Summer Skin Care Tips

Summer is here and one has to take special care of the skin to protect it from the heat and humidity. Summer also brings with it a host of skin problems. Some common problems in summer are prickly heat, fungal infections, body odor, sun tan and sunburn. People with oily skin tend to suffer a lot as the oil glands becomes more active. Some people suffer from dryness of skin due to loss of moisture. Most of these problems can be dealt with these cool summer skincare tips.

The first and the most important thing is to drink lot of water to beat the summer heat. Our body loses a lot of moisture in summer which needs to be replenished constantly. So it is important to include water, fruit juices, tender coconut water, butter milk, lemon juice to keep our skin hydrated, refreshed and cool. Include fruits that are widely available in summer. Fruits like watermelon, palm fruit, cucumber are excellent coolers. Stay away from aerated drinks, caffeine as they are not good for the skin.

Have bath in cool water twice a day to prevent body odor. Find more tips to get rid of body odor.

Try to avoid going out between 11 am-3 pm when the sun rays are very strong. Use a coloured umbrella or a wide brimmed hat and wear sun glasses, if you cannot avoid going out at that time. Also don’t forget to apply sun screen lotion. Remember over exposure to sun leads to problems like blistering, sunburn, drying, aging and tanning.

Use sunscreen lotion when you are outdoors. Apply sun screen half an hour before exposure to sun. Choose a good brand sunscreen and follow the instructions on the pack.

Avoid heavy make up in summer. Stick to light and simple make up. When it comes to make up products, look for water based products. Choose water proof eyeliners to prevent smudging. Use oil free moisturizers that contains sunscreen.

Prickly heat

When excessive sweating clogs the pores and blocks sweat glands, heat rash or prickly heat develops. Here are a few natural remedies to cure prickly heat.

Apply coconut water or palm fruit (nongu) water on the rashes.

Mix multani mutti with rose water and apply regularly for a week to cure prickly heat.

Calamine lotion also works well for prickly heat.

Take a tender palm fruit and apply it on the rashes. Do this for a week to cure prickly heat.

Mouth ulcers

Boil cabbage in water and drink that water once a day to heal mouth ulcers in summer.

Chew manathakkali leaves (Black nightshade) in such a way, that the juice of the leaves should come in contact with the ulcer.

Consult your dentist and take required treatment if it is severe.

Fungal infection

Have a cool shower twice a day to refresh your skin. Dry your skin well.

Avoid wearing shoes in summer. Choose footwear or open sandals that will allow air circulation.

Wear loose cotton clothes in summer. Avoid tight jeans and tight fitting blouses.

Consult your Dermatologist and take required treatment for fungal infections.

Natural Remedies

Rose water has natural cooling properties and is an excellent toner. Dip cotton in chilled rose water and wipe your skin with it to keep it fresh.

Take cucumber juice and watermelon juice in equal quantity and apply on face. Cool it in the refrigerator before use.

Homemade face pack for summer

Blend a small piece of watermelon and muskmelon (kirni palam) and apply it on the face. Wash after 20 minutes.

Blend cucumber and a little chilled fat free curd and apply it on the face to get rid of tan and to keep the skin fresh.

Mix gram flour with plain yogurt (curd) and apply it on the face. Wash after 20 minutes with cool water.

Pamper yourself with these home made face mask.

Protecting our skin from the sun should be an essential part of our daily skin care routine. Have a nice summer!

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Home Remedies for Scars and Blemishes

How to get rid of Scars Naturally

Scar formation is a natural part of the healing process. It occurs when the skin repairs wounds caused by accidents, surgery or disease. Scars fade off with time. Do not pick or squeeze your pimples as it can damage and skin and cause scarring. These simple home remedies can help you to get rid of pimple and acne scars if followed regularly. Remember you cannot expect overnight results as it will take time to show favorable results.

1.Soak 4 almonds overnight, peel the skin and grind it to a paste. Mix rose water with it and apply it on the face to clear pimple or acne scars. Almonds can be taken internally as it is rich in vitamin E and nourishes our skin from within.

2.Apply olive oil on the scars and massage lightly. The scars will fade off in course of time if done regularly.

3.Mix radish juice with a little gram flour and buttermilk. Apply to the face and wash it off after 20 minutes to clear marks left by pimples.

4.Dab honey on the spot and cover it with a bandage to get rid of blemish overnight.

5.Mashed papaya applied on the face regularly clears marks on your skin and the skin will look bright.

6.Application of buttermilk daily helps to lighten scars.

7.Drink carrot juice regularly with honey for a month to clear marks, scars and blemishes.

8.Tomato pulp can be applied everyday on the face and washed off after half an hour to get rid of scars from pimples.

