Beauty and Personal Grooming

Forget about pampering and taking care of the neck, people don’t even clean the neck properly while bathing. It is said that a person’s age can almost be determined by observing the neck. So a regular care and hygiene for the neck is absolutely essential. Make a habit of washing your neck while cleaning the face as comparatively more dirt is deposited on the neck. This can be done in a quick and easy way by rubbing the neck with a towel soaked in warm water. A proper home-based stuff can be used for cleaning the neck while bathing. You could use any of these: * Mixture of gram-flour (besan) , unboiled milk, a pinch of turmeric powder. * Mixture of curd and gram-flour in the ratio of 1:2 * Paste of black gram, after being soaked in water. * Mixture of unboiled milk, barley flour and a few drops of lime juice. * Paste of gram flour, a few drops of rose water and a little sandalwood powder and cream. Pic credits:fotosearch.com

Do you go to the cupboard to fetch something and can’t remember what exactly you want to search inside it?  Do you often forget taking essential things like keys, purse etc. while going out? Don’t worry. Such episodes of forgetfulness are common and natural, and happen because our memories are not properly trained and are grossly underused.

Just as general health can be preserved by doing physical exercises, ocular health can be maintained by inculcating certain good habits. These could help you to maintain good eyesight. Splashing water over the eyes: Splash cold water over the closed eyes three or four times a day. Ice cold water from a refrigerator will also serve the purpose. Splash water over the eyes while washing the face in the morning, before taking meals in the noon , in the evening and at bedtime. Method: Fill your mouth with enough water, do not drink it. Now close your eyes and start splashing water over your closed eyes 8-10 times from a distance of 4-5 inches. Try not to wipe off the water on the face. Let it dry on its own. Washing the feet with cold water: Wash your feet with cold water twice a day and especially at night before going to bed. Start rubbing your feet over the wet tiles in the bathroom for 1-2 minutes and while rubbing, go on pouring cold water over them. This practice induc...

The most important thing to keep in mind after your body piercing has been performed is that you have essentially just sustained an open wound, and you should be caring for it exactly like you would a surgical wound or injury. That is, with the same kind of care, cleanliness and attention that you would to a serious injury to make sure that you don’t scar or get an infection. There are two different types of body piercings to consider: non-oral and oral. Non-oral body piercing aftercare Keeping your piercing clean can’t be stressed too much! It just can’t. Twice a day, every day, without fail. No excuses. Use a mild antibacterial soap that doesn’t have fragrances in it, such as Provon® Antimicrobial Lotion Soap or Satin® Therapeutic Skin Cleanser, both of which are approved by the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). The best place to clean your piercing is usually in the shower, where the warm water will help you loosen and remove those crusties around the base of your jewe...

Coriander seed or dhaniya is a common ingredient in most cuisines of India . Both seeds and leaves are used in cooking – this herb also has a large amount of medicinal properties in it. It is also used in Chinese medicine. Its pleasing aromatic oil is a common ingredient in creams, lotions and perfumes. It is mainly useful in curing muscle aches, digestive problems and any nerve related ailment.

Orange yoghurt mask Ingredients: 3 tbsp yoghurt 2 tbsp orange juice 1-2 tsp lemon juice Method: Mix all these ingredients and stir so that they blend well. Then, gently smooth on to the face, avoiding the area under the eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off. Yoghurt has a property of cleansing and moisturizing the skin, while orange juice and lemon juice have vitamin C and AHA’s. Chocolate mask Ingredients: 3 tbsp malai (milk-cream) 2 tsp paneer (cottage cheese) 3 tbsp cocoa 3 tsp oatmeal powder 2 tbsp honey Method: Mix all the ingredients to a paste and smooth on to your face. Relax for about 20 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Waxing is a neat method of removing superfluous fuzz from the legs, arms and upper lips. Though the process takes longer and is more complicated than shaving, one session can keep you hair-free for four to six weeks. On the flip side, you have to wait till the hair is 1/4 th inch long before the next session. Some others may experience ingrown hairs, red rashes, and minor bleeding. Home-made wax Ingredients: A cup of sugar Sour lime Method: Melt the sugar, taking care that it does not stick. Keep stirring until you see it melting and start adding the juice of lime. When you see it foaming and becoming thicker, take it off the fire and let it cool. Apply only when warm, as hot wax can burn the skin badly. Smooth the wax on the skin in the direction of the hair growth with a flat blunt knife. Let it set. Then take a strip of cloth, press it well on the wax-covered skin and strip it off in the opposite direction of hair growth. Make sure that before waxing, your ski...

Hiccups are sudden, uncontrollable, noisy repeated sounds caused by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. Drinking alcohol, hot or spicy meals, heavy meals, excessive smoking, and emotional stress – these are some of the causes that are likely to trigger hiccups, though the list could be endless. Although they are disconcerting and embarrassing, they are usually harmless and self limited. Most of the time, they do not last for more than a few minutes. Severe or prolonged hiccups need medical intervention. Some of the favorite home remedies are listed here, though most hiccups are transient and disappear as quickly as they appear.

The sari has been around for more than 5000 years and is undoubtedly the most popular Indian garment even today. Though women from other countries have almost given up wearing their traditional costumes, it is heartening to see that most Indian women are still sticking on to costumes like saree and salwar kameez. There is no dress which can beat the versatility of the saree. It is an asset that we inherit. Once bought, it will not go out of fashion. No danger of your not fitting into it, as it is the saree that always fits around you. Only action needed is to have a new blouse stitched, which is again an uncomplicated affair. What makes the sari so elegant and positively ravishing to the eye? With sari you do not have to watch the shapeliness of your legs or be bothered about a little extra flesh around your girth. Thin women can be made to look plumper by wearing a thick saree or a starched cotton saree and as for overweight women, the sari can cover up ugly bulges ...

