Actress Jaya Seal Ghosh with members of Tridhara Sammilani and local residents at The Goodlife Talk Show. Picture by Aranya Sen

Why aren?t you doing any more films and TV serials? The poser thrown at Jaya Seal Ghosh said just how much more the 70-odd women who had gathered at Sudesh Bhavan craved from the talented actress.

?I have just been married. Let me soak it in first,? smiled Jaya, exuding warmth as she prepared to hold forth on beauty at The Goodlife Talk Show. Her girl-next-door attitude made the members of Tridhara Sammilani and local residents share their pet peeves on skincare and hair treatment at the Sarat Bose Road address on Saturday evening with ease.

With Rita Bhimani anchoring the session, the questions flew thick and fast. Jaya, too, was quick to come up with solutions. Sometimes sharing her beauty secrets, sometimes cracking a joke and leaving the crowd in splits.

The problems stalking the young in the crowd turned out to be sunburn and damaged hair. For the first, Jaya recommended the application of sunscreen lotion before venturing out and full-sleeved garments. ?If that isn?t sufficient, bleaching the exposed parts at a beauty parlour will help remove the tan. That is what I did after I was badly tanned during a shoot in Goa,? she revealed.

College girl Zarina Khatun was seeking a solution for her dry, messy hair, damaged by split ends. ?Trim your hair once in three months to prevent split ends. And brush your tresses several times a day to keep them tangle-free,? said Jaya.

For writer Rita Bose who prefers to work late into the night, dark circles under the eyes have become a permanent problem. The best way to get rid of the patches, advised the actress, is to apply the juice of potato and cucumber on the affected areas. ?But the problem could also be weakness and a hectic schedule. So you may just need lots of sleep,? she stressed.

Rita Dey wanted to know the secret to evening make-up for elderly ladies. A layer of light foundation (matte finish if the skin is oily), a little compact, a hint of shadow on the eyelids and a dash of kajal was Jaya?s recipe.

Atreyi Roy?s worry was wrinkles on her forehead. ?Massage some cream for 10 minutes with upward strokes every night,? was Jaya?s tip. ?And don?t forget to massage your neck as well,? chipped in Bhimani.

Over an hour into the session, it was time to wrap up. The call for a photo session threw up another round of questions with the actress attending to each query with a smile.