9.Apply a face pack of 1/2 tsp of orange peel powder, 1/2 tsp of fuller’s earth and 1/4 tsp of mint powder (or grinded paste of 5-6 fresh mint leaves) once or twice a week to get rid of acne scars naturally. Keep the pack for 15-20 minutes and wash it off.

10.Raw potato juice applied daily cures skin blemishes. Raw Potato juice can also be mixed with fuller’s earth and can be applied as a pack.

11.Mix dried orange peel powder with curd and use it as a face pack .This is an effective face pack to clear blemishes, marks and scars naturally.

12.Aloe Vera based cream or fresh Aloe Vera gel helps to reduce pores due to pimple. It also adds glow to your skin.

13.Application of fresh lemon juice helps to lighten scars as lemon is a natural bleach.

Home remedies are harmless and should be done regularly for best results.

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Natural remedies for Dry skin-Dry skin care

Let us see how identify dry skin before going to the natural methods to treat it. Dry Skin feels tight and taut after washing. It can look scaly and lined. In some cases it might cause itching. It is more common in winter than in summer. The causes of dry skin can be attributed to many factors like poor diet, age, environment factors such as exposure to cold, sun, use of chemical products or harsh soap etc.

Dry skin usually lacks moisture as the oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily helps to keep the skin hydrated and moisturized.

Apply moisturizer to slightly damp skin after shower. Thick, creamy moisturizers works great for dry skin.

Massage your skin with olive oil or coconut oil before bath. Bath in cool or lukewarm water as hot water draws out natural oil and will dry your skin further. Oil massage is very effective in case of dry skin.

Applying Vaseline helps to prevent dryness in legs and hands.

Adding a few drops of oil to your bath water helps to retain moisture and prevents dryness of skin.

Avoid over exposure to the sun as it dries the skin further. Consult your dermatologist and choose the right sunscreen lotion for you.

Avoid excessive use of chemicals products, harsh soaps as it dries the skin and does more harm to your skin.

Natural face packs for dry skin

Some natural ingredients which provide nourishment and lubrication to dry skin are milk, milk cream, eggs, almonds, apricot, honey and curd.

Mix milk cream with a pinch of turmeric powder and apply it on the face daily. Do not use soap often instead use besan or green gram flour or a cleansing gel. If you cannot avoid the use of soap, then go for a moisturizing soap.

Soak 4 or 5 almonds overnight, in the morning peel the skin and grind it nicely, mix it with raw milk and apply it on the face and wash it off after 15 minutes to prevent dryness of skin. Almonds also nourishes your skin from within. Try to include a few blanched almonds in your diet regularly.

Mix a little of egg yolk, milk cream and rose water and apply it on the face. Wash it off after sometime in warm water followed by cold water. This is a natural mask for dry skin.

Carrot mask is good for sensitive and dry skin. Boil a carrot in a little water. After it cools, grind it to a paste and apply to the face.

For flaky skin, dip cotton in cold raw milk to which a few drops of olive oil or sunflower oil is added and cleanse the skin with it. Wash with cold water.

Honey is an excellent moisturizer. Apply honey on the face and wash it off with warm water after 15 minutes. This natural remedy for dry skin works well.

Application of aloe Vera gel also prevents dryness of skin.

Use of mild or natural products, sparing a few minutes to your skin daily and taking a nutritious diet can go a long way toward improving the health of your skin. Good luck!



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Home Remedies for Oily skin-Oily skin care tips

How to identify an oily skin? Oily skin is usually shiny and has pores. It is prone to blackheads and acne as the oil producing glands are over active and produce more oil. People with oily skin get frequent breakout and have a greasy appearance,but the good news is that oily skin tends to age slower.

Natural tips for oily skin

Avoid using talcum powder on face as it gets accumulated in the pores and causes more breakout.

Use water based cosmetics or look for “oil free” products.

Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day.
Soak neem leaves in water for 5 hours, then remove the leaves and have bath in that water to prevent pimples and acne. Neem leaves have powerful antiseptic properties.

Use any clay mask once in a fortnight as it absorbs excess oil from the skin. (eg- multani mutti or fuller’s earth)

Avoid heavy creams and moisturizers.

Avoid oily and greasy food.

These Home made face packs will help you to treat oily skin effectively-

Red sandalwood paste mixed with rose water can also be used as a pack for oily skin. It is also an excellent home remedy for blackheads.

Gram pulse flour (besan) or green gram flour is best for oily skin as it removes excessive oil from the skin. Mixture of besan with rose water makes a good homemade pack.

Mix fuller’s earth powder with a little orange peel powder and rose water and apply it on your face. Wash with warm water after 15 minutes. This natural treatment, if followed once in a week will help to get rid of oily skin. It also helps to cure acne.

