Beauty and Personal Grooming

The summer heat, this time took a toll on my skin in the form of prickly heat. So I had to turn to one of the oldest, trusted & well-known prickly heat powders around for a long time - Nycil. Yes, today I'm going to review Nycil Prickly Heat Powder , its herbal variant, in fact known by the name Nycil Cool Herbal  Powder !

Come summer and fashionistas worldwide make sure to add on to heat with ample skin show, bright hues and the subtle yet stark statements announcing that less is more and more of it is welcome, and why not? Beauty is what the prime weapon of Venus, one that even Gods can’t resist. But the summer heat brings along the villainous UV rays and the cunning dryness that is especially harder on the feminine skin and may mar that perfect skin tone or may lead to bad hair days more often. So here’s an ode to all diva worshippers, the secret is out and here are the luxurious and best summer beauty products that will be most surprising and unusual gifts for the women of the urbane kind and the ones that city top cats, simply cannot do without.

As women, most of us struggle to leave the house without our makeup bag being kitted out with absolutely everything and anything we may need during the day, and whilst we would realistically love a backpack-sized makeup bag, it’s sometimes just not practical! So here is a guide to a few summer essentials which can fit with ease into your handbag. image source

The days are longer, the temperature is hotter and you can finally debut your new summer wardrobe. Despite the many great things about the summer season, all that heat, humidity, sun, sea and sand can leave your appearance looking a little worse for wear. Fear not! Here are seven common summer beauty problems and their solutions:

The summer months are just around the corner—time to turn your sights towards bathing suit season and the products and services that can help you to feel confident and comfortable in your skin.

You just spent twenty minutes applying your makeup. From eyeliner to lipstick, you have the whole process down to a science. Maybe you’ve even mastered applying it on the way to work at stop lights (which we wouldn’t recommend). But what happens when the heat turns up? Don’t let all of that beautiful effort melt away (literally). When the humidity tops out, it’s impossible to always be in air conditioning. Keep that look with the help of makeup primer.

Pears Oil-Control Soap – it’s being promoted in a big way these days. But that’s not the reason why I picked up this soap. With the goodness of lemon flower extracts that are supposed to have astringent and oil-control properties, I felt that it’s a soap that would be just right for my acne-prone, oily skin. And indeed it is a wonderful product; I have been using it for several weeks and I love it. The soap itself is transparent and pale-greenish in colour; the aroma is quite pleasant and soothing to the senses and lingers on for quite sometime. And the best part - despite having astringent qualities, it didn’t dry my skin. And as claimed, it only cleared off excess oil from the skin while retaining the natural moisture and my skin felt fresh and clean after bath . For just Rs.24/- for a 75g bar, it’s a good buy. You can also purchase expensive ones  from Amazon, Pears Oil Control Bathing Bar, 75g or it's equivalent Pears Oil Clear Hypoallergenic - Non Comedogenic Soap 125 gm (...

I happened to use Roopgarva Face pack from Gayatri Herbals and quite liked it. With a unique blend of pure herbs such as neem, tulsi (basil), jesthmadh etc and the wonderful multani mitti that removes the dirt and grime from the skin, it makes your facial skin look thoroughly cleansed and glowing. Good for oily, acne-prone skins and in summers. Roopgarva face pack

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 .

These face packs from Ayur are ideal for oily and acne-prone skin in summers. I have used these packs several times before and they have worked for me. But, please test them on a small area of your skin before using them on your face and neck. It’s quite natural to develop rashes if you are allergic to any ingredient in them; so be forewarned. Tulsi face pack Ayur Tulsi face pack The herb Tulsi is known to fight and ward off skin infections and as such this pack is found to be good enough for normal to oily skins. Sandal face pack Ayur Sandal face pack Sandalwood is a coolant and anti-bacterial, fights prickly heat and acne and makes the skin glow. Neem face pack Ayur Neem face pack This highly antiseptic and anti-bacterial face pack is most effective for acne-prone skins and heals pimples. (See also: Himalaya neem face pack: review ) Mint face pack Ayur mint face pack This aromatic face pack with its cooling and refreshing properti...

An amazing cleansing mask for summer months is a mud pack – preferably a Multani Mitti face pack ; it draws out excessive oil, sweat and grime from the pores and leaves the skin cleansed and free from blackheads . Two such Multani face packs from Banjara Herbals seem good. Multani with AloeVera face pack Aloevera is an awesome herb with soothing and moisturizing properties and when combined with Multani mitti (fuller’s earth), it helps remove impurities from the skin surface without affecting its moisture balance. As such this is a powerful re-hydrant cleansing pack that is not only effective for dry skins but also for all skin types. It’s even mentioned that you can add a tsp of honey for additional moisturization and a soothing effect. Multani with aloevera face pack Multani with Rose face pack This combination of Multani mitti and Rose Petal Powder is supposed to be an anti-ageing formula utilizing protein rich compound. Rose petal powder is believed to soft...

