This cooling spa treat feels fab, plus prettifies your complexion after little sleep.
Wash, pat dry and throw two spoons in the freezer for 3 hours. When they are cold, apply an ultra moisturising face cream to your skin. Now gently slide the round part of the spoons in opposite directions from your chin back to your jaw; from your nostrils to your ears; around your ears; around your eyes; following the bones that border them; and finally from mid forehead to temples. Repeat this cycle twice.
The coldness will constrict blood vessels, reducing swelling and puffiness.
Want baby soft skin with all natural, easy to prepare scrub…its right here:
What do you need?
Brown sugar
Virgin Olive Oil
Glycerine
A container with lid to store the scrub.
A spoon to mix the ingredients
How to prepare the scrub:
Take half a cup of brown sugar in the container. Add olive oil till all the sugar is wet with it. Add a teaspoon of glycerin to it. Mix well till the large chunks of sugar gets finer. And your scrub is ready.
Step in the shower and scrub your dry body with the mix gently. Take a warm shower washing yourself with a non soap based body wash. Pat dry your body, apply moisturizer liberally and feel your skin smoother and silkier like never before.
Ending the day with a small drink can be relaxing. But what are the effects of alcohol on the person? Are they all harmful? Or does alcohol have any good effects on the body?
There have been some studies done which suggests that drinking alcohol in moderation can raise your good cholesterol level. The good cholesterol or HDL helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.
However, excessive intakes can have detrimental effects on your health.
Alcohol dilates the blood vessel in the skin. Every time you have a drink, the blood vessels will dilate and remain permanently dilated until they lose their tone.
Excessive drinking of alcohol will lead to the development of telangiectasias or chronic dilation of the capillaries and a permanent flush on the face.
Alcohol also worsens acne rosacea, a skin disorders that is characterized by redness, flushing, pusheads and pimply bumps and telangiectasias.
Alcohol also depletes the body of vitamin A, an important anti-oxidant.
Like your face, your hands function as bridges to the world. You shake hands when you meet or greet someone for the first time and when you seal a deal. Your hands express your affection to those you love. They soothe sad children and those suffering from illness. Maybe you “talk” with yours. In any case, whenever you’re interacting with others, your hands will probably spend some time in the spotlight.
The problem is that your hands are also essential tools. You use them for complex maneuvers and lowly chores. Taking good care of your hands doesn’t have to be a major production. There are things you can do every day to help your hands look and feel good. Develop a good routine and give your hands a helping hand.
Wash with care and gently: Wash your hands frequently. If you make it a practice to wash your hands the right way, their look and feel shouldn’t be a casualty of your healthy habits. When you want to get all the oil or grease off dirty dishes, you use very hot water with a strong soap that will leave them squeaky clean. That’s exactly what you don’t want to do with your hands. You want to remove germs and grime, but you don’t want to strip all the natural oils from your hands. Wash with warm water instead. You should also avoid harsh soaps. Dermatologists recommend nondrying soaps like Dove, Neutrogena, Basis, Purpose and Oil of Olay . Liquid nonsoap cleansers like Cetaphil also work well. Antibacterial soaps aren’t necessary and may even dry skin more. They also can kill good bacteria on the hands and encourage bad bacteria that resist antibiotics
Moisturize: Good moisturizers can help prevent or treat dry skin on your hands. They hold that needed water in the outer layer of skin, making your hands smoother and softer. They also help your outer skin act as a temporary protective shield. Many people like to use some sort of water-based lotion, but that may not be the best choice. Lotions may make your hands feel great at first, but the water will evaporate quickly, drying your skin anew. Creams are thicker and long lasting than moisturizers.
When choosing a moisturizer for daily use, make sure you read the ingredients:
Humectants such as glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids and urea actually draw moisture from the air around you into your skin. They don’t work if the air is dry.
Emollients get into the spaces between the cells on the outer layer of skin. They replace oils that have been washed away to make the skin smoother. Emollients may be primarily water- or oil-based.
Most products will include a preservative — often, several — to keep bacteria from damaging them after you open the container. If your skin is sensitive, some preservatives may irritate it. Trial and error may help you learn which ones work for you.
Fragrances also may cause irritation or contact allergy. Avoid them or find ones that you can tolerate.