Mixture of rose water, sandalwood paste and fuller’s earth (a form of clay) can be used as a face pack for oily skin. Rose water cleanses and tones the skin. Sandalwood paste has cooling properties and fuller’s earth removes the dirt and excess oil from the skin.

Mix equal quantity of oatmeal (powder it finely) and witch hazel and apply to the face. Remain for 20 minutes and wash it off with warm water. This is a natural toning and cleansing mask for oily skin.

Mix a little honey with few drops of fresh lemon juice and egg white and apply to the face.Wash off with cool water after 15 minutes. Egg white helps to tighten the pores.

Mix cucumber pulp with lemon juice and apply to the face. Cucumber is a natural toner. It works as an astringent and is used to cleanse the skin.

Curd (low fat) is an excellent cleanser. Apply it on the skin and wash it off after 15 minutes with lukewarm water.This refreshes dull, tired face and is also good for oily skin.

Rice flour mixed with rose water makes an excellent scrub for oily skin.

Follow these simple home remedies to treat your oily skin.



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Wear What You Eat – Making Masks From The Fridge

No one does it better than Mother Nature, and skin care is no exception to that rule. Get together with some friends and have fun whipping up these quick and easy recipes for facial masks that require ingredients you probably already have in your refrigerator.

For normal skin , this peach and oatmeal mask loaded with alpha-hydroxy acids that help soften wrinkles, reduce blemishes and unclog pores is just for you:

Cook one medium peach until soft, then mash. Add one tablespoon honey and enough oatmeal to thicken the mask. Apply evenly to skin and wait ten minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

For normal to oily skin , try this blend of carrots and honey:

Cook until soft, then mash 2-3 large carrots. Mix with 4 tablespoons honey. Gently apply the mask to your skin and wait ten to twelve minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

For oily skin , strawberries and honey will help reduce excess oil and refresh enlarged pores:

Mash nine strawberries into a pulp. Add three tablespoons honey. Mix well, but don’t over do it or your mask will be runny. Apply to entire face and wait three to five minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

If your skin is oily and acne prone , let this apple and honey mask spruce up your natural glow and texture:

Core and grate one medium sized apple. Blend with three to four tablespoons honey. Smooth over entire face and relax for eight to ten minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

If your skin is normal to dry and prone to bouts of acne , let this aromatic mask work to remove toxins and oils that reduce blemishes and tighten pores:

Boil five bay leaves in one cup distilled water and allow to cool. Strain the leaves, but keep the liquid. Slowly add the bay liquid to four tablespoons French clay. Mix until it is medium thick. Dab and blend onto skin and allow mask to dry for up to twenty minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

For dry skin , your mask of bananas and honey will restore vitality to over-stressed skin:

Lightly mash two medium bananas. Don’t over mash or mask will be runny. Add two tablespoons honey and lightly blend. Apply to skin and wait ten minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

Want to get crazy? Try this recipe for a banana bread mask that will moisturize, soothe, soften and cleanse your skin along with the added bonus of a whole wheat flower antioxidant:

Mix well ½ very ripe mashed banana, a pinch of nutmeg, two tablespoons ground oats (put rolled oats through a clean coffee grinder or blender until it is a fine powder.) Add two tablespoons whole wheat flour. Blend in milk or cream until mask is a smooth paste. Apply to a clean face and enjoy for five to ten minutes. Rinse well with warm water and pat dry.

Because there are no preservatives in these recipes, they should be used immediately and then discarded.

Tips for Glowing skin - Natural Skin Care Tips

The skin is a protective wrapper and also a major organ of excretion. So taking care of the skin helps you to have a soft and glowing skin. Very few of us are gifted with a perfect skin, but with right care, one can do a lot to improve the general condition of the skin. The old saying goes like this “Prevention is better than cure“. So it is better to take care of your skin rather than treating it after a problem occurs. All you have to do is to lead a healthy lifestyle which will definitely reflect on your skin. Keep your skin clean as a clean skin is a healthy skin. Here are some natural and practical tips, which you can follow on a daily basis to have a glowing skin and also to improve the general health of the skin.

Diet

A healthy glowing skin needs the right food. What you feed yourself inside will definitely reflect on your skin. So make it a point to have a healthy diet which should include lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices. Vitamin C does wonders to your skin. Some natural sources of vitamin C are lemon, oranges, cabbage, papaya, guava, strawberries, green peppers etc.

Avoid eating junk food which is not only bad for your skin but also for your health. Try to avoid eating fried and greasy food. Avoid maida (all purpose flour) and white bread instead include brown bread, whole grains and oat bran in your diet. Substitute white rice with brown rice, sugar with honey or molasses or dates, tea or coffee with green tea or buttermilk.

