Swathy and Sky

How much shampoo should be used? {Reader’s Query}

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To start with this, I use water to dilute my shampoo and have been advising it on my blog since the start of it. Well, diluting the shampoo doesn’t make the shampoo less effective. In fact, it lathers easily and spread evenly on the scalp and over the hair instead of sitting at just one place. And, this practice is also said to reduce the harshness of the shampoo. Well, I don’t know much about that so I wouldn’t say anything but I would say that when you dilute your shampoo, the product obviously lasts longer. As much as my experience goes, you can turn a quarter of a shampoo into a full bottle by adding water to the product and it still lathers the same. That means, your shampoo lasts four times as much longer! And, I also like to make my shampoo more better by adding good herbs to it.

Anyways, I know many of the people don’t like to dilute the shampoos. So, how much is enough for one use? Well, I have medium length hair which is fine and not so thick. So, whenever I am testing out new shampoos, I like to start with a dollop. I take just one dollop into my palm and spread it evenly by rubbing it in between both the palms and then, I apply it to the scalp. I like to shampoo my hair twice and nearly every time, my hair is oiled. So, first time, it is quite possible that there is no lather if the hair is greasy. But, don’t worry about lather. Lather doesn’t indicate the cleansing action of the shampoo. Then, second time, I take another dollop and spread it throughout the scalp and massage my scalp for 30 seconds – 1 minute. It lathers well the second time so I use the lather to wash my hair length instead of applying shampoo again to the length of my hair. This cleanses my hair well.
So, how much shampoo should an average-haired person use for one time? I think four dollops are more than enough for people with thick medium-length hair. More than that would cause drying of the hair. For people with fine hair, you can make do with three dollops even if the hair is thick. The key is to use as less shampoo as possible to minimize the drying of the hair and anyways the concentration while washing the hair should be on the scalp mainly instead of the length of the hair. Also remember, the conditioners also contain cleansing agents so they add that final touch while conditioning your hair. Always remember that shampoo acts well only on wet hair so always wet your hair thoroughly before starting on with the shampoo otherwise you will end up using more and your hair might end up looking dry and straw-like.

Upside down or normal – How to wash Hair? {Reader’s Query}

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When I was not so grown up, my mm used to wash my hair and in the first, she used to wash my hair upside down. Then, one day an aunty came to the house and somehow they got into the discussion of hair washes and then, the aunty said that it is better to was hair normally as it prevents tangles. And, since then, I have started washing my hair normally without flipping my head. And, if I remember correctly, there have certainly less tangles.
The main reason is that hair is most delicate when it is wet and can break very easily so excess flipping of the hair can cause snags in the hair and cause it to break. Also, yes, it does prevent tangles. And, if I might add, it does create an unnecessary stress on your shoulders. And, there is yet another reason to wash hair normally – scalp is easily accessible when you upright than in the bent position.
Also, when drying the hair, many people tend to flip the hair down. Even I do it but I think that should also be not done. Instead, gently squeezing the hair with the towel is a better way to remove excess water and stop dripping and then, you can leave it to air dry.
So, in case you wash your hair upside down, you might just want to see the difference for yourself. What do you think how should one wash the hair? Check out more tips on correct way to wash your hair.

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask {Product Review}

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I am definitely in love with the brand. Almost all of its products work so fabulously. And, I would love to try more of them. So, lets check out how this worked for me?
Price: 13.25 Pounds (Rs 1000 approx) for 75mlIngredients 

The sponges are made up of 100% cellulose
Packaging
I love the packaging. The whole thing came in a zip pouch as you can see in the pic. Don’t you just love it when you are treated special with such small considerations??? They sent two sponges two along with the mask to wash off the mask.
the sponges get hard after being rinsed in water but nothing to worry about!!!
My Experience

Ok, so I look almost like Shrek when I have this on my face. As you can see, its a dirty green to grayish in color and smells weird, frankly. It is supposed to have rose-scented geranium but the smell is no where like rose and I don’t know what Geranium smells like but it must be bad. The fragrance is also earthy and herbal which makes you feel good about the mask. And, the smell is not at all over-powering so no problems.
So, you are supposed to apply the mask in a generous layer after cleansing with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser and let it stay for 5-10 minutes before wiping it off. Well, I thought 5-10 minutes is pretty less so I let it stay for 15-20 minutes but actually you can wipe it off as soon as it dries. Now, the mask doesn’t dry off like other clay masks and doesn’t get hardened. It just dries off and makes the face a little stiff. That’s it!! So, you will know its time to wipe it off. So, use the sponges given, take one in each hand and wring it in hot water and wipe off the mask. When the whole thing is gone, splash cool water on the face and follow with a moisturizer.
So, how does it feel when the mask is on? Frankly, its awesome. It feels hot or warmed up to a comfortable extent (I don’t know if its a psychological feeling) and the first time I used it, it did tingle for 2 minutes on my face but never again. And, if feels comfortable to keep it on so you will feel nice. The warmth feeling goes away after probably 4-5 minutes. And, boy, you do feel like its a deep cleansing mask you have applied on. You can actually feel it working. And, what’s the skin like after washing off the mask?Well, I would say nothing special. Yeah, I know. It cleanses the skin well but it doesn’t make our face light like a bulb or something. Liz Earle has a separate mask for that. The skin looks exactly the same as before, just that its more dewy and soft and oil-free and may be plump too because it does look a little hydrated. The best part of the mask is that it is so good at removing the excess oils. It doesn’t make my face dry or anything. In fact, I would say that the first time I applied the mask, I was disappointed to find not much difference in the face. But, next day, I observed that there was comparatively less oil production. And, with regular usage of the mask, my face does produce less oil but then the temperatures are also cooling off to be fair. And, also after removing the mask, your face feels pleasantly cool and whatever treatment you follow up after the mask is absorbed really quickly into the skin. And, since we are talking about Deep Cleansing, you would definitely want to know about blackheads and pores size. So, as I have shared with you, much of my blackheads problem was solved due to using Groundnut oil for cleansing, the remaining ones did get removed along with the mask. And, the pores size do get reduced but that effect is temporary. Overall, I am very happy with the mask.

My Recommendation
Yes, an unequivocal yes for all the oily and combination skin gals out there. It really works!!!