Beauty and Personal Grooming

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.     

Even the most glamorous of engagement rings won’t be so dazzling if you’ve got dry hands and cracked nails. Expect your hands to be in the limelight once you’ve got that precious rock on your finger. Even if it’s not like Beyoncé’s 20-carat diamond ring, your engagement jewellery will still be of interest to everyone you meet on the street once word gets out that you’ll be marrying soon. And you’ve got to be prepared to lift your hand to the world and show them your ring.

The other day I was observing my domestic help. With flawless, dusky complexion, she was slim and svelte. It could have been her genes but then mopping, swabbing and walking without the use of any means of transport also did their bit in keeping her physique in top form. I then gazed at her hands. While her figure was something to be envied, her hands were a total wreck - they looked aged beyond years and completely worn-out.  All that years of toiling and contact with detergents and the like had taken their toll. Her hands were rock-hard with calluses and even affected with what is called as 'housewife's eczema' - the one that is caused by constant exposure of skin to water, detergents, bleaches & other house cleaning agents.

Most of you must be knowing that today (October 15 th ) is Global Hand Washing Day . As for me, I am very particular about washing my hands . I normally use  Dettol handwash or Dettol antibacterial soap every now and then to clean my hands thoroughly. It's not really necessary to use an antibacterial soap , even an ordinary soap will do, as recent research has found that antibacterial soaps offer no more protection than good ol' fashioned soap and water.

In the course of the day, your hands are subjected to a lot of abuse. You might be caring for them on a regular basis but accidents do happen, sometimes.    Like for example, you topple a glass jar/expensive crockery set inadvertently and in a frantic bid to gather the scattered fragments, glass pieces get stuck in your palm .   In such a case, don’t panic and tug and pull the pieces out—this might lodge the minuscule pieces even deeper into the skin.

I don’t like to use an anti-bacterial soap as a regular bathing soap, mainly because I belong to the school of thought that does not advocate the regular usage of anti-bacterial/ antimicrobial soaps on a perfectly healthy skin as it tends to interfere with the normal skin flora and disturbs the ecology and health of the skin. Besides television ads have also impressed upon me that anti-bacterial soaps are mostly meant for athletes, wrestlers and those who do rigorous and strenuous work/exercise. However, anti-bacterial soaps may prove advantageous to those people whose skins are prone to bacterial infections as also to those who live in insect/bug /mosquito infested localities and folks who suffer from excessive perspiration and body odor .

Have you been neglecting your hands lately? You are not alone; most Indian women do – all that household work of cleaning, swabbing and doing the dishes takes a toll on their hands. Their hands take more abuse than just about any other external part of their body; they lose that youthfulness and look rugged and aged beyond years. Their palms especially are more vulnerable and become rough and hard over a period of time. The skin on the hands, as we know, is protected with a coating of oil/sebum. This is what keeps it moist and prevents dry skin. Constant immersing of hands in water, repeated washing with soaps and contact with harmful chemicals in detergents and floor-cleaning liquids (there is very little awareness in third-world countries) make the hands dry and cracked and often causes eczema (also known as housewife’s eczema) and some people are more prone to develop hand eczema than others are. And if this repeated exposure continues, hands also become red and inflamed.

Long, slender fingers in women are not just to be admired; they indicate much more. For instance, people with exceptionally long ring fingers and specifically women may have a greater risk of developing arthritis in their knees, independent of other risk factors, according to new research . Index to ring finger length ratio (referred to as 2D:4D) is a trait known for its differences between the sexes. Usually, women's index and ring fingers are of equal length, while men’s second finger is a little shorter than the fourth. So according to the study , women with the male pattern of length ratio - that is, ring finger relatively longer than the index finger - are more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. The difference between the lengths of a woman's index and ring fingers could also be an indicator of a woman’s sporting prowess. A study carried out on 607 women participants found that the highest achievement in any sport was strongly linked to a low second to fourth finger ra...