Shahnaz Husain Beauty Tips

I was too lazy to write a new post today and found this ASK SHAHNAZ column in Metro Plus, The Hindu. So, I am sharing those tips here and the credit for this entire article goes to the newspaper. For those who are not aware, Shahnaz Husain is the propagator for beauty industry in India. 

Pimple Marks

• Mix rice powder with curd and scrub with this paste once or twice a week. Do not use this if you have active acne or pimples, though!! This is only for marks.
• This is a regular tip. Mix honey and lemon juice and apply on face everyday for 15 minutes. But, I would suggest the sensitive skin people to stay away from lemon and instead go for tomato or cucumber juice.
• Apply face mask of multani mitti (Indian clay), rose water and lemon juice which is again a regular tip for half hour. 

Dandruff and Greasy Scalp

• Use lemon water for last rinse. Mix juice of one lemon in half glass of water (around 200ml). And, let the hair air dry.
• Massage two table spoons of vinegar on scalp half hour before shampooing. [My Tip: Rosemary Essential Oil is amazing for dandruff!]
• Egg white helps control oily scalp so massage it twenty minutes before washing your hair. 
• Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yogurt in your daily diet. Drink lot of water daily. Having lemon water first thing in the morning also helps. 

Blister developed due to Mosquito bite

• Never ever scratch the bump or blister. 
• Dip a tea bag in cold water and apply it on the blister to calm it down and soothe the swelling.
• Honey, aloevera gel or apple cider vinegar can also be applied as a spot treatment. [My Tip: Light hand massage of Aloevera gel really helps!!]

Excess Sweat and Body Odor 

• Wear fresh clothes and bathe twice a day, if possible. [My tip: Make sure your clothes dry in good sun even if not direct sunlight!]
• Add one tea spoon of alum and crushed mint leaves to your bath water. 
• Tea Tree essential oil also helps with body odor and controlling sweat. Mix two drops with rose water or normal water and apply on the sweaty areas of the body using cotton ball.

Biotique Bio Clove Purifying Anti-blemish Face Pack for oily & acne prone skin {Product Review}

I have always voted up for Biotique face packs and this one is no different. I love the color and the texture of the product. Its a bit grainy and goes smoothly over damp skin as all other face packs do. Btw, do you remember the tip that anything gets absorbed better on damp skin - moisturizer, serums or face packs!

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Pros

leaves the skin smooth and a bit radiant

does help with tan and blemishes but only just so

suits dry skin as well in summers

can not find any con per se

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The mask takes a good 15-20 minutes to dry off if you have applied a thick layer. Removing the mask is not really easy just like other masks but using a wash cloth made it little better. Also, make sure that the wash cloth is soft enough otherwise you can end up harming your skin.

After removal, one can see a little brightening of the face. Over the course of time if you use it, it helps with blemishes but it does help with tan. Also, the mask can be used daily as well but in such a case, the mask should be kept till it is just dry and washed off so that you do not have to scrub it off the face. Everyday scrubbing is not good!

Ingredient List

Also, whether it helps with acne or oily skin is something I can not comment on but yes it does suit dry skin unless you are using in winters which I did not do so I have no idea how it fares in dry weather. But, overall, I would say it is worth a try and easily available.

Price: Rs 199 for 85 gms

Have you tried the product?

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High Frequency Treatment for Hair {Hair Care}

Some time back, I remember reading a reader's query regarding what is high frequency treatment and where to get these treatments. So, I thought of doing a post on this. I have been planning it since long but I was too lazy. Thanks for the push, dear reader :) And, I am sorry that I couldn't reply to the query personally.

I had come to know about this treatment in 2009 when I went to Lakme for Vital Indulgence. The name might sound really fancy but the entire thing is very simple. Now, if you remember the color spectrum which we has studied in physics, red has least frequency and blue or rather violet has most, right?
Similar principle applies here as well. What they do in this treatment is use high frequency light on the scalp. No, it doesn't hurt or anything. At max, if your scalp is very sensitive, you might feel a little spark shock for a moment. For that, you can get the strength of the frequency adjusted so that you are comfortable with it.

The instrument either in form of a comb or a single rod which is in fact a glass electrode which when placed in the holder creates the low current and lets it flow through it. You can see the blue light in the electrode. When the electrode touches the scalp, you feel a light tingling sensation and a very comfortable and soothing vibration on the scalp. 

