Troublesome back acne......

Appearance of acne and pimples on the face is pretty common and spread through a wide range of age group. Apart from the face, many people suffer with the bothersome problem of having acne on their backs. Like acne on face, the cause of acne on the back also remains the same, which is over secretion of oil from the sebaceous glands, which could be due to hormonal imbalance or improper lifestyle.An additional issue with back acne is that it stays covered most of the time which further delays its healing time.


Due to accumulation of sweat, oil and grime, the problem gets more aggravated. Unlike our faces, we cannot keep rinsing our back often for keeping it free of grime, hence more dirt and sebum build up.

A few precautions and natural remedies can be practised to keep back acne at bay.
Clothing: It should be borne in mind that people who suffer from back acne should wear loose cotton clothing instead of tight clothing. Light breathable fabrics must be worn most of the times, in order to keep the skin free of sweat and allow the skin to breathe.

Cleanliness: Keeping the back scrupulously clean is the key to preclude acne. one must shower twice a day with a medicated soap, to keep the skin free of  dirt and acne causing germs.

Natural remedy:  An effective anti-acne pack should be applied thrice a week to ward off back acne. A natural pack consisting of Fullers Earth/ Sandalwood powder along with Neem paste and a few drops of Tea Tree essential oil, helps a great deal in clearing off acne.
Regular scrubbing the skin with oatmeal and Epsom salt helps a great deal in keeping away acne.

Diet: Diet is an integral part for subsiding any ailment. Oily, fried and food high in  fats must be avoided at any cost. Sugary and refined food also contributes a lot in aggravating acne. In certain instances dairy products also trigger acne, so care must be taken while consuming dairy products.
Lots of water must be consumed throughout the day , as it eliminates toxins from the body. A diet rich in fruits ,cereals and veggies must be consumed for alleviating back acne.

Proper rest and exercise can never be neglected.
Take the mentioned steps and in a few weeks' time you would flaunt a beautiful and clear back!

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What Foods Are Good For Your Skin?

·       

     Yogurt:

Yogurt contains lots of Protein, Vitamins, including Vitamin A. Protein helps your skin to become firmer, so it’s more resistant to fine lines. Vitamin A is good for skin health. A word of caution is to have yogurt of non-to low fat varieties with no added sugar. Yogurt is first in our list of Best Foods for Healthy Skin.

·         Blueberries:

Foods that are rich in antioxidants, like blueberries, a super-charged antioxidant, contribute a lot for good healthy skin. Free radicals caused by pollution and UV rays hurt your skin and lead to DNA damage. Antioxidants are extremely helpful in controlling free radicals, so blueberries come in the category of Foods that are good for your skin.

·         Tomatoes:

It’s a rich source of lycopene that contributes in reducing free radicals caused by UV radiation, protecting your skin against sun damage. This potent antioxidant gives best results when cooked, so homemade tomato sauce and tomato soup are both great for skin’s health.

·         Pomegranates:

They contain polyphenol antioxidants that not only fight with free radicals but also regulate skin’s blood flow, giving it rosiness. You can also apply fruits’ antioxidants (apply fruits’ juice) onto your skin to reduce wrinkles, hence this food is included in our list of best foods for beautiful skin.

·          Mangoes, Papaya, and Apricots:

They are loaded with carotenoids, which are stored in the layer of fat immediately beneath the skin that improve color and can give you a rosy glow, so they deserve to form part of best diet foods that are good for your skin.

·          Almonds:

They are loaded with Vitamin E and are full of monounsaturated fat. Include them in your diet to keep yourself healthy and have youthful skin. Include this nut in your Diet for Good Skin.

·         Spinach:

This contains lot of antioxidants and folate that help to maintain and repair skin cells and reduce chances of cancer-cells growth. It is full of lutein, potassium, fiber and impart a youthful glow to your skin and at the same time prevent skin aging. This is another food that is good for your skin.

