Beta Hydroxy Acid {Ingredient}

You might have already been aware of Alpha Hydroxy Acid so I decided to do a small post on Beta Hydroxy Acid first. In any case, I will be doing a post on Alpha Hydroxy Acids too for the benefit of people who are unaware of them. Now, a little overview of both these acids - these are two acid compounds which have become really famous in the skin care ranges in the recent decade. Both of them are used in all skin care products from cleansers to moisturizers but the main usage comes in the various peels which are performed by estheticians. These acids are helpful in exfoliation and keeping the skin healthy in a nutshell.  

So, now starting with Beta Hydroxy Acid, the only one form of this acid is used for cosmetic purposes which is called Salicylic Acid. Yes, I am pretty sure you have heard of it and many you must be even using the products which contain this acid. Now, Salicylic Acid is also very commonly known as Aspirin. You might have read quite a few DIY recipes using Aspirin. The main usage of Salicylic Acid is for people who suffer from Acne but it also useful for other skin disorders like warts, corns, calluses, etc. The acid has quite a lot of uses - it weakens the bonds of the dead skin cells, cleans the clogged pores, kills the bacteria in the pores and also reduces the size of the pores and helps in the growth of new cells. Sounds awesome, right??? But, there is a very big disadvantage of Salicylic Acid - it causes hyper pigmentation and makes your skin photo-sensitive (sensitive to sunlight). 

PS: In the next post, I shall be discussing how to overcome the problem of hyper pigmentation due to the acid.

READ MORE - Beta Hydroxy Acid {Ingredient}

Salicylic Acid {Ingredient}

Yesterday, I talked about Salicylic Acid and its uses for people suffering from Acne and other skin disorders. But, I also mentioned its biggest disadvantage - hyper pigmentation. I am not sure if you have noticed but salicylic acid is always used int he concentration of 1-2% in the products available in the medical stores. The reason is that it acts best on the skin in those concentrations and any excess of usage of the acid causes many skin problems like sensitivity, irritation, peeling of the skin and likes of it. So, getting tempted to use it every day is really not a good idea unless a product has been recommended by a dermatologist.

Now, you might have read about the aspirin mask recipes and would have been tempted to try it. Many of you might have tried it too. But, these masks are concentrated and hence, harm the skin instead of helping. So, kindly refrain from that. Since 1-2% is the best concentration so we shall make the homemade Salicylic Acid solution for home remedies. Now, Salicylic Acid is not available commercially so we will make do with Acetyl Salicylic Acid which is a milder form of Salicylic Acid. As Aspirin was not available, I am using Disprin Tablets and they both are actually same,though, Disprin also has Calcium Carbonate and Citric Acid to enable to it to dissolve in water.

Ingredients

• 3-6 Disprin Tablets (3 is for 1% and 6 is for 2% concentration)


• 100ml Water (go for mineral water or distilled water)

Method 

Mix the tablets in the water and store the solution. Use the solution to make face masks or mix your cleanser with the bit of a solution and wash your face with it. Mixing your makeup remover with the solution and then applying on the face for a few minutes would be most beneficial in cleaning the skin.Or, the simplest way to use the solution is to apply the solution on your face with cotton and keep it on for 5-10 minutes and then wash off the face with cleanser or face wash. 

People suffering from acne and breakouts should do it daily till they see some difference. And, oily skin people should use it twice or thrice a week. Rest with normal to dry skin and sensitive skin can use the solution not more than once a week for proper exfoliation. 

Caution (Very Very Important)

Ok, so this is something everyone needs to pay attention to. When I say anything not to be done on the blog, please take it very very seriously coz its very easy to get carried away and trust me, I am saying this from my personal experience. For example, I have used concentrated disprin mask twice on my face (as if once wasn't enough) and trust me, my complexion became dark instantly!!! So dark that the person who said I had become fair a day before had commented about my complexion the very next day and this has happened both the times I used the mask. And, even my parents complained about it. So, it causes hyper pigmentation very easily and it takes some days to get back to your original complexion so please, please do not overdo these treatments. They are supposed to be done only under strict control. And, please take my cautions about anything very seriously in my past or future posts also coz maximum of the times, I speak from personal experiences or otherwise from proper research.

How I have calculated the ratio?

10mg/1ml = 1%

thus, 350mg/x(ml) = 1%

thus, 10mg /1ml= 350mg/x

thus, x = 350/10 = 35ml

thus, 1 Disprin tablet is 1% of 35ml water so calculating in the same proportion, 3 disprin tablets would make up 1% of 100ml water (approx. coz 35*3 = 105ml).

Thus, if you want to make the concentration 2%, use 6 Disprin tablets.

I hope the calculation is clear :)

READ MORE - Salicylic Acid {Ingredient}

Dried Rose Petals {Ingredient}

We all know the beauty uses of rose. I had even published a post on how to make Rose Milk at home which was a failed experiment but the result was great. Shall post the one which I was trying actually when I succeed. So, I just wanted to share this little thing. 