Treat constipation

Drink 2-3 glasses of warm water the first thing in the morning which will prevent constipation and therefore will have an effect on your skin or you can have a glass of warm lemon juice with a tsp of honey.

Soak 4-5 raisins in half a cup of water overnight and drink that water in the morning. It prevents constipation and gives a natural glowing skin.

Treat dandruff

Keep your hair clean from dandruff as dandruff can cause skin problems like acne and pimples

Follow the 4 golden rules of skin care

Use natural or mild products for your skin.

1.Cleansing-You have to keep the skin clean for it to be healthy. Invest in a good cleanser suited for your skin. Gently massage the cleanser and clean the pores with a moist cotton. It removes excess oil and dust. Before going to bed, see to it that you remove all traces of make-up. Do not apply anything, let your skin breathe.

2.Toning-Toning stimulates blood circulation and helps to tighten the pores.

3.Nourishing-Nourishing helps to rejuvenate the skin. Yoghurt, milk, almonds, honey, eggs, apricot are natural ingredients which are valuable in providing nourishment to the skin. Nourishing lotion or cream lubricates the skin and keeps it soft retaining the natural moisture present in the skin and prevents dryness of skin. Oily skin which produces excess oil does not need a rich nourishing cream.

4.Moisturizing is an integral part of skin care. It helps to keep the skin soft, smooth and healthy. As we grow old, our skin needs more moisturizing.

Protect your skin from pollution and strong sunlight

Wash your face whenever you go out and come back, to remove the dirt accumulated on your skin due to pollution. Also cleanse your face at least twice a day after you wake up in the morning and before going to bed. Instead of using soap frequently, you can use green gram flour or besan (bengal gram flour) to wash your face. Mix it with a little water to form a paste and use it to cleanse your face.

Use an umbrella (preferably a colored one), wear sunglasses while going out in the sun. It protects your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

Keep your skin hydrated and cool

Have bath twice a day to keep your skin clean, cool and refreshed.

Drink enough water (at least 7-8 glasses per day) to keep your skin hydrated. Also drinking water helps to prevent a whole lot of skin problems and allergies.

Always bath in cool water or lukewarm water as hot water draws out natural oil from the skin and will dry your skin.

Good sleep

One should have adequate sleep to have a healthy and glowing skin. A good night’s sleep does wonders to your skin.

Regular Exercise

Do some form of exercise which you love, at least four days a week to improve blood circulation and to avoid stress.

I am sure that if you follow at least some of these natural skin care tips, you will have a soft and glowing skin.

Tame Upset Skin the Right Way

Perhaps one of the worst things about having an upset complexion is that you not only feel it, it’s also visible to the rest of the world. Anytime you hear the word “upset” when it comes to skincare, chances are other words like “inflamed”, “splotchy” and “redness” will soon follow. Trying to deal with an upset complexion is not only a hassle, it’s very common for many people. However, there are ways you can quickly treat these kinds of issues so you can move on with your life.

Each person’s complexion is different and depending on their skin type, chances are the skincare approach to dealing with upset skin may vary. However, there are some instances where there is a universal treatment to provide a solution. By now you know that your skin not only tends to react to the outside elements you expose it to but the way your body is feeling as well. Do you tend to experience small red splotches on your complexion seemingly out of nowhere? Chances are the rash is there for a reason. Stress and anxiety are two culprits that are mainly responsible for such occurrences. If you find that you suffer from this issue often, the first step is to calm down. Do what it takes to bring your stress or anxiety level to a minimum. Only by doing this will your skin start to behave and go back to normal. For an even quicker fix, you can also apply an herbal cream that is designed to soothe upset skin. After dabbing on the cream, unwind with a good book, watch a movie or a get a massage to get your complexion back to normal (believe it or not, having sex is also a great way to relieve tension, stress and anxiety for a clearer complexion!).

Another common way skin becomes upset is due to the presence of breakouts. This is an especially common experience if you have acne prone skin. Pimples tend to come with a bit of redness around the area, which can make for an unsightly appearance. One of the best treatments for bringing down the swelling of acne prone skin is to apply an OTC hydrocortisone cream. When using skincare products make sure to choose those that contain ingredients like chamomile, mint or aloe vera. These ingredients not only pamper your skin naturally but help to reduce the appearance of breakouts and eliminate redness.

Does your face tend to get really dry, flaky and red? This is obviously due to your skin not receiving enough moisture or it may be your complexion’s way of reacting to exposure to extremely hot temperatures. Sometimes it will take more than just moisturizer to get your upset skin back up to par. Make it a point to use lukewarm water when washing your face and apply your facial moisturizer while your face is still damp. This provides extra moisture that stays sealed in. When looking for skincare products, choose items that contain ceramides, which work to rebuild the loss of your skin’s natural oils.