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CARE FOR COLORED HAIR

Who doesn't like to flaunt a cascade of shiny, silky and richly vibrant colored mane! Hair color has been in vogue for quite some years and its popularity doesn't seem to cease. Hair color adds style and glamour not just to the hair but to the overall appearance of the person , of course with the right choice of color.

More than the effort and time that goes into coloring the hair, it entails more effort in maintaining the health and shine of the hair and the color respectively. With a few easy and regularly followed it would be a cakewalk to maintain beautifully colored healthy hair.

First and foremost, use special color treated mild shampoo for washing your hair. Make sure to rinse the hair with cold water. And use an effective moisture enriched and moisture sealing conditioner(preferably salon recommended).

Stay away from harsh cleansers for hair.

Minimize going to the swimming pool or at least wear an effective protective swimming cap.Also avoid direct sun rays from damaging your hair, by protecting your hair either with a hat or a scarf.

Reduce the usage of styling tools like blow dryer, flat iron or curlers to the minimum.

Deep conditioning the hair using natural ingredients is very essential. A deep conditioning hair pack consisting of honey, mashed banana and egg should be applied once a week.
 Treating the hair with nourishing oils like olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil, at least two hours prior to shampoo should be done regularly to prevent any damage to the hair.

Follow these simple tips diligently and your colored hair will bounce with shine !

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Common Beauty Mistakes you should avoid!

1.     Don’t Apply conditioner throughout your hair: Don’t apply conditioner in the same way, as you apply shampoo all over your hair. The hair closest to your scalp is the healthy new growth & they don’t need conditioning. Start applying conditioner from middle of your hair, as they are older & need conditioning. If you apply from the roots, you will not only waste the product but also make your hair heavy and look greasy. This is a beauty mistake which women usually commit.

2.     Don’t Apply foundation without waiting for moisturizer to dry out and soak into skin: The creaminess of a moisturizer can cause makeup to thin out if the moisturizer hasn't had enough time to soak into the skin. Wait for your moisturizer to dry out so that you can apply foundation to even out your skin tones.

3.     Don’t Apply mascara on the lower lashes:Mascara coated lower lashes draw attention to under eye imperfections like dark circles, crow’s feet and hyperpigmentation.

4.     Do not neglect your neck: While applying foundation be careful to apply a little to your neck as well. Otherwise you will make a beauty blunder and your face will look one color and neck a different shade. The skin on neck is as sensitive as on your face and will age with sun exposure. So when you are applying sunscreen on your face, apply a little on your neck.

5.     Don’t Spray perfume after having dressed up: Perfumes are formulated to be applied to skin and not fabric. Perfume can stain fabric, and fabric fibers can make perfume smell unpleasant.  Before dressing, lightly dab or spray it onto the skin at one or two of the "pulse points"―knees, wrists, base of the throat, and behind the earlobes. And don't rub your wrists together. This breaks down a perfume's molecular structure.

6.      Plucking Eyebrows Too Close to the Mirror:  When you're focused on every little hair, you don't keep track of the shape of the entire eyebrow. The result? Thin or uneven brows. Caution: Don’t pluck your eyes too close to the mirror. Move closer to the mirror and tweeze few hairs and then step back to check the shape of your eyebrows. Repeat this process to give an even shape to your eyebrows.

7.     Overuse of medication on your acne or blemishes: The treatments you apply on your blemishes or acne contains acids and they penetrate your skin for hours after they are applied. So do not douse the affected area again & again to get treated faster. Overuse can lead to a burn out causing redness, peeling, and irritation.

8.     Lip liner and Lipstick together: It’s not always a good practice to wear one color of lip liner and another color of lipstick. This can be one of the most embarrassing beauty mistakes, if the lipstick disappears but liner remains. 

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How To Get Rid Of Forehead Wrinkles

Aging is the chief cause for developing forehead wrinkles. If you know how to get rid of forehead wrinkles tips, you can slow down this natural process and even reduce forehead wrinkles as well.

What Causes wrinkles on forehead:

(i) Repeating the same facial expression, whether of displaying anger, happiness or worry over a period of time.