I’m fascinated by the medicinal and cosmetic benefits of Rakta Chandan (Red Sandalwood) and apply its paste whenever an ugly pimple sprouts up and I must admit that it dries up the zit exceedingly well and the paste ( Red Sandalwood Chips / Red Sandalwood powder ) itself in combination with Rose water , when used as a face pack, is extremely cooling and soothing to the skin. Incidentally both sandalwood (chandan) and red sandalwood with their antibacterial and coolant properties are ideal for dealing with summer skin woes. So when I happened to notice this soap named as Nagarjuna Raktha Chandan soap at a mall, I immediately purchased it.

Prickly heat is the bane of summer months. While these home-remedies help combat prickly heat   to a greater extent, you could also try commercially available prickly heat powders/talc like DermiCool to fight this menace. DermiCool , a prickly heat powder from Paras Pharmaceuticals imparts a refreshing, cooling sensation in those extremely hot, sweaty summers. This powder with its mentholated formulation is literally ‘cool’ and provides instant relief from intolerable heat and excessive sweating with its cool, soothing effect. After a nice, long cold-water bath, just sprinkle DermiCool all over your body, especially those parts which are prone to more sweating and prickly heat bumps. The powder is quite smooth and doesn’t irritate the skin. As you dust the powder over your skin, you experience that instant coolness, almost like tiny air-conditioners cooling your body.

Besides Ayur Deep Pore Cleansing Milk and Lakme Deep pore cleanser , I’ve also used Himalaya Herbals Deep Pore Cleansing Milk . It’s a wonderful cleanser -- leaves my skin thoroughly cleansed and refreshed; what I like about it is it has the goodness of cucumber and a natural foaming agent like soapnut ( reetha ). Cucumber soothes and keeps your facial skin soft, while s oapnut penetrates deep into pores and effectively cleans excess oily secretions. It suits all skin types and is one of the must-have products of summer months.

Apart from these homemade multani mitti face pack , lemon face pack or sandalwood face pack, I also use store-bought face packs like this Orange face pack from Banjara Herbals in summers . Orange peel powder is an amazing ingredient that works wonders when used in face packs for oily and greasy skins , and this orange face pack not only has orange peel powder and many other herbs, but also contains kaolin powder which helps draw excess sebum from the pores. After a single application your skin feels tight, rejuvenated and refreshed and I’ve found that if used for several weeks, it lightens blemishes considerably. If you have the time you may also prepare your own face pack with these ingredients: 1 tsp Orange peel powder , 1 tsp Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) / kaolin powder clay , 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp Rose water too. It’s a highly effective face mask for oily, acne-prone skin with blemishe s and in summer months. See also: How should you prepare your face for a mask ...

(Guest post by Karuna) I happened to see the advertisements of Emami Naturally Fair Pearls Herbal Fairness Soap splashed on a leading woman’s magazine and was quite impressed with it. My skin tans horribly in summer and I would love to try a product that effectively deals with suntan and makes my skin appear fair – let me use this soap and see if it lives up to its claims. What Emami states: Based on herbal principles, Emami Naturally Fair Pearls Herbal Fairness Soap is a unique blend of rich natural extracts and real Pearl dust for imparting fairness and freshness. While it gently cleanses your skin, its natural sunscreen protects skin from harmful UV rays, promoting a fairer and vibrant complexion . Chief ingredients in Emami Naturally Fair Pearls Herbal Fairness Soap: Pearl dust, Spanish saffron, aloe vera , sandalwood , liquorice and chamomile. Emami Naturally Fair Pearls Herbal Fairness Soap P.S: If any of you have already used this soap, please do share your...

Ayur Herbal Deep Pore Cleansing Milk. (for all skin types) A deep pore cleansing milk to get rid of the stickiness and grime during summer months is a must for me. I always make it a point to cleanse my face with it and also with a deep pore exfoliating face wash as soon as I reach home in the evening. I’ve used this homemade cleansing milk as well as Lakme Deep pore cleanser . But most of the time I use Ayur Herbal Deep Pore Cleansing Milk and I have found that it works well for me. With a creamy texture, it has the goodness of natural herbs like organic aloevera , emollient oils and rose water and its cleansing action gently removes deep seated dirt, sebum, sweat and make-up residue, making my face appear clean and soft. Plus, it’s quite inexpensive and costs only Rs. 36/- for 100 ml. I also use this cleansing milk before applying a mask (I use multani mitti cleansing face mask in summer.) and while removing makeup .

One of my favourites among natural and Ayurvedic soaps is Medimix Ayurvedic Soap . Its ingredient list includes 18 awesome herbs that are extremely soothing to the skin. The first time I tried it, I could sense that immediate difference; my skin felt so soft and clean. It’s good for acne-prone skin too; during the days that I had used it my skin was quite clear and it’s such a mild and gentle soap that my skin seemed to love it. It’s a great product to be used in summer months, especially, as it helps fight prickly heat rashes as well. I use it every now and then and definitely recommend it. Medimix Ayurvedic Soap 125g - New Large Size

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) See also: Gels to soothe sunburn

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