Swathy and Sky

Patanjali Divya Dant Manjan {Product Review}

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Ok, so this might be the most weirdest review you had ever read. I am feeling so embarrassed to write this 😀 I mean, come on, who uses dant manjan now a days. My guess would be very few people. But, I had to review this because it is such an effective product. So, this is my another purchase from Baba Ramdev’s collection!! I had got so bored of toothpastes doing nothing that I decided to give this a try. Wait till you see the ingredients and then you might also change you mind!!
Price: 40 INR for 100 gms
(expiry date for 2 years)
Ingredients
So, are you impressed?? Better than fluorides and sulfates, right?? Some of the ingredients are very common and used very often as extracts in the toothpastes like salt, neem, babool, pudina or mint and laung or cloves. I love Promise toothpaste coz of that reason. It has cloves taste in it. Some of the other well-known ingredients are also there like turmeric, camphor, black salt, peppermint and black pepper which are all renowned for their goodness. Another reason why I bought this was that it was a dry powder so free of any chemicals. I am trying to be more environment conscious now a days.
 
My Experience
One bottle of 100gms will last a very long time coz it takes only half a tea spoon for one person every day. It is more than enough, trust me. I have used more and wasted the powder. Even when using toothpaste, I tend to take only a small pearl size. It keeps my teeth healthy and unnecessarily I do not end up wasting the product on my sink. Let me make this clear here. I am not a miser. I am just trying to be conscious and do not like wasting products. I do enjoy taking even a last bit out of whatever I have bought. And, I am a spendthrift. Ask my mom!! Ok, so this bottle has a flip-top cap with a decent size hole which does not allow excessive amount of powder to come out of the bottle.
So, coming back to the tooth powder, it is greenish in color as you can see. And, accidentally, I got out more of the powder so had to end up using more. There is a big disadvantage in that which I will tell you shortly. Half a tea spoon is more than enough. And, brushing with this doesn’t even consume much time. I stick to the two minute schedule only and using this powder doesn’t make it inconvenient. It tastes very much like cloves with a hint of mint and black pepper. The taste is not unpleasant at all. It thoroughly cleanses the mouth and I am pretty sure that it fights the germs effectively coz my breath doesn’t smell bad :O even after an entire day. The powder does foam a little bit so that it doesn’t feel all powdery inside the mouth. And, it gives a very refreshing feeling after brushing. Ok, so coming to one of the most important considerations while buying a toothpaste, does it whiten the teeth? Well, actually, it does not whiten the teeth but the powder removes the stains on your teeth and brings back its natural color. Well, for me, it works fabulously. An added incentive is that it brings back the natural color of the lips too. The pigmentation my lips has considerably lightened since I have been using this and my lips have become pronouncedly pink.

Now, coming to one of its main or probably only disadvantage. It leaves the mouth feeling a little raw after brushing for probably 5 minutes. This feeling decreases with consistent usage but if you accidentally end up using more (which I was talking about in the last paragraph), your mouth would feel even more raw. To combat this feeling, I drink a lot of water which neutralizes the effect. The reason for such a feeling might be the ingredients list. All things used are natural so the mixture might be extremely potent. I cannot fathom any other reason for such a typical reaction.

Ok, so why am I showing you a yellow brush??? The result of using this dental powder. Remember it has turmeric as one of its ingredients so this is the result.If you find this too gross, then of course, you should definitely stay away from this product.

My Recommendation
If you do not like any toothpaste and do not mind going for a little out of the league and seeing your brush yellow, then this is a fabulous product.

