Five skincare essentials to carry this festive season, says expert

Festival preparations usually come with a list: favourite outfits, good jewellery and a fully charged phone for photos. But amid the rush, one thing is often forgotten, skincare. The festive season kicks off from September, and it brings with it outdoor events, crowded streets, harsh sun, humidity, sweat, pollution and frequent selfie stops. Keeping a few essential skincare items handy can help skin stay fresh, hydrated and festival-ready through it all.

Paulomi Roy, Chief Marketing Officer of Joy Personal Care (RSH Global), has shared five essential skincare items to keep in your bag this season.

The first is sunscreen. Whether it is a daytime visit to a pandal, eating out or moving around the city for other events, skin is exposed to a lot of sun during this time. So keep an SPF 50 sunscreen in your bag and make reapplying it part of your festive routine. A sunscreen with a no white cast, meaning it does not leave a white layer on the skin, and a mattifying formula that reduces excess oil, is especially useful, since it protects the skin without leaving any visible layer and also controls extra oil, keeping skin photo-ready at all times.

The second essential is a water bottle. While moving between different events, people often forget to drink water. So carry a water bottle and make drinking water regularly part of your schedule, especially when you are outdoors, on the move or spending long hours in the sun. It may not seem like the most exciting item in the bag, but drinking enough water helps you feel refreshed through the long festive days and keeps the face looking fresh too.

The third item is wet wipes. Sweat, dust, pollution and the day's running around quickly make skin feel tired or dirty. When there is no time for a full face wash, keep gentle wet wipes handy to freshen up the skin instantly. These are especially useful while moving from one event to another, and before the next selfie, meal or festive programme.

The fourth is a face wash, for when the skin needs to be freshened up immediately. After spending a long time outdoors, skin carries not just festive memories but also a layer of sweat, dust, extra oil and grime from the surroundings. Keeping a compact face wash in the bag can be very useful to refresh the skin whenever there is a chance.

On days when the skin gets tanned from the sun or looks dull, a light face wash containing saffron, turmeric and sandalwood should be used. These traditional ingredients are said to help remove tanning, gently exfoliate the skin and restore its natural glow, and are especially beneficial for skin tired from a day spent outdoors.