The party season brings with it a lot of fun. It also means a lot of late nights, rich unhealthy food, too much alcohol and, for the ladies, too much make-up. Unfortunately, these are a surefire recipe for skin problems.

Many people walk into skin care clinics after Christmas and New Year celebrations, complaining of dull, patchy, tired looking skin, dark circles, flared up acne and loss of glow.

Here's how to bring the roses back to your cheeks and start 2007 looking refreshed.

• Can make-up ruin your skin?

Ban make-up

Avoid make-up for two weeks. Use only face wash and moisturiser. At the most, use a little loose powder on your face. Let your skin breathe for a few days.

Scrub it up

Use a mild face scrub on alternate days. You can use any commercial apricot scrub or a homemade scrub of coarse gram flour or oatmeal, mixed with water, to form a paste. Gently rub for 10 minutes; then rinse to remove the layer of tired, dead cells.

Condition all over

Apply warm olive oil and lime juice or glycerine and rose water on your face, neck, hands and feet, at bedtime everyday. If you have an acne problem however, avoid using this on your face.

Magic potion

Drink 10 glasses of water daily, to detoxify and flush out harmful chemicals from your body.

Skin cocktail

Make a healthy skin cocktail -- throw in oranges, carrots, a piece of bottle gourd (doodhi or louki) and a bitter gourd (karela) into your juicer/ blender. Fill a large glass with the resulting extract. Don't make faces -- just gulp it down! Do this daily for at least two to three weeks.

Shun that sweet

Stop eating sweets, cakes, candies and rich curries. Eat only steamed vegetables, brown rice, wholegrain bread/ chapattis, salad and plenty of fruits and soups. You'll see the results on your face in just a few days.

Ban soap

Avoid soap on your face for some days. Use a moisturising bar like Dove, a medicated cleanser like Cetaphil Lotion or a natural cleanser like gram flour (besan) and honey.

Morning mantra

Drink a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of honey and a dash of lime first thing every morning. Remember to do this on an empty stomach.

Magic 'workout' wand

Do some form of aerobic exercise for at least 20-30 minutes every day to boost your skin's blood circulation.

Steam away

Steam your face twice a week for 10 minutes each time.

Wonder packs

Use this face pack two to three times a week: Mix half a teaspoon sandal powder (chandan) with a teaspoon of Fuller's Earth (multani mitti) and two teaspoons rosewater.

For oily skin, use a teaspoon each of gram flour, turmeric paste and curd.

For dry skin, use blanched and crushed almonds, mixed with honey and milk cream. Leave on for 15 minutes and scrub off with warm water.

Zzzzz...

Get enough sleep -- it's your skin's natural healer. Aim for at least eight hours a day.

These simple steps should go a long way in helping dull, lifeless skin regain its glow. In fact, include these good skin habits in your New Year Resolution list and enjoy great looking skin all through the year!

DON'T MISS!

• Seven techniques to help you relax
• What your skin needs this winter
• Ten things we do to damage our skin
• Party over? Hang that hangover