Also Read
Patanjali Ojas Multani Mitti Soap {Product Review}

Patanjali Ojas Multani Mitti Soap {Product Review}

· · 89 Comments

I am not a big fan of soaps but then I do not care much for body washes too. I use whatever catches my eye and end up not picking it up again. But, this soap was undoubtedly one of the mentionable ones.I got this soap after reading its review by Anamika. Well, I had never used clay soaps and this intrigued me coz multani mitti is gentle enough to be used as a daily exfoliant.
Before starting on with the review, I would like to introduce Patanjali to all of you who are not aware. It is the brand started by Baba Ramdev and sells all the ayurvedic concoctions and products. They have also recently forayed into cosmetics where you can find a lot of interesting products. For a list of products, check out their website. Also, these products are available only at Patanjali shops which are opening at almost all places now a days so keep a lookout in your vicinity. They also have an online shopping point mentioned in their website.
Price – 35 INR
Ingredients
An impressive list of ingredients. I am not very sure if you can read all the ingredients so I will just recount the most important ones – turmeric, sandalwood, aloevera, brahmi, neem, manjishtha, tulsi, bhringraj, liquorice and reetha – the ones which I know from the list. The base material of the soap is supposedly has oil base, multani mitti, zinc oxide and jasmine scent or fragrance.
Zinc Oxide is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory along with being a broad-spectrum sunblock agent. It is especially useful for people with inflamed skin.
Liquorice helps in skin lightening but is also useful for treating dry skin and eczema, psoriasis and such kinds of skin conditions.
Manjishtha is again an another inflammatory which cleanses the skin and soothes it.
My Experience
I loved the soap because it doesn’t dry the skin like others do. The multani mitti is actually there. The soap is long over otherwise I would have clicked it. It lathers a lot, is muddy in color (similar to that of multani mitti only) and has a very strong jasmine smell which rises a notch in the bath which I do not really like but can bear. The grittiness of multani mitti is exfoliating and very gentle on the skin. The soap gives a very clean feel after the shower and doesn’t leave any residue behind which some soaps do (I do not like the residue at all so that’s a plus for me!).
Once I accidentally dropped the soap in my bucket which was full of very hot water so the soap ended up staying for around 5-7 minutes in the water. When I finished my bath, I fetched out the soap. It was completely soft and there was nothing but multani mitti in my hand. My fingers indented the soap and its shape changed completely. Though, after a few hours, the soap again firmed up but obviously in a very weird shape which was apparently very ergonomic for me 🙂 So, according to me, this is a good soap to be bought.
A single bar lasted me around one to one and a half month so it just doesn’t dissolve in water.
My Recommendation
A good substitute for the commercial soaps, is far more inexpensive and does a better job if you compare it with high-end soaps like Dove and Olay.

Anti-Aging Serum Varnya {Product Review}

· · 19 Comments

I know you people have not heard of this and it is not a brand. Now, of course, I have said this time and again that I love facial oils and do not mind trying some. So, do you remember my review of LashMantra? This product, Varnya, has been developed by the same lady, Leon. Before getting into discussing my experience with the product, this is the link to the website. Let me give you a brief introduction to the product.
About Varnya
The name of the product itself is so wonderful that it makes you try it. Varnya is a Sanskrit word which means glowing complexion. This anti-aging serum provides 9 benefits to your skin – reduces fine lines and wrinkles, evens out skin tone, repairs damage caused by UV rays, repairs Acne, tightens sagging skin, fades age spots and blemishes, moisturizes and makes your skin soft and supple, tightens pores and brightens up a dull and sallow complexion. I know it sounds too good to be true but wait till you hear my experience. You can read about the ingredients here. It is a completely organic and natural preparation using botanical and cold-pressed oils.
Now, an interesting thing about this product is that you can get it custom made too. Well, Leon will send you a questionnaire in which you can discuss the type of your skin, allergies you might have, any skin diseases or disorders, your pregnancy conditions or nursing issues and make the product for you based on your answers. Now, why are such questions important. The serum contains some essential oils which are not preferred when you are pregnant or might interact in a negative way if you suffer from hormonal imbalances or have some allergies. So, I would say this is the best service any customer can get directly from the creator. Also, Leon has been testing this product on herself since a year so this is not a just-made product for earning money.
My Experience with Varnya
Now, I would love to discuss my experience with the product. I received Varnya a month ago around the same dates.So, I have been using this product without fail since a month except 2-3 days in between. So, let us start with how much does it fulfill its claims.
  • Claim 1: Reduces fine lines and wrinkles: I would not vouch for its reducing fine lines under my eyes but I would definitely say that my neck line is visibly less prominent and the change is marked not just-so-subtle. Regarding the fine lines under the eyes, I would say that I have not been sleeping properly so can’t blame the serum for not doing the job.
  • Claim 2: Evens out skin tone: Yes, it evens out skin tone really well. My forehead was much more darker in shade than my cheeks and chin which was always a problem for me. I did try a lot of things but nothing worked. Now, my forehead and cheeks are more or less of the same shade.
  • Claim 3: Repairs damage caused by UV rays: I have a skin which is very much vulnerable to sun exposure. The minute I step out int he sun, my skin literally changes color. I have had sun allergy since I was a kid. My face was horribly tanned and even more so my neck. When seen as a unit attached to my shoulders, my neck looked horribly dark. Well, as you guessed, my skin has turned its own color. And, of course, I have been told that I have become fair which means my tan is all gone.
  • Claim 4: Repairs Acne: A very funny thing happened when I was writing this review. My skin is not acne-prone or break-out prone but yes, sometimes, even I do get pimples and stuff. So, lately after November Acne attack (an experience which I have yet to share with you all), I did not get breakouts. So, I could not test this serum for how well it deals on that claim. But, by the end of the evening, I find a very angry red full of pus breakout on my neck. So, I decided to let this review rest for two-three days and test out Varnya on the breakout. I apply Varnya on my face and neck at night and go to sleep. And, voila!! In the morning, I found that the breakout had reduced to almost an extent of 60% and appears to be healing. So, another plus for Varnya !! Another credit I would give to Varnya was that it healed the acne scar on my forehead to a large extent.

