Swathy and Sky

Have you tried Aloe Vera? {Skin Care}

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Yup, I know you would have already used it. I have also been recommending aloe vera since ages. But, today, I am going to talk about my friend’s routine with aloe vera which she is very diligent about.

She is from Delhi and surprisingly she did not find aloe vera plant in Hyderabad. Really, right? Nah, aloe vera is easily available here but she or rather we were too lazy to buy a plant and nurture it.
Also, keeping an aloe vera plant among girls can dry it faster than a rose plant in a desert 😀 Well, obvious, no? Granted that aloe vera plant is quite adaptable but still you get my point! Anyways, coming back to my friend, she got lotsssss of aloevera leaves from home and keeps them stored in the fridge. 
And, almost every evening or once in three days (I don’t know the frequency), she takes a small piece of the leaf and rubs the entire gel on her face for like 30 minutes or so while watching television. 
And, then, she rolls off all the extra pieces or small sticky things present in the leaf which cling to the skin and lets the gel get absorbed entirely. And, she sleeps just like that without washing it off.
Results? S attests to the fact that this is one of the reasons why her oily skin turned normal. She is prone to pimples but fortunately its frequency has decreased. And, as I said, she does this very very diligently!!
So, for all the oily beauties, try this and you might get lucky! Also, for all skin types, aloe vera improves hydration of the skin and makes the skin glowing and really supple!! This is one of the great skin care tips for summer as well.
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Just Gossip Vol. 7 – What did I pack in my travel beauty kit?

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So, I just wanted to do a small post on travel kit packing tips. Will talk about the clothes later. So, lemme tell you my travel kit is generally the heaviest which my mom always keeps on complaining about!! But, my effort is always to keep it as small as possible. 

Since my trip was almost 10 days, I had to ensure everything was there. Since I don’t use makeup, that keeps my kit lighter comparatively. Let us talk about skin, hair and miscellaneous items separately. Then, we will move to talking about modes of travel.

packing travel kit

Skin Care
This looks like a Nivea store 😀 Ok, one sunscreen is enough. You might want to carry a new bottle so that you don’t run out of it accidentally. Since I use face wash as a body wash as well, that was enough! And, I have no different moisturizing routine for night and day so that was equally fine. 
I had actually carried a smaller bottle of Nivea body milk but I ran out of it so I had to get the Johnson’s. I could have spared the compact and face oils as I didn’t even use them! Well, they were not exactly heavy. Baby wipes are must from removing sunscreen to cleaning the hands in absence of water. And, body gloves and face buffer was for exfoliation purposes.

packing travel kit

  

Hair Care
  • Hair Oil – Sesa Hair Oil + Parachute Jasmine Oil Sachets
  • Shampoo – Pantene Lively Clean Sachets (3)
  • Leave-in Serum – Dove Vita Oil Serum
  • Comb – TBS Wooden Comb
  • Hair Clips + Accessories
I skipped the conditioner because leave-in was enough and I wasn’t sure how long would I get to get ready. You can skip the oil and go for the conditioner. If you use a brush, you might want to check out if there is a travel version of that brush available as well in a smaller size.

packing travel kit

Miscellaneous
  • Oral Kit
  • Maybelline Colossal Kajal
  • Perfume Sample
  • Soap Strips
  • Medicines – Paracetamol + Pudin Hara 
Well, according to where you travel and what your preferences and problems are, you should take those medicines. Like, if you are prone to allergies, taking an Avil tablet  or if you are prone to motion sickness of any kind,land or water, don’t forget those tablets. 
Air Travel
Ok, you need not carry the entire kit in your handbag so you can keep some of the essentials outside like face wash and oral kit if its an overnight journey (international flights), moisturizer, sunscreen, lip balm, baby wipes and compact. 
Keep the comb outside with other hair clips and accessories. Keeping the soap strips might help when you do not have face wash handy but if you are a sanitizer person, you can take that. And, some of the medicines should also be carried in your handbag.  
Train or Road Travel
Since you do not have to divide the baggage, you can keep the entire kit with you in an accessible place. Oh, yes, do not forget hand towel for especially train and road travels at ANY cost.I am mentioning this because sometimes I do 🙁

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Does oil leave buildup on hair? {Your Opinion}

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So, today, I have a very interesting observation to share with you and ask a question. We apply products on hair and claim that even a shampoo can leave buildup on the hair so isn’t possible for even the hair oils to do the same?
Well, why did I think of this? Honestly, it was a random thought and I am not able to think of the context in which this thought entered my head. When I racked my brains on this topic, I came to a conclusion why it might be so.

All the commercially available oils have additives and some percentage of them is mineral oil. And, mineral oil creates a layer on the hair strands so it is quite possible for it to leave a residue. Even if there is no mineral oil, the other additives can leave the residue. 
Now that we have got the commercial oils out of the way, what about the vegetable oils or the pure oils? Yes, I am including all the cold-pressed and organic claiming brands.
One observation is about pure coconut oil. In some post lately (I don’t remember which), I had read that if the coconut oil is freezing in winters, it is pure. This claim is wrong. It is the property of coconut oil to freeze even if it has additives added to it in some quantity.
Anyways, coming back to the topic, I was concerned about all the amazing oils which I use, whether expensive or inexpensive, what if they leave a residue? Well, my answer is the purer oils don’t leave a residue but still it is good to clarify the hair every month.
I love using this ginger infused vinegar DIY. I remember doing this sometime in January or December and will do it in some days again. If you ever feel your hair looks flat even after washing it well, it might be time to clarify your hair.
What do you think?
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