High-frequency treatment uses low-current high-frequency alternating currents, delivered via a glass electrode. Because the high frequency current converts some of the oxygen in the air into ozone, the treatment has a germicidal action, and is also drying and warming. Consequently the treatment is used to aid healing, and also to help desquamation (the skin's natural exfoliation), and simulate sweat and sebaceous glands.

At up to 250,000 Hz frequency, the hollow glass electrode behaves like a glow discharge tube, and is sometime called a "violet ray" or "violent wand", (though the colour depends on the gas in the glass). Two electrodes are not required, and sparking may occur when the electrode is close to the skin. Because the effect may be pleasurable, similar devices are used in erotic electrostimulation. [Source: Wikipedia]

This comb is moved on the entire scalp. The treatment generally last for 15 minutes. The advantages of doing this treatment is that the high frequency kills any bacteria or other foreign bodies on the scalp preventing any scalp infection. The scalp has to be healthy for a healthy hair growth, right?

Moreover, the tingling and the vibration improves the blood circulation in the scalp and helps revitalizing the dormant hair follicles. This leads to better hair growth, controls hair loss, helps with dandruff issues as well. Also, the treatment in done in the hair spas so as to ensure better absorption of the treatment serums like hair growth serum or dandruff serums.

In fact, Punam also told me that this treatment is available for skin as well. It helps with breakouts and acne. The electrode is touched on the breakout and the effect is almost immediate. The pimple/acne is gone by the end of day or two. But, she also said that once we stop taking this treatment, the acne does come back. So, its kind of a curable treatment rather than a preventive measure.

I did think that whether its the same case with the hair as well but I think its more of a helpful treatment for hair because it can revive the dormant hair follicles which once revived and taken care of are not likely to become dormant again. It also helps relieve itchy scalp.

That's my theory and I might be wrong but one of my friend has attested that one entire sitting (which includes 4-8 treatments depending on the severity of the condition) of the dandruff treatment hair spa has really stopped her age-old problem of dandruff. So, guess, it might really work. 

I do have a feeling that it does work. Yes, I would recommend this treatment especially for the brides who are interested in getting hair growth or preventing hair loss. Its not that expensive either. Do check out the rates across all salons. Have you taken the treatment? How did you like it?

5 Tips for an Acne-Free Face {Guest Post}

Anyone who has had an acne-riddled face knows how hard it can be to get rid of the acne – and keep it away. Many acne-fighting face washes and lotions are expensive and can be pretty harsh on sensitive skin. Additionally, they only fight half of the acne battle.

When trying to eliminate acne, you want to fight two ways — from the outside and from the inside. Acne products only fight pimples on the surface, but more natural remedies can help control and balance your body’s hormones to stop acne from appearing. From healthy habits to seemingly-magical face recipes, getting rid of acne can finally become a reality.

Don’t Touch

It’s as simple as it sounds — don’t touch your acne. For whatever reason, it seems to be part of human nature to want to touch anything seemingly unnatural with our bodies, whether that means bug bites, scabs or acne. However, when you poke and prod at your pimples, you are aggravating the skin and exposing it to more oils that will only fuel it. It’s especially important not to pop pimples, as that can leave scars and possibly cause infection. Instead, using the cotton ball and hot water method yields safer results.

Drink and Eat Healthy

Everyone knows that greasy and sugary foods makes your acne worse. If you find yourself struggling with acne, eliminate processed foods and go for some healthier options. You don’t necessarily have to go vegan, but replace the french fries with some fruit or your chips with some veggies. Drinking plenty of water can do wonders for your skin. When you drink at least 7 glasses a day, your skin gets more hydrated, making it less susceptible to acne — and it also means you don’t have to use as much moisturizer on your skin.

Get Daily Exercise

Exercise is good for more than just your muscles. Anything that increases blood flow and circulation in your body can help your skin. This helps nourish skin cells and cleanse them from the inside. You don’t need to devote a ton of time to exercising — as little as 10 minutes of exercise is all you need. Finding simple ways to stay in shape will benefit your body, mind and skin.

