Swathy and Sky

Get rid of Stretch Marks

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What are Stretch Marks?

Stretch Marks not only appear due to pregnancy but are very common among teenagers too. They can be red, purple or white in color, distorted in shape, long or short, wide lines and instantly recognizable. And, they can be present anywhere on the body but specially concentrated where you might accumulate a lot of fat like shoulders or upper arms, breasts, belly area, fat on the back just above and including the buttock region and thighs front or back. They can occur on anyone at any time.
Why do Stretch Marks appear?
During teenage, there are a lot of physical changes in the human body. One of the changes is sudden growth hence consequent stretching of the skin. Thus, these sudden stretches can tear the collagen and make the skin thinner in certain areas. The places where the collagen has torn and has become thinner are prone to appearance of stretch marks.
Stretch Marks can appear due to sudden height increase, sudden weight gain and weight loss, muscle growths, excessive exercising using improper equipments and also due to hormonal changes in the body.
How to prevent Stretch Marks?
A proper balanced diet is always best. A balanced diet ensures proper collagen production and maintainence, hence reducing the chances of collagen tear. Crash Diets and weight loss programs should be avoided. I have already discussed the ways to increase skin elasticity which is one of the ways to prevent stretch marks.
How to treat Stretch Marks?
  • Coconut oil repairs the inner lying tissue structure of the skin
  • Almond oil is rich in vitamin E oil so helps with regeneration of collagen
  • Lavender oil (if you can get hold of original and pure lavender oil) is good for healing stretch marks or lavender flower masks are also good for the purpose though you can not find lavender in India
  • Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter (if you get hold of unrefined cocoa or shea, mostly found in African stores) have lot of important nutrients for the skin
  • Aloevera gel is again great for stretch marks, mix the aloevera gel with almond or coconut oil and it is great as a moisturizer for dry skin too

Double Cleansing to get rid of Makeup {Skin Care}

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As you all would already be aware, makeup is terribly drying for skin. But, not to worry since there are lot of cleansers and other products available to wash off the makeup from your face. But, with make up, it is always better to cleanse your face twice. This is called Double Cleansing. First round of cleansing would be to get rid of the makeup and all the dirt in your face and second round would be to clean your face properly to free it of all traces of the product.
Why should everyone do double cleansing?
Double cleansing can be done even if you do not wear make up. It is especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in sun or dusty areas. Everyone uses sunscreen now a days. Sunscreen has the same chemical structure as does the other makeup products because of which a simple cleanser will not be able to get rid of the sunscreen completely from your skin. This applies even if you prefer either chemical or physical sunscreens. Thus, a need for double cleansing.
Ways to remove make up from face:
How to Double Cleanse your face?
  • Use a makeup removing cleanser to wash your face first. You can instead use any makeup removing gels or cleansing milk or cleansing oil which ever suits you best. Generally, oil + water is the best way to go for double cleansing. You can also start with removing makeup with wiping tissues first.
  • Cleansing should be done in circular motions with upward strokes just like a facial massage. Do not forget the delicate eye area, the area around the lips and the ears, your neck and the upper part of your chest. Cleansing should be done wherever you have applied sunscreen or any body part that has remain exposed even if it is feet. And, an area which tends to go ignored most is along the hairline.
  • Wash off the cleanser thoroughly with cold water splashes. Let your skin relax a bit and let it dry. Now, check for the dirt and grime in your skin. If your skin is completely clean, you can proceed with a minimal amount of cleanser for the next wash. If not, a little more with a little of massage would be necessary. So, it is always advised to devote time and clean your face first time diligently removing all the makeup from everywhere otherwise you might need to wash your face 3-4 times which is never advisable.
  • Follow with washing your face next time and you are done.
Some precautions to take care of:
  • Never try to scrub off your makeup. This will instead cause your makeup to get into the pores. So, if you are planning to scrub, remove the makeup first and then follow with the cleansing and then use the scrub.
  • Do not be too harsh on your skin. Use gentle products which are not drying. Cleansing oils are very much available these days. Making use of them would be much more sensible for any skin type even oily and sensitive.
  • Do not over wash your skin and body. And, moisturize well after removing the makeup. And, no double cleansing would not be too drying for your skin unless you are over doing it.
Homemade Cleanser
In a bowl, pour adequate amount of milk and add 5-6 drops of almond oil. Almond oil is best at removing make-up and lactic acid in milk aids cleaning of the skin moisturizing it simultaneously. Mix them. Refrain from adding anything else because you want to clean your face. At max, I would suggest you to add only lemon juice in case of oily skin as it controls the oil production. Take a wash cloth or sponge, dip it in the mixture and apply it to your face in circular motions as advised above. Follow with your favorite cleanser or with milk again and you would get a glowing skin.

Besan turns skin black? {Skin Care}

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Ok, so this might be a surprising news for you. But, the good news is that this is NOT TRUE. It is one of the long living myths which came into my notice yesterday. I had a talk about it with one of my friends and she told me that besan turns your skin dark even though it makes it glow. Kinda conflicting, right?I tried telling her that it is not possible but all my words were for deaf ears. Seeing her conviction in this myth, I decided to clear it on a mass basis and state the reason why the skin might turn dark after using the scrub. And, I know that this is not true because of my personal experiences and also because I have asked a lot of people about this.

Besan or ‘Sunnipindi’ or whatever scrub you may use like masoor dal (red lentils) or rice flour polish your skin by removing the dead skin. And, in this process, they reveal a new layer of skin. Thus, the result is a clean glowing skin. As a matter of fact, besan is extremely useful in getting rid of dark spots and other conditions of the skin and gives a flawless complexion.But, if you venture out in the sun unprotected by sunscreen, your newly revealed skin is going to be subjected to a lot of environmental factors like dust, pollution and sun. The result is dull and tired looking dark skin. Thus, the connection that besan turns skin black. So, always wear a sunscreen. And, clean your skin well after a session in the sun.

And, I would love to know of any such myths which might be existing and clear them.