Sugar as beauty aid

You need not ban sugar from your life completely. In fact, there are certain good things about sugar for you to consider. For instance, aloe-sugar syrup works as a good antidote for pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and delayed periods. If you are still keen on avoiding sugar in your diet, then why not consider using it as a beauty aid. 

Home remedies for freckles

A face with too many freckles is not a pretty sight to behold. These appear as light or dark brown spots beneath the surface of the skin, particularly on the cheeks and the nose. Uneven distribution of melanin pigment is the cause of freckles. Unprotected and prolonged sun-exposure can make them more conspicuous. If they are few in number and not so prominent, it is not such a big deal, you can either ignore them or camouflage them with makeup. But if they are dark brown, too profuse and are very striking to others, then it can bother you and affect your self-esteem. You can then opt for a laser treatment to tackle them.

Combination hair care

As we all know, generally, hair is classified into three types: oily, dry and normal. Those of you who possess normal hair are very lucky, for this type of hair is easy to manage. Oily hair goes lank within 2 days of washing whereas dry hair looks brittle as it is not sufficiently nourished by the natural oils from the scalp, not to mention the problem of split ends. But there is another type of hair which is a combination of oily and dry hair. In this case the hair near the scalp is greasy while the ends are dry. After shampooing, hair looks good except for the ends. This type of hair is really very tricky and laborious to manage. Those unfortunate ones with this type of hair not only have to deal with the limpness of greasy hair but the brittleness of dry ends as well. The ends are difficult to set smoothly, split and lighter in color than the roots.

Tips for maintaining combination hair

* Wash as soon as you feel your head itchy and dry.

* Use a shampoo meant for oily hair. While shampooing, do not begin by massaging the ends with the shampoo. Instead, massage it first on your scalp and while rinsing off with water, a little of it will flow and reach the ends which is quite enough.

* You can use a conditioner on your brittle ends after shampooing. However, avoid it for the rest of the hair.

* As for hair packs and other home remedies for hair, you have to use the ones meant for greasy hair. Read tips on oily hair care.

* And yes, while massaging your scalp with suitable hair oil, you have to pay particular attention to the ends, you need to feed and nourish them well. (home made aloe oil for split ends is just fine.)

* You should trim dry ends once in a while.

Simhamudra (lion-pose) eye exercise

No one can deny the fact that eyes are a mirror of general health and the most expressive features of the face.

Modern lifestyle wreaks havoc on them and robs them of their luster. They need to be weaned away from television and computer screens forcibly and exercised once in a while to loosen the surrounding strained and contracted muscles to ensure that they get adequate blood circulation and nerve force.

This can be achieved by including a few eye exercises in our daily routine. Read about these in Eye-Yoga.

Simhamudra or the lion pose is another good exercise for the eyes.

Brush your teeth regularly to thwart the risk of heart diseases

The fact that an unhealthy mouth indicates an unhealthy body is so very true. Losing your teeth is not the only eventuality associated with gum disease and other dental afflictions. Experts claim that it specifically puts you to the risk of heart diseases. “Brushing and flossing your teeth could save you from a heart attack. Doctors found that those with the worst blockages in their arteries had the most severe gum disease. It is thought that bacteria released from the infected gums are the key, which enter the bloodstream where they may activate the immune system, making artery walls inflamed and narrowed.”

Improper dental hygiene over the years also decreases your jaw structure and makes you look aged beyond years. So maintaining good oral hygiene at home by paying more attention to brushing and flossing, together with periodic visits to the dentist for cleaning is a must. This will not only prevent unpleasant oral conditions and decrease the risk of heart diseases but is also good for your general well-being.

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Get rid of head lice with these home remedies

Lice infestation is such a bothersome, distracting and embarrassing problem. Surely everyone harbors them at one time or the other. It is usually common among school children but soon spreads to other members of the family.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a sign of poor hygiene, as lice are not fussy whether they lay their eggs in clean or dirty hair. But yes, a dirty scalp can well serve as a perfect breeding ground for these tiresome creatures.

Lice get transferred easily from child to child owing to the close contact of heads, during play, while sitting together or by sharing caps.

Though there are many chemical and herbal over-the-counter preparations to remove lice, it is better to refrain from using them for they might also remove a good bit of your hair, while others could have a drying effect on the hair. 

There are many home-remedies which do work well but the age-old method of regular combing with a close-toothed comb on all counts, is the most effective method to get rid of lice. 

The first application of these home made preparations is usually not sufficient to kill all the lice or eggs (nits). It’s not unusual to see tiny lice the day after treatment. It means that new ones have hatched out. That’s why a second treatment, a week after the first to destroy all the new lice that have hatched out since the first treatment is necessary

Home remedies for head lice

1) Shampoo your hair well using any ordinary shampoo and also rub in lots of conditioner which makes it hard for lice to keep a grip.

