Beauty and Personal Grooming

One fine morning, when you casually glance at your face in the mirror, you happen to see tiny wrinkles and fine lines forming at the outer corner of your eyes called crow’s feet and this can disturb you tremendously.  Ageing and excessive dryness around the eye area need not necessarily be the only factors responsible for the formation of these crow’s feet. When you are expressing yourself with the eyes by smiling, the corner of the eyes wrinkle up character lines and over time they are etched permanently.  Also, if most of the time you are out in the bright sun without protecting your eyes with suitable eyegear, chances are that you will be squinting. This repeated action also eventually causes crow’s feet. And these lines become more prominent when you laugh or grimace.  Eyes, being the most expressive parts of the face and ‘windows to the soul’ are the first to be noticed by people. And getting dark circles or having premature wrinkles and crow’s feet around the eye ...

Do you have the habit of fasting occasionally, that is, once in a month, or so? Then there is good news for you. You might be doing it to give rest to your already overburdened digestive system or as a customary religious practice, but you will stand to gain by this. Results from a recent survey have shown that those who fast for full 24 hours in a month have a lower risk of heart diseases. This bit of news should goad at least a few Indians, if not all, to go on a fast once in a while. As studies have shown, Indians, have a genetic predisposition of heart attacks, this risk being further enhanced by today’s sedentary lifestyle and consumption of unhealthy, junk food. Alarming statistics have revealed that nowadays people as young as 30 are falling prey to heart diseases. Only fasting once in a month might not reduce your overall risk-factor. You have to correct your erratic lifestyle, eat healthy food and exercise regularly also. So make amends before it is too late.

Just because you are blessed with a normal skin doesn’t mean that you can take it for granted. Read all about normal skin care . Here are some more great do-it-yourself face packs, especially for your skin type : Potato face pack Ingredients: Grated raw potato – 4 tsp Multani mitti (fuller’s earth) – 2 tsp Rosewater Method: Mix grated potato and multani mitti with enough rose water. Spread it on your face and lie down for 10-15 minutes. Then wash off with warm water followed by a splash of cold water. Jasmine-yoghurt face pack Ingredients: Handful of Jasmine petals Yoghurt – 4 tsp Method: Squeeze jasmine petals in yoghurt and apply the paste all over your face. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes and wash off with cold water. Cucumber-milk face pack Ingredients: Cucumber juice – 4 tsp Milk – 1 tsp Egg white – ½ tsp Besan (chickpea flour) – 1 tsp Method: Mix cucumber juice, milk with egg white and thicken it by adding besan to it. Spread this thick...

In today's fast-paced world, our daily showers have become rushed, utilitarian routines—mere five-minute affairs squeezed between endless tasks. But what if you could transform bathing from a mundane necessity into a luxurious self-care ritual that rejuvenates your body, nourishes your skin, and connects you to centuries of wellness wisdom? Enter the traditional Diwali oil bath—an Ayurvedic practice that modern dermatology is finally recognizing as a powerhouse skincare treatment. What is a Diwali Oil Bath? An oil bath is a traditional South Indian bathing ritual that involves a thorough full-body massage with warm coconut oil followed by a hot water bath. In most South Indian households, particularly in Andhra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, this luxurious oil bath ceremony is mandatory on Diwali morning, marking not just a festival celebration but a strategic wellness practice timed perfectly with seasonal transitions. Traditional Diwali oil bath essentials: warm coconut oil in bra...

Are you losing sleep over hair problems like premature graying , excessive hair - loss and split ends ? Raving and ranting over your misfortune or indulging in self-pity isn’t going to take you anywhere. As a matter of fact, constant worry, stress and its byproduct insomnia can worsen your problems. Instead, work towards finding a solution the herbal way. For centuries, several herbs, flowers and herbal oils have been used successfully to restore the grandeur of the crowning glory . Quite a few of these herbs and flowers are in fact, right in front of you and staring at you from your garden just waiting for your green signal to offer their invaluable service. Go and grab them. Amla (gooseberry), for instance is proven to work wonders in preventing and treating premature graying of hair. Aloe-oil promotes hair growth and prevents split ends. The herb ‘ Brahmi (Asiatic pennywort) ’ has a cooling effect on the scalp and prevents hair-loss. If you are losing hair excessively, then...

Fragrant sandalwood (Chandan) , is indeed a very valuable tree and is synonymous with our rich culture and tradition. It has been used both as a cosmetic and as a curative, down the ages. Women in ancient India have used it as a cosmetic to beautify their skins and to perfume themselves. Both sandalwood and its oil have been used in Ayurveda for many centuries. Unfortunately it often falls prey to the poacher’s axe who fells it down mercilessly for his own selfish and commercial interests. If this kind of indiscriminate poaching is not stopped then the day is not far off when this priceless tree will become extinct.