Soaking in the sun, sipping margaritas is just the kind of vacation you look forward to. You definitely ought to let down your hair and give yourself a break, cherish all these little moments.
And when you come back, you return not just with your personal stuff, but with a chest full of marvellous memories as well.
Unfortunately though, after the vacation is over, it is time to face the reality of everyday life again. While you’ve had your fair share of fun, know that the trip hasn’t exactly been very kind to your skin or to your hair. All this while, your tresses and skin have been exposed to the sun and probably the sand as well, leaving them quite vulnerable.
It is one of your foremost duties towards yourself, to restore and to rejuvenate, and to start this process from scratch too. Follow these steps for a quick and efficient recovery post vacation:
Revitalizing your skin post vacation:
- Chug water:
- Exfoliation is key:
- It is time for DIY-style face masks:
- Catch on some sleep:
- Nourish your hair with oils:
- Avoid the sun:
Chug water:
Since your skin has been rather vulnerable amidst all that travelling, the best way to fix it is from the inside out. Therefore, it is extremely important that you properly hydrate yourself.
You need to drink water equal to about half of your body weight (in terms of ounces) each day in order to reverse the dehydrating effects of all the running around you’ve done.
The easiest way is to stick to the 8x8 rule, which is to drink 8 glasses of 8oz water throughout the day. Or you could even switch things up a bit with lemon water. This also adds flavour to the drink, making it easier to gulp down.
Start off your day with lemon water. Lemon is an excellent citrus fruit and has immense health benefits, ranging from its antibacterial and antiviral properties to its immune boosting abilities. This will help you flush out toxins from your body. Adding ginger to it will help settle your tummy as well, in case you’ve an upset one from all the travelling.
How to prepare lemon water:
You can either squeeze fresh lemon into lukewarm water or finely slice the lemon and add the slices to water. You can easily carry it on the go as well!
Remember, hydration is the key to a healthy and glowing skin!
Although this may seem like a lot of water, but it is essential that you incorporate this routine even if you don’t travel very often. Try to inculcate this habit on a daily basis.
Good habits can help you go a long way, and drinking lemon water on an empty stomach every morning certainly has quite a few health benefits to it.
Exfoliation is key:
Whether you were running around in the mountains or soaking up sun at the beach, your skin is bound to have been exposed to dirt, oil and pollution, leaving your pores clogged.
So, the very first thing you should do once you reach home is to exfoliate your body.
Start off with a gentle cleanser, followed by the exfoliation. Exfoliation helps to remove dead cells from the top layer of your skin. By removing this clutter off of your skin, exfoliation helps brighten your complexion, and lets your skin-care products penetrate even deeper into your skin.
Exfoliating according to your skin type:
For sensitive skin: Make sure that you are extra gentle during the process of exfoliation. Use lukewarm water, a wet washcloth or a mild chemical exfoliant with significantly lower active ingredient percentages, one that wouldn’t cause harm to your skin. Skip the scrubs for beady pads. Repeat this process once a week for best results.
For oily skin: You can exfoliate about three to four times a week. Try not to overdo it though, since it can cause your skin to dry out and drastically increase oil production. Your best bet is to choose a charcoal based exfoliant that will help absorb all the excess oil.
For dry skin: If you have dry skin, opt for cream-based scrubs that will gently remove the dead skin cells. Such exfoliants are more effective because they instantly remove the visible flakes. Repeat this process about thrice a week for more effective results.
It is time for DIY-style face masks:
What could be better than a face mask? Absolutely nothing, we say!
Applying a good face mask will make your skin feel soft, supple, and give your skin a radiant glow. Plus, face masks help remove the excess oil, hydrate your skin and draw out the impurities within. It is the best way to relax and cater to your skincare needs at the same time. You can apply face masks about twice a week.
Try the following DIY face mask. You can prepare it in the comfort of your own home.
For this hydrating mask, start off by mashing 1 ripe banana. Then, add 2 tablespoons of honey and add 1 tablespoon of orange juice to it. Stir this mixture well, till smooth.
Before applying this paste, wash your face first with lukewarm water. Then, apply the mask to your face, making sure to completely cover the T-zone area. Leave it on for about 20 minutes for your skin to soak in all its hydrating benefits.
Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry with a soft towel. This mask will help you get soft, supple and healthy skin.
Catch on some sleep:
While you’ve been busy sight-seeing or traveling to different cities, your body tends to get bone-tired. As exciting as a vacation is, the all the travelling can get really tedious and exhausting.
So it is important for you to catch on some sleep once you get back home. Depriving yourself of sleep increases the stress hormone Cortisol, the result of which becomes evident on your face in the form of bags under your eyes. And sleep deprivation is a vicious cycle, as it builds up stress which further deprives you of sleep.
Lesser sleep causes you to age at a greater pace. During deep sleep, growth hormones are produced which help repair damaged cells. When you don’t receive enough sleep, this process gets hindered, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles on your face.
Sleep is also a factor to consider in weight management. If you are low on sleep, you are bound to gain considerable weight as well.
Revitalizing your hair post vacation:
Nourish your hair with oils:
When you take a dip into the swimming pool, your hair gets drenched in chlorine. Chlorine can strip your hair of its natural oils. It can cause your hair to become dry and brittle, which definitely sounds like bad news!
To rejuvenate your hair, apply oil regularly. According to our mothers and grandmothers even, the recipe for healthy and strong hair includes a therapeutic oil massage to the head. This age-old trick definitely works and might just be able to help you.
Once you’ve made your bed for a good night’s sleep, make sure that you apply almond or coconut oil onto your hair and scalp. Oil provides your hair with the nourishment it needs, and also helps repair the damage caused. You can keep the oil on overnight, and wash it off using a sulphate-free shampoo in the morning.
Avoid the sun:
Now that you’re back from the vacation, you might want to avoid the sun for a while. Since your skin and hair are rather vulnerable at this stage, you shouldn’t risk the chance of more damage.
If you have to head out, ensure that you slather yourself in generous amounts of sunscreen. Just like your skin, your hair needs protection too. You can always don a hat to protect yourself from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Written by Team BB on Sep 13, 2018