(ii) With aging, the production of collagen and elastin decrease and your skin loses some of its natural elastin and collagen reserves. With the reduction of these, your skin develops wrinkles, including forehead wrinkles.

(iii) Sun exposure is another chief contributor to the wrinkles, particularly those in the forehead region.

(iv) Genetic aspect also plays its role and it determines in which specific area or at which specific age you will develop wrinkles. It is possible that someone may develop wrinkles in one’s forehead region at some quite young age, due to genetic reasons.

To prevent wrinkles you need to take care of your skin from an early age. But even if you have not done so and wrinkles have started forming or have already formed on your forehead, taking care later in life can still reduce forehead wrinkles and prevent new wrinkles from forming.

How to Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles:

(i) Balanced Diet: Eat balanced diet comprising of lean meat, whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables and those foods which are high in anti-oxidants to get rid of wrinkles on forehead.

(a) Nutrition deficiency of Vitamins A, C, B3 and E can contribute to forehead wrinkles formation.

(b) Get medical tests done for checking vitamins deficiency. If it’s there, consult your doctor to have deficient vitamins supplements.

(ii) Quit or Avoid smoking. Smoking is not only bad for your health, it also causes the blood vessels present in the epidermis to constrict which will in turn restrict the blood supply to your skin, causing premature wrinkles formation including forehead wrinkles.

(iii) Use Moisturizer: Keep your skin hydrated to prevent forehead wrinkles.

(a)  As you age, your skin gets prone to drying out easily and becomes less elastic due to decrease in secretion of natural oils. So keep your skin adequately moisturized. Dry skin can often make forehead wrinkles more visible.

(b) Keep yourself hydrated from inside too, so consume a lot of water during the day.

(iv) Avoid direct sun exposure. The UV rays are one of the chief causes for all types of wrinkles, particularly in the forehead area, as it gets the most sun exposure.

(a) To prevent forehead wrinkles, wear sunscreen even during the winters and also consider using beauty products.

(b) You can also wear broad – brimmed hat when you go out in sun light for extended period of time, especially on sunny days.

(v) Wear Sunglasses: Make it a habit to wear sunglasses when you go out in bright light to avoid squinting to reduce forehead wrinkles. Frequent squinting causes glabellar lines, a form of forehead wrinkles which run across your forehead over your eyes.

(vi) Cover your head in cold & windy weather: Cold and wind dry out your skin so they lead to the formation of wrinkles.

(vii) Avoid Stress and Anxiety: These act as contributor to forehead wrinkles, so avoid these. Have adequate sleep every day.

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Marine Ingredients for gorgeous skin!

Now its time to look ahead and beyond flowers and other herbs that grow terrestrially, for beautiful skin. Our seas and oceans have a plethora of unique aquatic flora which have profound benefits on the skin.
To begin with, lets evaluate the essence of sea water for their beneficial properties.  Sea water is rich and concentrated in minerals like Magnesium, Phosphorous, Zinc and Calcium; which is same as that of our blood plasma devoid of its White Blood Cells. Our skin needs to continuously replenish itself with these essential minerals and it can be obtained by natural skin- care products containing the concentrated sea water.
Like Sea water, marine salts are also rich reservoirs of minerals. Using them as bath crystals or skin polishers, does wonders to the skin.
Focusing on Anti-ageing , the floor of the sea is a trove of  youth sustaining ingredients. Right from seaweeds to kelp to brown algae, everything has immense skin beautifying features. The rich nutrients like peptides, vitamins and antioxidants  have anti-inflammatory to anti-ageing properties. These ingredients are known to nourish and hydrate the skin apart from providing protection from UV rays.
Algae are known to have tightening and detoxifying effect on the skin.
 So go ahead and explore the seas for a vibrant and younger skin.

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Do’s and Don’ts for natural nail care tips!

Natural Nails Care Dos

(i) Keep your nails clean and dry: This helps in averting building up of fungi, bacteria and other germs under your fingernails.

(ii) Trim and file your nails regularly: Trim and file your nails when they are soft, after bathing. Use for this purpose a sharp manicure clipper or scissor. First trim your nails straight across, then round the tips in mild curves.

