From the Archives : Why do we get Headaches? {Health}

Have you ever wondered what causes the headaches. I have had headaches since 1998 as far as I can remember and it is definitely never a great experience. Instead, I feel like my head will come out of the skull. I have always wondered what causes headache. The reason which I knew was less blood supply to the parts of the head. Yes.

If you are suffering from any kind of headache without having any ailment like cold, sinus, any kind of flu or fever or any other medical problem like tumor, it is just because you have less blood supply in your scalp and its nerves. The blood vessels are constricted and reduce the flow. This starts right from the neck blood vessels.

Time for reality check. I would like to share some issues regarding headaches which probably many of you are not aware of. At least, I came to know of them today itself. Coffee and sweets are two things which can cause or increase the intensity of headaches. This is because of the caffeine content in the coffee and chocolates. Caffeine decreases the blood supply to the head by constricting the blood vessels.

And, the other sweets increase the blood sugar level which in turn also decreases the blood supply by constricting the blood vessels. Other foods which might trigger headaches are processed food, foods high in sugar, cheese, food additives, alcohol, carbonated beverages, red wine, Chinese food and even citrus fruits and bananas.

You can also be sensitive to other things which you include in your diet so keep an eye open. There are many other factors too which cause headaches like stress, lack of sleep, bright lights, weather changes, loud noises and strong odors. Wearing a hair style which pulls your hair tightly or tying a hair band too tightly can also trigger headaches. It is best to leave your hair free in that case or use a clip to just catch hold of your hair.

Mensuration cycles is again one of the common reasons for headache in women. Eye sight is also a very big catalyst in headaches. Excess exposure to sun is also a cause for headaches.

The lesson to be taken from all this is that you should be conscious of what you are eating and doing so that you can trace the reason of your headaches. Anything can trigger a headache within an hour of its consumption so keeping a little check on eating patterns can help you discern the reason and get rid of headaches easily.

If you would not do so, these headaches may easily develop into migraines. I am sure many of you would really not be aware that you are suffering from migraines. One of the most common symptoms of migraines is a nauseating feeling accompanies by vomiting. Some headaches are so severe that they get resolved only after vomiting.

If you are sensitive to bright lights or noises or odors, you should seek help from a doctor and clearly outline your case of headaches. Sometimes, doctors might also just ignore your complain of headaches saying it is normal or it is due to eyesight (if you have one). Be prepared for this. If you have such experience, try to find patterns on your own.

Chances are that you yourself would be able to figure out the cause of your headaches. Sometimes, it is as simple as sitting a lot before a computer or watching too much of television or even too much of reading. Such things can easily be improved by changing a little of the lifestyle.

The best remedy for headaches is to lie down in a dark and quiet place. Instead of going for medications, you can also use balms (which you can apply on forehead) or get some to do a scalp or body massage for you.

So, what do you do for your headache?

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From the Archives : Use ginger to get rid of acne {DIY}

PS: Everyone has been asking me about how to get rid of acne so this is an old and a very useful post on the same topic. Hope this helps :)

Ginger is a very useful spice. And, it has great anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties along with its astringent properties which comes handy when you are dealing with a stubborn problem like acne. Acne can come in form of pimples, outbreaks or even worse. So, let us discuss what all you can do from ginger.

Ginger is great as a drink every day. Yes, it is pretty bitter in taste but it improves your skin from inside. It helps your body fight the free radicals and keeps your digestive system in order. It cleans out the toxins from your system. Ginger improves the blood circulation throughout the body and also cleans out the blood. Not only this, it also improves the skin tone and helps in getting rid of blemishes and spots.

Squeeze out a little of ginger juice and apply it on your face or just the acne-affected areas and see your skin improve in a matter of days. It works very well for unexpected outbreaks and pimples. You can also use the juice as a face mask for blemished and sun-burnt skin. And, you can also help your body by including this spice in your daily diet.

A little every day goes a long way. You can also use a little ginger in your spinach-lettuce juice in the morning. Pass a small slice of ginger along with spinach and lettuce while making the juice. It would give a spicy taste to your drink. And, not to mention, ginger is really good for throat infections, dry coughs and colds.

So, have you used ginger on your acne ever? Does it help?

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From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}
From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}
From the Archives : Acne - How to take care of your skin?

From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}

I wanted to talk about how to detox your body and then, I came across an article which said that tongue cleaning was a habit which has been carried out since centuries and it actually has a great importance for our body according to Ayurveda.

I was a little surprised to read that because I had always thought of it as a habit which has to be carried daily after we brush our teeth and I thought its importance was limited only to hygienic purposes. But, what I came to learn about was that it is one of the ways to help our body get rid of toxins. 

The question which pops to our minds is How?
During our sleep, body gets rid of all the toxins in our body, right. So, how do all these toxins get out of our body? Sweat, urination or excretion. Yes. But, some of the toxins also get deposited as a film on our tongue. So comes the ritual of tongue scraping in the morning to remove this film of toxins.

The bacteria present in these toxins are also the cause of bad breath. And, they prevent our taste buds from getting a proper taste of the food. How? Because, they get deposited continuously and if not cleaned, the deposits can become pretty thick and the food we eat is not actually tasted by our taste buds.

Ultimately, we do not get the feeling of satiety which the taste buds trigger to the brain because taste buds do not know that we are eating. So, we end up overeating and gaining weight in the process. So, I hope you realize how important it is for us to clean our tongues everyday.

Now, how do you clean your tongue? Using a plastic tongue scraper or your brush? Well, both of the methods are not advisable. Plastic is not good for health and the brush actually does not clean the tongue. It just disturbs the bacteria and sometimes, the bacteria can begin breeding in the brush too which is definitely not good for your dental health.

