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bring about huge changes to almost every part of a woman’s body, from skin and hair right through to teeth and gums. To keep their pregnant bodies in top condition, mums-to-be need to adjust their daily skincare and pampering routine to ensure that they feel and look great, right up to their due date and beyond. Here are Miriam Stoppard’s Top Tips for Pregnant Skincare:

# Check the suitability of your normal beauty products
The first thing to do when you find you are pregnant is to check the products that you would normally use. You may find that some products are unsuitable for pregnant skin. If you are at all concerned then switch to products which state they are suitable for use during pregnancy

# Avoid using soap
Soap removes natural oils from the skin, so try using a moisturising body wash instead. This will maintain the essential oils in pregnant skin and promote a healthy glow

# Don’t spend too long in the bath
Prolonged contact with water dehydrates the skin and can leave it looking dull. To avoid this use a moisturising bath soak to re-hydrate the skin

# Protect your skin
Skin pigmentation can change during pregnancy and skin may tan/burn much more easily. Look for products with UV filters to help and make sure you pay special attention to your face and hands

# Feed your skin
The turnover of skin cells is accelerated during pregnancy, so make sure you nourish and moisturise more than normal to keep skin looking healthy

# Get to grips with your bump
Skin is under a lot of pressure during pregnancy especially in the abdominal area. Massaging your bump with a tummy massage gel will keep skin supple and elastic in areas prone to stretch marks

# Don’t water it down
After you wash, use a good moisturising body lotion to keep your skin in tip-top condition and to counteract the drying effect of water

# Take extra care of your face
Some women find that their skin becomes oilier during pregnancy. Use a high-quality, pregnancy-safe, facial cleanser to help even things out

# Maintain your balance
Try shower or bath products that contain extra moisturising properties and are pH balanced. These should help maintain a healthy glow for pregnant skin

You can go to a hair spa or simply apply natural protein packs, amla-reetha-shikakai packs or henna packs every 15 days to keep your hair healthy and shiny. Oiling your hair with olive oil or almond and castor oil will ensure hair growth. Follow this up with towel wrap for 15 minutes before rinsing your hair with a mild shampoo.

Shampooing twice a week is always recommended as this does not allow dandruff and grease to settle on the scalp. Apply conditioners on the hair (and not on the scalp) will keep your hair soft and manageable.

You can also experiment with your hairstyle. Always choose a hairstyle that goes with the shape of your face. You may use hair color if you have gray hair. Always use a good quality hair color. Just one advice-learning to age gracefully is the best “age defying” treatment.

It is a common assumption that men are just not bothered about their looks and are not willing to make an effort to care for their beauty. A fact that men will never admit is, that they are equally conscious and bothered about the way they look and also like getting themselves pampered at beauty salons and spas. Though, of recent there are many beauty treatments exclusively for men, they may not serve the purpose of the basic care that men need to provide their skin, hair and body with. By following some simple beauty tips and a proper regimen for skin care and hair care, men can also achieve the looks that they desire. Here are a few beauty tips for men.

Beauty Tips for Men

Skin Care
Facial skin care is what many men do not bother about, not knowing that it is indeed very important. Men have 15% more oilier skin than women do, which leads to them developing skin disorders like acne, wrinkles, blemishes, etc. Follow the steps mentioned below for appropriate skin care.

* Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face on a daily basis. Men with very oily skin should use a soap-free cleanser and a face gel, instead of a moisturizer. A moisturizer that contains clay properties can also be used.
* Use a face scrub at least twice a week, to exfoliate the skin off dead skin cells, blackheads and white heads. Follow it up with a homemade face pack.
* Always use a sun protection lotion or a sunscreen when moving about in the sun, to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays.
* Prior to shaving, wash your face with a soap-free face wash, wet the beard with warm water and let it soak well for a minute or two. Apply the shaving cream in equal proportions and use one that contains vitamin E or aloe vera, as it would be less harsh on your skin. After shaving, use an after-shave toner and follow it up with some moisturizer.
* Visit a salon once a month to get a face clean-up done. This will rid you of unwanted black heads, clogged skin pores and pimples. Do not hesitate to get an occasional salon facial or homemade facial done.

Hair Care
The most common hair problems that men face are male hair loss, gray hair and dandruff. This is mainly due to lack of use of appropriate hair care products and also due to dust, pollution and harmful UV rays of the sun. The following hair care tips will help you improve your hair and will rid you of hair problems.

