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As many spas remain closed due to the pandemic, it is time to take winter skincare into your own hands. Wellness experts from luxury hotels across the country share easy-to-follow rituals.

- BAYAR JAIN

ITC Grand Goa

TURNING ITS GAZE towards a common household ingredient, ITC Grand Goa recommends a cashew nut ritual for your winter skincare routine. Begin with a cashew kernel scrub mixed with oils to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. Apply it on the body generously, then wipe it off using a warm towel. Slather your body with cashew nut paste and fresh apricot. This helps the proteins and the essential minerals to seep into the epidermis, leading to smooth skin. Follow this with a cold compressed virgin cashew oil massage to restore natural moisture and prevent damage. The oils— replete with Vitamin E—reverse ageing, while iron and phosphorus are ideal antidotes for cracked heels and fungal infections. Recreating this indulgent experience and ramping it up with luxurious elements is the Cashew Ritual available at the property’s Kaya Kalp spa. itchotels.in

The Lodhi

FOR ATHINI KASHE, spa director of The Lodhi, New Delhi, skin nourishment should take centre stage during winter. Using a mild moisturiser to balance the skin’s pH levels is step one, which should be paired with an alcohol-free toner. “Rosewater can be used, as it has hydrating and clarifying properties,” she says. To prevent flakiness, Kashe suggests you start with a serum and then apply a heavy cream-based moisturiser, replete with emollients. For acne-prone skin, look for lighter products. To ensure healthy, glowing skin and to neutralise free radicals, choose a night cream that is loaded with Vitamin C, anti-ageing properties, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants. thelodhi.com