So, you should use a tongue scraper made of stainless steel or brass to avoid toxicity from metals. Be gentle while using the scraper but firmly remove the debris from your mouth. Hold the scraper on both sides and place it at the back of the tongue near the tonsils and start scraping from there. Repeat the movements 5 times. Clean the scraper properly and disinfect it occasionally using baking soda.

Today's Lesson: Detox your body by making tongue scraping a habit. 

So, do you clean your tongue?

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From the Archives : Acne - Home Remedies {DIY}
From the Archives : Acne - How to take care of your skin?
From the Archives : How to Get rid of Blackheads? {Skin Care}

From the Archives : Acne - Home Remedies {DIY}

Yesterday, I talked about how to take care of your skin and keep hygiene for preventing more acne outbreaks. Today, I would like to talk about some effective home remedies for acne. Hope these will be helpful for you. 

• Lemon juice is one of the best bets. It kills the bacteria in the acne and also reduces the oil production on the skin. In fact, all the citrus fruit family is great for acne. Oranges, strawberries, raspberries; take a slice of them every time you eat a fruit and rub it over your face and other affected parts of the body and keep it on till it dries off. Wash with very cold water so that it gives some relief from any burning or tingling sensation. 

• When I talked about lemon, tomato is the next follow up. Tomato juice is also equally effective for acne.
  

• Remember one thing: Whenever you feel a tingling sensation after you apply any herbal or other product, it is a proof that it is working. If it starts irritating the skin or causes change in skin color, then it is probably time to get rid of the product or remedy.

• Onion Juice and Ginger Juice is another great remedy for acne. Extract onion juice or ginger juice or cut a slice of onion or ginger and apply it on the affected parts. Wash off with cool water. You can even mix both of them.

• To reduce any burning sensation or inflammation, use cooled tea bags and chilled cucumber slices. They provide a lot of relaxation. You can also apply sandalwood paste. It cools the skin and is an antiseptic. Mint juice is also very useful in dealing with the acne.

• Mix 3/4th part of sandalwood and 1/4th part of turmeric. Make a paste with any fruit juice or mint juice and apply to the affected parts.

• How could I forget aloevera gel. Plant an aloe at home and reap its benefits. The gel straight from the plant is great for acne.

• Do not forget to use pomegranates. They too give you a lovely acne free skin.

You can also use something which will provide a cooling sensation or relief to the acne.

What home remedies do you use for your skin?

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From the Archives : Acne - How to take care of your skin?

Acne is one of the most afflicting skin disorders. Getting rid of acne is not very difficult if a strict routine is followed. The only thing to be kept in mind is to be strict with yourself whether in diet or skin care routine.

First things first. Never exfoliate your face. That just worsens the problem. You want to slough off the dead skin. Use milk. Apply raw milk on face with cotton very gently and wait for it to dry. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear). It gives a relaxing effect to your skin.

Do not ever touch your face and do not let your hair fall on your face. The dirt and oil form the fingers and hair does cause bad outbreaks. You might also want to make a change in your hair products if you have outbreaks near forehead or chin. This might happen if your skin is giving allergic reactions to the ingredients of the products.

Use a separate hand towel or wash cloth for your face. Do not use your body towel to clean the face. Use a very very gentle cleanser. Best if you can get a dermatologist recommended cleanser which is more gentle as compared to over-the counter products. A cleanser with bacteria fighting abilities would be preferred. Be very gentle while cleansing your face. Any rough movement can cause an outbreak. Wash in circular motions.

Lets talk about your skin care products. First thing is a very light moisturizer. Preferred if it has spf properties also so that you do not have to cake your face in lot of product layers which will lead to closed pores. Makeup products should be water based and best if in a powder form or if you can avoid them totally, that would be the best. At night, try to keep your skin completely naked instead of slathering any anti-aging cream. That would allow your skin to breathe.

Change your pillow covers every day. The dirt and oil is soaked up easily by the pillow covers and if you use the same ones night after night even for a week, they would cause some outbreaks. Hygiene is a very big part of your skin care regime. Change the face towel also daily and wash in an antiseptic like dettol or savlon. That would keep it bacteria free and dry them in direct sun light. That would prevent any humid bacteria build up.

Now, lets talk about your diet. Cut on junk, oily and spicy food. That just increases the outbreaks from the inside. Decrease the amount of sugar and salt too. Also cut down on alcohol, coffee, carbonated beverages and smoking. They all contribute to your aggravated acne condition. No energy bars or energy or fruit drinks too. They are just full of sugar and nothing else. Reduce the chocolates too even if it is the dark chocolate you prefer.

Drink lots and lots of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Drink lots of fresh fruit juices made at home. Keep your body light and exercise for a hour or two daily or thrice in a week. Drink fresh lemon juice every day in the morning. Follow all the tips I talked about today and you should see some improvement in a week or two.

So, what are your acne skin care tips?

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From the Archives : How to Get rid of Blackheads? {Skin Care}

Well, blackheads are a very universal problem. Getting rid of them is not very easy. Blackheads are actually the dirt which settles in your pores and turns black due to oxidation when it comes in contact with the air. So, this is a recurring problem.

It is not like you get rid of it once and it never comes back again. Regular exfoliation is one of the methods to get rid of blackheads. I shall be posting one remedy which my friend has suggested to me once.