* The most important aspect of hair care is caring for the scalp. For this, always use a mild shampoo, followed by a moisturizing conditioner. If you have dandruff, use a good anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner. You can also use a hair serum to maintain the texture of hair.
* Wash your hair at least thrice a week and massage your hair and scalp with oil that contains vitamin E. Leave the oil on for a few hours before you wash it off.
* Do not wash your hair with warm or hot water. Always use lukewarm or cool water for hair wash.
* Avoid towel drying or blow drying your hair, as it can cause hair breakage which can lead to considerable hair loss and ultimately baldness. Allow your hair to air dry and do not brush wet hair.
* Avoid the use of hair straighteners and other hair accessories and hair products that can damage your hair follicles.
* To tackle gray hair, get your hair colored using a hair color or hair dye, that suits your skin tone.
* Get your hair cut or trimmed regularly and wear a cap or hat when venturing out in the sun and pollution.

Hand and Nail Care
Hand and nail care is something that even many women tend to ignore, so men completely ignoring it, is no big deal. Follow the steps mentioned below, for appropriate hand and nail care.

* Moisturize your hands and fingers daily post having a bath. Keep your hands and the area between the fingers clean.
* Do not bite your fingernails, instead trim them on a regular basis and file them appropriately to avoid brittle nails.
* Getting an occasional manicure at a salon is just fine!

Foot Care
It is very essential to care for your feet, to avoid rough, dry feet and foot infections. The following tips will help you maintain clean and healthy feet.

* Wash your feet regularly and keep the area between the toes clean and dry.
* Trim your toe nails regularly and file them.
* Use a foot care lotion to keep your feet healthy and to avoid dry feet.
* You can also use a pumice stone or foot file to get rid of thick dead skin on the heels and ankles.
* If you are going to be wearing socks all day, make sure you use a deodorizing foot spray or talcum powder to avoid stinky feet, due to sweating of feet. Also, clean your shoes before you wear them.

Tips to keep your face clean: Wash the face when ever you get chance. That helps in keeping away from dust. As the skin pores of men are larger than women, faces of men get dirtier more. So, wash with deep cleansing lotion every day to get a soft, healthy and clear skin.

Apart from cleansing products, scrap your face twice a week. It helps to remove dead cells and make the skin surface smooth. Mix some natural products such as nuts and seeds to rub on the skin to moisturize it the natural way.

Tips to keep the face skin toned: As men attract more dust and dirt than the fairer sex, men need to be extra conscious to keep their skin toned and firm. Toning helps to keep the skin clean and retain elasticity.

Not only moisturizing and cleaning the face, the most common problem faced by men are blemishes and cuts during shaving. Itching is another common problem for men who are prone to dry and uneven skin type. While shaving, maintain that you have a sharp and clean razor and blade.

Men, as they stay out of home for most of the time must adapt the habit of using sunscreen. This helps in building a shield against the ultra violet rays of the sun. Opt for a sunscreen lotion with SPF 15.

In the modern age, men are very much in to dressing. For the men of today who love to dress up and deck themselves, the following tips can be very useful:

Use white pressed powder or foundation to bring out the skin tone

Men can use a thin line of kohl also. But those who have beard or moustache should out go for kohl as it looks odd.

Tattoo painting or body painting is the latest trend among men. To be the attraction of all eyes, you can go for an innovative pattern or design.

Treat your skin properly with good products to avoid blemishes and rashes.

Shaving is the most typical start to a man’s day. Getting a good shave involve skin’s sensitivity- how the skin reacts to razors and shaving products. The following tips will help not only get the shaving you crave, but also leave your skin looking and feeling its best.

1. Avoid shaving in the morning. If possible, let your skin wake up a while. This allows the “puffiness” you encounter from fluids collecting in your skin during the night to recede, thus allowing you to get a closer shave when you do begin the task.

2. Wet your beard thoroughly with warm or hot water before shaving. Well-soaked hair is much weaker and that makes it much easier to cut.

2. Use a facial cleanser or scrub to eradicate dead skin cells and open up the pores of the skin to prepare it for a close shave.

4. Thoroughly massage shave cream into stubble for one or two minutes before shaving. Use only the best shaving cream. Note that the best shaving cream doesn’t have a lot of foam. A vitamin and Aloe Vera based shave cream will provide a close soothing shave and protect against razor rashes and burns.

5. Use a sharp high quality blade. Shaving with a dull blade is responsible for many shaving cuts as it drags over your face and catches your skin along with the hairs of your beard. Also change the blades often and never use a disposable razor more than once.

6. Rinse the blade often in hot water when shaving and use slow short strokes. Take your time.

8. After shaving, apply an oil-free moisturizer to soothe and protect the face. If you prefer an after-shave, check the label for alcohol. Dryness and stinging sensations are by-products of most after-shave products whose primary ingredient is alcohol. It may feel good at the time, but alcohol based after-shaves are actually irritating to many complexions.