Update about the breakout: It is completely gone without leaving a scar or anything by the end of the day.

  • Claim 5: Tightens sagging skin: My skin is not sagging or loose. It is still in its prime and looks great. But, still, I could see a difference Varnya made to the elasticity of my skin. After applying Varnya, you can notice that the skin is noticeably tighter and firmer.
  • Claim 6: Fades age spots and blemishes: Yes, it does fade blemishes. I do not have age spots but I have some patches of dark skin (kind of blemishes) on my neck which have reduced to a great extent.
  • Claim 7: Moisturizes and makes your skin soft and supple: Yes, it does moisturize my skin. In the winters (I am talking about Hyderabad winters), the moisturizing was not up to the level in December but now that the weather has turned warm, the moisturizing is good enough and next morning, your skin feels supple as if it is hydrated from within. This look lasts all day long.
  • Claim 8: Tightens pores: I am kind of double-minded on this claim. In the starting days I was using it, I felt that it did really tighten my pores but now I am feeling it is not. So, I am not able to decide on this one. My blackheads have reduced to a certain extent though after I have started using Varnya.
  • Claim 9: Brightens up a dull and sallow complexion: Absolutely true. It brings an undeniable glow to the face and keeps it like that for the whole day even if you go into sun and pollution and dust.
 Now, after I have analyzed the claims, I want to summarize my own experience in a few words.
  • Since I have started using Varnya, I have noticed that whatever product I use on my face in the morning gets absorbed effectively without making my skin oily and dull which used to happen earlier. Even my sunscreen settled on my skin well which never happened with me till date. I do not apply makeup so can’t say how it blends under makeup.
  • My skin is extremely vulnerable to sun so the moment I step out into sun, it used to turn dark and dull and tired. Since I have been using Varnya, that has stopped.
  • In simple words, Varnya protects the skin from external harms and repairs the skin well.
  • A single bottle of Varnya would last long if you use it in conjunction with some other facial oil or serum as I did. In a month, I ended up using only 1/5th of the bottle.
  • Now, comes the biggest downside of Varnya. It costs 72$ for 6 month supply. That’s really costly. But, there is an upside. An offer of Buy1, Get 1 free is going on the site so if you are interested, go and order one right now before the offer closes.
  • Before, I wrap up, I would include this that do not think this serum is only for dry and mature skin. Leon can whip up a serum for you depending on your skin type and condition so if you have an oily or combination skin, do not be afraid of trying this for your skin.
How did I use Varnya?
I did not use only Varnya because it was less on moisturizing in December and early January as I mentioned above. So, I used to mix 3 drops of Varnya with Rogan Badam. But, for treating the breakout, I used only Varnya – 10 drops.
Packaging of Varnya
The bottle comes with a dropper to ensure you do not apply more than necessary. It has a very subtle smell. To smell it, you have to peek into the bottle otherwise it does not linger around. I would say it smells funky but I do not mind the smells, especially, if a product delivers.
My Recommendation
You hardly need to ask it, right? It is an amazing product. Finally, a product which does what it says. So, I would definitely say that you should give it a try. It does not matter what your age is because it is not an anti-aging specific product but it is a skin repair and protection product which should be used everyday to get problem-free skin.
Disclaimers: I received the product from Leon for reviewing purposes. I have not been paid or influenced to write this review and I am not an affiliate of this product. This is my personal experience with the product.