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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 : Downward dog position for dark circles {Skin Care}

Swathy · September 7, 2013 · 3 Comments

Downward Dog position is one of the important and easiest yoga postures and carries a multitude of health benefits. It helps stretching your spine so relieves you of painful backaches in the long run. It calms your mind and improves your concentration.

It relieves headaches, indigestion, stress, insomnia and strengthens arms and legs. It is also good for high blood pressure and asthma patients. But, apart from all the health benefits, there are a lot of beauty benefits which can be derived if one practices this yoga position everyday.

Let us look at the beauty benefits. Check out here for a step by step instruction on how to perform the downward dog position.

It uplifts the face and firms the skin giving it a natural glow as all the blood flows to the face when you are bent down in the downward position.
Since there is more blood flow towards the eyes, your eyes look more bright and alive.
It is a perfect cure for dark circles and puffy eyes.
There’s more blood flow towards the scalp too which helps in providing nutrition to the hair follicles and promotes hair growth.
Double chin disappears in gradual time and the neck firms up.
The skin tone and color improves and the discoloration disappears leaving an even color all over the face and neck.

So, start doing this yoga position everyday for 10 times holding each position for 1-2 minutes approx and see the difference in a few days. The best part of this position is that it also helps in weight control all over the body.

So, have you tried this position?

Weight Loss Series Vol. 2 – Do you keep a calender marking all the days you exercise?

Swathy · September 5, 2013 · 5 Comments

calender marking the dates when you did exercises for weight loss routine

that’s a screenshot of my calender and the month is july and the numbers depict the count of skips!

So, I had been pretty serious with my workout sessions which were nothing more than 15 minutes per day, to be very honest. But, somehow in August, I fell off the bandwagon. But, everyday since I started I had kept a checklist of dates ticking off the ones when I did my exercises and how intense it was and if I missed, what was the reason.

The best part of keeping that checklist was it made me feel guilty for all the days I was missing my workout. Yes, I was still making excuses but then I was making effort just to put a tick there as well so it was working both ways. Also, it helped me keep a track of my periods.

Since I was skipping the rope and not having a yoga mat, I could not continue with exercises during that time. But, I would definitely recommend you to get yoga mats because you really are never sure when you would like some meditation time and keeping one mat at your disposal is always helpful!!

So, what about you? Do you keep a checklist? Or, would you like to give it a try?