(iii) Clean your nail implements: Bacteria or other microbes can get transmitted from the nail tools you use onto your nails or cuticles. So clean before you use them.

(iv) Moisturize nails and cuticle area: While using hand lotion, apply the lotion onto your nails and cuticles also. You can rub a little moisturizer on your nails and cuticles before going to bed. This helps in preventing cracking and peeling.

(v) Hand Cream: After dish washing rub gently hands cream on to your hands, nails and particularly cuticle area.

(vi) Wear Gloves: Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves while gardening, washing dishes or using harsh chemicals to protect your nails and cuticles.

(vii) Clear nail polish: Apply a thin coat of clear nail polish to lock-in the moisture into the nails.

(viii) Coat outside of the nails with polish or ridge fillers: This helps in protecting the nails from breaking and splitting.

(ix) Disinfect any tears or cuts to the cuticle or nails as soon as they occur.

(x) Treat ingrown nails: This is a condition when the edge of your nail grows into surrounding skin fold. To avoid this, try trimming your nails straight across and then carefully trim the ingrown nails.

Natural Nails Care Dont’s

 (i) Don’t Misuse your fingernails: Don’t use your fingernails instead of tools to pick, wrench, poke or pry things open, as these actions are likely to damage your nails and cause infection.

(ii) Avoid long soaks: Submerging of your nails for long periods into water and exposure of your nails for long periods to any kind of detergent while soaking your hands leads to weakening of your nails and cuticles. Consider wearing cotton-lined rubber gloves while doing chores that involve such activities.

(iii) Avoid over-use of nail-polish remover: Try to use minimal quantity of nail-polish remover and avoid too much of it on to your skin or cuticles. Also choose one which is acetone-free, as acetone dries out nails.

(iv)  Don’t pull the cuticle too much: Trim only that portion of the cuticle which has started to lift away from nail.

(v) Don’t pull off hangnails: Don’t try to pull the hangnails as you can tear live tissues along with hangnails. Trim off your hangnails carefully, leaving your cuticles intact and un-tampered as much as feasible.

(vi) Avoid biting fingernails or picking at cuticles: Avoid these bad habits, as they can damage your nails or cuticles. A slight cut alongside your fingernail is enough to allow bacteria or fungi to penetrate and cause infection. 

(vii) Don’t allow any manicurist to touch your nails and cuticles with implements unless they are properly sterilized, as they might be bacteria infected.

(viii) Don’t overlook nail or cuticle infection: If you have such a condition, disinfect the affected area as soon as you can with antibacterial or antifungal agent.

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Benefits Of Yogurt For Skin

Use Yogurt For Skin Care –

You need to exercise caution while buying yogurt for skin. Look out for unsweetened and plain yogurt. The various flavored yogurts available in the market can cause skin irritations, rashes and worsen acne and pimple conditions.  Use yogurt with high levels of fat and live cultures to get best results to rejuvenate your skin. You can also try yogurt on skin that is in cream form, as it’s much less messy while applying it on facial skin.

Benefits Of Yogurt For Skin

The zinc and lactic acid present in yogurt are responsible for benefits of yogurt on skin to keep it healthy. Just a simple massage of yogurt onto the skin helps in getting rid of dead skin cells, even out fine lines, tighten skin pores, moisturize dry skin and provides a much needed shine and glow to your skin.

Skin Care Recipes With Yogurt – DIY Yogurt Face Mask Recipes

Find here DIY yogurt recipes for skin and face that can be easily made at home using natural ingredients available in your kitchen to make your skin smooth, radiant, glowing and free of fine lines and wrinkles.

1.   Yogurt For Skin Brightening/Lightening/Whitening:

Regular application of yogurt on your face helps in lightening blemishes; reducing sun-tan and making freckles disappear over time.  You can make your own yogurt facial mask at home by using a little yogurt – 1 or 2 teaspoons are enough. To make it more effective, add a few drops of lemon or orange juice. These juices work wonder, as they contain citric acid, which is known to have great skin lightening properties. Watch out to just mix in 3 to 5 drops of lemon juice– as you don’t want to irritate your skin!!!

