BEAUTY GURU GEETA RAO SHARES HER SKINCARE RULES

What would you do if you get a chance to interact with one of the most respected voices of authority in India on beauty and wellness? Ask her about her insider beauty secrets! And that is what our consulting beauty editor did when she met Geeta Rao, previously beauty Director at Vogue India, and now an influencer, content creator and brand storyteller. Her works continue to be featured in India’s leading publications – Vogue, The Times of India, The Hindu and Lifestyle Asia, and she shares her take on beauty, art, fashion and luxury through her blog geetaslist.wordpress.com. Aparrna Gupta quizzes Geeta on everything, right from her favourite products to how to build a skincare closet. Read on as Geeta shares a page from her wellness and beauty diary.
What are your tips and tricks to build an effective skincare closet ? What products (product categories) are the essentials and which are the desirables ?
Geeta Rao: For an effective skincare closet, you need to start with the rituals you follow and build on that. Cleansing, exfoliation and hydration are essential steps in my opinion. Once you work on these you have to segment choices according to your skin type and age. Nothing is cast in stone and you need to revisit the products you use regularly because a lot of things impact your skin condition.
Investing in a good makeup remover is non-negotiable. If you double cleanse, then balance with two cleansing products. Finish with a serum or facial oil. A cleanser, serum, and CC cream are great for the day. For the night serum, night cream (yes, a night cream even if you are in your twenties especially if you sleep in an air-conditioned room) and a separate serum for the under-eye area works well. Surprisingly a lot of young women have premature ageing around the eyes so this will help.
Don’t overload your skin with too many products. Don’t sleep with more than three products on your face. If you simply must use six products, then have alternate days or cycles.

You are a big advocator of clean eating. What are your diet rules to get glowing skin?
Geeta Rao: I am not sure how clean my eating is as I have no control over most of my day but breakfast is a meal I spend time on and plan so that is usually healthy. I eat eggs as I think they are an easy source of protein but I try greening them up in as many ways as I can think of with herbs, veggies, and millets. Breakfast is more of a meditative exercise for me. We lead busy lives so one meal should be a slow one.
Geeta Rao: Beauty Bytes
Cold water on my face.
I always have a bright pink lipstick like MAC chatterbox, a shimmer eye shadow palette in neutrals and golds (I currently am using the Pixi by Petra palette) and facial oil or serum, Sephora’s eye makeup remover on my dressing table.
Putting on my lipstick always gives me a high – the brighter the better.
An Ayurvedic rose water spritz, a lipstick and a powder compact.
Clinique’s moisture surge, rose water and cold cream.
SHOP GEETA RAO’S JUST HERBS FAVORITES

Sapta Jal Ayurvedic Micellar Water
