Jayanti Krishnan

Monsoon is here! A time to say goodbye to extreme summer heat, enjoy the beauty of nature in its perfect state, sip a hot cuppa coffee/tea and cool down your minds while enjoying the blissful green around us. It is also the time when, unfortunately, you need to worry about your skin and hair. Rainy season while lifts up our spirits, it tends to have a reverse effect on our beauty.

You need to take good care of your skin and hair to avoid a variety of problems that arise during rainy season. A little precaution and a good nourishing diet can go a long way in ensuring that you stay in the pink of your health throughout this season.

For your face, I would recommend that you give a plain water wash couple of times a day, use a cleanser once a day, and follow it up with a good moisturizer. In addition, periodically exfoliate with a good scrub. The scrub is important if you get drenched in the rain often. And last, keep the makeup at minimum.

For hair, the good old warm oil champiis a must. In addition, go for a mild shampoo only. Thanks to the dust and grime that settles in due to getting wet in the rain, there is a tendency to opt for a strong shampoo. Avoid that, stick to a milder shampoo. Lastly, do not tie wet hair. Drying them using your fingertips is advisable, as that ensures natural warmth to the hair and scalp.

A balanced diet is critical to ensure that the steps taken for hair and skin bear fruit! So eat all your meals warm and completely avoid cold, raw and dry food. Include ghee in your diet, and ensure you have herbal teas and hot water regularly. Do take a glass of warm milk spiced with some turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon before going to bed. While it will keep the cold/cough at the bay, it will also enhance your skin.

While the above is what I have seen work in the Mumbai monsoons, I decided to also take some inputs from a specialist.

I caught up with Hemangi Sagar, Owner of the Hemangi Sagar Studio, India Bulls, Mumbai. She is a Cidesco certified cosmetologist, hairstylist, make-up artist and a skin care specialist. She also runs the Hemangi Sagar Training Academy providing training and career opportunities to people wanting to enter this profession. The face of many leading brands like Ponds, Glucon- D, Bank of India, Cygnus jewellery, she has endorsed products like Clarins and Dermalogica. She has also been a part an international award winning production Sand Castle and a Marathi production – Jetaa.

Here is my tête-à-tête with Hemangi and a few tips to maintain the beauty of our skin and hair. ​

Jayanti: Hi Hemangi, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by Eyra. Your work so far has been impressive. What made you choose this as a profession? Usually it is our passion or some external inspiration that paves the way for a creative career. Who has been your inspiration?

Hemangi: In my formative years, I met a lady whom I admired. Her name is Dr. Deepa Sathye and she runs a medico cosmetic centre in Pune. I liked how she was empowering women to be more confident. I decided that I wanted to be a person who would add value to people’s lives by making them feel better about themselves. Whether with a skin treatment, a beauty or a hair makeover.

Jayanti: In today’s competitive world, what is your advice to corporate women wanting to present themselves impeccably?

Hemangi: I am all about making women feel empowered by enhancing their natural beauty. Do not ever think that you have to match up to some external standard of beauty. Be yourself, be well groomed and carry yourself with confidence. I believe in a holistic approach to beauty and so our team at the studio comprises of hair and make-up experts, as well as a nutritionist and a dermatologist.

Jayanti: That’s an interesting and refreshing approach to beauty. Can you give some handy business make up tips for business women to get a professional look?

Hemangi: In this rainy season, hair tends to get frizzy and dry. Apply good quality serums and conditioners to retain moisture in the hair. You can also use hair irons to keep the hair neat and tidy. A right foundation, eyeliner and lipstick is a must. Cleansing your skin regularly is a must and one should try to do it 3 to 4 times a day.

Jayanti: Please tell us something about your training academy. Is it also for homemakers to help them with personal grooming? Also, what are the career opportunities for trainees?

Hemangi: The training academy caters to all, from professionals to students to homemakers. We have tailormade courses which are reasonably priced and designed taking into account individual needs. The beauty industry is booming and we give placements at our own salon and also provide recommendations to other salons. More importantly, we equip our students to make it on their own if they wish to.

So, let this monsoon soar up not only our spirits, but also enhance our beauty! ​