I have always felt that neck lines can’t be got rid of except for doing face exercises daily and keeping the neck straight so that there is no crease. But, sometime back, I used almond oil for moisturizing my face and neck and observed that my neck lines were gone in probably 3-4 days. So, if you have the same problem you could give the almond oil a try!!! If you are afraid that the oil might break you out, then you could try using the oil only on the neck. I had been using the Rogan Badam oil which I had talked about quite a long back.
anti-aging skin care
How to make green tea? {DIY}
I had once upon a time done a post on the beauty benefits of green tea. But, making green tea properly is a little tricky. Properly made green tea provides plethora of benefits but if not made properly, not only does it not give the benefits but also tastes horrible. If it tastes bitter or too bland, then you are not making it correctly.
Green Tea is the least processed tea leaves after white tea so the leaves are very delicate and can burn at higher temperatures. The optimal temperature of water for green tea is 75 degrees. Even a little bit more would spoil the leaves, burn them and cause the taste to turn bitter at which point you are not receiving any benefits from drinking the tea. So, how to make it properly?
Here’s what I do. I don’t take more than a tea spoon of tea leaves. I always use loose powder because the instant tea bags need to go more processing than the loose powder.I boil my water in electric kettle coz it happens faster. So, after it boils, I leave the kettle open for 15 minutes for the water to cool down. Then, after 15 minutes are over, pour the water over the tea leaves in a cup and stir it with a spoon for two minutes exactly (a minute more would make the tea taste bitter). Strain the tea and drink it. You can add honey as a sweetener but it tastes better without that or you can also add 4-5 drops of lemon for extra flavor.
Instead of throwing the used leaves, I pour boiling water over the leaves and leave it over night. In the morning, I strain the leaves and use the liquid either as a toner, pour it in my bath water, wash my face or use it as a hair rinse.
I like the Tetley brand of green tea particularly. Heard that Twining is good but I have not used the Fab India one. But, I had used their Tulsi something tea which I didn’t particularly like. And, there are a lot of flavors in the market in various brands. So, you can use any!!
Steam and Skin {Skin Care}
Of course, you must have heard that steaming is amazing for your skin. Well, yes, it is. Why? It deep cleanses the skin by removing the dirt from the pores. One can make the steaming process exciting by adding herbs to it like tea tree oil for acne prone skin, eucalyptus oil for people prone to headaches and cold or even tea leaves for a simple refreshing feeling or you can give yourself an aromatherapy session by adding essential oils to the water. Apart from just simply hydrating the skin, the essential oils would also work on your skin and provide various benefits depending on the ones you have used. But, there is a time limit for the steaming process too.
Dry Skin: 1-2 minutes (at max 3)
Normal / Combination Skin: 5 minutes
Oily Skin: 10-15 minutes (depending on the dirt clogged in your pores)
Now, one more thing to remember is that steaming your face is not a routine work. It is a therapy and like all therapies, it should be done regularly for maximum results but not daily.
Dry Skin: once in 2 weeks
Normal / Combination Skin: once in a week
Oily Skin: at max. twice in a week
The reason why I have combined normal and combination skin is because of the fact that combination skin has both dry and oily areas. So, if taken for less time, the dirt and oil in the clogged pores wouldn’t clean well and if taken for more time, it will lead to patchy areas.
Beware of taking steam more often than necessary. Why? Excess of everything is bad and excess of steaming will cause your skin to become dry and dry skin is more prone to aging. Regular steaming is advisable for clearer skin. So, stick to the time lines and be regular to reap the benefits.
One more word of caution for people under 25 who think they have not yet reached the age of aging. Aging is a process and not an age. It can begin at any time depending on various factors like your hormonal balances, your diet, your skin care routines, medicines and supplements taken by you and finally on the environmental factors like sun, rain, wind, pollution, dirt, time spent in air conditioned environments and dependency on technology and gadgets. So, if you think that since your skin is not aging right now, a little deviation form the skin routine is possible. Think again. Everything you do with your skin will show once you reach the age of 35. So, it is best to start taking care of it at whatever age you are.