Steaming is your solution.
Well, it is just synonymous to exfoliation. Take boiled water in a pot, cover yourself and the pot with a towel and do not let the steam escape. Let the steam open your pores. Now, take a soft wash cloth and dip it in pot. Let the wash cloth cool to a tolerable temperature and now gently rub your nose area with the wash cloth.

Remember not to rub hard as it will peel off your skin. Do it gently and patiently. Do this for 5-10 minutes as long as you are comfortable. You can follow this procedure by exfoliating the whole face too. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear) to close the pores. Follow with a very light moisturizer if you want or best is to leave your skin as it is.

Now, one of the rules for not getting blackheads is to keep your skin clean. Whenever we apply any kind of moisturizer or cream on our face, it closes the pores. The pores on the nose are bigger than that of the face so they get blocked easily and the dirt in them shows conspicuously. So, keep your face clean and non-greasy all day long.

Another remedy to get rid of blackheads is lemon juice. Apply lemon juice on your nose and extend it up to the cheeks covering all the crevices too. It will dry in a matter of seconds. Go to sleep. Wash your face with cold water only in the morning. Follow this as frequently as you can and you should notice some change in two weeks or a month depending on your frequency of application. 

Third remedy which I have not tried is to buy some nose pore cleanser strips from a dug store and using them. I am not sure about their effectiveness. But, I think they should be fine for a quick fix job. Though I have suggested it, please remember that the pore strips are not good for skin. They also have the same harmful ingredients as are present in the refreshing wipes like alcohol and other preservatives. So, try to keep their usage to a minimum.

How do you get rid of your blackheads??

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From the Archives : Downward dog position for dark circles {Skin Care}
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From the Archives : Get rid of Split Ends {Hair care}

From the Archives : Downward dog position for dark circles {Skin Care}

Downward Dog position is one of the important and easiest yoga postures and carries a multitude of health benefits. It helps stretching your spine so relieves you of painful backaches in the long run. It calms your mind and improves your concentration.

It relieves headaches, indigestion, stress, insomnia and strengthens arms and legs. It is also good for high blood pressure and asthma patients. But, apart from all the health benefits, there are a lot of beauty benefits which can be derived if one practices this yoga position everyday.

Let us look at the beauty benefits. Check out here for a step by step instruction on how to perform the downward dog position.

• It uplifts the face and firms the skin giving it a natural glow as all the blood flows to the face when you are bent down in the downward position.
• Since there is more blood flow towards the eyes, your eyes look more bright and alive. 
• It is a perfect cure for dark circles and puffy eyes.
• There's more blood flow towards the scalp too which helps in providing nutrition to the hair follicles and promotes hair growth. 
• Double chin disappears in gradual time and the neck firms up.
• The skin tone and color improves and the discoloration disappears leaving an even color all over the face and neck.

So, start doing this yoga position everyday for 10 times holding each position for 1-2 minutes approx and see the difference in a few days. The best part of this position is that it also helps in weight control all over the body.

So, have you tried this position? 

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From the Archives : Turn your regular shampoo into a homemade herbal shampoo {DIY}

Today, I would be sharing with you a recipe which I have been using for long for my hair and believe me, it has done wonders. I no longer believe in buying hair products according to your needs like a hair fall shampoo as a solution to hair loss or a damage repair shampoo for a heat burnt hair. I have got rid of these things using simple home remedies and I would suggest you to practice them regularly to see quick and long lasting results. You can use tomato repair the dry dull hair or fenugreek for hair loss. If you feel like, you can top your treatment with such fancy hair products too. They might do you some good, who knows!!!

Coming back to the topic, the recipe is very simple.

Ingredients (practically everything you think is good for hair and worth boiling in water)

- Indian Gooseberry (fresh or sun-dried amla) 

- fenugreek seeds and leaves (methi)

- curry leaves

- sage leaves / basil leaves (tulsi)

- hibiscus flower and leaves 

- mehendi leaves (henna)

- jasmine flowers and leaves

- rose petals

- lavender and rosemary flowers (if available)

Method
Soak them all the ingredients in two liters of water overnight. Boil next morning till water remains half of the original quantity. Let the water cool and strain. You can use this directly as a shampoo but it would not lather and I don't know if it removes the oil completely. And, you might not get satisfied with it.

So, take a fresh clean bottle. Pour your regular shampoo to a one-third quantity of the bottle. And, pour this liquid over it. Shake well. Your herbal shampoo is ready. Do not worry about diluting your shampoo. It is good for you as less number of chemicals are applied on your hair and your shampoo lasts longer.

This shampoo works better than the regular shampoo. And, it will definitely give better results than the regular application. Do not judge it until you try this out. It might sound weird to some people. But, if you have ever heard, many people advice that one should dilute the shampoo with water to decrease the harshness of chemicals on the hair. I will request you all to give it a try.

You can use a shampoo sachet for a trial. And, then, you can decide for your own self whether this shampoo will suit you or not. And, it surely does help in hair growth too.

Words of Caution
Please refrain from using any ingredient, which you already know, you will be allergic to. If you want to dye your hair some color, you can continue with using henna leaves. But, remember that though henna is conditioning for hair, it is extremely drying too. So, you can skip it.

You may put some green tea (or your favorite flavor) too in the boiling water. Do not add anything which has short shelf life as it will spoil the whole recipe like lemon peels, soapnuts or shikakai. Use them fresh. You can use lemon juice as a hair rinse for shine. But, lemon causes hair to get dry. So, you might want to try out other remedies for shiny hair.

Have you tried something like this ever?

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From the Archives : Get rid of Split Ends {Hair care}

Split ends are ugly and make our hair look unhealthy. More than that, they actually make our hair unhealthy by climbing up the hair shaft. The only way to get rid of split ends is by trimming your hair up to the level where you are sure all your damaged hair is gone. Next step is to take care of your hair properly so that there are no split ends in the future.

