basis. High traffic roads naturally have more pollution, which takes a toll on your health in the long run.
• If you live in a more congested part of the city, opt for indoor exercise instead of outdoor workouts. This is because increased physical activity causes you to take deeper breaths, and inhale more polluted air into your lungs.
• While early morning walks seem enticing, remember that the smog in the air (especially during winters) can do more harm than good to your body.
• Lastly, limit your carbon footprint. Walk, use public transport and carpool to burn less fuel. Service your car periodically and make sure your PUC certificate is valid.

Yes, it's the little things that count in the long run.

Acne and its treatment

Acne is a menace. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories –
* Preventive or general acne skin care products
* Over-the-counter, specialized acne skin care products
* On-prescription acne skin care products.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.  Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules.  However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin.  Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.

So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.

‘Personal skin care’ is a routine

We all know the importance of ‘personal skin care’.  The opinion on how-to (for personal skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty parlours every other day is personal skin care. Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a month or once a year. Still others busy themselves with ‘personal skin care’ all the time. However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive (considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on personal skin care routine is ‘Cleansing’. The three main ingredients of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents).  Oil and surfactants extract dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean. You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the best. However, you should always use soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin).  Take care that you don’t over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.

The second thing on the personal skin care routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process. Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume these products, hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products. Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care procedure, it’s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin. Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizers.  This is one of the most important things in personal skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturisers. Moisturisers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture (from air) whenever needed.  Use of too much moisturiser can however clog skin pores and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturiser needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturiser.  Also, applying the moisturiser is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on personal skin care routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day-time creams/moisturisers) come with UV protection – so you can get double benefits from them. Such moisturisers are recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various personal skin care products and also with the amount you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for you. However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.