2.   How To Moisturize Skin With Yogurt:

First, wash your face as usual. Simply apply some plain organic, creamy yogurt over your face and neck on your still wet skin. This way the yogurt locks in the moisture. Let this simple yogurt face mask refresh your skin for about 10 minutes, and then rinse it off.  Follow this routine 2-3 times a week to make your skin look soft and supple. This will also revive your dull skin. Bonus benefit is that the lactic acid contained in yogurt, a natural alpha hydroxyl acid, will help to smoothen and exfoliate your skin. Make sure to use a thick type yogurt with active cultures and strain the mixture before use, if it’s too runny.

3.   Prevent And Clear Acne / Pimples:

What makes yogurt a key natural ingredient is that you can include it in your daily diet or use it as a direct facial application. Yogurt contains natural anti-bacterial and anti- fungal properties. Eating yogurt works as efficiently as putting it topically on your skin. Due to its acidic nature, yogurt contributes in terminating various acne-causing bacteria, fungus and germs from within body.

(i) A simple way is to apply some creamy yogurt onto your face, and then rinse it off after 30 minutes with water to keep skin cleansed, which will also reduce chances of acne / pimples breakouts.

(ii) Another way is to make a mask of yogurt with some turmeric powder, sugar and sandalwood powder. Massage this paste gently into acne-prone areas and let it sit there for 15 minutes, and then rinse it off with cool water.

4.   How To Tighten Skin Pores With Yogurt:

Simply smear a teaspoon of creamy plain organic yogurt on your face, leaving it there for about 15 minutes to get absorbed. Rinse it off with cool water.

5.   Yogurt Prevent Premature Aging:

 Yogurt is known to contain anti-aging properties that fight free radicals, resulting into delaying fine lines and wrinkle formations. Lactic acid contained in yogurt helps in dissolving dead skin cells and tightening skin pores.

(i) Try this anti-aging yogurt face pack, which you can make easily at home by mixing 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 3 to 4 tablespoons of yogurt. Apply this mixture onto your face, leaving it there for 30 minutes, and then rinsing it off. Use this home remedy three times in a week.

(ii) Alternatively, here is another effective home recipe to prevent early aging. Grate some cucumber and mix with yogurt. Spread this mixture over your face and let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off with cool water. While cucumber works to tighten facial skin pores, the yogurt provides a firming action.

6.   Sunburn Cure With Yogurt:

Yogurt contains zinc that helps cool the harsh bite of sunburn. Mix in a few drops of soothing chamomile essential oil with about a handful of plain organic yogurt. Apply this mixture over your sunburned skin, leaving it there for about 15 minutes, and then rinse it off with cool water.

7.   Remove Sun Tan With Yogurt:

Apply plain organic yogurt all over your face, leaving it there for 15 minutes. Remove it with warm damp washed cloth. You can use this remedy for everyday use. It helps in soothing your skin and removing sun-tan.

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How To Fix Dry Hair

The internal factors take longer time to get fixed and sometimes cannot be treated unless the underlying illness is cured. On the other hand the external factors are easy to fix.  Find out what is the cause for your dry hair and it would become easy to treat dry hair. Just focus on cutting back the activities that are causing dry hair.

 
Home Remedies For Dry Hair

1. Cut down the usage of hair styling tools: These tools, like curling irons, hot rollers, blow dryers steal away moisture from your hair. If you must use these tools then space out their usage as much as possible. Or use them once a while on special occasions.

2. Avoid direct sun rays: The direct sunlight robs moisture off your hair. Use umbrella or broad brimmed hat to cover your head and hair while going out for prolonged periods.

3. Avoid washing your hair with hot water: Hot water strips your hair off natural oils and causes hair to become dry. Instead wash with cool water, as it locks in the moisture and keep intact hair shine. In winters you may use warm water, if you like.