• First is to handle your hair very gently. Do not rub with a towel or use a rough accessory on it. Do not be harsh with it while drying it. Just gently squeeze the excess water out of the hair and let it air dry. Keep your combs and brushes smooth. If they develop jagged edges or get broken at any point, change them. The jagged edges or sharp broken points can rip off the hair.

• Proper nutrition and regular exercise is necessary to maintain beautiful hair. Why? As our hair grows from the follicle, it gets old. The tips of our hair is years old actually and due to the lack of proper nutrients and exercise and loss of proper capillary action in the hair, it becomes difficult for the hair follicles to provide proper nutrition to the ends of the hair. This is one of the reasons for even the hair getting dry as it grows past a certain length. Due to the lack of nutrition, the cuticle wears off and the hair strand starts splitting.

• Due to the very same reason, we need to provide the ends with extra nutrition on a regular basis. If your hair is extremely dry or is prone to lot of split ends, do a weekly pre-poo on your hair. Egg and honey is especially helpful.

• Excess usage of hair products can also bring this calamity to your hair. Use only the most required of the products and make sure they are of the highest quality. Use as minimum amount as possible of any product. 

• Mix a tea spoon of castor oil with two tea spoons of pure coconut oil and massage in into your hair with special attention to the ends twice a week. Dip a towel into warm water and wrap your hair in it. You can even take a steam for your hair. You can leave it overnight or wait for an hour or two and wash off with a mild shampoo. Do not forget to dilute the shampoo. After washing your hair, apply a intensive hair conditioner to the ends of the hair and stay for 5-10 minutes. Wash off. You can follow with leave-in conditioner. 

So, how do you prevent the splits in your hair?

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From the Archives : Hair Types and their Hair Care Routine {Hair Care}

Our hair has generally been categorized only in three types: Dry, Normal and Oily. But, have you ever thought that the hair can also be like skin. As skin has many types like dry, sensitive, normal, oily, combination; similarly, our hair can also be categorized in various types:

• Normal Hair
• Damaged (or Sensitive) Hair
• Dry Hair
• Oily Hair
• Combination Hair
• Dry Scalp with Oily body
• Oily scalp with dry body

Please remember that I am talking about the condition of hair not the texture of hair. And, the way we care for our hair should be customized depending on the hair condition.

Normal Hair does not require any special care. Normal routine of shampooing and conditioning will keep it in place.

Dry Hair needs a lot of conditioning and deep conditioning treatments. Avoid going into sun too much and do not let your hair get subjected to heat.Always keep your hair moisturized using a leave-in conditioner or aloevera gel. And, of course, do not forget the hot oil treatments for your hair weekly once or twice.

Oily hair does not need oil. It needs something which can soak oil from the hair and neutralize the oil production. For this, you can two things: one is using lemon on your scalp and another is using milk (without cream) or buttermilk on your scalp. Apply fresh lemon juice on your scalp before you shampoo your hair every time. You can also use tomato instead of lemon juice as lemon juice is highly acidic and lead to dryness in the long term. It also has the same effect. You can also experiment with strawberry hair mask but then I would say eat those strawberries instead :D And, you can use your clay masks as a hair mask also. After all, clay will absorb oil no matter where it is applied. Right!!

Combination Hair really needs a combination of oily and dry hair treatments but not so much in intensity.

- For dry scalp, you can massage a few drops of oil (coconut or olive) every time before you shampoo your hair. And, leave the hair body as it is. If your scalp is dry to the extent of being scaly and itchy, only then use hot oil treatment but use it just for the scalp. And, once in two weeks you can also go for deep conditioning treatments but make it only for the scalp (only if your scalp is scaly and itchy or if you feel a tightness in your scalp).

- For oily scalp, follow up the lemon juice or tomato treatment on the scalp and leave the body as it is. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner. You can also use your favorite conditioner to condition your hair. But, in no case, use hot oil treatments or deep conditioning treatments on your hair. Keep the conditioning treatments to the body of the hair only, especially the ends!!

So, what hair type is yours? 

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From the Archives : Use "Shaving Oil" to get rid of unwanted hair {Skin Care}

I would like to share an absolutely fabulous home remedy today. Shaving Oil. This is to bring to kind attention of all people who like to shave, you can consider using a shaving oil instead of the shaving gels, creams or hair conditioners or whatever you use.

And, the best part is you do not have to go and hunt for a shaving oil in the market. You can use any oil available in your kitchen. Be sure to use only vegetable oils or pure oils. It might sound weird for you to hear that we can use an oil as an alternative to shave.

But, it works fabulously and gives a much cleaner and safer shave than any richly foaming hair conditioner or shaving creams.

What are the advantages of Shaving Oil over Shaving Creams and other products?

• No chemicals. While shaving, any cream or gel might enter your body or react with your skin. It might give you rashes or allergies. Shaving Oil is nothing but a moisturizing ingredient so you would not feel any rash.
• Oil moisturizes your skin well so there is no dryness which happens after shaving.
• Oil helps the razor to glide smoothly so it gives a much cleaner and closer shave. You would love the way your skin feels afterward. Also, you would not suffer from any nicks and cuts while shaving due to the smooth gliding motion
• Oil can be used anywhere on the body safely. You can apply oil on your pubic area also without having second thoughts where as other methods (use of gels and creams) might cause allergic reactions on sensitive parts of the bodies and might become big problems. You can also use this method to shave the genatalia.
• You can easily shave a dense growth of hair too after applying the oil.There is a less risk of ingrown hair.
• And, lastly, it costs much less so saves your pocket money or you can use the same money to buy something more worthwhile.