How to Shop for Skincare Products for Your Kids

Being a parent means worrying about pretty much everything when it comes to your child or children. From what they eat to where they go and who they play with, the list of worry for a parent is seemingly endless. Skincare can be yet another area where your concerns as a parent play a huge role. Each day you have to make decisions based on your child’s wellbeing. Having knowledge about how to shop for skincare products for your children, however, will remove at least one stressful factor from your list.

As a new parent or a well seasoned vet, skincare products may be the last thing on your mind when it comes to your children. Maybe the concept of skincare where your children are concerned is no more than getting them to take a bath, putting on lotion and then getting them to bed. However, maintaining the health of your child/children’s skin is very important. From infants to toddlers and pre-teens, skincare should be a vital part of their daily routine. Healthy skin is happy skin so keep the following tips in mind while shopping for the right items for your kids.

It goes without saying that young children, especially babies, have very sensitive skin. Due to the wide selection of items available on store shelves, it can be downright confusing as to which formulas, ingredients and products would be best for your little ones. Perhaps one of the best tips to keep in mind is to use common sense. For example, if you have a newborn, you’ll only want to use skincare items that are formulated for newborns. Read the labels and make sure the products you reach for are made for your child’s age range. Another helpful tip is to avoid going overboard - keep it simple! While adults may invest tons of money on a score of items to keep their complexions on point, babies and children don’t need as much. Not only does this make things more convenient for you, it also helps you save money. For babies the most you’ll need in terms of skincare will be baby wash, shampoo and lotion. Depending on your baby’s skin type, you may have to shop accordingly for the appropriate moisturizing lotion. If you are in doubt, consult your pediatrician, who can make suggestions.

When it comes to ingredients, you can’t go wrong with all natural. Many skincare lines now offer products that contain natural ingredients while being formulated for young skin. Because sun damage is always a threat for babies and young children, you’ll also want to make sure you’ve got quality sunscreen made for kids. If you can find a body lotion that contains SPF that is a plus.

Although you may want your baby or children to smell good, avoid skincare items that are heavily scented. This is usually a sign that the ingredients contained will be too harsh on your child’s skin, which could result in dryness or a negative skin reaction.

Cool Off Your Rosacea this Winter

Rosacea is a skin condition that can turn into a huge nuisance for those that suffer from it. Characterized by the appearance of red splotches on the face and swelling, this skin issue often targets adult women. There currently is no explanation for what causes roascea but there are ways to treat and reduce the symptoms. When it comes to the weather, most sufferers tend to dread the hot summer months but what they may not know is that the winter temperatures can also pose as a threat to their complexions.

The association between hot weather and rosacea is fairly simple. Extreme heat can easily cause a person’s complexion to become stressed, which typically results in the blood vessels becoming enlarged, producing the flushed appearance and inflammation. When it comes to cold weather, however, most rosacea sufferers may think the cooler temperatures would be ideal for keeping their complexions in better condition. But in many cases that could not be farther from the truth.

Because complexions with rosacea do not have properly functioning barriers to protect the skin from foreign substances while keeping moisture intact, this leaves it vulnerable to any type of extreme temperature change - cold weather included. In the winter, a person with rosacea will experience their complexion drying out much easier due to loss of moisture, resulting in higher sensitivity to anything that is put on it, including skincare products. The appearance of tiny cracks is also a common symptom of this skin condition, which can cause discomfort when treating the area.

So what is a person with rosacea to do when the weather starts to get colder? Luckily, there are a couple of solutions you can try in order to keep your skin happy this winter. The first is to minimize your exposure from extreme cold to extreme heat. This includes going from being outdoors in cold temperatures to being indoors with the heater blasting. The back and forth in temperature is the fastest way to aggravate your skin. When this can’t be prevented, make sure you use a scarf or other type of winter clothing that will protect your complexion while out in the elements. To reinforce your skin’s health, use sunscreen - even during the winter. If your face tends to get very dry during the winter, purchase a humidifier for your home. On those cold nights your humidifier should be combined with your heater so that you not only stay warm but are pampering your skin at the same time. A heater alone can strip moisture from your face, further aggravating your rosacea.

Stress also plays a crucial element in how your complexion appears so do your best to keep your stress levels down during the winter. It’s easier said than done, but once you start to see the change in your skin for the better, you’ll be even more motivated to do right by your complexion. In terms of skincare products, invest in moisturizers that use natural ingredients for improving hydration and reinforcing your complexion’s protective barrier. Look for skincare products with gentle ingredients that are formulated for sensitive skin types. You may also want to increase your intake of certain fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which help maintain and replenish your skin’s oil levels.

