Drink Apple Cider Vinegar to avoid breakouts

Hey guys!! I have been missing since a long time and have been giving you all a really weird collection of on and off posts which are not at all close to skin or hair care. I shall remain MIA for some more time and sporadic posts might continue. I am not ill or traveling or anything of the sort, just that I am having blogger's block :D

So, getting on with the post,this post is for all those people who suffer from mild to heavy breakouts. And, also for the people who do not mind taking extra steps to keep their skin in good shape from inside out. We are all aware that skin care starts from inside and continues outside. So, how to avoid the breakouts? Drink Apple Cider Vinegar. I have been doing this very lately coz I had a really bad bout of breakouts (actually cystic acne!!) and this has helped me so much.

How to drink Apple Cider Vinegar??

Ok, do not drink this vinegar raw ever. I am sure it will upset your stomach for a very long time. Add a table spoon of the Apple Cider Vinegar in one liter of drinking water. Yup, it is that simple and keep on sipping it regularly. Do not take more than one bottle in a day and avoid it when your skin is behaving properly. This remedy will work even when the inflammation or the breakout has already started on the skin.

One caution here: When water is mixed with vinegar, it has a really weird flavor. Apple Cider Vinegar tastes somewhat bitter with flavor of apple juice. It can be a bit difficult in the starting but it becomes fine when one gets used to it. Keep a separate bottle of water to quench your thirst when you desperately need water because this vinegar mixed water cannot quench your thirst. 

Apart from this slight discomfort, making this a regular habit will yield you results in a day. Since the vinegar has to act on the inside so be a little patient. I did see results in a day but giving it time will do no harm and it will definitely improve the skin condition. Apple Cider Vinegar is anti-inflammatory thus cure the inflammation in the body immediately. It also helps with weight loss and tones up your skin from inside. I will do another post on benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar but till then you can enjoy freedom from any kind of a minor or a major breakout.

Where to buy Apple Cider Vinegar??

I am not very sure if this vinegar is available very widely in India. I checked out for it in Hyper City so you might want to go there or go to a really huge supermarket. I bought the one available - American Garden and it costs 110 bucks.

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Baba Ramdev's Women Problems Video

Below is embedded a video by Baba Ramdev. It is an hour long and so much full of tips that first I thought of recounting them here. But, it is just impossible to. So, I''ll just write a short summary about the video.

This video was specially made for women and their problems. So, it recants all the home remedies, physical exercises and Ayurvedic medicines for every problem a woman can face right from a simple hair loss and pimple to the infertility due to closed fallopian tubes, fibroids in the uterus or irregularities of the menstrual cycle. Baba Ramdev says that every problem in the body can be cured by just simple pranayam techniques and the most important of them are Anuloma-Viloma and Kapalabhati. These exercise if done daily for 15-20 minutes each can cure all our problems:

• wrinkles, pimples, acne, moles on our face
• split ends, damaged hair, weak hair, hair loss or promoting hair growth 
• keeping lips and eyes in the best of their conditions 
• improving the health problems caused by irregular periods like back problems or stomach problems or heavy blood flow 
• infertility due to closed fallopian tubes, smaller size of the uterus, fibroids and cysts in the uterus
• migraine and regular headaches
• improper functioning of any part of the body
• weight loss for people with excess fat and weight gain for people who are too thin 

The exercises can be done even during the periods. But, pregnant women should not do Kapalbhati. Probably, it will be bad for the baby. He also warns to stay away from the burgeoning market of the cosmetics which are useless and do nothing but rob you out of money and eating a lot of spices in the food. Eating wrong food can cause irreversible damage to your system like eating lots of spices causes both hair loss and weakening of eye sight.

Some simple Grandmother's Remedies (Dadi Maa Ke Nuskhe) for hair loss and chapped lips.

• Apply some oil in your belly button to prevent dry and chapped lips.
• Rub the nails of both your hands against each other. Exclude the thumbs if you do not want to grow a mustache and beard. This can help even bald men regain their lost hair. The simplest and most inexpensive remedy for hair loss and promoting hair growth.
• Apply Mustard Oil / Sesame Oil / Coconut Oil to your hair for keeping it healthy and black. Mustard Oil is the best for cooking purposes and body massages whereas sesame oil is used in all Ayurvedic preparations.

