Beauty and Personal Grooming

We already know that getting a body massage helps a lot when you want to relax. But a lot of people don’t know that a foot massage provides even more health benefits you never thought of. After a long day at work or walking around, our feet will feel tired and sore. In order to make it relaxed and in order to relieve sore muscles, a good foot massage will greatly help. It improves the blood circulation and improves one’s general health. With several therapeutic techniques, it can help heal even serious illnesses.

Few years ago, my mother used to suffer from excruciating pain in her soles or rather her heels . The minute she put her foot down in the morning,  after she got up from bed, she used to scream in pain. It was a torture for her to get out of her bed with pain akin to pricking of pins and needles as soon as her feet touched the ground. But, somehow she pushed herself to move about and do her work. The pain would slowly subside as hours passed by and as she went about her work and as the feet muscles warmed up. The pain would also occur after she would stand up after a prolonged period of sitting.  An X-ray at the orthopedist revealed that she had a heel spur or calcaneal spur or heel spur .

2 months ago, I happened to notice Gandhaali Foot Scrub Soap at a departmental store and after reading from its cover that it's a soap meant exclusively for the feet, I immediately purchased it. I especially needed a foot scrub soap to keep my feet clean in the rainy season. In the monsoons, as you all know it is a herculean task wading through muddy waters and puddles, especially in India. Also there's a high risk of contracting a fungal infection as well as other skin infections if you neglect foot hygiene. So it's highly necessary to wash, clean and scrub your feet thoroughly after you come home from outdoors. (Read Pamper your feet & Pedicure at home - easy steps )

Even an innocuous, grooming task such as trimming nails is not left untouched by superstitious beliefs. An ancient European belief forbids a person from cutting nails on Sunday and Friday; cutting nails on Friday invariably brings bad luck and on Sunday attracts evil spirits. Another superstition doing the rounds in 19th century Europe was that a mother should never cut the nails of the child before it's first birthday and if she does so the child will grow up to be a thief.  India too has its share of superstitious beliefs regarding nail cutting. In India, at least in the part of South India where I grew up, there is a belief that cutting nails after dusk is a bad thing. Moreover clipping nails on Saturday and on the day of the week you were born is supposed to bring bad luck. So most people avoid cutting nails on these days.

Spring and summer are ideal seasons for saying “I do!” Spring, with nature blossoming in every corner symbolizes a fresh new start, and thus provides the perfect frame for your new life as a married couple. Summer is all about being positive and vibrant, with longer and warmer days, clear skies and plenty of plans to fulfill. No doubt why so many brides love getting married during the warmest months of the year. Now your footwear will have to reflect your blossoming and warm spirit that matches these seasons, so let’s have a look at our picks for the best bridal shoes to wear in Spring Summer 2016. Benjamin Adams has a great selection that strike the perfect balance between comfort and style.

Our feet take an enormous amount of pressure as we pound the pavement running and walking, wear uncomfortable but fashionable shoes, walk around barefoot, suffocate them in airtight socks, and stand for hours at a time. Continuous activity plus the weight of your body can exert extra pressure on your feet. Fortunately, keeping your feet healthy takes very little effort. Using these preventative tips will keep your feet pain free and help you maintain your active lifestyle.

Approximately two million Americans receive treatment for foot pain each year. It comes as little surprise. After all, many people spend entire work days on their feet. However, numerous other factors can also influence your likelihood of suffering from foot pain, such as ill-fitting shoes, bad posture and poor workout practices. All it takes is one minor injury for foot pain to disrupt your daily life. Fortunately, there are many ways you can avoid this.

In one of the earlier posts, I had blogged about how Zimbabweans make use of okra (Bhindi) as a homemade beauty aid to drive away wrinkles . Now I'd like to share another such DIY recipe with okra that can actually improve the skin's complexion. In fact, okra, also called as lady's finger isn't the only ingredient used, a few other veggies and a wonder spice like cumin / jeera is also included.     