4. Do not shampoo your hair often: Too much shampooing robs natural oils off your hair, as many shampoos contain harsh cleansing agents. Instead use an organic gentle shampoo to stimulate your hair oil glands. Normally twice a week is good enough. But if you have oily hair, use shampoo every alternate day.

The best hair shampoo for dry hair is that which contains a pH of between 4.5 and 6.7. As a thumb rule, don’t choose a hair shampoo that you would not apply on your face. Also never use baby shampoos, as there pH content is very high.

5. Hair Conditioner must for Dry Hair: Choose a hair conditioner with no or very little alcohol. Alcohol strips away moisture and natural oils off your hair. A rule of thumb is conditioners that have no or little fragrance tend to contain either no alcohol or be low in alcohol. In case you are having extremely dry hair, consider applying an overnight conditioner that you can apply before sleeping at night. To avoid being messy, wear a shower cap or cover your head and hair with a towel while sleeping.

Dry Hair Home Remedies Using Natural Ingredients

6. Olive or Coconut Oil For Dry Hair: Massage a little warm olive or coconut oil onto your scalp and hair. Let it sit on your scalp and hair for about 40 minutes and then rinse the oil off your hair with a mild organic shampoo. Best is to apply the oil before you go to bed, leave it on overnight and wash your hair with cool water in the morning.

7. Eggs Treatment For Dry Hair: A number of home remedies for dry hair use eggs. Eggs contain protein and lecithin which make your hair healthy and add shine. Beat 2-3 eggs and mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Apply it into your scalp and hair, let it remain there for 30 minutes, and then shampoo as you normally do. For washing your hair don’t use warm or hot water, lest you make a poached egg on your head!

8. Vinegar – A Great Conditioner: It improves hair cleanliness and provides gloss to your hair. Simply add a teaspoon of vinegar to your final hair rinse to treat your dry hair. Vinegar use on hair also helps in getting rid of dandruff from dry hair. Consider massaging your scalp with vinegar before you shampoo.

You can make your own homemade conditioner for dry hair by adding 1/2 cup of vinegar to 2 cups of water. Massage this conditioner gently onto your hair after you shampoo, leave it there for few minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with cool water. For a stronger treatment to control dandruff, you can use the same method, but keep the mixture on your hair for up to 45 minutes. This vinegar rinse not only controls dandruff and hair frizziness, but is also an effective treatment for dry, damaged hair.

9. Avocado: You can use avocado alone or mix it with overripe banana and mayonnaise to make a best hair mask for dry hair. Apply it onto hair and leave it there for up to an hour, and then rinse it off with water. This works to seal moisture into hair follicles.

10. Full-fat Mayonnaise: Do not use a diet or low fat, but slather about 1 tablespoon of full-fat mayonnaise onto your hair, massage it into your scalp and spread evenly throughout your hair. After about 30 minutes rinse your hair thoroughly with water.

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Surprising....Oils are good for oily skin

Most people fret about either oily skin or combination skin. The unnecessary greasy and shiny appearance on the face is never wanted. people with such skin  types absolutely dread the usage of creams and specially oils on the face.
 But proving a good dose of the nutrients to the skin and for keeping the skin's elasticity intact, it really important to apply the RIGHT KIND OF OIL to the face.

As we know that oily skin has excess sebum production on the face, which is naturally composed of more of Oleic acid and less of Linoleic acid. More Oleic acid / less Linoleic acid leads to thick sticky sebum, oily face and acne breakouts.

So with the correct of oils and using the right oils on the face, can actually do wonders to the skin.
For oily skin, strict care must be taken to choose a oil which is high in Linoleic acid and is cold pressed.

Certain oils that are high in Linoleic Acid are Safflower oil, Grapeseed oil, Black cumin oil and Evening Primrose oil. Adding a few of Essential oils like Lavender Oil or Tea tree oil can further enhance the efficacy.
These oils gets rapidly absorbed into clean skin without the least trace of oiliness.Application of these oils not only subside acne but also greatly nourish the skin and impart a wonderful glow to the face.

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