What is shaving oil made of?

I am not talking about a particular kind of oil which is known as shaving oil. By Shaving Oil, I mean using oil for shave. You can use any kind of an oil available at home which you are not allergic too. You may even mix 2-3 oils of your choice.

The ideal oils for shaving are: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil.

You may use them individually. If you would like to blend more than one oil, you can pour equal quantities of all the oils you want to use in a jar for storage. Make an exception while using Castor oil as it is very thick. Always use half quantity of Castor oil as that of other oils.

How to shave using shaving oil?

• Do not wet the body part you want to shave.
• Apply the oil very generously over the area you want to shave and massage the area well for 5 minutes to make the hair soft.
• Now, gently shave with the razor. 
• After the shave, you can take a bath. Do not use soap on the shaved area. Instead, use enough hot water to wash off the oil. 
• You may consider sanitizing your razor.

I urge you earnestly to try this once. I have tried it and have fallen in love with it. This method gave me the smoothest shave ever in my life till now. And, the shaved skin does not hurt or irritate the way it used to earlier. I am looking forward to your comments about your experience with this method.

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From the Archives : Hair Tips for Monsoon {Hair Care}

PS: Even though this is an old post, the introduction holds true for this year as well :D

I am loving, adoring and blissfully bathing in Hyderabad weather after the sultry Delhi :) Ok, yes, it is humid and that does increase the suffocation at times but the cool breeze in the evenings and the lovely rains are just too romantic too ignore!!! But, then, monsoons always bring a spate of hair problems with them. 

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PS: I have nominated Perfect Skin Care for you for Indiblogger awards. If you like the post and my blog, please go on this link and write your reviews about the blog and make the blog one of the winners! You will have my undying gratitude :)

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Humid Hair

The scalp gets all dirty very soon even though the pollution is in control. The reason for this is because of the amount of humidity which accumulates the dust and sweat in the hair and makes the scalp dirty very quickly. So, hair wash should be frequent, preferably on alternate days and you should always make sure to leave your hair open for at least an hour everyday to let the roots and the scalp get some air through them and get dry.

If you get wet in the rain, let your hair air dry and then go for a hair wash. Immediate washing is generally not preferable as it may lead to diseases and illness.

• Hair Fall: This is the most common problem of hair in monsoons and even I can see those effects. One way to control it is to keep the hair and scalp always clean as mentioned above and to keep the hair always dry as even a little wet hair is also prone to a lot breakage. Do not comb your hair immediately on returning home after a long day. Leave your hair untied for a good half hour to an hour and let it dry thoroughly before running a comb. 

• Dandruff: Even though the weather is humid, the scalp can dry out easily because of the climate changes and weather fluctuations. And, that can lead to a lot of dead skin being accumulated on the scalp and leading to dandruff issues. This also contributes to hair fall in the monsoons. Ultimately, this issue can also be resolved by keeping the scalp and hair clean and dry at all times.

Hair Accessories

Avoid using scarfs and stoles to keep your hair protected from rain or even pollution. Because, lack of air circulation causes the sweat to get entrapped and accumulated on the scalp. Instead, carry an umbrella to protect you in sudden rains. And, pollution is anyway in control in monsoons so don't worry about that. Btw, it may be necessary for you to wash your hair everyday at times. Go ahead and do it. Only make sure that you use a good quality shampoo, preferably a high-end brand or an SLS-free shampoo like Organic Surge.

Keep your hair tools clean and dry

Clean your comb, hair brush and even the scrunchies and hair clips you use as they gather the sweat when you use them on dirty hair!!!

How do you protect your hair in monsoons? Comment below with your tips!

Image Courtesy:idiva.com

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From the Archives : Softening your skin starts from your bath {DIY}

Taking Bath is the best way to unwind yourself from a hectic schedule. You can turn your bathing experience into an invigorating one by adding certain ingredients which help your body to relax and also relaxes your mind both your body and mind to relax. Some ingredients which can be added to your bath water and their effects:

• Salt: Relaxes the tensed muscles, makes your skin smooth, detoxes the body, relaxes tired feet, improves circulation, prevents skin disorders, purifies the pores and removes toxins from skin. It is also good for exfoliation. Table salt would be a general choice but you can also go for rock salt. These days you get sea salts and Himalayan rock salts as well apart from the regular bath salts! Also, pair them with your favorite essential oils for a luxurious experience!

• Milk: Softens skin, cleans the pores, good for exfoliation, nourishes the skin, improves skin texture and appearance, removes body odor, prevents skin disorders.
  
• Honey: soothes and nourishes the skin, makes skin silky and fragrant, prevents skin disorders, lightens scars and any marks on the skin and removes any bacteria present in the skin.

• Oils : You can use coconut oil or almond oil. It lightens complexion, moisturizes and nourish the skin. You can also put a mix of these oils.

• Oat meal: soothes and nourishes the skin. Put some oat meal in a cheese cloth and put it under running water. and then, use it for exfoliation. This way you get oat milk in your bath water and the oats in the cheese cloth can be used as a body wash. This is an amazing tip for sensitive skin!

• Essential Oils: soothes and softens skin, lightens scars and any marks on the skin, heals wounds and soothes tired muscles and skin and you smell divine.

• Floral Water: You can definitely put many flowers into your bath for an aromatherapy. Rose,  Jasmine, Rosemary, Lavender, Chamomile, Marigold are some of the flowers which you can go for. They would relax your mind, elevate your senses and provide you the ultimate pleasure of relaxation. They soothe your complete body. You can also use the floral water.

