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Q1. I have oily skin and wash my face 3 or 4 times a day. I have a lot of blackheads. What should I do? from Anupriya Misra

A1. You should not wash the face more than twice a day. Most soaps are too alkaline. Too much soap and water washing can upset the normal acid-alkaline balance, leaving your skin too alkaline and predisposed to bacterial attack. For blackheads, daily deep pore cleansing is essential. First use a medicated soap or cleanser, rinsing well with water. Then use cleansing grains. Cleansing grains mixed with a rose-based skin tonic has been very effective. The mixture is to be rubbed gently on the face or on the areas with blackheads. Rinse off after two or three minutes. This helps to dislodge and discourage blackheads.

Q2. I have oily skin with large open pores. How can I improve it? from Rema Beniwal

A2. You should use products for oily skin, so that the oiliness of the skin surface reduces. Products, like a mild astringent, would help to close the pores. You can use a rose or lavender based skin tonic to reduce oiliness and close the pore. Use a facial scrub or cleansing grains daily, to keep the pores free of oil. We prescribe a specialized face mask for daily use, which consists of a herbal powder and seaweed lotion. It is for home use and is mixed with honey, yogurt and egg white.

Q3. Please suggest a remedy for whiteheads? from RAj Sharma

A3. Like blackheads, whiteheads are also caused by hardened sebum (oil). In whiteheads, or milia, as they are called, the pore is not open. They can be very stubborn and difficult to remove. You should refer them to a skin therapist or even a doctor, as they should be removed with a sterile probe. Scrubbing daily with cleansing grains and skin tonic may help to discourage them.

Q4. I have dry and sensitive skin. Some areas are rough and red, with white flakes. What is the remedy? from Shailaja Bala

A4. Your skin is dehydrated and you have a condition of dry-skin sensitivity. The rough, red and flaky areas have become totally dehydrated, due to habitual lack of moisture. You should stop using soap completely. A lemon-turmeric pre-wash cream would be ideal. Also, use a cleansing gel containing aloevera and lemon, wiping the skin with moist cotton wool. At night, after cleansing, apply a nourishing cream and massage it into the skin. Remove the cream with moist cotton wool. Then apply a liquid moisturizer on the dry areas. We have been prescribing hydrating masks, containing seaweed, for such conditions. Protect your skin during the day with a sandalwood based protective cream, mixed with a moisturizing cream. You should also use a sunscreen with a high SPF before going out in the sun.

About Shahnaz Husssain:

Shahnaz Husain, the pioneer and leader of herbal care in India, has achieved unprecedented international acclaim for her practical application of Ayurveda. With a burning desire to recapture an ancient heritage, Shahnaz Husain has taken India’s Ayurvedic tradition to every corner of the globe.

After training for 10 years in cosmetic therapy and cosmetic chemistry, at leading institutions of the West, like Helena Rubinstein, Arnould Taylor, Swarzkopf, Christine Valmy, Lancome and Lean of Copenhagen, Shahnaz returned to her roots and studied Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of herbal healing. She set up her herbal clinic in her own home, in a very small way, rejecting the existing salon treatment methods and devised her own herbal treatments. She introduced a totally new concept of “care and cure”. She also began to formulate her own Ayurvedic products. This was the beginning of the legendary Shahnaz Herbal and other ranges. In fact she has become known for her specialized clinical treatments and therapeutic products for specific problems like acne, pigmentation, scars and blemishes, skin-sensitivity, dandruff, hair loss and alopecia. Today, Shahnaz Husain heads a chain of over 400 franchise salons in India and abroad, with outlets in prestigious stores and locations all over the world. Her franchise-based enterprise has helped in the worldwide extension of the Shahnaz Herbal clinics, popularising her formidable range of nearly 350 products.

Shahnaz has received several national and international awards, including the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from Success Group of the U.S.A. She is the first woman to be so honoured, in the 107-year history of the Success awards. Among her other awards are the Arch of Europe Gold Star Award for Quality, the Golden America Award and the Indian Government Awards for Export Excellence. She has recently been honoured with two prestigious international awards for Quality Excellence and Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur 2002, by Global Quality Management, in London.

Shahnaz Husain is also the pioneer of vocational training in cosmetology in India, having started her professional schools at a time when only apprenticeship training was available.

Shahnaz has never been one to rest on her laurels. She has always looked ahead, towards newer challenges, incorporating the latest techniques and introducing unique innovations. Her natural instincts and foresight have always led her to the next frontier, with her finger on the pulse of international demands. Hers is the story of the human spirit that transcends geographical boundaries and encompasses the entire world. It is a story that is an inspiration to others to follow their dreams with faith and courage. Indeed, as head of the largest herbal clinic-chain of its kind in the world, Shahnaz Husain has become a legend in her own lifetime.

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