Beauty and Personal Grooming: July 2008

Ginger skin cream for dry skin

Ginger invigorates, and oil soothes. Try this double dose for dry skin.

Himalaya Gentle exfoliating walnut scrub: Review

My extremely greasy skin with a tendency for blackheads on the nose needs thorough scrubbing at least twice a week. Homemade facial scrubs are my first choice and they are the best for my skin – no doubts about it. Nonetheless once in a while I do purchase and try some ‘natural scrubs’ also.

Amongst the several ones that I’ve tried, I’ve found that Himalaya Herbal Gentle Exfoliating Walnut Scrub is quite good. It has the goodness of walnut shell granules, wheat-germ oil and apple in it. Walnut shell granules gently exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells and blackheads while wheat germ oil, rich in natural vitamin E, moisturizes the skin and maintains its natural moisture balance and apple provides nourishment for a healthy, glowing skin.

Tattoo removal and women

Many teenage girls and boys go in for a tattoo due to peer-pressure or the overwhelming desire to feel unique and different. They may go on flaunting their body-art for quite some time but after a while they start feeling that it wasn’t the best thing to do. And quite a few are motivated to get their tattoos removed. The interesting fact, however, is that more women than men are unhappy about their tattoos - in f

act a study ascertains this. Perhaps the social stigma attached to tattoos coupled with their own changing beliefs and attitudes makes them think so. The researchers interviewed 196 tattooed people; 130 of them were women and 66 were men. It was found that more women (69%) than men (31%) went in for tattoo removal. The reason cited by these people for wanting to get rid of their tattoos was that they had a "shift in their identities," and wanted to do away with the past.

Interesting health and body facts

Our nails grow at a rate of around 0.1 mm per day. So it would take roughly 3 months to replace an entire fingernail.
Synesthesia is a rare condition where the human senses are combined. Synesthetes can 'see' words, 'taste' colors and shapes, and 'feel' flavors.
The velocity of your cough can be up to 60mph.
Like a finger print, every person has a unique tongue print.
If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you'll feel thirsty.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
If all your DNA is stretched out, it would reach to the moon 6,000 times.
What do people fear most? At the top of the list is death, the fear of which is necrophobia. Second, apparently, is the fear of failure, which is called kakorrhaphiophobia.
India has the largest number of diabetics in the world; a total of 10 million.
When you wake up in the morning and find crusty stuff in your eyes, that is essentially the same as the stuff in your nose.
The average human scalp contains between 120,000 and 150,000 hairs.

Hana Flat iron review

Hana Ceramic Flat irons are by far the best flat irons around. Made of 100% pure ceramic, they are available at an affordable price even for non-celebrities. Most ceramic flat irons plates are usually made of aluminium and coated with ceramic which doesn’t make them the real “ceramic flat irons.” The Hana straightening plates, however are made of 100% reinforced tourmaline ceramic with no external coating, are smoother, more durable, and superior at heat distribution and retention. Furthermore they don’t peel and are scratch-resistant too.

Even heat distribution of the ceramic plates ensures that it’s gentle on your hair with no exposure to damaging hot metal, whatsoever. And the black ceramic plates never discolor, no matter what hair product you use or how often you iron. The damp to dry styling feature of this flat iron is also great. Tourmaline generates intense negative ions to condition damaged hair follicles for healthy frizz-free shine that lasts. There’s no sizzle when you use it on your damp hair – just glide it smoothly through your hair and your hair is straight.

The Hana is portable and also comes with a handy Luxe Heat Proof Storage Pouch for travelling and a heat-proof portable rubber mat to set it down when it’s still hot and a special edition tin case. It’s easy to hold, light and the cord swivels around easily to avoid tangling. And it’s energy efficient at a maximum wattage of 38W.I was able to straighten my full head in less then 30 minutes without having to go over it twice again! It definitely left my hair smooth, non-frizzy and with a shine I've never seen before.

Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating Body Lotion: Review

My love for the wonder-herb aloe is such that any product with aloe in it catches my attention. This summer I tried Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating body lotion. As you can see in the picture, it comes in a pale green bottle, with a nozzle and flip lid. The lotion itself is, like the bottle, pale green in colour, and contains aloe and cucumber extracts. The smell is quite fresh and pleasant and not too overpowering.

This lotion can also be used to relieve sunburn or as an after- shave lotion or as an after-shower moisturizer. You have to just squeeze a small blob of it into your palms and slather it on your body. It quickly soaks in and soothes the skin, without that sticky feeling. It’s not an amazing or out-of-the-world product, but does live up to its promise of keeping the skin refreshed, rehydrated, fresh and soft.

Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating Body Lotion with Aloe and Cucumber 24.5oz (Pack of 3)

Self-Moisturizing contact lenses?

Looks like contact lenses are also in the league of joining the ‘Go-Green’ bandwagon. Researchers at McMaster University have found out that a common fluid ‘hyaluronic acid’ found in our bodies can be used as a natural moisturizing agent in contact lenses.