So, go ahead and try putting a combination of various ingredients and enjoy an invigorating bath.

PS: Italicized paragraphs are updates on the original post!

Related Posts:
From the Archives : Aloevera for Hair : a quickfix {DIY}
From the Archives : Exercises for Healthy and Beautiful Eyes {Eye Care}
From the Archives : Oil Cleansing Method {DIY}

From the Archives : Aloevera for Hair : a quickfix {DIY}

As you all know, I swear by aloevera anytime of the day for hair. This was a tip I had found works really great when I had been at home and was trying out aloevera gel on my hair. I realized that applying aloevera gel is really messy but the gel dries off after a little while leaving really soft and really shiny hair. 

The best part is you can use the aloevera gel on the not-freshly washed hair to give it bounce! It can be applied everyday as well and you can use essential oils as well.

Also, when removing the gel from the leaf, the yellow parts or the green sticky messy parts should be avoided and only the clear gel be removes otherwise they get tangled in the hair.  

A quick fix to make your hair beautiful and style it in a short time is to apply Aloevera gel. Take a little of Aloevera according to your hair length in the palms and apply it to the hair. Massage some of it into the scalp and apply the rest on the hair. Pay special attention to the ends. Aloevera makes the hair sticky till it gets absorbed into the hair so you can style your hair in the mean time. It takes around 5-15 minutes for aloevera to get absorbed into the hair and does not weigh your hair down. After getting absorbed, Aloevera makes your hair shiny and bouncy.

Aloevera conditions your hair, makes hair smooth and soft and protects it from sun. It also stimulates hair growth if used on a regular basis. Aloevera can be used to moisturize hair. It is a natural humectant like honey and retains moisture. It can also be used on a daily basis. The gel from the plant can be applied directly on the hair. If bought from store, ensure that aloevera is pure and does not contain artificial additives.

Have you applied aloevera gel on your hair?

PS: The italicized paragraphs are the new updates. Rest of the post is same as it was originally published. 

Related Posts:
From the Archives : Growing Long Eyelashes {DIY}
From the Archives : Oil Cleansing Method {DIY}
From the Archives : Exercises for Healthy and Beautiful Eyes {Eye Care}

From the Archives : Exercises for Healthy and Beautiful Eyes {Eye Care}

Hope you are all enjoying your vacation.

I wrote this post during the New Year vacation of 2009. 

Well, today I have something really useful to tell you all. Its about cleaning the eyes. We all know the importance of keeping our eyes dust-free and giving them time to relax. Morning eye exercises are most important to keep eyes in good condition. There are various exercises which you can do.

Staring at an Object

Stare at a far away object without blinking your eyes till they begin to water. It will sting badly if you are a starter, but, you get used to it gradually. This is one of the best exercises to remove the toxins from eyes and also improves your self-confidence.

Tip: Try holding the eyelids with your fingers if you are not able to stare without blinking.

I have not done this since I wrote the post. Guess, its back to basics!!

Tighten and Relax

Close your eyes tightly and pull all your face muscles in a taut condition for 5 seconds. Relax. Rub your palms together to warm them and place them on your eyes for 5 seconds. Repeat the procedure 10 times.

This works really fantastically.

Simple Eye Movements

Look towards extreme right and then extreme left without blinking and without moving the head. Just move the eye balls. Repeat 5 times. Blink several times. Look up and then down. Repeat 5 times. Blink. Look diagonally up on left and then, diagonally down on right. Repeat 5 times. Blink. Follow the same with diagonal right up and diagonal left down. Repeat 5 times. Blink. Finally, rotate your eyes, first, in clockwise and, then, in anti-clockwise direction. Blink several times. 

Also, do not forget that when we stare at our laptops, we actually FORGET to blink!! Yes, that is true. So, remember to move away from the computer for 5 minutes every once in an hour. Use that time to gobble down some fluids into the system. Sitting at laptop also drains your eye and makes them dry and itchy! 

These exercises are enough to keep your eyes and the skin around it in good health. There are many others which you can try out. Do not forget to blink. Blinking keeps the eyes in watery condition and eliminates the toxins. The more you blink, better your eyes will look.

And, do not forget to wash your eyes with triphala infusion. It is so soothing for the eyes and apparently also improves the eye sight!

PS: The italicized paragraphs are updated.

From the Archives : Oil Cleansing Method {DIY}

So continuing in the same series, let me bring this long lost post. This is one of the very much recommended beauty practices for both oily and dry skin beauties. It helps with tan removal to acne healing. And, its amazing as it removes makeup and cleanses the skin and detoxifies it. Since it is a little intense treatment for the skin, it should be done only once or AT MAX twice a week. 

Yes, by the name, you can make out it uses oil. So, please do not be afraid or prejudiced. I have always maintained that oil is amazing for skin when you know how to use them and which ones to use. So, here is a tip - Always use cold-pressed and extra-virgin or virgin oils whether it is olive or coconut or almond or sesame. Also, sesame oil is the one which is recommended heavily in ayurveda as apparently it is the only oil which can pass into the blood stream. Anyways, let us start with the post and please let me know of the doubts and clarifications.

A few days ago I had talked about OIL CLEANSING. Well, let me introduce to you something which I stumbled across a few days ago. I tried it and trust me, its amazing. I do not know how well it removes make up but it makes your skin squeaky clean without drying it. Rather, it leaves your skin smooth and supple. And, your skin glows the next day. You would love yourself.

It removes makeup fantastically as any oil would. 