Turmeric (Haldi) is a spice widely used in Indian cuisine. It gives a distinct flavor and yellow color when added to curries. It has been used by traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha for healing and also in cosmetic preparations. It is a blood purifier and antiseptic. It is loaded with antioxidants and thus its regular intake protects against free radical damage. Studies have shown that it strengthens the immune system and prevents jaundice, cancers, tumors, Alzheimer’s disease etc. It also relieves arthritis pain and stiffness. Medicinal uses and home remedies with turmeric(Haldi) I ntestinal disorders: The juice of the raw root or the powder of the dried root mixed and taken with milk or water is very effective for intestinal problems.

Have you ever looked at the shape of the human ear closely? Doesn’t it look like an inverted baby? The earlobe is supposed to represent the brain of a baby. According to Acupunture Therapy , the meridians connecting the brain pass though this area. So when a child reaches the age of two or three, parents take it to a goldsmith to have its ears pierced. This is said to help in the quick development of the brain. Hence, the earlier the ears of the child are pierced, better the results will be. In certain Indian communities, even a boy’s ears are pierced. Ear piercing ceremony is called Karnavedana .

Do read Flower based cosmetic Preparations and try out these cosmetic preparations with elder flower also.

There are a number of things that women, in particular do to their skin that makes it look older. Many of them wash their face too frequently and rub their skin vigorously, pulling and dragging it while cleansing – perhaps they want to get rid of the dirt that has clogged the pores of the skin or remove that last trace of make-up off their skin. But a rough handling of the facial skin could actually hasten the ageing process, say the dermatologists. It could damage your complexion, eventually aggravating a crepey look of the skin. You should always blot- not rub – your facial skin dry. A particular danger area for too harsh treatment is around the eyes and eyelids. The right way to clean this area is to take a damp cotton ball, put a gentle emollient cleanser on it and very gently swoosh it off and blot.

The food that you eat just tastes bland and insipid. None of the mouth-watering dishes which you used to relish earlier with gusto seem to excite your taste buds. This normally happens after you have recovered from some chronic illness or it could be due to some other reason. In such situations, when your tongue develops a distaste for food, why not try out these simple home-remedies . * Chew a bit of fresh ginger (adrak) with 7-8 corns of pepper and a piece of sugar candy. This recipe could help increase the taste for food along with your digestion. * Take a handful of tender green leaves of neem and roast it in ghee / clarified butter. Take this for 8-10 days. Especially good for poor appetite and when a sense of aversion for food overpowers you. * Wash green mangoes and cook them in boiling water; squeeze out the juice from these mangoes and dilute the same with twice the quantity of cold water. Add sugar to taste. Also mix a small quantity of powdered black pepper in i...

Cabbage is a mine of vitamins, fiber and other minerals like calcium, iron, sulphur, phosphorous etc. A small head of cabbage usually has a higher concentration of vitamin C than a larger one. The outer leaves of the cabbage contain more minerals than the inner ones.  Medicinal value: According to a study , fresh cabbage juice has been found have a remarkable success in treating ulcers. According to BBC Health , eating vegetables from the cabbage family can reduce the risk of lung cancer. Extracts of cabbage when combined with chemotherapy have been found to kill breast cancer cells and could have wider implications for several other types of cancer, says the The Telegraph . Eating four or more servings per week of raw or lightly cooked cabbage may significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer later in life. (Courtesy: MedPage Today ). According to another study , cabbage is found to reduce the risk of some forms of cancer including colorectal cancers. Though cabbage is some...

It is generally the fastest method for legs and underarms. If you are using an ordinary shaver, never shave dry. Lather soap of shaving cream on to your skin and hair. (Best time for shaving hair is while having bath.) However, if you use an electric shaver, powder the skin first. It dries the skin and helps the shaver glide smoothly. After shaving your skin may feel slightly uncomfortable, apply a mild soothing cream.

If you are the kind of person who despises everything home-made and believes that only expensive creams and lotions, can work wonders for your hands, think again! Any good cream can do the trick. One of the excellent nourishing creams is the malai (milk-cream) and it is inexpensive and readily available too. Massage your hands with malai each night and wash off the next morning. If you do not like the greasy and sticky feeling of malai, then you may go in for the creams and lotions which will soften your hands.

Here’s a collection of home-remedies for joint pain : *Heat sesame oil and add few pieces of camphor to make an effective application of painful joints. In cold places mustard oil may be used instead of sesame oil. *In arthritis, mix a tsp of harad powder in castor oil and swallow. This relieves the pain and swelling and soothes the joints enabling easier movements.  *In joint stiffness drinking a tsp of fenugreek(methi) powder in some warm water will make the joints more flexible. *Boil a few crushed cloves in a glass of milk and 4 glasses of water and reduce it to a glass. Take this preparation everyday for about 40 days. *In joint pains, crush some garlic cloves in green gram(moong) soup and have it daily for relief from pain and stiffness. *In joint pains soak a tsp of black gingelly(sesame) or Til seeds in a glass of water overnight and drink it in the morning. *In arthritic joints a decoction of dry ginger(adrak) and castor roots should be taken ev...

Water is the cheapest and the best natural resource and even though it is freely available, people simply forget to drink sufficient amounts of it. Not keeping oneself properly hydrated often leads to sluggishness, dulled senses and a general sense of fatigue; it can even bring about headaches , back-pain , joint pains and other ailments.