Beauty secrets of Bollywood divas
Team IndiWo Feb 27, 2008
Smooth, luscious, lustrous, radiant - a complexion you could kill for. That's an asset not many celebrities can boast of. The inherent beauty of gorgeous skin can never match up with the made-up look, agrees celebrity skin specialist Dr Aparna Santhanam.

Dr Santanam lets us in on to the secrets of gorgeous skin, that some of the most flawless complexioned Bollywood divas swear by. Just stick to these little routine things and be the envy of your neughbourhood for your whipped-cream-smooth complexion.

PS - glorious skin compliments anything and everything you wear, so bid good-bye to the 'what-to-wear' frenzy everyday!

Aishwarya Rai

Rated as one of the most beautiful women in the world by HELLO magazine, this blue eyed stunner is naturally beautiful in the every sense of the term. No matter how gruelling the shooting schedule, Ash makes sure her skin regimen is never affected. Hers is a face that can launch a thousand brands, and she seems to be completely aware of it.

Here are some of Ash's secrets - people close to her reveal that Ash is a water freak - she drinks at least 8 glasses each day, if not more. A self-confessed naturalist, Ash also relies on natural products from the kitchen - cucumber to soothe her skin, gram flour to exfoliate and milk and yoghurt to moisturize.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

Sleep your way to a gorgeous glowing skin. Lack of sleep is the reason behind most of the skin problems - dark circles, dull skin, pimples, you name it. Your skin thrives on oxygen, which it gets during the sleep. So hit the bed at the first opportunity you get and catch up on some zzz.

Kareena Kapoor

The current heartthrob of Bollywood (oh yes, actor Saif Ali Khan's too), Kareena is one of the luckiest stars - she has inherited generations of peaches-and-cream complexion, a trademark of Kapoor dynasty of Bollywood.

Recently, Kareena has lost oodles of weight and has acquired a natural blush only a regular exercise routine (and perhaps love) can give. Kareena has often talked about her love for chocolate wraps, which is a known anti-oxident to stop the skin from ageing.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

A tiring session of any sort of exercise is the best facial you can get. Exercise increases the blood circulation in your body, and the blood gushes up to your face, to give you a happy glow. Exercise also rids your body of all the toxins, reducing the incidence of pimples and acne.

Contrary to popular belief, exercise can also work wonders in a short time - just give it three days and you'll see your skin tone improving!

Katrina Kaif

The moment she appeared on the silver screen in the hit Bollywood flick Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya, her lovely looks and silky Indo-Canedian complexion won our hearts! Katrina's skin has the unique mixture of the essentially Punjabi texture and an Anglo-saxon skin tone.

Katrina is often asked about the secret of her skin - she says it's her addiction to the purifying apricot oil by Anne Semoin.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

You need proteins to keep your skin looking young - whether your proteins come from fish and egg or almonds, sprouts and soy and pulses to compensate for the lack of protein.

Make sure you have enough proteins in your diet - just to lose weight, don't give up on your nutrition.

Sushma Reddy

It seems like model and actress Sushma Reddy has been around in Bollywood forever, and yet she looks as fresh and young as she looked in her first ad film.

What's her secret? "I begin my day with a huge jar of Watermelon juice. It's body cleansing. I also love to meditate - it helps me find inner peace. I think that's the secret of my glow," she says.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

Yoga is one of the most common ways to achieve glorious skin. Follow this 5-minute routine everyday and see the difference - relax your facial muscles through simple pranayam. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it in for ten seconds and exhale.

Deep breathing, for even half an hour everyday can delay the arrival of wrinkles and other signs of ageing on your face.

Yana Gupta

Actress and dancer Yana Gupta justifies the term 'porcelain beauty'. Her skin always sports the freshly scrubbed, delicate look. Yana has a face, which looks even more beautiful without make-up on it than with make-up.

Yana's secret? Coconut water. "I drinks coconut water more religiously than even normal water," says the beauty. Yana also uses no soaps, but just coconut paste to cleanse her skin.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

Harsh soaps are a no-no. Exfoliate your skin at least once a week with oats , gram flour or any other scrub that suits your skin. Don't forget to cleanse thoroughly at least twice a day. Remember, sun-screen is your best friend, since weather in India is mostly sunny.

Aditi Govitrikar

When model Aditi Govitrikar walks down the ramp, it's impossible to believe that she is a mother of two!

"I think my skin is a product of my rainbow diet - I am a vegetarian and I make sure I add at least three colours in my diet every day. Greens, reds and oranges are my favourite, since they are anti-oxident-rich. And of course, I never forget to moisturise," she says.

Dr Santhanam's Secret

Follow this like a religion - cleanse, tone, moisturise.

Get your skin analyzed at least once from a dermatologist to know what kind of products suit you. If you look at the ill effects of wrong products, a visit to the dermat is totally worth it.

Moisturising is necessary even for oily skin. Never leave home without your moisturiser and sun-screen. It's a healthy habit and not an indulgence!