ave you ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of brands and products that line the beauty treatment aisles at your local superstore? For those of us who can’t tell a cleanser from a toner, navigating the world of skincare and haircare can be a challenge. Actress and beauty queen Areej Chaudhary, on the other hand, clearly has her beauty routine down to a pat. So we thought we’d ask her about her favourite products and see if there are any tips she might be able to share with the rest of us.

Skincare

“The main thing I would like to mention,” Areej begins, “is that I don’t use a lot of things on my face.” Her daily skincare routine, she explains, includes applying a day cream in the morning, and a good cleanser with baby oil followed by a good night cream before she goes to bed.

“Mostly for my skin care products, I use the Bioderma Day Cream which is made with organic ingredients,” she elaborates. “For the night cream, I prefer Shah Hassan’s Peppermint & Saffron, alongside Johnson’s Baby Oil and Johnson’s cream cleanser.”

The rest, she says, is all about a healthy diet and proper supplements. “I do take vitamins as well that are for hair, nails, and skin. The hair vitamins are from the brand Kingbang Biolo, and the other vitamins are from Nature’s Bounty.”

Areej stresses that at the end of the day, good hair and skin mostly comes down to a healthy diet. She suggests avoiding junk food, but concedes that she can’t resist that occasional slice of pizza. 

Haircare

Speaking of haircare, the actress says she has a habit of oiling her tresses regularly. “I use natural oils – almond, coconut, jojoba – and mix them with some good serums and capsules, and I oil my hair every two days.” Areej uses coconut oil from The Body Shop, while the rest of the oils are the desi ones that are available locally. The shampoo and conditioner she likes are from TRESemmé, while the hair serum of her choice is from Kerastase. “[The serum you choose] depends on which product suits you,” she says. “Kerastase is a good brand specialized for dyed hair, so according to that this serum rebuilds the texture of your hair.”

Diet

Areej stresses, however, that at the end of the day, good hair and skin mostly comes down to a healthy diet. She suggests avoiding junk food, but concedes that she can’t resist that occasional slice of pizza.

“I drink fresh juices when I wake up and then have yogurt. I eat homemade butter with bread sometimes or vegetables; roti that is cooked in desi ghee twice a week; and mutton and desi murgha occasionally. I generally don’t eat chicken at all unless it’s on a pizza from a good brand, and I don’t eat burgers. No soft drinks, no junk food; just pizza sometimes,” she says.

Eat healthy and eat pure, she suggests, and hopefully you too will have glowing skin and silky hair!