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Ice Cubes for your face

Ice Cubes are one of the quickest ways to restore your face to a fresh and dewy look. So, in case you are ever in a hurry, make sure to just rub your face for a minute or two with ice cubes and you are ready to go!! Another added advantage is that ice cubes constrict your pores making your face look smoother. They can be a great relief during the bad breakouts and particularly soothing for acne and inflammatory skin. A nice touch for using ice cubes would be to freeze your favorite fruit and vegetable juices into ice cubes. That would provide your skin with immediate anti-oxidants and the various benefits which come from topical application of the particular fruits. The essentials would be orange juice which is useful for bright face and apple juice which is great for oily skin. You can also go for pomegranates as they are especially high in anti-oxidants and would provide a rosy complexion. Caution: Applying ice cubes straight to your skin can cause delicate capillaries under your skin to break so wrap the ice cubes in a wash cloth and then apply them to your skin.

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Acne due to Zinc deficiency

Yes, deficiency of zinc has been related to acne. So, next time you have acne, you know where to turn to. Taking Zinc rich foods. And, there is no dearth of them. Some of the most easily available zinc rich vegetarian sources are almonds, bananas, cashews, cauliflower, chickpeas (white chana), cucumber, kidney beans, kiwi fruit, milk, olives, onion, peaches, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, radish, soya beans and soy products, spinach, strawberries, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, walnuts. Non-veg sources include eggs, chicken, fishes including shell fish, turkey, pork, oysters, liver, crab and beef.

Good news is that zinc also controls the oil production in the body so for all people with oily skin, it is definitely time to munch on some salads and nuts. 

READ MORE - Acne due to Zinc deficiency

Baking Soda for Acne

We all know that baking soda is an all-purpose ingredient in the kitchen. It can be used to bring volume to your hair, whiten teeth naturally, as a lip scrub or body scrub, even washing the hair and, what is more, washing clothes and utensils about the house. 

Today, I bring another skin care use of baking soda. This is for acne. Make a paste of baking soda with water and apply to the affected parts anywhere on the body. Wait till it dries off and wash with cold water. Do it at least twice a week but no more than once a day. Your skin will become smooth and acne-free.

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Acne: Home Remedies

Yesterday, I talked about how to take care of your skin and keep hygiene for preventing more acne outbreaks. Today, I would like to talk about some effective home remedies for acne. Hope these will be helpful for you. 

• Lemon juice is one of the best bets. It kills the bacteria in the acne and also reduces the oil production on the skin. In fact, all the citrus fruit family is great for acne. Oranges, strawberries, raspberries; take a slice of them every time you eat a fruit and rub it over your face and other affected parts of the body and keep it on till it dries off. Wash with very cold water so that it gives some relief from any burning or tingling sensation. 
• When I talked about lemon, tomato is the next follow up. Tomato juice is also equally effective for acne.
• Remember one thing: Whenever you feel a tingling sensation after you apply any herbal or other product, it is a proof that it is working. If it starts irritating the skin or causes change in skin color, then it is probably time to get rid of the product or remedy.
• Onion Juice and Ginger Juice is another great remedy for acne. Extract onion juice or ginger juice or cut a slice of onion or ginger and apply it on the affected parts. Wash off with cool water. You can even mix both of them.
• To reduce any burning sensation or inflammation, use cooled tea bags and chilled cucumber slices. They provide a lot of relaxation. You can also apply sandalwood paste. It cools the skin and is an antiseptic. Mint juice is also very useful in dealing with the acne.
• Mix 3/4th part of sandalwood and 1/4th part of turmeric. Make a paste with any fruit juice or mint juice and apply to the affected parts.
• How could I forget aloevera gel. Plant an aloe at home and reap its benefits. The gel straight from the plant is great for acne.
• Do not forget to use pomegranates. They too give you a lovely acne free skin.

The basic lesson is that use anything which will keep your face clean and reduce the oil production on the skin. You can also use something which will provide a cooling sensation or relief to the acne.

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Acne: How to take care of your skin

Acne is one of the most afflicting skin disorders. Getting rid of acne is not very difficult if a strict routine is followed. The only thing to be kept in mind is to be strict with yourself whether in diet or skin care routine.

First things first. Never exfoliate your face. That just worsens the problem. You want to slough off the dead skin. Use milk. Apply raw milk on face with cotton very gently and wait for it to dry. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear). It gives a relaxing effect to your skin.

Do not ever touch your face and do not let your hair fall on your face. The dirt and oil form the fingers and hair does cause bad outbreaks. You might also want to make a change in your hair products if you have outbreaks near forehead or chin. This might happen if your skin is giving allergic reactions to the ingredients of the products.