Lakme Matteffect Icy Fresh Gel:Review

Summer times are horrible on oily skins but that’s no reason to skip using a moisturizer. The fine moisture and oil balance that is often disrupted by constant exposure to environmental factors is best restored by using a lightweight, water-based 'mattifier' like ‘Lakme Matteffect Icy Fresh Gel’.

It’s oil free, cool and instantly hydrates the skin. This gel restores the skin’s suppleness leaving the user’s skin feeling soft, moisturized and fresh. Gently massage it on your face and neck avoiding the undereye area and the eyes. Just perfect for oily skins and in summers.

Similar Reading: Homemade moisturizer for oily skin

Bindi Mint Eye Mask to relieve puffiness

If you have a tendency of waking up with swollen, puffy eyes in the morning, then this sweet, warm minty mask is just right for your delicate eyes. In addition to eye exercises and some habitual practices to keep your eyes in a good condition, application of this mask will surely help relieve puffiness. It soothes and calms the undereye area and helps drain the lymphatic fluids that causes the puffiness. Chief ingredients include Tulsi (Basil) which acts as a refreshing tonic and mint that has the elements to soothe and cool.

Lakmé Strawberry Silk Splash Face Wash: Review

I picked up this tube on an impulse. It had slightly sparkling red gel stuff inside it. Yes, I’m talking about Lakmé Strawberry Silk Splash Face Wash. The cleansing power of strawberries is said to be packed in this small tube and it’s gentle on the skin and suits most skin types.

Most certainly, this face wash left my face clean and fresh and the lovely fragrance of strawberries lingered for quite some time. But, I have to admit that it’s a bit too mild for my acne-prone oily skin. I’d prefer Garnier Naturals’ Deep Pore Cleansing face wash any day in summer, especially, when I return home in the evening with a sweaty, grubby face. Otherwise, it’s a great product as I can use it several times during the day without unduly drying my skin. It also helps retain the natural moisture and leaves my skin silky smooth. I would say, it’s just perfect for those with normal-dry and even slightly oily skins.

Hip fat is actually beneficial

If you were always envying those lissome models with perfect figures and feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable about that little extra flab around your hips, then there’s some good news for you. A new study has come to the conclusion that subcutaneous fat around the hips is actually beneficial. It’s the visceral fat of the pot bellies that is bad and which is likely to cause type II diabetes and heart disease.

In their study, the researchers, led by C Ronald Kahn, transplanted subcutaneous fat into the bodies of some mice and visceral fat into others. They found the laboratory mice that had received subcutaneous fat ended up with lighter, leaner bodies and less insulin resistance than the animals that got visceral fat and, crucially, those that received no fat transplant at all. How subcutaneous fat exerts its positive influence remains a mystery, but Kahn suspects it secretes hormones that speed up metabolism.

Quarterly Roundup of best posts

A roundup of best posts From April-June. Enjoy!

Juara Skincare Milk and Red Sandalwood Mask

Red sandalwood also called as Rakta Chandan has always been held in high-esteem in Ayurvedic medicine. Unlike its other counterpart sandalwood or chandan, it has a dark, blood red hue. Being an antiseptic, it is used to treat variety of aliments. It is successfully used to heal wounds, treat inflammations, redness, acne, acne scars, sunburn, prickly heat and the like.

Mango bite to save your sight

Mango, the tropical seasonal fruit available abundantly in summer is not just great to taste but also strengthens your eyesight. Here’s why - Mangoes are loaded with beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, three anti oxidants that protect your eyes from vision-altering free radical damage. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic believe that these antioxidants help decrease vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration. And if you team them up with bananas you’ll be doing yourself even more good. Studies show that high blood pressure may increase the risk of blindness in old age. Bananas are packed with potassium, a natural BP buster.

UNIL InfraShine Ceramic Flat Iron

If you wish to style your hair from the comforts of your home and without the hassles of visiting a saloon, then you should consider buying a hair straightner. UNIL InfraShine Ceramic Flat Iron which is available at the online stores Missiko is a good choice.

The reason it is better to choose a ceramic flat iron over a metal one is that its heating time is shorter where only a few seconds are required to heat the hair straightener while knowing that your hair gets the required hair straightening. The ceramic plates on the hair straightener emit ions that help neutralize the positive ionic charges in frizzy and dry hair. With this neutralization of the charges, you soon get smooth and shiny hair. As always, you have to remember certain things and follow all the basic precautions while handling. The most important point to remember is to never use ceramic flat irons on wet hair as you might get an electrical shock. Never jerk the flat iron through your hair, run it along your hair slowly. This will also help to reduce frizz. If you sense the straightener is too hot or you smell something burning, stop using the flat iron immediately! If your hair is fragile or fine, you have to use a lower temperature setting than someone with coarse, thick hair.

As for me, this Infrashine Flat iron did a fairly good job of straightening and it also left my hair with a nice visible shine. Other features: It’s light weight, flexible and easy-to-use; heats up quickly in 5 seconds and the temperature settings are from 170-400 degrees F. On/Off Switch light pulsates when heat setting is reached. It also comes with an extra long 9 ft heavy duty UL approved cord with flexible swivel which is also very convenient.

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