Purify Your Life by Taking the Toxins Out

In the effort to improve our lives, sometimes we take measures that are overboard and even unnecessary. Sometimes the real answer lies in the little things and keeping our lives simple. This can be applied to just about any area, including skincare, anti aging and even nutrition and exercise. Why not make things easier on yourself by working on the little things that don’t take that much effort? When it comes to purifying our lives and removing toxins from our bodies and even the environment, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

The concept of detoxification has taken on a whole new meaning, causing people to undergo procedures such as fasting, drinking special concoctions to cleanse their systems and even taking pills and powders that promise to remove all the impurities from their bodies and skin. However, such extreme measures may not be necessary if you know how to detoxify your life on a daily basis. With each small milestone you’ll be able to purify yourself from head to toe.

If you want to keep your complexion vibrant, healthy and free of toxins, you don’t necessarily need to spend a ton of money on spa treatments. A clay mask is all you’ll need. This skincare product can be purchased at affordable prices at any store, online or at your favorite specialty skincare store. There are different types of clay mask products to choose from, all formulated to cater to every skin type. For example, if you have oily skin, choose a clay mask that is green or red, which will absorb the excess oil and set your complexion back to normal. This product can be used on a weekly basis to maintain a glowing complexion.

Another way to purify your skin and keep it at its best is to choose skincare products that do not list parabens on the ingredient label. This is especially important when it comes to body lotions. Studies show that exposing your skin to high levels of parabens can negatively affect the body’s endocrine system. When in doubt, opt for products that contain organic ingredients and formulas.

Want to make sure the air that you breathe at home is free of toxins? There are two ways you can go about achieving this. The first step is to purchase paint that does not contain volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs. Volatile organic compounds are automatically released into the air, polluting it with the fumes that we all have smelled before when opening a new can of paint. Luckily, there are more and more paint products being made without VOCs that are much safer for use inside the home. Paints that are free of VOCs don’t even require you to air out the room after painting it. The second step you can take to purify your home is by decorating your living space with lively house plants. It is a known fact that plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide, which is one of the most harmful toxins out there, and produce fresh oxygen. Just a few small potted plants in your windows and in choice areas of a room can bring in all the fresh air you need.

Frugal Beauty

You don't have to spend big bucks to get beauty treatments commercially. A little care at home can help you to attain that glamorous finished look at home, quite frugally. For a hydrating treatment for your hands while doing your dishes in the kitchen, cover your hands with a thick layer of lotion and wear latex cleaning gloves. The warm dishwater helps you to get the deep lotion treatment while gloves provide insulation of heat. Repeat it once or twice per week to get beautiful soft hands. Exfoliation to remove dead skin from your body and face can be done with a lot of things available in our kitchens. Pamper yourself with ground almond or be more economical by using cornmeal or a mix of grapefruit and salt or vinegar with some lemon juice in it.

Milk bath strewn with rose petals worked for Cleopatra so there seems to be no reason that it will not do the same for you. Mix half cup of milk powder with your bath water and see the difference. To keep your face naturally beautiful and free of any common skin problems, splash your face with warm water and massage it with a tablespoon of honey, which is antibacterial in nature, once or twice per week. Rinse your face well with warm water. You can also use plain yogurt instead of honey, which works as an exfoliant and its lactic acid dissolves dead skin cells. Prepare a mixture of ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar and ¼ cup water to substitute your night cream. Oliver oil serves as a moisturizer and revitalizes skin while vinegar takes care of bacteria, dead skin cells and skin discolorations.

Olive oil is also an effective cleansing cream for dry skin, softens the skin and gets absorbed better than baby oil. Do not waste any leftover olive oil or that has been dripped over. Use your fingers to wipe it off and rub it on your elbows. Tone your skin using witch hazel that you can buy for pennies. It can work as an effective aftershave for your husband too! The best and most inexpensive way to keep your skin healthy and glowing is to drink several glasses of water a day as it helps your body to flush away any impurities.

Instead of freaking over any freckles or aging signs that you can spot over your face and rushing off to costly beauty clinics, try fading them away with lemon juice instead. For scrubbing, rub olive oil over your body after the bath and then scrub sugar on the body until it melts. Then wash it away with water. It is quite effective for face and hands too. Look younger by preparing a mixture with equal parts of onion juice and vinegar and rubbing it over any aging signs daily. However, it takes few weeks to achieve the desired results.

