Kajol's Beauty Secrets

Kajol shares the secrets to her glowing skin

USE PRODUCTS THAT SUIT YOUR SKIN
Kajol, who has combination skin, like most Indian women, was using Olay products, long before she became the brand's ambassador, simply because it "suited her". Have you found something that suits your skin yet?

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Thrice a day—that's how many times she washes her face. "I wake up in the morning and it's cleanser, serum, cream; cleanser, serum, cream; cleanser, serum, cream... my skincare routine is pretty much normal," says the light-eyed star.

EAT HEALTHY
"You have to figure diet into your beauty regimen", insists the part-Bengali, part-Maharashtrian, living in a Punjabi household, who is unlikely to turn vegetarian despite all its proclaimed benefits.

GET SOME SLEEP
While most of us wind down from a hectic day by whiling away our time watching TV into the wee hours of the morning, we have to admire the discipline of someone who sleeps, "at least 8-10 hours a day, mostly 10".

WATER WORKS
We know the water rule, but do we follow it? Kajol does. "I ensure that I drink at least 8 glasses of water a day," she states for the record.

WORK OUT
In Kajol's words, "The gym is my sacred space. I weight train for between an hour to an-hour-and-a-half everyday. I take a day off when I don't feel like working out, not because it's a Sunday or a holiday".

REMOVE MAKE-UP
We know that she's definitely not following the 'sleep-in make-up' trend, when she insists, "Do not go to sleep with your make up on; this is a very big no-no".

LOVE THE SKIN YOU'RE IN
Kajol shares her thoughts on education, superwoman, Bollywood heroines and More
While her glowing skin belies her age, except for when she smiles and the laugh lines crinkle into focus, her candour hints at the maturity of a woman comfortable in her skin. Unprovoked bursts of laughter and tongue-in-cheek comments sneak edgewise into her business-like responses to the series of interviews slotted out for her.

Beauty is a point of view—not her straight nose and fabulous lips: Kajol voices the "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" cliché, going on to elaborate, "I truly believe beauty is a person's point of view. A lot of people are amazingly beautiful on the inside; when that confidence shines through on their faces; it's like 'Oh My God! I don't know what is it about this woman'. She's so attractive—and it can't be her straight nose and fabulous lips. It has to be something beyond that. It's the expression in the person's eyes; the way a smile lights up her face; the way she looks at you; the way you react to her that makes you say... she's just fab!"

Take the pressure off the kids: Kajol has no regrets about quitting college. As she describes it, "By the time I started college, I had reached a point where I did not want to pick up a book. This was scary, as I was a voracious reader. I bought an encyclopedia set and went through it, because I wanted to have the knowledge; I just did not like the process it took to get it in a classroom. I have huge issues with our education system. The first thing we need to do, is to take the pressure off the kids and make it an experience that they want to have rather than an experience they are forced to have.

Algebra and chemistry have not helped me: "Education should be a lot more than what you read in books. Half of what we study in school has no practical application. Algebra and chemistry have not helped me at all. We need to teach little children about social responsibility. Taking care of the world and people less fortunate than us should be part of our curriculum. If we teach kids how important it is when they are young, they will grow up to be better people."

Women undervalue themselves: While most people believe Indian women are more likely than women in other countries to put themselves last, according to Kajol, this is a global phenomenon. She emphasises, "Somewhere down the line, women undervalue themselves; be it in a family or in a work environment. Whether you're looking at America or India, women everywhere, tend to put themselves last; especially once they are married and have a family. I definitely think that women should realise their importance in society."

Women pull women down: "Most women are not happy when other women do well. I've felt it and I think most women have. Anyone who says they haven't felt it is lying," insists Kajol. "Guys have a weird solidarity amongst themselves. With women it's a very strange equation. If someone amongst us is doing well, we need to learn to be happy for her; not try to pull her down and bitch her out."

Every woman is Superwoman: Kajol believes, "Nobody is perfect. Neither am I. I manage my family, my work, my career, everything; but I believe it's okay to fall down on the job sometimes and I forgive myself for it. If I don't do something 100 per cent somedays, that's absolutely fine. I don't have any guilt on that front; I think that's what makes me Superwoman. I think every woman is Superwoman, you just have to recognise that about yourself.

We like our heroines the way they are: "I don't think the depiction of women in Bollywood is fair or real. But when we look at commercial cinema, a hero is supposed to be able to fall off a bus, roll down the side and come off without a scratch, the same way, the heroine's dress is supposed to be perfect until the end. We can try to make them a little more real but I think we like them the way they are, because they are just that slightest bit unrealistic."

As told to @AverilNunes