Glove em up: Wear gloves anytime you plan to use harsh cleaning products. There’s no use being careful about the soap you use to wash your hands if you’re also exposing your hands to household cleaners. Keep a couple of pairs of elbow-length rubber gloves around for heavy cleaning. Use an inexpensive pair of cotton gloves as a liner to prevent sweating and itching.In cold weather, wear gloves when you go outside. It’s not just to keep your hands from feeling cold. The gloves will also keep them from drying or chapping in the wintry air.Year-round, whenever you’ll be out in the sun, protect your hands with the invisible shield of sunscreen. The backs of hands, especially, need protection with a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 every day. A moisturizer that includes a sunblock of SPF 15 will also work.
Mini-Cure:
Don’t bite your fingernails.
Use moisturizer on your nails as well as on your skin. For an extra treat at night, warm a favorite essential oil and give your nails a therapeutic soak.
Don’t cut cuticles, push them back too far or use chemicals on them.
When cuticles are soft and moist, push them back gently with a soft cloth.
Buff nails with a soft cloth.
If nails become discolored, stop using polish for a while.
The acetone in nail polish remover can damage nails, so use it sparingly.
Keep your nails clean.
Prepare your nails and cuticles for grooming by cutting a lemon in half, sticking your fingernails inside and twisting them around to clean them.
Use a file with a fine texture to shape nails and remove snags.
File nails to a rounded point to preserve their strength.
At night before going to bed, give your hands and nails a mini castor oil massage. Not only will your nails grow stronger, your hands will feel like a dream in the morning.
Stay Healthy: The skin and nails on your hands will benefit from a basic, everyday healthful routine. f you want to keep your hands and fingernails healthy, smooth and young-looking, think about what you eat. Research has found that a diet that has plenty of vitamin C but goes easy on the fats and carbohydrates may help skin look younger. Make sure that you stay well hydrated as well. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Stress that isn’t managed well can damage skin and nails.
Ditch the dead cells. Dead cells are like gossamer curtain on your skin. You need to take control of it to allow the goodness of skin care products to get in. “Basic cleansers free up pores by removing dirt and oil but to truly increase absorption and maximize the performance of your cleanser, you need to first exfoliate the dead cells away and then cleanse,” note skin experts at Clinique. You obviously don’t want dead skin getting in the way of a good wash.
Skin has a first come first serve policy. Whichever product is applied first penetrates the best. Therefore, skin products used for treatments should be given first priority. After treatments are in place, you can add-on other items in order of density, from thinnest like your serums to thickest like sunscreens. “Just remember, less is more and use the lighter formula first and the heavier formula last,” suggest the skin experts at Clinique.
If you have to use two products for two different problems, use one in the morning and one at the night but both on bare skin. Sponge it upDamp skin acts like a sponge, quickly absorbing whatever comes its way. “Always remember, for cleansed skin use serum first and then layer it with a moisturiser,” adds Braganza.
Raise the bar with warmth.Raise the skin’s temperature slightly by using lukewarm water to wash your face. This causes blood vessels and pores to open and the space between the cells means there’s a greater surface area for absorption, which helps the product to get in. “Products move through skin and interact with cells more quickly when the skin is warm,” explains Braganza.
One of the best ways to boost absorption is to top ingredients with heavy ointments. It is therefore a safe bet to use products which are in the form of thick ointments or use creams along with a dab of petroleum. This will ensure that the products allot maximum moisturiser. “Emollient skincare products should be used during the winters for dry to very dry skin,” suggests Braganza.
Everyone gets snowed under by all the ads on skin care products, feeling pressurised to shell out thousands on these products. However, what will really help your skin deal with the daily anguish is the right care and application.
Always dreamt of having the perfect kiss ready lips and the perfect shades & tricks to get them looking delicious..these tips will just take you closer to your dreams:
Get Lippy: There’s no need to pay extra for long lasting lipstick. Even the cheapest lipstick can last all night if you apply it well. Use a lip pencil all over the lips, then apply face powder to set the pencil. Top with a coat of lipstick, then blot your lips by pressing them together on some tissue before applying a second coat.
Tea Toner: Tea can help your lips retain moisture and appear smoother. Simply press a used tea bag to clean lips, while it is still warm, and use to clean for 5 minutes.
Long Life Lipstick: Lipstick can last upto two years, depending on the brand, so dont throw it out when a little nub is left. Scrape it into an empty , sterilized lip-gloss or eye shadow pot instead. If you’re feeling creative, you could even mix different shades to make your own colour. Apply with a lip brush.