Some of us don't wear sandals or open-toed shoes because it's simply not our style. Oh, but then there are some of us who don't do it because we don't want the world to see what lies beneath our boots, sneakers, socks and pumps. Indeed, not everyone is born with naturally pretty feet, but that doesn't mean that we have to go without properly maintaining them. Just like we can go to a department store to get a makeover for our face, there are things that can be done at home to give our feet a fabulous makeover too:

When you look down at your toes, beyond thinking, "Man, it's time that I get a pedicure!" you're probably not putting too much thought into them. So, it may surprise you that your feet can actually tell you a lot about the state of your overall health (a big reason why reflexology is so important in the healthcare field). If you're wondering what are some of the "foot signs" (and potential warnings) that you should be looking out for are, down below we have enclosed five of them:

Although the summer is the time of year when people tend to be the most proactive when it comes to caring for their feet, the truth of the matter is having feet that are both soft and beautiful should not be seen as a seasonal thing. Well-manicured feet are not just pleasing to look at, but they also help us to feel more comfortable as we're going about our day (because there aren't callouses and jagged nails getting in our way).

If your feet have been in hiding during the past few months, it's now time to make them "suitable for public viewing". After all, it is almost summertime---the time to break out the sandals, open-toed wedges and (for the fellas) flip-flops. Of course, you could book an appointment with a nail salon to get your toes in order. But if you'd like to save a few bucks, there are some things that you can do at home too. Here are five tips for DIY (Do It Yourself) pedicures that will have your feet fresh and pretty in no time!

Toe Nail Fungus is a common problem that affects most people and men are four times more likely to get it. Vicks VapoRub as an ointment for this malady is believed to offer some relief. Similarly the application of pure henna (Mehendi) paste continuously for a fortnight on the affected toe nail also yields good results. But home-remedies don't work in some instances. In such cases, it's better to consult a doctor who'll probably prescribe antifungal drugs. However the healing procedure is extremely slow and sometimes it might even take up to a year or sometimes more not to mention the side-effects of the medications.

I hate to admit this, but I have some superfluous hair growing abundantly on my toes and a few straggly ones at the centre of my feet. I usually use a hair removing cream or a razor to get rid of that obnoxious fuzz. But those puny hairs have the audacity to pop up immediately in a few days time.

Asha from Goa asks: My feet hurt a lot if I walk a little more. There is a corn on my left foot. I have tried many ointments for it but there has been no relief.

Saima asks: The skin on my feet is very rough and dry with a few wrinkles also. I'd say that it almost resembles a granny's feet. BTW, I'm only 25 years old. I always wear footwear that cover my feet completely and avoid wearing open-toed sandals and such. I so envy other girls / women with dainty, lovely feet and wish I too had feet that were soft and smooth. Please suggest a suitable home-remedy to improve the texture of the skin on my feet. I'd also like to add that I do not have a problem of dry skin on any other part of my body.  In fact, I have super-smooth skin on my arms and my hands are quite lovely. Also I don't have acne , blemishes or anything of that sort. It's only my feet that I'm worried about.

Did you know that a relaxing footbath, a massage or a pedicure at a spa that seems like an exhilarating experience on the surface could also give you nasty infections?  In October of 2000, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigated the first known outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum cutaneous infections acquired from whirlpool footbaths. As a prominent cosmetic podiatrist in New York City, Dr. Oliver Zong has seen countless patients who have developed infections in their feet as a result of spa pedicures.  He says, “a pedicure is something I recommend to my patients who want to maintain both the health and look of their feet, but I warn them to ‘proceed with caution’ when choosing a nail salon to frequent.”

Dr Snehal Sriram (MD) , Kaya Skin Clinic shares a few tips on taking care of your skin this monsoon : Summer is the season for growth - our skin cell turnover increases; this leads to piling up of dead layers of skin by the time monsoon begins. Also, the UV rays that harm the skin are invisible but do penetrate the clouds and harm the skin. Without right skin care, our skin starts looking dull and lifeless in the monsoon. Acidic water adds to our woes and hair tends to get rough and frizzy. Skincare: - Cleanse your skin daily using a soap free cleanser. Also make use of a gentle scrub (with uniform mild beads) once a day to get rid of dead cells. - Cleansing should be followed by toning using an alcohol free toner, since increased humidity could open up your pores - Use a sunscreen even on a cloudy day since the harmful UV radiations are capable of penetrating the clouds - Use a light lotion based moisturizer or serum with a lightening agent as...