Beauty and Personal Grooming

Plump cheeks and soft features make us appear younger If you have resorted to drastic methods, like yo-yo dieting to lose weight, then be aware that while it may make you look slender, it may also make you look much older. Research shows that being thin is what ages us most, with plump cheeks and soft features making us appear younger. So strong is the link that the loss of 10lb - around a dress size - can age a woman by four years, adds Mr Grover, a consultant plastic surgeon at King Edward VII Hospital in London . He goes on to say that while most people will find their cheeks start to lose their plumpness from around the age of 38, extreme dieters have the most to worry about. He further adds: “People who are trying to stay stick-thin lose weight from their face sooner than they would otherwise and this is extremely ageing. Yo-yo dieting not only creates volume loss, but also stretching of the facial supporting ligaments due to repeated facial volume gain and loss, which ca...

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

We all have grown up hearing this: “Eating chocolates and oily foods cause breakouts. So if you have acne-prone skin, avoid it like plague.” I have always had my own doubts about the veracity of this statement. I have an acne-prone skin and I have observed that whenever I eat chocolates or other fried stuff, it didn’t seem to have any obtrusive effect on my skin. What I mean to say is that it neither worsened already existing acne nor did it cause sudden breakouts when my skin was clear. And indeed my observation was correct. Recent studies have shown that eating chocolates and grease-laden food may pile on the calories , but blaming oily food alone for acne breakouts is incorrect. Leading dermatologists believe that pimples are caused by several factors like extreme stress, heredity or hormonal disturbances and not by oily food or chocolates. In fact, it has been found that dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and hence is beneficial for health.

Few weeks back, instead of a shampoo , I had used Godrej Shikakai soap to wash my hair. This soap's unique 3 in 1 formulation is enriched with shikaka i , Amla (gooseberry)  and Bhringraj to cleanse, condition and nourish your hair.

Did you know some recent studies have found? that staying active is the key to feeling young. that women who drink two or more cans of soda pop per day are nearly twice as likely to show early signs of kidney disease. that severe depression may silently break a seemingly healthy woman's heart. that women in strained marriages are more likely than other wives to have high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. that warmer weather and changes in atmospheric pressure could trigger headaches and migraines. that children distressed by family fighting have higher stress hormones. that uncertainty, rather than negative feedback is a powerful stress producer. that gender plays a role when it comes to achieving well-being, and that men are much less likely to feel and express gratitude than women.

I don’t use crème bleach on my face quite often, partly because my skin is sensitive and acne-prone. It’s only during special occasions that I opt for bleaching, that too, to brighten up my face and conceal light facial hair. Sometime back, when I had to attend a function, I decided to bleach my face two days prior to the event. It’s always a good idea to try anything, say, coloring your hair, going in for a professional facial, tweezing your brows , plucking /threading your upper lip hair, and of course applying bleach on your face a couple of days before any big event so that you do not sport an unnatural look. I had purchased ‘ Ayur Silky Instant Bleach with Rose ’ for this purpose and as per the instructions applied it to my face carefully. (You may read this post on step-by-step instructions for applying cream bleach .) I left it for 25 minutes and after I washed my face found that it had done little to conceal facial hair and blend them to suit my skin-tone. And as...

Wearing makeup is a part of women’s culture; they use it to brighten up their face, add sparkle to their features, emphasize their appearance and express their personality. But there are some who overdo it and become the laughing stock of people around. Obtrusive paint most certainly puts everyone off and one must never go overboard and cover up one’s face with loads of makeup to make it look like a doll, which more often than not ends up resembling a clown’s.