Use Gentle Products

There are hundreds of different acne remedies available for use. However, the problem with many of them is they can be harsh on your skin. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, using these harsh cleansers takes its toll on your face. Additionally, many solutions increase your sensitivity to the sun, making you more susceptible to sunburn. As crazy as it sounds, avoid using acne cleansers with high benzoyl peroxide or salycilic acid percentages and opt for gentler cleansers instead.

Use Facial Masks Weekly

For acne-riddled people, the right face mask can be magical. They somehow manage to pull oil and dirt from your skin, leaving it cleaner and brighter. The best facial masks tend to be the ones you can make with ingredients found in your own home. One that has had pretty spectacular results for me is this recipe:

Ingredients:

quarter size of raw unprocessed honey
half tsp nutmeg
half tsp cinnamon
a few drops of lemon juice (Optional — if you find your skin is especially sensitive, leave this out)

Once you combine the ingredients, you can either dab it onto individual pimples or spread it over your whole face. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes and see the difference once you wash it off. Keep in mind, these ingredients can cause some irritation for certain skin types, so if you feel horrible stinging wash it off right away.

No one enjoys having acne — from young teenagers to middle-aged adults, anyone who gets pimples hates them. By following a few simple steps and making healthier choices, you can drastically decrease the number of pesky pimples.

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About the Author: Ali is a “Jill of all trades.” She writes about DIY projects, home advice and healthy living on her blog, Homey Improvements, works as a freelance writer, and is currently a princess on the weekends for little kids birthday parties.

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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 : 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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5 Veggies that help with Acne {Five Series}

So, I was checking through my drafts and I came across this post which I had written long back and just left it as it is. So, let me recount some of the rarely heard home remedies which have great affect on the bacteria which result in acne.

Cabbage

It is rich in Vitamin K and Vitamin C, both of which help in getting a glowing and radiant skin and they also fight hyper-pigmentation. Grate a piece of cabbage and extract its juice. Apply it topically, let it dry and wash off. And, it also helps flushing out the toxins when taken internally.

Radish

Radish is rich in ascorbic acid, which is one form of Vitamin C, and potassium,  whose deficiency can cause acne and Vitamin A and K. It helps fight the inflammation in the skin.

Onion

Rich in Vitamin C. And, 

Onions contain phytochemical compounds such as phenolics and flavonoids that basic research shows to have potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer and antioxidant properties [Source].

Cucumber

Rich in Vitamin A, C, E and K and potassium. And, helps soothe the skin. It is an astringent which helps open the skin pores and clean them.

Beetroot

Rich in Vitamin A, potassium, magnesium and Vitamin E which helps heal the scars on the skin. It helps clearing the skin from the inside and flushes out the toxins and also helps lower cholesterol. 

Which other veggies would you add to the list?

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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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Have you started with a new skin care routine, men?? {Five Series}

So, two weeks back sometime I had mentioned that Garnier has come up with a new campaign #SayNoToBars specifically targeted at men for their lack of skills or interest at personal grooming. Today, I would like to talk about why is it really important to use a face wash instead of a soap. 

Now, I have done a post on how is a soap different from a bar and how a man's skin is different from a woman's. So, assuming that you have read both of those posts, I would say I am extremely thankful that Garnier and other brands now a days are coming up with men-specific ranges. So, let me just go through five specific reasons why a face wash trumps the soaps. 

Hygiene

Soaps are handled by all family members unless you have one specifically for yourself (which in every case I would recommend) and imagine the number of germs accumulating by being handled by so many people!! Face wash is a squeeze and go. And, you do not have a soap case to clean and cover every time you use it. 

Travel-friendly

So, damn easy to pop and go. You can have on in your laptop case and use it at the office after a polluting ride on your bike (unless you are a car freak)! And, of course, it doubles up as body wash when you are out of station. 

Made specifically for your face

The face skin is different from the body and much more sensitive and needs to be handled with care. Thus, a face wash which has been specifically designed for your face instead of a bar has all the actives which will provide a deep cleansing and moisturizing wash. The ingredients will keep your skin soft and young, as well.

Soap is alkaline and skin is acidic

So, coming to a little more technical ground, our skin has a pH level of 5.5 where as all the soaps are alkaline which is why if you use a non-regulated pH product on the face, it will damage and dry out your skin and make you age faster. 

Your Acne might be due to soaps!!