2) To prevent lice spreading to other members of the family, vacuum sofas, beds, quilts and wash bed sheets, clothing, towels, etc in warm soapy water and let them dry in sunlight. Brushes and combs should also be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and dried.

Applications for the scalp:

3) Take 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix it in an equal quantity of ginger juice. Rub it gently on the scalp and keep it on for at least 5-6 hours. If possible, leave it overnight. Wash your hair the next morning.

4) Take Tulsi (basil) leaves, grind them and apply all over the scalp for the same duration as above or leave it overnight. Shampoo off in the morning.

5) Grind leaves of guava with turmeric powder into a fine paste. Apply this paste on the hair and leave it overnight. Wash the hair the next morning. Repeat the treatment after a week.

6) Another  simple home-remedy for head-lice. Take a bunch of fresh Mehendi (Henna) leaves (Though fresh leaves are preferable, if you cannot procure it you may use pure henna powder as well.) with a little water and grind it in a mixie to make a fine paste. Add 2 grams of camphor (Kapur) powder (buy from here) to this mixture. Apply this on your hair and leave it on for half an hour or so and then wash your hair. This helps get rid of nits as well as  head-lice. Henna (Mehendi) with its peculiar smell and antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties is quite capable of repelling human parasites like lice while camphor too being a moth repellent and an antimicrobial agent with anti-itching  properties is proven to be toxic for mites and parasites.

7) Grind neem seeds with water into a fine paste. Smear this paste on the hair. Wash it after six hours with the decoction of neem leaves. This treatment is quite effective in getting rid of head-lice. The bitter and pungent decoction of neem will kill the lice. Repeat the treatment after a week.

8) Mix lemon juice and garlic juice. Massage at the roots of the hair with this mixture. 

9) Massage into the roots of your hair, a paste of bitter almonds. 

10) Apply the paste made of the finely powdered seeds of Custard apple (Sitaphal) with water at bed-time and leave it overnight. The paste should not come in contact with your eyes.

11) Soak the hair well with tobacco paste and cover with a cloth for two to three hours to suffocate the lice. Then rinse thoroughly with the emulsion of soap nut (reetha).

12) Dissolve 3 grams of alum in half a litre of water and apply this paste on your scalp. Leave it on for nearly 6 hours.

13) A remedy using aromatherapy oils. Mix 4 drops of rosemary, 4 drops of geranium, 8 drops of eucalyptus and 8 drops of tea tree oils in 30 ml. of vegetable oil. Spread over the head. Leave on for 30 minutes before combing with a fine tooth comb. Shampoo out and repeat after two days.

Pic credits:fotosearch.com

What to do when your leather sandals get wet?

We all have faced instances when we are out on the streets wearing our favorite pair of leather sandals and a sudden shower from the skies drenches us completely from head to foot. After wading through the puddles and muddy waters, we somehow manage to reach home with difficulty. And a quick glance at the state of our sandals will leave us squirming with pain.

But all is not lost. Instead of cursing the nature’s fury which chose to strike you on that particular day, you can try this tip. First wipe the sandals with an old cotton towel. Then get a couple of sheets of newspaper or paper towels and cut them roughly in a shape that will fit into your wet sandals almost perfectly. Thus stuffed with paper, leave them near a fan to dry. The paper will absorb the moisture and also help maintain the shape of the straps as they dry.

Pic credits:amazon.com

How should you prepare your face for a mask?

Quite a few women clumsily slather on some hurriedly prepared pastes on their faces, messing the hair and getting some of it into their eyes. Impatiently, they keep it on only for a couple of minutes and wash it off quickly and then expect to see a radiant, glowing face in the mirror. Obviously, the end-result will not be up to their expectations. So they force themselves to believe that the mask is ineffective and swear never to use it again. They then catch hold of a different recipe and repeat the same shoddy process of application. In spite of trying out dozens of such masks, the outcome is the same and they are back to square one.

Slapping on masks just for the sake of applying defeats the whole purpose of using masks to beautify your face. An instant, quick fix for the face cannot be achieved that instantly, and certainly not, if you apply it so sloppily and carelessly. You should always think of pampering yourself with masks and packs only when you are free, when your mind is calm and when you have all the time at your disposal. After all, the purpose of a mask is to soothe your face, invigorate the complexion and make it bloom. It should not irritate or worsen a problem in any way. Apply it correctly and carefully and the effect of the masks will be there to see for at least a week or ten days. 

