Swathy and Sky

Orange Sugar Body Scrub {DIY}

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It has been so long since I have done some DIY and I have been lately indulging in some things so I shall share some experiments which were successful. So, today, I am sharing a simple body scrub you can make from oranges.
Ingredients
  • 1 complete orange mashed along with the pulp
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • sugar (in my case I used raw sugar called ‘khandsari’ in Hindi)
  • 2 tea spoons salt (I used rock salt or sendha namak)
  • apricot powder (optional)
Method
Mash a complete orange removing its seeds. Add the honey. Now, the mixture would be extremely watery so add enough amount of sugar to create a scrubby texture. Sidewise, add the salt. The mixture would be still very watery so I used apricot powder to give some stiffness to it.
Now, scrub your body with the mixture. Keep it on the body for 5-10 minutes. Of course, do not forget your face or the feet. This scrub would be useful on all parts of your body. Make this scrub just before your bath because vitamin C in oranges breaks down soon after being exposed to air and becomes useless. So, the fresher your scrub and sooner it is used, the better the results you will get. And, let me add, the pulp in the orange will fall all over in the bathroom so make sure that you finish your shower before your maid cleans the bathroom or do this at night (which is my advise because vitamin C makes the skin photosensitive and also because I found my skin was looking much brighter and softer the next morning).
Tips
  • Use Jaggery powder or cane sugar in place of regular sugar.
  • You can also add cocoa powder, besan, multani mitti or anything else which you can think of. Even oats are a good choice.

Homemade Oil Regulating Skin Toner {DIY}

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Hey Everyone!!!
This is a continuing post about Apple Cider Vinegar. In the last post, you read about its health benefits and also the beauty benefits so today I am sharing with you a DIY recipe which include Apple Cider Vinegar.
Ingredients
  • Green Tea
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Essential Oils (Lavender / Tea Tree / Your favorites except Lemon and Citrus family) (optional)
Method
Prepare fresh green tea. In a container, pour 9 tablespoons of the green tea and one tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. Pour it in the spray bottle. You can put 5 drops of your preferred essential oil too. I prefer making small batches as the green tea is likely to get spoiled if kept for too long though Apple Cider Vinegar will help keep the toner fresh for a little while. Now, your toner is ready for use. It should last around three days to a week depending on the frequency of your usage. Now, store the toner in the fridge.
We use only 1:9 ratio because the Apple Cider Vinegar is highly acidic and higher concentrations of ACV can irritate the skin. At this concentration, ACV is best for the skin and is effective enough to fight the infections and inflammations.
Coming to the usage, this toner is very stinky (let me warn you!!). So, you probably can’t use it outside your house (unless you are using essential oils and its masking the vinegar smell). So, the best time to use this is at night after cleansing your face. Follow cleansing with toning using this toner and follow with a moisturizer when your face is still damp with the toner, if required. Just to reiterate from the last post, ACV tightens the pores, helps with breakouts, controls oil production and keeps the skin soft. It even helps with the problem of blackheads. And, using ACV externally has no health risks associated with it. So, you can be free of that doubt. This toner can easily be used by people with oily, combination and normal skin types but I am not so sure with dry skin but I think even dry skin people can use it in summers.
I am using this toner since quite some days. Sometimes, I don’t apply moisturizer after toning my skin as its very hot (I know thats stupid so don’t do that ever; find a light moisturizer if not anything else) and my skin didn’t feel tight or strechy but in the morning, my skin was soft and supple.
Tips
  • You can use rose water or tea tree water or even your favorite toner in place of green tea.
  • Essential Oils are helpful in warding of the vinegar smell.
  • Wipe off your face with this toner in the morning instead of washing your face. It will take off all the dirt (if any). The smell will disappear in 15 minutes. And, while showering, you can simply splash water on the face.
P.S. Actually, regarding the smell, I noticed today that the toner smells really horrible but there is no smell on the skin after you apply it so it can be applied at anytime of the day. Its actually a good toner when you need to control the oiliness on your face or clean your face in the absence of any cleanser. Vinegar cleanses the dirt from the skin so using the toner will help you get rid of all the dirt accumulated on the face. Ok, may be not a very good option for people who wear makeup. But, it didn’t remove the Biotique Kajal I use from my eyes. Oh, btw, keep the toner away from your open eyes. Obviously, it will sting badly. Wipe the toner on your eyes keeping them closed firmly.

Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits {Health}

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Some days back, I posted on how drinking Apple Cider Vinegar helps with breakouts. In the post, I had mentioned very briefly that even people who do not suffer from breakouts can drink it. Why?? Because of the various health benefits it poses.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar???
As the name says, it is made from apples. It is actually made from apple skin and apple cores but not the meat and then it is actually double fermented using yeasts or bacteria. So, it is especially rich in nutrients and minerals due to the presence of apple and the enzymes created during the fermentation process. It is golden brown in color and has really high levels of acidity so it is used only in garnishing instead of intaking it raw.

Apple cider vinegar contains valuable minerals such as Phosphorus, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, and Chlorine. It also contains Sulfur, Copper, Silicon, Fluorine, Provitamin beta-carotene, Pectin and malic acid. (Source: Wikipedia)

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

  • Weight Loss – It suppresses the fat accumulation in the body especially around the tummy
  • Skin – It prevents against breakouts and acts as an anti-inflammatory
  • Improves immune system
  • Controls the cholesterol levels
  • Increases the stamina
  • Increases metabolism
  • Improves digestion
  • Prevents stone formations in the body

These are just a subset of the health benefits which can be acquired from drinking Apple Cider Vinegar regularly. You will get plethora of results when you google it so I have just summarized a few here.

Risks of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

  • Acetic Acid (present in any vinegar; ACV has high concentration of acetic acid) can lower potassium levels in the body and reduces the bone density making the bones weaker in the process
  • Since ACV has high acidity, it shouldn’t be taken raw

How to drink Apple Cider Vinegar??
The above mentioned risks are associated with intaking of ACV  on a regular basis for a very long time. Thus, keeping this in mind, I had advised to intake ACV during breakouts and dilute only a tablespoon of ACV per day in a liter of water.

To reap the benefits of ACV, drink ACV only once in three days (when not facing breakouts; during breakouts make it once a day) diluting only a tablespoon of ACV in a liter of water. This is safe and would give the amazing benefits of ACV.

P.S.1: Happy April Fools Day!!! Sorry for the belated wish. In fact, I had totally forgotten  about it. So, how many of you got fooled today???? Do share your amusing experiences 🙂
P.S.2: Finally, the world cup is here. So, lets hope India wins!!! All the best guys 🙂