Use a separate hand towel or wash cloth for your face. Do not use your body towel to clean the face. Use a very very gentle cleanser. Best if you can get a dermatologist recommended cleanser which is more gentle as compared to over-the counter products. A cleanser with bacteria fighting abilities would be preferred. Be very gentle while cleansing your face. Any rough movement can cause an outbreak. Wash in circular motions.

Lets talk about your skin care products. First thing is a very light moisturizer. Preferred if it has spf properties also so that you do not have to cake your face in lot of product layers which will lead to closed pores. Makeup products should be water based and best if in a powder form or if you can avoid them totally, that would be the best. At night, try to keep your skin completely naked instead of slathering any anti-aging cream. That would allow your skin to breathe.

Change your pillow covers every day. The dirt and oil is soaked up easily by the pillow covers and if you use the same ones night after night even for a week, they would cause some outbreaks. Hygiene is a very big part of your skin care regime. Change the face towel also daily and wash in an antiseptic like dettol or savlon. That would keep it bacteria free and dry them in direct sun light. That would prevent any humid bacteria build up.

Now, lets talk about your diet. Cut on junk, oily and spicy food. That just increases the outbreaks from the inside. Decrease the amount of sugar and salt too. Also cut down on alcohol, coffee, carbonated beverages and smoking. They all contribute to your aggravated acne condition. No energy bars or energy or fruit drinks too. They are just full of sugar and nothing else. Reduce the chocolates too even if it is the dark chocolate you prefer.

Drink lots and lots of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Drink lots of fresh fruit juices made at home. Keep your body light and exercise for a hour or two daily or thrice in a week. Drink fresh lemon juice every day in the morning. Follow all the tips I talked about today and you should see some improvement in a week or two.

READ MORE - Acne: How to take care of your skin

Benefits of Orange on Skin

This fruit belongs to the citrus family and is best know for its astringent and toning properties. Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C which is known to improve the skin texture and color. They help restoring collagen in our body which is responsible for skin firming and preventing early aging of skin. So, daily serving of citrus fruits helps our body fight aging. 

• Rub fresh orange peel on your skin to tighten it and lighten the color.
• After eating orange, instead of throwing away the peels, dry them in sun and grind them. Store the mixture. And, use it as a body scrub. 
• Mix the above made scrub and milk or milk cream and apply on face. It gives an instant glow to your face. And, reduces the dark spots and blemishes on your skin.
• If you do not want to go through the tedious step of grinding the peels, you can make a refreshing face spray using the peels.
• If you do not use a face spray, simply pour boiling water on the peels and leave for a day. Next day, filter the liquid and store it in fridge. Apply the liquid on your face using a cotton ball. Let stay till it dries up. Your face will be firm and glowing. 
• You can use this liquid in preparing face masks. Use the liquid in a day or two.
• You can pour this liquid in your bath water and enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating bath. Your skin will smell fresh all day.
• Use the liquid as a hair rinse to get shining hair. It also helps in removing dandruff.
• A very innovative tip: Take the juice of 2 oranges and freeze it in an ice tray. Rub your face with frozen orange juice cubes. It will instantly freshen you up and lift up the tiredness from your face. The juice will give your dull and oily face an instant sheen. And, the chilled ice cubes will close and minimize the size of your pores. This also provides relief to acne prone skin and pimples.

READ MORE - Benefits of Orange on Skin

An Apple a day keeps you glowing all day

Today, I am going to discuss with you the benefits of Apple on our skin and the various face masks you can make with the use of it. Let us see the various benefits of Apple.

• Cleans the bowels
• Chew an Apple after your meal for pearly white teeth
• Regular intake of Apple reduces wrinkles and fine lines
• Is a great anti-aging mask because of the high content of anti-oxidants
• Place slices of Apple under your eyes to reduce dark circles or puffy eyes
• Mash a quarter of an apple with milk cream and apply on your face to remove blemishes and dark spots. It is a great remedy for acne.
• Cut a slice of an apple and apply the juice on your face until the slice dries up. It balances the oil production in your body and is a great hydrating mask.
• Apple provides relief from acne and sunburn due to its cooling properties. Place a slice of Apple in fridge for an hour or so and then, apply on sun-burnt skin or acne prone skin to get relief.
• Apple not only provides hydration to the skin, but, also cleanses our skin. So, you can use Apple as an exfoliant too.
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  Mix a grated apple with honey and apply on your face for five minutes for a hydrated, stress free skin.
  

Read here to know about various health benefits and other information about Apple.

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