Mix It Up: You can make your own lip gloss from the end of lipstick. Put a little petroleum jelly and a little of your leftover lipstick in an empty, sterilized lip gloss pot. If it doesn’t blend together well, put it in a microwave-safe container and heat for a few seconds.
Natural Oils: A little olive oil will soothe dry, chapped lips as well as any store bought balm. Simply dab it on your clean lips with your finger preferably before going to bed.
Shimmer & Shine: Make your own sparkly lip gloss: stir 1 heaped teaspoon of petroleum jelly, 1/4 teaspoon of hot , boiled water and 1 teaspoon of sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Then add some pink or red food colouring and a pinch of edible glitter. Let the mixture cool, then scoop it into an empty lip-gloss container. Use within a month.
Spicy Lip Plumper: Cinnamon encourages blood flow, and is the key ingredient in many expensive lip plumbers. Blend a drop of cinnamon oil with a tablespoon of olive oil or almond oil and rub it onto your lips. It will make your lips tingle and give them a natural fullness.
Brush em’: For soft lips, gently scrub them with a toothbrush. This will remove the dead skin from the lips. Follow it up by applying a lip balm or natural oil on them. You can do that after brushing your teeth in the morning or at night.
No Licking: Licking your lips feels great. It cools them down — but it also makes your problem much worse. Your saliva evaporates quickly, leaving them drier than before, and the enzymes that help your saliva clean your mouth and digest food are much too harsh for your lips.
An ingrown hair is actually a hair that curls back on itself and starts growing back into the follicle, or a hair that fails to grow out of the follicle and stays embedded in the skin. Ingrown hairs can affect the face, neck, legs, or any part of the body. They are usually just minor irritations, but can be painful or unsightly. Moreover, if they are left untreated, ingrown hairs can become infected. Unfortunately, while ingrown hair is more common with people having curly hair, almost everybody gets one at some time, and if you shave regularly, you may have to deal with ingrown hairs quite frequently. Few tips for you to get rid of them and to stop them for appearing again and again:
Exfoliate the area. Twice a day, scrub the ingrown hair gently. This will help to remove any dead skin cells, dirt, and oils that might be trapping the ingrown hair. It can also physically nudge the tip of the hair out of your skin. You want to exfoliate enough to achieve this effect, but not so much that the ingrown hair starts to bleed. It’s very difficult to remove an ingrown hair from under a scab. When in doubt, exfoliate more gently but for a longer period of time. Try to hit the ingrown hair from a variety of directions. Use an exfoliating glove, salt or a body scrub (can be one purchased or even made at home)
Apply a dab of acne medication. Ingrown hairs are pretty similar to pimples, especially when the ingrown hair is accompanied by pus. Apply benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid several times a day for a few days. This, combined with daily exfoliation, is often enough to remove the ingrown hair, since swelling will be reduced, giving the hair more room to grow out (rather than in).
Apply a warm, moist compress to the area for a few minutes to soften the skin. Just wet a washcloth with hot water, wring it out, and press it against the ingrown hair. When the washcloth cools down, run it under hot water again. If you can see the ingrown hair embedded in the skin, this treatment will soften the hair and bring it closer to the surface. If you can’t initially see the hair, leave the warm compress on until it rises to the skin’s surface. If you apply the compress for ten minutes and you still can’t see any sign of hair, you’re not going to be able to remove it yourself, or it might be something else altogether.
Use a sterile needle, tweezers or a rotable medical device for ingrown hairs to gently tease the hair out of the skin. The warm compress should have brought the hair to the surface–don’t dig for the hair if you can’t easily get at it. Don’t pluck the hair out completely if you can avoid doing so; just make sure that the ingrown end is out of the skin. It may take a little time to coax the hair out: be patient, and do not cut the skin.
Sometimes you’ll see a loop of the hair close to the surface of the skin. This means that the tip of the hair has begun growing down into the skin. If you get a needle in the loop and tug lightly, the end will often come loose.
If you choose to use tweezers, remember that tweezers can be bought either pointy or flat-tipped. A pointy-tipped pair may cause less damage to the skin around the hair if used carefully. Another choice might be to use a rotable medical device for ingrown hairs which does not damage the follicle or the surrounding skin.
