Beauty and Personal Grooming

Parachute Coconut Oil 200 ml oil. I simply adore pure, virgin coconut oil and pamper my skin with those luxurious oil-baths every winter . I also put a few drops in my bath everyday and find it extremely moisturizing on my skin. I’ve tried a number of homemade herbal hair-oils and loved them but by far coconut oil remains my favourite. Usually, I massage it on my scalp twice a week, by slightly warming it. Amongst the branded, store-bought coconut oils, I’ve tried Parachute coconut oil, and I’ve found it to be of a superior quality. Manufactured by Marico Industries, it is made of pure dried coconut (“ copra ”) and is packed in attractive blue plastic bottles with a tamper-proof seal to prevent duplication. It’s also available at Amazon ($4.95 for a 200 ml bottle). You may also purchase an extra large 1 liter bottle for $14.99. It smells nice and the plastic bottle can be slightly warmed by placing it in a container of lukewarm water to liquefy it after overnight freezing i...

To those lucky ones who have normal hair , here are some great hair-packs and conditioners to try. 1. Add a tsp of Brahmi (Asiatic pennywort) leaves ( Brahmi Powder , if leaves are not available) to a small bottle of castor oil. Warm it and work it into your scalp at night. Wash it off in the morning. Remember to wash your scalp thoroughly to ease out the sticky castor oil. 2. Mix henna powder with black tea, a tsp of ground soaked fenugreek (methi) seeds and two egg whites. Apply it and leave on till it dries completely. Wash it off. For the final rinse , add a tbsp of beet juice to a mug of water to get that superb shine. 3. Prepare a mixture of one cup coconut milk, two tsp of gramflour/ chickpea flour ( besan ), 3 tsp of castor oil , 1 tsp of Shikakai and Amla powder and one tsp of honey . Mix well and rub onto your scalp for 20 minutes. Wash off, preferably with a homemade herbal shampoo or reetha ( soap nut) ) water Tip: Substitute shikakai with Neem for equall...