For filling up dry and cracked calluses on your hand and feet, use olive oil mixed with melted beeswax. Cover them up with cotton gloves or socks respectively. Spices and essential oils added to your bath water can make you fragrant for a long time. Frugal hair care ideas include adding a two spoonfuls of baking soda in your shampoo once a week to remove styling product build-ups and using mayonnaise or raw eggs as a hair conditioner. To bleach your hair, you can use lemon juice while olive oil works as an effective hair conditioner and gets rid of the frizz. A quarter cup of vinegar mixed with three quarters of a cup of warm water is a great rinser and makes your hair soft and shiny. We have even found out that a daily soak in burdock tea will stop hair loss!

Essential Oils

Essential oils have been part of cosmetics for men and ladies alike for thousands of years. Their exotic aromas were enough to win them favors amongst the humankind and when it was revealed that the aromas make a significant difference to the status of our health, the fact was just an added bonus. Aromatherapy is a well-developed science that uses aromatic essential oils to heal and rejuvenate one's physical and emotional health and enhance one's beauty that is constantly gaining popularity day by day. Essential oils are extracts from different parts of the plants such as herbs, flowers, leaves, resin, bark, fruit rinds and roots and are highly concentrated, volatile oils.

The extracts usually come out to be 0.01 to 10 percent of the raw material and are very therapeutic in nature. They are either inhaled directly or are applied to the skin after being diluted with mostly pure-blend oils. Children, novices and people with sensitive skin must take the precaution of using diluted essential oils only. Aromatherapy works on the basis that the lymbic system of the brain channels the effects of the oils to balance the body's systems and stimulated particular chemicals and emotions in us. Massage helps the skin to absorb essential oils, which can then reach internal organs more effectively through our circulatory system.

Some of the most popular essential oils are sweet almond oil, which is considered an all-purpose oil; apricot kernel oil helpful in massage blends; avocado, olive, sesame and macadamia nut oil, which must be used very carefully; borage, kukui, rose hip and evening primrose oil, which excellent in treating many skin conditions but is quite expensive; cocoa butter, which is suitable for use in lotions and creams; grapeseed oil, which is solvent extracted; hazelnut, good for oily skin; jojoba oil or wax, which has a very long shelf-life; peanut oil, which is good for massage blends and arthritis; pecan oil; shea butter suitable for use in lotions and creams and unrefined sunflower oil.

Beach Beauty

Too much exposure to the sun on beach may cause under-eye skin crinkles, blackheads and acne on nose, cold lip sores, red and scaly temples and broken blood vessels. To avoid these unwanted signs of old age, be sure to use moisturizers and sunscreens or sun blocks that suit your skin type and never forget to wear UV-protected sunglasses and hat to a beach. Today other beauty products with SPF are also available in the market such as concealers and lipsticks. You can use waterproof and water-resistant eyeliners, mascaras and bronzers to look like a glamorous mermaid too. Contrary to the popular belief, tanning is not safe for skin and may cause skin burning, wrinkles and skin cancer.

One must remember that sun can damage the skin within a few minutes and can harm the skin on apparently cloudy days. The sun can damage the skin even more at higher altitudes and on an average at every 1,000-foot height can damage the skin by 4 % more. You can calculate how frequently to apply your sunscreen on the beach by multiplying its SPF number (which determines the protection against burning by UVB rays) with 20 (which incidentally is the number of minutes skin can endure sun), so SPF 15 should stay on for about 300 minutes or five hours. However, this is not exactly correct or swimming and sweating can wash off your sunscreen and you may need to reapply it after 60 to 90 minutes. To block off UVA rays, check the ingredients for avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, Parsol 1789, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane or Mexoryl SX.

Sunscreens come in water resistant formulas that are sure to stay on for 90 minutes even if your are swimming. Lip-glosses with SPF are quite effective in preventing dried sun burned lips while liquid foundation and eye shadows are sure to wash out with first few perspiration drops. Cocoa butter is great at preventing peeling and to re-moisturizing the skin while eye drops are a great help in case some sand particles reach your eyes with the wind. Deodorants or antiperspirants, beach wear and two towels are a must of course, one to lie down on one to dry you off. You may also need a beach mat or beach blanket and be sure to wear flat and sneakers to make walking easier.

Basic Skin Care

Healthy and supple skin is not so much of a dream if you take proper precautions and pay attention to your diet and exercise. Balanced diet, hydration and protecting from sun and wind should be a part of your daily regimen. Here are the four basic steps to skin care that are mandatory and cannot be skipped on any account, if you want a naturally glowing skin. It is important that you use the products according to your skin type. You have to pay attention to the order of the steps too:

1. Cleansing The Skin
Cleansing is quite essential to avoid acnes and other skin problems. Wash your skin often using a mild face wash and wipe off with a clean washcloth. It is quite important to get rid of any impurities such as dirt particles and makeup before going to sleep so that your skin can breathe properly at night. Use mild cleanser at least twice a day but make sure that it rinses away easily, does not cause skin irritation and do not wash away natural oils too.