Wash the area around the (formerly) ingrown hair with warm water and a moisturizing soap. Apply an antiseptic to provide extra protection against infection. Avoid wearing tight clothing on that area, and exfoliate regularly to prevent new ingrown hairs. You may wish to apply a daily topical solution to prevent any further ingrown hairs from developing.
TIPS:
If you can’t see the hair initially, leave the warm, moist compress in place for a while longer.
You can sterilize your tools by boiling in water or by cleaning with alcohol.
The longer the hair, the less likely it is to curl back into the skin, so try shaving less closely by using a single-blade razor or electric shaver instead of a multi-blade razor.
Use a non-comedogenic moisturizer on any area prone to ingrown hairs. Non-comedogenic products don’t clog pores.
The practice of dry skin brushing may be old news to those who practice it as a part of their daily routine, but with all the skin care products and hypes out there, its important to re-introduce a process that is not only a great way to maintain healthy skin, but also helps you to maintain a healthy body.
Dry skin brushing is one of the healthier self-help methods available to us today. Stimulation of the skin sets in motion natural healing pathways within your body. Additionally, it encourages nerve beds within its structure that in turn increases normal healing processes throughout the body.
The Benefits Of Dry Skin Brushing:
• Dry skin brushing helps to shed dead skin cells, which can help improve skin texture and cell renewal.
• Dry skin brushing increases circulation to skin, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, which greatly aids the lymphatic drainage of the entire body. When the body rids itself of toxins, it is able to run more efficiently in all areas.
• Dry skin brushing also helps to tighten the skin because it increases the flow of blood. Increasing the circulation to the skin can also help lessen the appearance of cellulite.
• Dry skin brushing stimulates the lymph canals to drain toxic mucoid matter into the colon, thereby purifying the entire system. This enables the lymph to perform its house-cleaning duties by keeping the blood and other vital tissues detoxified. After several days of dry brushing, you may notice the gelatinous mucoid material in your stools.
• Dry skin brushing helps with muscle tone and more even distribution of fat deposits.
• Dry skin brushing also rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin.
• Dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health.
• Individuals who sit at a computer screen all day long will particularly take pleasure in the benefits of skin brushing. People who have inactive lifestyles or jobs usually experience stiff and sore necks and shoulders that reach even into their arms and down their spines and into their lower backs. Increased blood flow begins entering the areas brushed and you will experience an increase in electromagnetic energy that permits you to feel energized and invigorated.
• LADIES—Cellulite is toxic. Cellulite is toxic materials that are accumulated in your body’s fat cells as they are unable to be eliminated. So, rather than liposuction surgery, how about utilizing the “dry skin brushing” techniques coupled with an alkaline diet program and a great exercising routine. It will break down the unwelcome toxic body deposits and send them scurrying out of your body through the elimination channels.
How to Get Started With Your Skin Brushing Regimen
1. Purchase a natural, NOT a synthetic, bristle brush. (vegetable bristle)
2. Purchase a brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. Best-case scenario would be one that had a removable head with a strap for your hand.
3. Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. If you are feeling ill, please do it twice a day until you feel better.
4. Skin brushing should be performed prior to your bath or shower and your body dry and naked.
5. Begin brushing your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try and brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.
6. Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken
7. After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Paavo Airola, author of Swedish Beauty Secrets, recommends alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.
8. After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oil, such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut. We like to use a small amount of Euro Organic Oil which is a blend of sunflower, almond, apricot, avocado, and jojoba oils.
9. Don’t forget to clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.8. After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oil, such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut. We like to use a small amount of Euro Organic Oil which is a blend of sunflower, almond, apricot, avocado, and jojoba oils.7. After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Paavo Airola, author of Swedish Beauty Secrets, recommends alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.
10. For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.
Caution: Do not brush on or over skin rashes, wounds, cuts, infections, poison oak or poison ivy.
Note: Any well designed program will take about 30 days to see and experience the changes. Please be patient and keep up the program!
Caring for your body goes a long way to making you feel and look more beautiful. The best part is, it doesn’t take too much to see visible difference. In this section you will get all the little tricks and regimes that will leave you in awe of your own self. Here’s to body beautiful:
Don’t Drink Caffeine: If you are having a body wrap avoid caffeine, fried food, sugar and fizzy drinks for 24 hours before and after the treatment to boost its efficiency. All these can add to toxin build up and reduce treatment’s action.