Before proceeding, let me give a little background into OCM method. Oil is said to dissolve all the grime and dirt and dead skin cells and blackheads and what not. So, in this method, we especially use castor oil because castor has the most cleansing properties of all oils. Since castor is a drying oil and is extremely thick and concentrated it is not advisable to use it naked on the skin. It should be diluted with some other oil. Many people in the west prefer olive but I would suggest almond or coconut or sesame. No personal grudges with olive but it is something I do not really find amazing. If it works for you, go ahead!

Procedure:

• Start by keeping everything close to you. You would need a dry smooth cotton wash cloth (not too harsh for your skin), a bottle containing castor oil and olive oil mixed in a proportion suitable to your skin* oils and running hot water.
• Apply oil generously to your face and neck skin and massage it well the oil into your skin well using firm hands for around 5-10 minutes. It feels relaxing and is soothing for your face muscles. Exercise your cheek bone, jaw bone, nose, chin, forehead and eyes (use ring finger for eyes). The finger movements should be outwards and upwards towards the ear from the chin, cheeks, nose and upper lip area.
• After massaging to your heart's content, soak the wash cloth in hot running water and cover the face apply it on to your face. Keep the warmth of wash cloth to the point you can bear. Make sure the cloth is not too hot and let the warmth seep into your skin. Keep it on the face until it cools down. Then, wipe your face to remove the oil. You will find a lot of oil gone from the face. Wash the wash cloth in running hot water and repeat this step until all the oil is wiped off from the face and neck. Use the same wash cloth.
• Wash and soak the same wash cloth under hot running water for sometime to clean it and saturate it. Again apply it your face, keep till it cools and then, wipe away your face. Repeat this cycle till you feel your skin is clean. 3-4 times should be enough. 
• After you are done, DO NOT use any facewash. You can apply moisturizer according to the need of your skin. In place of moisturizer, you can apply a drop of the same oil used to cleanse your face. If it does not feel dry and tight, do not apply anything on to your face. Your face needs to breathe. Go and have a nice sleep.

Next morning, you need not cleanse your face. A wipe with a wash cloth or a splash of cold water is enough to clean it. Your skin would be glowing. Oil cleansing not only removes grime, dirt and make up from your face, but also, the blackheads and blemishes. This procedure should not be done too frequently. I think 2-3 times is fine in a week. Care should be taken not to scratch the skin.

Go and check it out for yourself. Have a happy cleansing.

* Remember, castor oil is quite thick and can be drying for the skin if used in large quantities. It has cleansing properties but is too strong on skin if used alone. That is why you need another light oil to dilute it. You can also use jojoba oil. For the mixture of oil, you can use 75-25 castor-olive oil combination for normal skin. You can experiment with different proportions till you find the one suiting your face.  The proportion of mixture should be such that for dry skin people, castor oil should be less in proportion like 50-50 or 60-50 and people with oily skin can have 80-20 as the proportion. But, since every skin is different in its needs, you should find out the right one for yourself. It would take trial and error but remember one rule, do not use too much of castor oil. It will dry your skin irrespective of its type.

PS: Italicized and striked paragraphs/sentences are new additions. Rest of the post is as it was published earlier. 

From the Archives : Growing Long Eyelashes {DIY}

Please note that this is an old post which I am republishing for the benefit of the new readers. Interestingly, I am starting the new series From the Archives from today. I shall be posting at least one old post every week after editing them, if necessary. Hope you will like it.

---

Have you ever been jealous of babies or kids, especially boy kids and even guys. They always have better lashes! At least all those I have met specially have amazing eyes and even better eyelashes. I know of only one girl who has amazingly thick and long lashes and she has great hair as well!!

Well, growing long eyelashes seem to be too difficult. Everyone wants beautiful eyes framed with long and lush eyelashes. Such eyelashes are not a natural gift to everyone but you need not despair. Some patience and regularity in your routine can help you achieve that task. To be frank, I do not know whether you can grow that thick eyelashes as you watch on the screens when you look at your favorite actress but definitely, you can make them better than their present condition.  

Oh my gosh! When I read that the first thing which came to my mind was was I really that bad??? Well, let us look at the silver lining. I have improved so much!! So, lets get back to the post. Yeah, getting great eyelashes is not exactly easy but it is do-able.

Apply castor oil every night. Be patient. The results would not be seen over night. The eyelashes growth cycle completes in about two months so by end of those months you can definitely see your eyelashes in a better shape.

Also, coconut works great. Do not try almond, though. It stings the eyes badly! But, coconut or castor, both do not sting the eyes. 

And, before leaving, vaseline does no good for the eyelashes so please do not waste time using that remedy. It just makes your eyelashes wet and sticky and when they are wet, the eyelashes look longer so basically, what you see after applying vaseline is just an illusion and I'm not even sure whether you should actually apply vaseline to the delicate skin around the eyes.

Also, I have read so much about vaseline being great but I have not tried the method. What I have written above is probably not correct either. But, if the remedy works for you, go ahead with it without any qualms. 

PS: All the paragraphs in italics are update and the regular text is the old one!

From the Archives : Do you know why is your Skin Dry? {Skin Care}

Revisiting this post and updating it. So, please go through it once again! 

This winter has been particularly dry in the city and after ages of time, I experienced flaky and cracked skin! And, it has been hell for me for the past couple of days! Which made me realize why is my skin reacting in this way!

I have used coconut oil, almond oil, apricot oil, even cocoa butter and the recent DIY - washed ghee. They have all helped a bit but not much! And, then, I recalled that there are actually two types of dry skin - dehydrated and actually dry skin!
  
