Swathy

Ice Cubes for your face {Skin Care}

Swathy · October 9, 2010 · 246 Comments

Ice Cubes are one of the quickest ways to restore your face to a fresh and dewy look. So, in case you are ever in a hurry, make sure to just rub your face for a minute or two with ice cubes and you are ready to go!! Another added advantage is that ice cubes constrict your pores making your face look smoother.

They can be a great relief during the bad breakouts and particularly soothing for acne and inflammatory skin. A nice touch for using ice cubes would be to freeze your favorite fruit and vegetable juices into ice cubes. That would provide your skin with immediate anti-oxidants and the various benefits which come from topical application of the particular fruits.

The essentials would be orange juice which is useful for bright face and apple juice which is great for oily skin. You can also go for pomegranates as they are especially high in anti-oxidants and would provide a rosy complexion.

Caution: Applying ice cubes straight to your skin can cause delicate capillaries under your skin to break so wrap the ice cubes in a wash cloth and then apply them to your skin.

Have you used ice cubes?

Herbal infusions good for Hair

Swathy · October 8, 2010 · 8 Comments

In this post, I have already listed various herbs good for your hair. But, I have not stated why. So, I’ll address that aspect in today’s post and would list down some other herbs too which are good for hair. I have categorized the herbs on basis of their usage. So, check for your immediate requirements and start from there. Many of the herbs share different categories so you can start choosing from them.

Hair Shine and Conditioning

Flowers: Rose, Marigold, Chamomile, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Lavender, Rosemary

Herbs: Basil leaves, Brahmi leaves, Bhringraj leaves, Henna leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Curry Leaves, Indian Gooseberry (amla), Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves (methi), Lemon peels, Mint leaves

Hair Loss and Hair Growth

Flowers: Lavender, Rosemary, Hibiscus, Chamomile

Herbs: Brahmi leaves, Bhringraj leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Curry Leaves, Indian Gooseberry (amla), Ginger cloves, Garlic cloves, Sesame Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Black Pepper, Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves (methi)

Hair Coloring

Flowers: Hibiscus, Chamomile

Herbs: Basil leaves, Henna leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Indian Gooseberry (amla)

Scalp Care (including Dandruff)

Flowers: Lavender

Herbs: Neem leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Lemon peels

Tip: Every time you infuse your hair oil, use a different oil and a different herb. Otherwise, it would be like using a product which used to be good for your hair but is no longer great. Always make small batches. Read this for instructions on how to infuse herbs in the oil.

I shall keep on adding to this list as I use various other things. In the mean time, you can also suggest some herbs which you feel would be worthwhile.

American Corn – A Healthy Snack

Swathy · October 7, 2010 · Leave a Comment

We are getting so many American corns in the market these days. Why not make a good use of it and replace our unhealthy snacks with this healthy one. And, it is appetizing too. You can chew it directly, rub lemon with salt on the corn and then enjoy the taste or remove the corn and make simple salads or soups from it. You can also roast it lightly over the stove just like maize. Just remember never to over do it or the corn will get charred. All the recipes are easy to make and provide the same amount of nutrition.

Corn is extremely good at cutting down the heart risks by around 10%. It is rich in all kind of vitamins, carbohydrates and fiber. Thus, eating corn is not only enjoyable but extremely healthy. More fiber means more weight loss. And, you can google for American Corn recipes and you will surely get a lot of them. You can also make corn parathas and include it in sandwiches along with paneer or aloo.So, next time you feel like munching on something, go ahead and bite into corn. You need not even think once about the calorie intake then. And, it also controls your cravings for junk food as it is naturally sweet. But, people with diabetes should be careful as excess corn can cause sugar spikes in the blood. The best thing is it is so cheap as compared to a pizza or even a pav bhaji as an evening snack.