Gone are the days when men did not worry about their skin texture. Skincare was sole responsibility and cause of stress for teenage girls and women. But now in 21st century, the scenario has changed. Instead of building muscle mass [by exercising], gaining a rough and tough body, many young males are concerned about the glow and texture of their facial skin. They now join hands with their fairer counterpart. You have the lists of beauty products, toiletries, saloon calls, facial packs, massages and the lists are endless. What I think is instead of putting healthy things through gastrointestinal tract; we are applying more pastes and layers of oils on our outer part of the body, to get it washed easily. We are least bothered about efficacy and scientific nature of beauty products. We are more attracted towards the outward marketing of all these creams and pastes. I can’t blame the customer. The advertisements are so magnetic, that even middle-class and lower middle-class population never minds spending on these products rather than buying healthy food for them.

As a homoeopathic physician, I do get many patients of skin diseases. Many times I get a pressing demand from my patients, "Doctor sab, kuchh bhi kar lo magar aap jaisa skin colour aur complexion karke dedo muze." They can hardly digest my experience of depending on healthy lifestyle and no applications for skin. Healthy food habits and good water intake does make wonders in the skin department.

Few tips for healthy skin….

  • Eat less oily food. Stay away from too spicy food.
  • Eat lot of green leafy vegetables like coriander, spinach, amaranth, fenugreek and mint.
  • Eat good amount of raw salads with less seasoning, like cucumber, radish, carrot, tomato etc.
  • Eat all seasonal vegetables. Don’t overcook your veggies to retain the nutrients in them.
  • Eat good amount of seasonal fruits, instead of fruit juices.
  • Milk and milk products like yogurt, butter milk, butter and ghee are good for skin. You get natural moisturizers from its fat content. Same is true for coconut. Instead of relying on external applications made of coconut, use coconut in your food, in raw form.
  • Nuts and dry fruits have many essential fatty acids and nutrients. So consume them even if they are bit costly. Compared to the amount of money we spend on beauty products, these come cheap.
  • Fish is good for health of skin and hair. Try it if you are non vegetarian
  • Wash your face with good quality soap, non medicinal, at least twice a day.
  • Last but not least and most important tip, drink at least two to three liters of water daily. It helps in maintaining good skin texture.

Good luck with your skin.