2. Toning The Skin
Toners not only cleanse the skin further and help in removing any remnants of particles that you may have left behind but also cools, nourishes, hydrates and freshens up your skin. It tightens up skin and close up any skin pores that may have opened up while deep cleansing the face. Toners must be alcohol-free as alcohol dries off skin.

3. Exfoliating The Skin
Exfoliants remove dead cells from the skin, rejuvenate the skin and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles from the face. The younger skin that surfaces after exfoliation naturally looks more beautiful and glowing. These products usually have alpha or beta hydroxy acids to quicken up the process but do avoid the ones that are granular as they tend to damage the new skin too that is much more sensitive than the mature layer that it digests.

4. Moisturizing The Skin
Like our body, our skin also needs hydration and proper nutrients to keep it healthy. So, treat it with a good moisturizer and a broad-spectrum sunscreen with more than SPF 15 daily and night cream daily that helps the skin to balance and restores any damage that might have occurred to it overnight.

Beach Beauty
Too much exposure to the sun on beach may cause under-eye skin crinkles, blackheads and acne on nose, cold lip sores, red and scaly temples and broken blood vessels. To avoid these unwanted signs of old age

Beautiful Eyebrows
Perfect eyebrows almost transcend the beauty of the face and make an immediate visible impact in a makeover session. The most coveted eyebrow shape is the one that starts directly above the inner corner of the eye

Essential Oils
Essential oils have been part of cosmetics for men and ladies alike for thousands of years. Their exotic aromas were enough to win them favors amongst the humankind and when it was revealed that the aromas make a significant difference to the status of our health

Eyebrow Waxing
One of the easiest ways to get rid of the extra hair around your brow line, waxing is definitely note for those with very sensitive skin. It is more expensive than plucking your eyebrows but lasts longer too.

Facial Skin Care
Daily skin & facial care makes us look more charming and beautiful. By following some easy tips, you can look younger and more beautiful without spending too much of extra time and money.

Frugal Beauty
You don't have to spend big bucks to get beauty treatments commercially. A little care at home can help you to attain that glamorous finished look at home, quite frugally. For a hydrating treatment for your hands while doing your dishes in the kitchen

Herbal Beauty
External impurities and internal toxins are the worst enemies of our body and skin and herbal beauty products and detoxification remedies help us not only to get rid of them but also provide additional nutrients to the body.

Tweezing Brows
Well-plucked eyebrows make you appear more groomed than any thing else. Today it is a trend to get eyebrows tweezed or threaded professionally in eyebrow boutiques, which are very expensive.

The Skincare Benefits of Emu Oil

For those that are not very skincare savvy, the thought that any type of oil could be good for the skin may seem farfetched. After all, it is oil that clogs the pores and contributes to breakouts. However, the advancements in skincare technology have given us the ability to use various types of oils for a variety of skincare needs. The most beneficial types can easily be found as a main ingredient in many skincare products. Emu oil is among the most popularly used oils and with good reason.

Not familiar with emu oil? The name comes from the fact that the oil is made from the emu bird, which is a species that comes from Australia. The beneficial natural properties of the oil that come from the emu’s fats have been well known for thousands of years. The Aborigines were among the first people to utilize emu oil to treat a number of conditions. The most common include bruises, burns and disinfecting wounds.

What makes emu oil so special is its ability to penetrate the skin’s layers so its healing properties can go right to work at the source of the problem. Not all oils have this ability. Most products tend to sit on the surface of the skin, which doesn’t do any good to treat the issue. Emu oil’s penetrating power makes it ideal for not only tending to wounds and other injuries but as a skincare solution as well, especially when it comes to anti-aging and keeping our complexions moisturized.

The real power of emu oil comes out when included as an ingredient in moisturizers, skincare creams and other anti-aging products. If you have done any research on anti-aging and how the complexion works, the more moisturized and hydrated your skin is, the less likely it will become prone to wrinkles and fine lines. This makes emu oil the perfect choice for maintaining soft, supple and hydrated skin. Not only does this oil go deeply into the skin, when applied to the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) it can effectively hold water and moisture to combat dryness. Additionally, it can accomplish this without clogging the pores, which is a definite plus.

As is that isn’t enough, regular use of emu oil in your skincare routine is also effective when it comes to problematic skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, chronic dry skin and even psoriasis. Not only is this a great way to clear up your complexion and other areas where you are experiencing problematic skin, you can find emu oil skincare products anywhere and at fairly affordable prices. This means you won’t have to shell out top dollar for fancy department store items.

The Internet is the best place to shop for this kind of product. It will give you a wide selection to choose from as well as the most affordable prices.