My mother has a very old habit of collecting the withered roses from the plant and dry them so I have a huge amount of dried rose petals. You could also try that out next time your garden is full of roses. My mom collects only red and maroon roses, btw, and sometimes pink. Well, you might be aware that only red roses are used for extracting rose oil or preparing its essential oil or even while making fragrances. So, collecting and storing dried rose petals are really beneficial coz you can use them in any DIY's and since these are dehydrated, you can also make oils and your own fragrances with rose infusions. Roses are among the very few flowers you can store otherwise most of them just rot if you try to dry them :( And, I love pressing roses in between the books. That seems romantic though it might be cruel for the flowers but the flowers look best in the garden and no where else.So, next time you see a withered rose, you might think of using it for your beauty routines.

READ MORE - Dried Rose Petals {Ingredient}

SLS / SLES in Lush {Ingredient}

If you are a brand conscious and ingredient conscious consumer, you would have noticed that the solid shampoos of Lush have SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) as one of their ingredients. I was a little disappointed with this revelation as I had put hopes on Lush for being a SLS-savior on the shampoo front for me. Then, later on, in one of the sites I had read a comment by the reader. She said that she was told by the Lush sales girl that the SLS used in Lush products is natural. Now, I was boggled by that statement and did some research on that.

SLS and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulphate) are chemical products and not vegan or organic ingredients. Though both SLS and SLES are derived from coconut or palm oils, they have to be reacted with sulphuric acid and ethylene oxide respectively. So, comparatively SLES is a gentler ingredient of the two but when ever SLES is used, you would generally find another ingredient in the list called 'Cocamidopropyl Betaine' which is used to make the SLES even more milder so as to reduce irritation due to the ingredient. (source) 

I have checked two or three products which list SLES as their ingredients and have found Betaine to be another of their ingredients. And, regarding the usage of SLS / SLES in Lush, I had sent a mail to the US office regarding my concern and this is their response:

Thank you for writing to us.  We use sodium lauryl sulfate in our solid shampoos, and we do not consider this ingredient to be a natural one. Although it does originate from coconut materials, it does undergo some changes which deem it a synthetic material by our view.

We do list our full ingredients on our website, in our stores, and in our catalogue, and we aim to be as transparent as possible so that our customers can select products they feel comfortable with. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I’d be glad to help!

So, next time you go to a Lush store and find these ingredients, please note that there is nothing natural about SLS / SLES and not all products in Lush are vegan coz they have parabens and other chemicals too. And this is not a bad thing at all.

READ MORE - SLS / SLES in Lush {Ingredient}

Using Turmeric for skin care {Ingredient}

Kasturi Turmeric is the kind used for body application. It is a special kind which is not used in cooking. It is longer, about a finger length, and considerably thinner than the normal turmeric sticks which are short and stout. It does not leave any color on the face or clothes so safe to use.

Home Remedies:

• A pinch of Kasturi Turmeric mixed with milk can be used as a cleanser. Milk has lactic acid which does the cleansing job and turmeric acts as an antiseptic. It also gives an instant glow to the complexion.
• To get rid of facial hair, you can apply powdered Kasturi Turmeric every day on your face for about 10-15 minutes. The results would be visible in a month. Preferably, mix the turmeric with chickpea flour or any other scrub which you find is good for your skin. This way you can be sure it would not leave any color on your face.
  
• Kasturi Turmeric can also be used as an ingredient in various face packs and face masks preperation. A pinch would do the job.
• Kasturi Turmeric can be included in body scrubs. If used regularly, it removes body hair over a period of time. Gives great results when you use it on babies.

READ MORE - Using Turmeric for skin care {Ingredient}

Lemon juice: drink a glass daily {Ingredient}

Today, I would be talking about the benefits of lemon juice for our body. We are all advised to drink a glass of water with lemon juice and honey mixed in it in the morning to lose weight. Right? Does it really work? Well, it did never work for me. But, I have found other benefits of doing the same. Or, probably a little different. Because, I am pretty lazy so I squeeze a half lemon into a glass of warm water and drink it. I do not bother to mix honey in it as I do not like to take much of sugar and am too lazy. And, guess what. It has done wonders for my skin and body.

Drinking lemon water in the morning has cleansed my body inside out. Lemon helps in the detoxification process of the body. And, it has helped to bring a glow in my complexion internally. Lemon has Vitamin C which is also responsible for building up collagen in our skin. Collagen is necessary to keep the skin firm and young. So, lemon is necessary to stay young. Forget Botox and surgeries. Stick to lemon and you will never really need any of them. Moreover, it is necessary to keep our digestive system in the right order and our metabolism high.

There are many other benefits of lemon juice apart from the above-stated.