Do you really know the difference between dry skin and oily skin? Yes, you will say. Dry skin feels stretched and oily skin is like a frying pan. But, ultimately the chemistry of both these types of skin lack some important ingredient which keeps the skin balanced. Either the skin lacks hydration or moisturization. 

Hydration means water and moisturization means oil.

Now, do not confuse the two. A healthy balance of the above two is the key to that perfect skin and solving all the skin issues which plague you. So, let us look at both of the terms with respect to their skin conditions a little closely. 

Why Dry skin?

Skin can be dry for two reasons - it lacks water or the hydration levels of the skin is too less because of the less water consumption by the person, if we cancel out all other factors which lead to dry skin and assume that the person is following healthy skin habits. Also, there is a decrease in the natural skin oils or lipids which create a protective layer over the skin and help keep it moisturised.

So, to counter dry skin, apply both oil and water based moisturizers or you can use different moisturizers having water and oil and layer them. That is what I do. I use aloevera gel first and follow up with a facial oil. Doing just either of these steps will make the skin feel stretchy. Also, a tip is to apply the moisturisers and oils on damp skin.

Also Read: What hydrates our skin?

Which Dry Skin do You have?

So, now, it is up to you to decide which dry skin do you have? In most of the cases, generally the reason for dry skin is dehydration instead of lack of oils!

Drinking More Water does NOT help

Now that you know that your skin is dry due to less water content, I would like to add that drinking up a lot water and herbal tea does not replenish the moisture levels in your skin! The acidic level of the skin and the lipid barrier has been disturbed which is why skin is behaving in the way it is!!

Even Oily skin can be Dehydrated!

Even in oily skin, there is ample of oil but what it really lacks is hydration. Even oily skin can get dehydrated and this dehydration sends mixed signals to the brain which in turn causes skin to produce more oil to counter the missing water from the skin.

Result - even more oily skin but no hydration. So, to counter oily skin, apply water-based moisturizers regularly.

How to Treat this kind of Dehydration?

• Eat a lot of omega 3's - nuts, flax seeds, fish.

• Eat water based fruits! 

• Avoid dry brushing at this time as it can worsen the situation! 

• Avoid hot water baths at ANY cost! Trust me, I am doing the same. 

• Check out the cleanser you are using. Make sure it is mild and is not made of any acids, even salicylic acid! 

• Exfoliate your skin regularly because it will be turning flaky quite a lot! And, always use hydrating scrubs. The best bet would be sugar scrubs. Avoid salt and harsh scrubs at all costs!!

• Apply sunscreen in the morning and follow a stringent skin care routine at night. Use of toners is a good choice! 

Remember that skin will take time to heal!! So, be regular with your skin care routine. And, your skin will improve in 2-3 weeks.

What do you say? Is your skin dry or dehydrated? Does it need more water or oil? And, what are you doing to keep your skin soft this winter?

Related Posts:

Excess Body Heat and Acne
Banana Peel for Acne
How to make the skin clear and get rid of scars and blemishes and dark spots?

From the Archives: #OneMonthtoHealthyHair - Routine Hair Care {Hair Care}

This is my first hair care post which I am reviving it today with some updates! Hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. Feeling nostalgic revisiting the post after 5 years!

My favorite click for my hair diaries!

Hair is one of the first thing which gets noticed when you meet a person. It can create or destroy one's personality. It can make a plain person beautiful. Whenever you meet or come across someone with beautiful long hair, did you ever find yourself wishing you had that hair!

There are very simple rules for a good hair care which MUST be done consistently so as to ensure it looks amazing!!

Hair undergoes major changes three times in a woman's life: puberty, child birth and menopause. Apart from that, it is said that our Hair undergoes texture change every seven years. Now, who knew that?

Regular Care Tips

• Love your locks as they are. Do not compare them with others. Every person's hair is different.

• Use only those products which suit your hair. Do not get diverted by nice campaigns or beautiful packaging. Price of the products does not determine its worthiness. 

• Do not tease your hair or put any pressure on it unnecessarily. Try not to use brush as much as possible. Use a wide-tooth comb. Brushing puts unnecessary strain on hair. If you want to use a brush, use a natural bristles brush. Also, avoid tying the hair at the same place everyday. And, keep changing your hair part regularly. 

• Use satin or silk pillows while sleeping. Do not sleep with open hair. Braid your hair loosely.  Or, tie your hair with a satin or silk scarf. It also helps preventing the wrinkles and drying of the skin at night.

• Drink water regularly. Hair comprises of 95% proteins and 5% water.

• Take beauty sleep of 7-8 hours regularly. 

• Take proper nutrition. Do not let your body be deficient in any of the vitamins or minerals. And, increase your protein intake. This is extremely useful when you are trying to grow out your hair!!

• Ok, this is my favourite!! I love a good head massage. Oil your hair regularly. It gives natural conditioning to your hair. Use organic and cold-pressed oils. Heat destroys the benefits of the oils. Mix various oils to get as many benefits as possible. Hot oil treatments are very useful in improving the hair condition. 

• Scalp Care. Keep the scalp clean. Wash your hair whenever you feel your hair is dirty. Remember to use mild shampoo. Use a conditioner after shampooing your hair.

• Use various home remedies for deep conditioning treatments. They take time to work but if used regularly, keep your hair free of chemicals and keep them in better condition naturally and for longer time.

• Exercise and massage your scalp regularly for beautiful hair.

So, follow these steps and enjoy happy hair :) And, do not forget to join us in the #OneMonthtoHealthyHair event starting on 1st March - 31st March. Sign up for the event here!

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