How should you prepare your face for the mask? Keep your freshly prepared homemade mask in front of you along with a small bowl of lukewarm water, ice-cold water and a few cotton swabs. Now tie your hair back firmly and secure any fly-away strands with hair-pins so that the pastes don’t mess them. If you want, you can even use a hair band or tie a scarf around your hair to protect them. You might even consider wearing a smock or an apron to ensure that the pastes don’t soil your clothes. See to it that your face is clean and without any make-up or its remnants. As you shouldn’t steam your face too frequently to open up the pores (except in summers, when your face is too oily and grimy, you may take a mild steam once or twice a week), you can dip a cloth in hot water, wring off excess water and wipe your face gently with it to open the pores.

Spread the mask on your face with clean fingers or spatula. Avoid the area under the eyes. Especially, when you are using exfoliating masks you have to be more careful to avoid the tiny abrasive particles getting into your eyes. Besides, some facial masks can irritate the delicate skin around the eyes. Also, keep a thin clear margin area near the hairline. Do not massage the mask roughly onto your skin. Just apply it evenly and firmly.

Now relax with your eyes closed. If you prefer you may even place cotton swabs dipped in ice cold water or thin cold cucumber slices on your closed eyes. Retain the mask on your face for at least 15-20 minutes. After that wipe off the excess with cotton swabs, and rinse your face thoroughly with warm water. Finally, splash cold water. Then gently pat dry.

Which foods to avoid with certain medications?

We all have heard of the risk of ‘drug-drug-interaction’ when people are taking more than one medication for different ailments. Most of us are also aware that taking herbal supplements in combination with allopathic drugs is hazardous. But only a few people know that there are certain, potential food-drug combinations, which clash each other, reduce the effectiveness of the drug and cause adverse reaction and complications. So keeping a close watch on the foods and drinks that you tend to binge on would be ideal in such circumstances. Discuss it with your doctor. If you know which foods to avoid with your medications, you can receive the maximum benefits of your prescription while avoiding harmful complications. Check out this link as well; they might help you to know which foods to avoid with your prescribed medicine.

Medicinal uses of black pepper (Kali Mirch)

Most cuisines of the world would have been incomplete without this small black ball called ‘Black Pepper’ which has a world of spice in it. With a huge list of medicinal properties, pepper plays the home doctor in many Indian homes. Its aroma is a treat to the senses and it is so commonly used that we can almost say that all dishes have a sprinkling of pepper in one form or the other.

Homemade night time nourishing creams

As a part of your nightly skin care routine, you have to nourish and feed your skin with rich and heavy nourishing and moisturizing creams. Here are the recipes for 2 such homemade creams and here’s a step-by-step procedure for taking care of your skin at night. Also using night creams will give you a softer and smoother looking skin in the morning.

Almond night cream

Ingredients:

Whitewax 30 gm
Almond oil ½ cup
Rose water ¼ cup
Sodium benzoate ½ cup

Method:

Mix whitewax and almond oil over a very low flame, and then add rose water constantly stirring all the while. Allow it to cool. Then add sodium benzoate. Let it set. After a day this almond night cream is ready to use.

Nourishing cream with cocoa-butter

Ingredients:

Cocoa butter 2 tablespoons
Emulsifying wax 2 tablespoons
Bees-wax 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons sesame (til) oil
1 teaspoon almond (badam) oil

(You can get all these at the chemist's shop)

Method:

Mix all these ingredients on a low heat, stirring it constantly. When the mixture melts remove it form heat but keep stirring till it cools. When it has cooled, store it in a bottle.

See also:
Day time skin care
Homemade day time nourishing creams
Home made eye cream for dark circles around the eyes

Put your best foot forward

Though our feet have to bear the brunt of carrying our entire body-weight, we neglect them and take them for granted. Usually, we become aware of their presence only when they ache or if an infection or a swelling starts brewing trouble. As we have to be up on our feet always, it is crucial to exercise them and spend some time fussing over them. Foot-care should compulsorily be a part of our grooming. Here are some tips and suggestions:

*Walk barefoot on grass in the morning.

* If possible, walk barefoot on a sandy beach.

* A bi-weekly abrasive treatment with a pumice stone is also a must.

* To keep feet smelling fresh a deodorizing talcum powder should be applied each morning after washing.

* Soak the feet in warm water to which Epsom salt is added. This can be very soothing. Read Pamper your feet.

* Weekly pampering for the feet: A pedicure once a week can help relieve itchiness and can also take care of your feet.

* To avoid fungal or bacterial infections, after washing your feet, be sure to dry between the toes thoroughly and also sprinkle talcum powder.

* If the feet are sore or swollen, lie down with your feet raised with the help of a couple of pillows. It helps circulation.

* For cold feet, massage them with eucalyptus (nilgiri) or olive oil.

* Cut your toe nails properly to avoid ingrown nails. Also read Toe-nail Care

* When buying shoes look for fit and comfort as much as fancy design.