• Applying lemon juice to the skin helps in lightening the blemishes and any scars or dark spots. But, do not apply lemon juice alone. Mix it with honey or any face mask and then apply.
• Lemon is good for bleaching the facial hair. Mix honey and lemon juice and apply it over the face and you would find in a month, the facial hair is no more. It actually does not go away but simply gets bleached and is not any more visible to the naked eye unless looked from very close.
• Lemon juice when applied to hair helps in curing dandruff.
• Lemon juice can be used as a last rinse to bring shine in the hair.
• If you want to lighten your hair color, apply lemon juice on your hair and go and sit in sun. The heat will help lemon bleach your hair. If you do it pretty frequently, you might even end up with blond hair color.
• Mix it in face masks. It helps bring a glow on your face by cleaning your skin right down to the pores.
• Lemon peels can be infused in hair oil to get its benefit stated above in point no. 3 and 4.
• You can grind the dried lemon peels and use it as a body scrub. They leave a refreshing scent on your body.
• Pour lemon juice into the bath water to experience a refreshing bath.

Caution: Use lemon juice externally on the body only at night. It makes your skin photosensitive (sensitive to light). Exposure to sun would be extremely harmful so use sunscreen diligently after using lemon on your skin. 

And, if you know any more uses of lemon juice, please feel free to share them. I shall be glad to know more about it.

READ MORE - Lemon juice: drink a glass daily {Ingredient}

Soap nuts - Environment Friendly Detergent {Ingredient}

Soap nut is a fruit available in India. The fruit is crushed to make soap. It has a component called Saponins which is a natural surfactant. It is used in washing and cleaning purposes. You can use soap nuts to wash, practically, everything.  

• Soap nuts are good for hair washing. They make your hair silky and smooth.
  
• You can put 4-5 soap nuts in a wash cloth and put it in the washing machine instead of a detergent. They would be enough for a 4-5 loads of clothes. 
• They can be used for washing your utensils, jewelery, toilets, tiles and floors. 
• You can clean your windows and furniture.
• You can spray them on your plants. It would keep the pests and insects away eliminating the need of any insecticide or pesticide.
  

Boil 5-10 soap nuts for an hour or two till they turn gray in color. Strain the liquid and store it. The liquid will stay for a week. You can pour the liquid in the washing machine with water. The left over soap nuts can be put in a muslin bag and used for laundry purposes. They would come into use for some 2-3 loads.The clothes come out really bright and clean and free of all the chemical deposits left behind by the commercial detergents.

Using soap nuts, instead of detergents and chemical formulations, would help the environment also. And, save your money too.

READ MORE - Soap nuts - Environment Friendly Detergent {Ingredient}

Honey: Elexir for Hair and Skin {Ingredient}

Honey is a natural humectant. It traps moisture and keeps your skin supple. It is anti-bacterial and prevents the skin breakouts. Many of the skin care and hair care products swear by the goodness of honey. The home remedies have their stock full of goodness of honey.

• put on a thick layer of honey on your face for 30 minutes and wash off.
• to remove scars, blemishes, even out complexion or any other marks on skin, apply honey on it.
• use it as an ingredients of various face masks.
• use it to clean your eyes
• use it as a hair conditioner (wash off or leave-in)
• use it as a last rinse for shine
• pour a table spoon of honey in bath water for a silky smooth skin
  

READ MORE - Honey: Elexir for Hair and Skin {Ingredient}

Turmeric: One of the Nature's most powerful healers {Ingredient}

Turmeric is an Indian spice which grows in the forests of South-East Asia. It belongs to the family of ginger and is used in the powdered form. It is one of the main ingredients of the Indian, Persian, Thai and Malay dishes. It is also used to impart a rich yellow color to the dishes.

Turmeric has many medicinal properties. It helps prevent cancer and cures skin disorders. It has many benefits for health:

• performs complete body detoxification
• has abundant anti-oxidants
• ease joint pains and inflammation associated with arthritis
• prevents premature aging
• prevents cancer
• protects liver health
• protects against heart attacks and strokes
• improves digestion power
• may prevent cataract and bacterial infections
• protects against severe cold

Apart from the above mentioned health benefits, it also has benefits for the skin:

• fights aging
• prevents skin disorders
• improves the skin complexion
• gets rid of facial or body hair

Home Remedies for Health care:

• A pinch of edible turmeric taken with milk every day provides the health benefits of turmeric. Alternatively, a turmeric stick can be boiled in milk and taken every night.
• Turmeric is also used as an antiseptic over cuts and wounds.
• If you have severe swelling due to sprain or any internal injury, you can mix turmeric with any  bearably hot vegetable oil (preferably mustard oil) and apply over the swelled area and tie the area securely with a bandage. The swelling would come down in a day or two.
• If you have cold, you can put a pinch of turmeric in hot boiling water and inhale steam for at least 10 minutes.
  

Read about the home remedies to use turmeric for skin care here.

READ MORE - Turmeric: One of the Nature's most powerful healers {Ingredient}