acne skin care

5 Veggies that help with Acne {Five Series}

Swathy · September 17, 2014 · 3 Comments

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

Cabbage

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

Radish

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

Onion

Rich in Vitamin C. And,

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

Cucumber

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

Beetroot

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

Which other veggies would you add to the list?

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

Swathy · July 15, 2014 · 3 Comments

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

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

Hygiene

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

Travel-friendly

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

Made specifically for your face

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

Soap is alkaline and skin is acidic

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

Your Acne might be due to soaps!!

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

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

Excess Body Heat and Acne {Skin Care}

Swathy · March 7, 2014 · 21 Comments

So, this time when I went to Delhi, my mom was shocked by how much I had gained!! Well, its time that I start on my health routine seriously. Oh btw, I got the regular health checkup tests done a few days back and got my reports yesterday. So, I do not have diabetes or thyroid or any kidney issues but my cholesterol levels are kinda on the border level!!

Huh…now new problems to deal with 🙁 Anyways, I was talking about my weight gain. So, I started talking to mom about my daily routine in the past month and I realized that I have been junking heavily!! The only healthy thing in my entire day was sugarcane juice which I had started consuming heavily again!!

Every day in the evening I feel hungry and I gorge on samosa or egg puff or paneer puff or potato wedges or samosa ragda or some stuff like that. And, gulp all that down and wash it off with two glasses of sugarcane juice so as not to feel guilty on spoiling my health so much. And, all that showed effect. And, guess what, lately I have been facing so many boils on my body.

What happens when excess heat produces? Big red boils appear one day, trouble me for some days and go away again and the cycle repeats at some other point. Why do they suddenly come up? Well, the simple answer is because of the increase in body temperature. Human body performs optimally at 98.6 degrees but any change in the temperature which is due to internal issues affect the body and it tries to reduce the temperature by various means which can also result in acne.

Why does body temperature rise? Because of reduction in immunity levels, increase in oily and fried and spicy foods, excess physical activity, thyroid issues, burning in stomach and so on. And, these things can result in stomach ulcers, headaches, acidity, skin rashes and boils and quite a lot of other things.

How to avoid? So, if you are suffering from acne, the simple reason can be excess body temperature. Acidity and constipation are some of the very obvious symptoms to know that. May be cooling down the body might help in controlling the acne in those cases so drink lots of sugarcane juice, coconut water, buttermilk, eat lots of cucumber and watermelon, stay away from almonds and family and reduce junk food.

So, do you think your body is producing more heat and acne is one of the ways to expend the heat? How do you regulate your body temperature?