Hot & Cold: Bath temperatures can be used therapeutically. Cold baths reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels while hot ones relieve muscle soreness and eliminate body toxins.
Flush It Out: Drink lots of water, during and after body masks to help remove toxins and stimulate the lymph system. This is especially important for detoxifying treatments, which are very dehydrating.
Always Replace Moisture: Baths and showers always rob skin of its moisture, even if you use a very gentle body wash. Always use body oils or a specially formulated body lotion after bathing to replace lost moisture and keep skin hydrated.
Fight The Dark Skin: Darker areas of the skin, as the knees and elbows, are the result of very dry accumulated skin cells. These will benefit from an intensive exfoliation treatment, followed by a rich moisturizing cream. To lighten skin at the elbows, cut a lemon in half and rub each half into an elbow.
For Your Soles: A cost effective way to remove hard, dead skin from your feet is to add rock salt to a little olive oil and use as scrub. Afterwards moisturise with warm olive oil.
Fungus Free Feet: Medicine for toenail fungus isn’t cheap and doesn’t always work. So treat your feet by soaking them in a mixture of equal amounts of white vinegar and water for 30 mins daily until the condition clears.
Pretty Hands: Mix a paste of almond oil and salt in the palm of one hand and use to scrub the back of your hands and over your knuckles- get gorgeously smooth hands in a jiffy.
Nail It: If your nails are brittle and tend to break, just apply castor oil on your cuticles every night before going to bed..Give your hand a gentle massage to enhance blood circulation and get stronger nails.
A fresh apple grated over your skin, or delicious blueberry slathered on with some oatmeal. This season’s passport to looking good comes in yummy flavours and honest-to-goodness skin benefits…
What it is
“A body scrub is an exfoliant,” explains Omar Farooque, spaconsultant, “Abrasive material like salt, sugar, rice bran, jojoba beads, apricot kernels, coffee grounds, etc. rub away the dead skin cells on the surface, revealing the softer, younger cells just below.”
Says Rutu Tawde, spa manager, “The outermost layer of skin accumulates dead skin cells. Regular exfoliation with a body scrub can reveal a younger, smoother, healthier layer of skin. Scrubs promote increased blood circulation, fight cellulite (especially scrubs with caffeine or coffee), cleanse pores, remove dry itch and flakiness, nourish and moisturise one’s skin.”
Anna Fernandes, assistant spa manager, adds, “A scrub rejuvenates and hence it helps to cleanse the skin and prepare the skin and the body to receive other spa treatments like massages and body wraps.”
How it works
A body scrub is generally part of a spa treatment, that is also followed by a hydrating body wrap or a soft tissue oil massage to nourish the skin and keep it fresh and supple. Says Farooque, “A scrub done by a professional therapist should take between 30-45 minutes.
If you are pressed for time you can have a 30 min scrub and then wash and apply a moisturiser with a light sunscreen to hydrate your new layer of skin and protect it from damage.”Should one wash after a scrub? “Yes it is important to wash or have a warm towel sponge after scrub to remove the scrubbed dead or old skin layer. A great benefit of a body scrub is that it removes a skin tan. If your skin had become rough and has darkened due to pollution or exposure to dust, you can use a body scrub to remove the rough skin layer leaving you with a soft and supple skin,” he informs.
Make your own scrub at home
1 To exfoliate
Use one cup of sea salt and add half a cup of almond oil. Gently rub the body scrub over the hands, legs and neck. Massage gently in circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin. Rinse after 10 minutes with warm water or soak in a tub.
— Omar Farooque, spa consultant
2 Basic sugar scrub
Take about 1/2 cup of brown sugar and enough virgin olive oil to moisten sugar. Gently massage the sugar scrub onto the skin before showering.
— Rutu Tawde, spa manager
3 Opens pores
Take some sea salt, add few drops of essential oil, add some olive oil, a little orange juice, mix them together and massage it gently on your skin. This salt scrub will help in opening and cleansing pores.
— Anna Fernandes, spa manager
4 Tan remover
Take half a cup each of almond powder, charoli powder and oats. Mix with ¼ cup oil (your choice) and add ¼ cup milk to it. Massage it all over the body in circulatory strokes. Leave on for 10 minutes and bathe after 20 minutes with lukewarm water.
— Nirmala Shetty, naturopath
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