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Orange for softer hair

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Couple of days back, I had shared a simple recipe for a refreshing bath with orange peels. So, in continuation of that post, I have a simple trick to share which worked fabulously with me. Use this bath water to wash your hair too.
I did and it made my hair so soft which was almost unbelievable and probably a tab bit shiny too. But, my hair has become really soft and it didn’t get dry also. It does help getting rid of dandruff too due to the acidity present in the fruit.

Do you exfoliate your eye area?

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So, yes, we are all told never to exfoliate the skin around the eyes. But, I didn’t really ever heed that suggestion. But, I have seen many people avoid that area. While applying masks, scrubs or doing any skin care treatment, the skin around the eyes are left out. So, how to remove the dead skin around the eyes. The simplest answer which came to me was Sugarcane juice.
Sugarcane juice has the highest concentration of glycolic acid. Glycolic Acid is one of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids which are amazing for the skin. Now, I’ll save the details about Alpha-Hydroxy Acids for another post. Let us discuss about what Glycolic acid can do for us. You must have heard of various kinds of skin peels of different concentrations from your dermatologist.
Benefits of Glycolic Acid
  • It has the highest penetration capability into the skin. This is one of the reasons why they are used in chemical peels.
  • It helps in improving the skin texture and conditions. It may help in reducing the wrinkles, scars, pigmentation on the skin, blemishes and even acne.
  • When applied on the skin, Glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of the skin and weakens the bonds which holds the dead skin together. So, this is how it helps in exfoliation.
Exfoliation for the skin around the Eyes
Simply apply a layer of sugarcane juice on the area around the eyes or even whole of your face and neck. Let it dry and wash it off with lukewarm water and follow with cold water. Follow with a moisturizer. It is extremely important that this is done in the evening or at night and sun exposure should be avoided as much as possible on the next day.
Results
The skin is brighter immediately and softer and your face glows. I had even made a chocolate mask using sugarcane juice which I had posted sometime back. Check that out too!!! And, for me results, are better on the next morning.
Btw, when I had applied it entirely around my eyes, the fine lines under my eyes which had become deeper lately coz of my lack of sleep had softened to a lot of extent. So, yes, it did work on my fine lines 🙂
Acne people can exfoliate too
Oh, so since there is no scrubbing and scratching of the skin involved, everyone who has acne can also give this a try. No bacteria transfers and no dangers of irritating or popping out the acne or breakouts by chance. And, there is an equal chance that it will heal your acne too. So, a double thumbs up for this remedy. Actually, if I remember correctly, I probably did use sugarcane juice on one of my breakouts and it did not really get aggravated 🙂
Caution
Glycolic acid used in chemical peels is generally not derived from sugarcanes. I think it is chemically manufactured. Since it is an acid and has a high penetration capability, it can irritating to some people. Thus, make sure you are not sensitive to sugarcane.
On a good note, sugarcane juice is entirely natural. So, there are extremely low chances of irritation on the skin due to sugarcane juice.
Oh, btw, use freshly extracted sugarcane juice and do not leave the juice around for more than 15 minutes. I starts to oxidize. So, use the sugarcane juice as soon as possible and drink the rest.

Take a refreshing Orange Bath

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Remember the Orange Sugar Body Scrub recipe I shared a few days back. So, what to do with the orange peels. Throw them!! No way. You can air dry and powder them, right. But, if you don’t want to go through all that trouble then you can simply boil the peels in a big bowl of water and wait till the water level drops down to half. You can let it sit overnight if you wish too. Mash the orange peels nicely in the water after the water cools down. The peels breakdown very easily and release the tangy citrus scent. After you mash the peels properly, strain the water and squeeze to extract all the remaining water in the peels. You can dump the peels in your recycling dust bin or compost it in your garden. And, mix this orange water with your bath water. Take a refreshing bath. You will feel alive and your skin will glow after the bath, specially useful in summers for the refreshing citrus flavor which will hang on to your skin for sometime.