*Always wear well-fitting footwear; they should neither be too tight nor too loose. Ill-fitting ones can cause corns or calluses caused by friction when the bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes. Also, avoid shoes that do not allow the feet to breathe freely.

*Woman plagued by backaches should avoid wearing high-heels.

* Always expose your feet to the air as often as possible.

* Stand on tiptoes and then stand on heels. Keep alternating.

* Secure a rectangular block of wood about three inches high. Stand on it and curl your toes inwards, towards the block.

* Sit on a chair and circle each foot ten times in the clockwise direction and ten times in the anticlockwise direction. Follow this by stretching each foot and flexing your heels and toes.

Pic credits:fotosearch.com

Face packs for dry skin

Do you have a dry skin? If you want to use face packs and masks, choose the ones specially meant for your type of skin. The effects of other masks can be very drying on your already parched skin.

Here are 2 such dry skin masks which can be made with readily available ingredients from your kitchen.

Mint face pack for dry skin

Ingredients:

Yoghurt 1 tbsp
Multani mitti (fuller’s earth) 1 tbsp
Mint (pudina) powder 1 tsp

Method:

Soak multani mitti and mint powder in yoghurt for half an hour. Then mix them thoroughly by using an egg beater. Apply on face for 15 minutes and leave it to dry. Then wash off with luke warm water followed by a cold water rinse.

Egg face pack for dry skin

Ingredients:

Honey ½ tsp
Egg yolk -1
Milk powder - 1tsp

Method:

Beat the egg yolk, mix the milk powder and honey in it. Beat again. When you get a paste of medium to thick consistency apply it on your face. When it is dry wash off with luke warm water followed by a splash of cold water on your face.

See also: Moisturizers to lubricate your skin

Water to cure minor ills

Water, the best of all natural resources not only refreshes but also heals, purifies and cures. Just because it is cheaply and readily available, don’t disregard the powers of this nature’s bounty. Acquaint yourself with its healing properties and other benefits and use it to your advantage. These remedies might come in handy for your ills and ailments.

* Inadequate hydration sometimes leads to aches and pains. Before popping a pill or rushing to a doctor, make sure that you are drinking sufficient water. Hydrate yourself well and you will be rid of niggling pains and aches. Read Drive back-pain away by drinking enough water.

* Gargles with warm salt water can cure sore throat and can save your from tonsil pains and cold.

* Does sleep evade you each time your head hits the pillow? Then a bath in luke-warm water just before going to bed might just be the antidote to transfer you effortlessly to slumber-land. Read Water to cure insomnia.

* Water as a wake-up aid? Now what does that mean? When you rise from a night’s sleep feeling lethargic and indolent, a zippy cold shower is all you need to rouse you up, pep your spirits and get you going.

* A nagging headache bothering you. Then just soak your feet in warm water and relax. More of it here. You could also try rubbing ice on your forehead.

* Tired eyes due to excessive computer use and television viewing, then splash cold water over your eyes gently to revive them. Read this for more.

* Having cough? Sip hot water slowly. It is an ideal expectorant which thins down phlegm to cough out easily.

* Hot steam vapor helps in sinus conditions while opening up the blockage and eases pain.

* In the case of asthma and bronchitis too, steam inhalation cleanses the upper respiratory passages to improve the breathing.

* High fever? Sponge body with water.

* Application of running cold water on the burns or immersing the affected part in cold water relieves burning sensation and reduces damage to deeper tissues of the skin.

* After a long weary day when you feel completely worn out and fatigued, refresh yourself by immersing your feet in warm water to which a pinch of salt and soda-bicarb is added.

* Nose-bleeding can be stopped by cold compression of chilled water on nose and back of the neck. Direct ice can also be applied for nosebleeds.

* Painful urination or any other urinary infection can be treated by drinking enough water.

* Kill constipation by having plenty of water daily. One or two glasses of cold water an hour before breakfast or hot water half an hour before going to sleep helps. A gentle laxative is a glass of hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice. It works wonders for the stomach and the skin.

* Girls, use an ice-cube on the face before applying make-up. Make-up will remain fresh for longer time.

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A quick tip to make thin, lifeless hair look full-bodied

If your hair is thin, sparse and greasy, no need to get disappointed. If you have to go out suddenly and your hair looks greasy and lifeless then you can adopt the following method:

Take a nylon sock, put in some talcum powder and then pick up your hair brush. Now pull the sock over the hair brush and grip it near the handle of the brush. By doing this the bristles will come out a little through the sock. Now brush your hair with this till all the talcum powder is used up. Now take a clear brush and shake off the excess powder from your hair. By doing this the hair will look full-bodied and dense. Wash your hair after coming home with a lemon-based shampoo. Here are some hints to make dull, limp hair look shiny and crackling with life.