home remedies

The Green Beauty Skin Care Tag [Part – I] {Skin Care}

Swathy · September 8, 2013 · 2 Comments

Thanks Vivi for tagging me 🙂 And, I am excited to do this post! I have never really done any such posts so let’s see how I fare 🙂

Describe your routine in 5 words.

Simple, Lazy, Natural, Lazy, Sleep

I keep my routine simple and natural and extra stress on lazy because I am really lazy and sleep because it cures everything!

What’s your skin type?

Combination with oil tendency in summers and dry in all other seasons. I am 27 now and I do not use any anti-aging product yet. In dilemma if I really need it.

What’s your favorite skin product?

I love oils. More exotic it is, more my tendency to use it. Till date, I have loved all oils I have used but best among them is apricot oil. And, I do love Rustic Art Aloevera gel in commercial products.

Top Blemish Zapper?

I never really had problem with blemishes coz my skin does heal itself in the course of time but I do believe honey helps a bit! And, proper routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing helps for sure!!

Face Wipes – Yay or Nay?

I am against face wipes in a daily routine basis but they are life saviors when it comes to travelling or during emergencies. But, please do not use them to wipe off sweat. The film it leaves behind can clog the pores!

Toner – Yay or Nay?

After a long stint with toners, I would say yes. If applied before immediate moisturization, it helps keep the skin hydrated and supple for a longer time.

High-end skincare or makeup?

You know the answer already. Skincare!!

What’s the most unusual skincare product I have tried?

I do not think I have tried anything weird on my face yet. I can say that first time I used face mask on my face was pretty weird for me!!

Since I am typing this on my mobile, my hands are tired so I shall finish this post in another part. Oh btw, I would love to hear your answers to each of the questions above so do not forget to answer them 🙂

From the Archives : How to Get rid of Blackheads? {Skin Care}

Swathy · September 8, 2013 · 9 Comments

Well, blackheads are a very universal problem. Getting rid of them is not very easy. Blackheads are actually the dirt which settles in your pores and turns black due to oxidation when it comes in contact with the air. So, this is a recurring problem.

It is not like you get rid of it once and it never comes back again. Regular exfoliation is one of the methods to get rid of blackheads. I shall be posting one remedy which my friend has suggested to me once.

Steaming is your solution.
Well, it is just synonymous to exfoliation. Take boiled water in a pot, cover yourself and the pot with a towel and do not let the steam escape. Let the steam open your pores. Now, take a soft wash cloth and dip it in pot. Let the wash cloth cool to a tolerable temperature and now gently rub your nose area with the wash cloth.

Remember not to rub hard as it will peel off your skin. Do it gently and patiently. Do this for 5-10 minutes as long as you are comfortable. You can follow this procedure by exfoliating the whole face too. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear) to close the pores. Follow with a very light moisturizer if you want or best is to leave your skin as it is.

Now, one of the rules for not getting blackheads is to keep your skin clean. Whenever we apply any kind of moisturizer or cream on our face, it closes the pores. The pores on the nose are bigger than that of the face so they get blocked easily and the dirt in them shows conspicuously. So, keep your face clean and non-greasy all day long.

Another remedy to get rid of blackheads is lemon juice. Apply lemon juice on your nose and extend it up to the cheeks covering all the crevices too. It will dry in a matter of seconds. Go to sleep. Wash your face with cold water only in the morning. Follow this as frequently as you can and you should notice some change in two weeks or a month depending on your frequency of application.

Third remedy which I have not tried is to buy some nose pore cleanser strips from a dug store and using them. I am not sure about their effectiveness. But, I think they should be fine for a quick fix job. Though I have suggested it, please remember that the pore strips are not good for skin. They also have the same harmful ingredients as are present in the refreshing wipes like alcohol and other preservatives. So, try to keep their usage to a minimum.

How do you get rid of your blackheads??

From the Archives : Turn your regular shampoo into a homemade herbal shampoo {DIY}

Swathy · September 1, 2013 · 22 Comments

Today, I would be sharing with you a recipe which I have been using for long for my hair and believe me, it has done wonders. I no longer believe in buying hair products according to your needs like a hair fall shampoo as a solution to hair loss or a damage repair shampoo for a heat burnt hair. I have got rid of these things using simple home remedies and I would suggest you to practice them regularly to see quick and long lasting results. You can use tomato repair the dry dull hair or fenugreek for hair loss. ~~If you feel like, you can top your treatment with such fancy hair products too. They might do you some good, who knows!!!~~

Coming back to the topic, the recipe is very simple.

Ingredients (practically everything you think is good for hair and worth boiling in water)

– Indian Gooseberry (fresh or sun-dried amla)

– fenugreek seeds and leaves (methi)

– curry leaves

– sage leaves / basil leaves (tulsi)

– hibiscus flower and leaves

– mehendi leaves (henna)

– jasmine flowers and leaves

– rose petals

– lavender and rosemary flowers (if available)

Method
Soak ~~them~~ all the ingredients in two liters of water overnight. Boil next morning till water remains half of the original quantity. Let the water cool and strain. You can use this directly as a shampoo but it would not lather and I don’t know if it removes the oil completely. And, you might not get satisfied with it.

So, take a fresh clean bottle. Pour your regular shampoo to a one-third quantity of the bottle. And, pour this liquid over it. Shake well. Your herbal shampoo is ready. ~~Do not worry about diluting your shampoo. It is good for you as less number of chemicals are applied on your hair and your shampoo lasts longer.~~

This shampoo works better than the regular shampoo. And, it will definitely give better results than the regular application. Do not judge it until you try this out. It might sound weird to some people. But, if you have ever heard, many people advice that one should dilute the shampoo with water to decrease the harshness of chemicals on the hair. I will request you all to give it a try.

You can use a shampoo sachet for a trial. And, then, you can decide for your own self whether this shampoo will suit you or not. And, it surely does help in hair growth too.

Words of Caution
Please refrain from using any ingredient, which you already know, you will be allergic to. If you want to dye your hair some color, you can continue with using henna leaves. But, remember that though henna is conditioning for hair, it is extremely drying too. So, you can skip it.

You may put some green tea ~~(or your favorite flavor)~~ too in the boiling water. Do not add anything which has short shelf life as it will spoil the whole recipe like lemon peels, soapnuts or shikakai. Use them fresh. You can use lemon juice as a hair rinse for shine. But, lemon causes hair to get dry. So, you might want to try out other remedies for shiny hair.

Have you tried something like this ever?