The difference in the pH levels of your soap and skin can cause the sebum of your skin to get washed off thereby allowing bacteria to breed on your skin and causing breakouts. Face wash helps prevent such breakouts. 

These are just the starting reasons why you might want to shift to face washes. so, what are you waiting for?

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Garnier Pure Active Pore unclogging wash {Product Review}

So, just on the weekend I revealed that I absolutely love this particular product. Little did I know that I had almost run out of the product so I would anyway be doing the product review within 3 days! Anyways, as I said earlier this is amazing for oily and acne-prone skin though I am not really sure about the dry skin. 

Let me start with the packaging. Hate it! First, the product just comes out as soon as you unscrew the cap. Also, you get more than enough of the product because of which you tend to overuse it and run out of the facewash early. It lasted just 15-18 days with two uses per day. Also, if it came with a flip top cap, it would have been easy to open it in the shower otherwise the tube feels a little slippery in water. 

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Pros

feels cool on skin

removes blackheads completely

helps to avoid breakouts

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Now, let me come to the good. It is a light blue tinged in color and foams really well. Well, it does have SLS :( Anyways, it feels so so cool on your face after applying as if you have poured a lot of menthol on the face. Damn awesome in summers specially. Might not be a really great feel in winters, though :D

Now, it has salicylic acid so yes the blackheads are all GONE! First product which actually works on blackheads and I do think it works on breakouts as well because I did have a few bumps thanks to my skin-picking habit which did not dwell for more than 24 hours. It definitely helps in prevention if not cure. 

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Cons

bad packaging! 

might dry out the dry skin

might not be great in winters

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What else do I like about the product? Ummm...I pretty much mentioned everything. Yeah, one more thing is this might not be a great product for winters. Otherwise, yes, I would suggest it to every oily, combi and acne-prone skin.

Price: Rs 79 for 50gms

Availability

This facewash is pretty much available in all supermarkets and general stores. I got it from myntra, though. 

PS: Product was bought against a voucher in return for a product review for the website.

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Skinetica Anti Blemish Solution {Product Review}

Product Review by Punam

I was super excited when I received this solution from skinetica as I have oily, acne prone skin and the brand claims to reduce acne in 2-3 days. IS this really true? Let’s find out!

Price: £9.99 (Rs 840) for 100 ml

Ingredients
Purified water, Ethyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Quaternary Ammonium Chloride

My husband told me that Quaternary Ammonium Chloride is an anti-microbial which kills the bacteria.

My Experience

In a nutshell, its one of the nicest product I have used till now for my oily acne prone skin! It did reduce my acne to 50% in 3 days. It comes in a simple white bottle with a green flip flop cap that may leak if not kept straight.

It smells completely like any chemical would smell and initially it was strong for me but gradually either I got habituated or it became mild. Its consistency and texture is like regular water, transparent and runny.

It has to be applied like a regular toner with a cotton pad. As soon as I apply this, it gets absorbed into my skin with out making it dry. I started using it in last week of February when it was still colder and I expected it to dry my skin but it did not. I apply this after washing my face and my skin is good without a moisturizer. But I still use a moisturizer as a habit. 

I have two types of acne - cystic and tiny ones on my forehead. This solution was effective on my cystic acne and reduced their size in 3 - 4 days to 50-60% on using it twice daily. It had no effect on blackheads or tiny acnes on the forehead, though.

As a rule, my skin gets really oily in summers. But, right now my face is not that oily. So, may be this product is helping! I have stopped using it from last 10 days and I can still feel less oil. 

One more important thing which I noticed was that before and during my periods, I did not breakout which I usually do! And, the only new thing in my routine was this product. So, may be this actually controls bacteria!

Overall my experience with this product was good and I have noticed improvement in my skin texture as well. It is actually an effective solution to reduce acne.

PS: Product sent by brand. Thanks a lot Punam for such a lovely review! 

Banana Peel for Acne {DIY}

I had long back mentioned that banana peel is amazing to get rid of dry skin and dark spots and blemishes but my hubby contributed or lets says attested that banana peel helps with healing acne as well. If you rub the inside part of the peel on the pimples/acne, unless its cystic, it gets healed within a week along with the scar!! So, you might wanna check it out!!

Have you used banana peel on acne?

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