Homemade Body Polish {DIY}

I have used this once till today and the results have been better than any scrub I have ever used. And, at a pinch of a price. 

Ingredients

• Salt (preferably any Dead Sea Salt, Rock Salt or Epsom Salt)


• Sugar (preferably Cane Sugar or Jaggery)


• Honey

Method 

Mix salt and sugar in equal quantities enough for the entire body and mix them in honey to make a gooey paste. After your shower, scrub or polish your skin with this mixture until the salt and sugar dissolve which will take some time. If you still have time and mood on hands, leave it ont he skin for 15-30 minutes in a hot bathroom. Wash off and follow with moisturizer. 

Results

Amazingly soft skin and the difference is very much visible in one time. When I tried it out, my friend couldn't stop raving about my skin and asked me what did I do. I used this on the face too. And, my skin was glowing literally. And, as I am writing this, I feel like going and doing this again. 

Skin Type

Not for sensitive skin (might irritate) and for people suffering from breakouts. Also, make sure you don't have any wounds or cuts anywhere on your body coz you are using salt.Otherwise, all skin types can use this polish from dry to oily.

READ MORE - Homemade Body Polish {DIY}

Honey as face cleanser

Happy Karwachauth to all of you :)

Well, I did nothing innovative today. I was just feeling like pampering myself and the only thing I had was honey. So, tried to use it as a cleanser. Today I used it after my scrub but a few days before, I used only honey to cleanse my face after a very long day. And, it worked so wonderfully :)

You do not have to do anything except take a little honey in your hands and rub it into your face in upward massage movements. I did the massage for around 15 minutes and then left it for 5 minutes. You should apply honey even on the eye area. Do not miss it out. It is good for wrinkles. After waiting, I washed it off with warm water followed by water at room temperature. My skin was amazing. It was glowing and had perfectly even skin tone. 

Note: Try to use organic honey. 

My blackheads did not disappear though. But, I did not expect them to. They need a little more work than simply working honey into your face. So, happy cleansing with honey and do share your experiences :)

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How to Deep Condition your Hair?

As I have repeatedly stressed on the point of Hair conditioning, it should come as no surprise if I embark on a really elaborated ritual of homemade deep conditioning treatment. This is a variant of the regular egg or yogurt mask only. Just that there is one more ingredient - Honey. Nothing great about this recipe itself. You are well aware of the properties of egg and honey for the hair.

Dry Hair needs protein treatment so use egg and if you have oily hair, you would do better with yogurt or milk. Apply the conditioner and keep it as long as you can (as long as you can stand the smell of egg) !! Now, before applying the mask, prepare your hair a little just like you would prepare your face for a face mask.

• Comb your hair and get rid of all the tangles. 
• Brush it once or twice to make sure it is free flowing.
• Now, steam your hair. Take a bowl of water or the appliance/ saunas available for taking steam for your face. I know its kind of difficult to direct steam to your hair so you have to juggle a little with the appliance. If you are using a bowl of water, juggle with yourself or you would end up burning. Carefully, direct steam to all parts of your head. You can even divide your head in 5 parts: top, back, left, right and middle. Middle is the most difficult to get your steam to. For back and middle, bend backward on the bowl or sauna. So, place the bowl/sauna at a comfortable position. And, remember, steam is very hot and you would not be able to bear it more than a few seconds on the more sensitive portions of your skull so keep the steam time to a minimum. Once you try this, you would get used to it. Do this for at max 15 minutes. That would be enough to let the scalp absorb the mask well. Switch off the fans and AC in your room or you will end with a headache due to the temperature differences.
• After opening the hair follicles a bit, apply the mask by massaging it into your scalp. Start from one side and end with the other or part your scalp in 5 parts again. That makes easy application of the mask. After covering the scalp, part your hair along its length and dip them into the mask and spread it evenly. Keep maximum at the ends. 
• After whole of the hair is covered in mask, massage it a little for 10-15 minutes and cover with a shower cap.
• If you have a drier, set it to warm setting and direct the flow of air evenly on your scalp to provide warmth for better absorption. Or, wet a towel and heat it in microwave for 30 seconds and wrap it around the head. You can repeat the towel wraps as many times as you want reheating it after it has cooled. 
• Now, wait for as long as you can. Preferably, do this treatment in the evening because there is more to come.
• Go and rinse your hair after your tolerance is over. Do not shampoo or condition. Just rinse with lukewarm water and get all the egg out of your hair. Egg tends to stick to hair. 
• Come out of the shower. I know you are smelling nasty !! So, let your hair air dry first. 
• Now, comb your hair and untangle it. Now, take a cup of your favorite oil and warm it a little so that oil is tolerably hot to touch. 
• Apply the oil to your hair and massage well. Yes, a hot oil treatment after a homemade deep conditioning treatment. Massage your scalp gently but firmly for 30 minutes. It really helps.
• Leave the oil overnight and wash off with a mild and nice smelling shampoo the other day. You would not even need to condition it but you can apply a little to the ends if you want. 

Tips:

• Use any hair mask in place of egg+honey mask. You can even use the commercially available deep conditioning treatments.
• Use a strong smelled oil for hot oil treatment so that it will mask the smell of egg. Coconut is great for that but only unrefined. 
• You can add vitamin E or Evening Primrose Oil supplements to the mask and oil as well for extra nourishment and shine. 
• You can also use a homemade herbal shampoo which is just a variant of your favorite shampoo.
• You can end this hair pampering session with one of your favored hair rinses too. They would give extra bounce to your hair. 
• Do this once a week to counter the effects of the whole week abuse of your hair. 
• Results: Hair would be softer and shinier for days together. This treatment will take care of your hair till the next treatment :)

READ MORE - How to Deep Condition your Hair?

Health Benefits from Honey

Honey, undoubtedly, has many beauty uses. But, that is not all honey has for us. It is abundant with health benefits. For one, we all know, that consuming honey eases sore throats and cold. It also is great antiseptic for wounds and helps healing the mouth ulcers. It helps with obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, nauseous feeling, vomiting and indigestion, fever, abdominal pains and helps in proper blood circulation in the body. Over and above all these benefits comes the feather in its cap. It helps reducing the cravings for smokes or cigarettes. So, all those looking out for quitting smoking, honey can be of a lot of help.

But, there is one hitch in all this. It is said that raw honey is extremely good for body but the commercial honey is a slow poison. This is because of the refinement process honey undergoes for packaging. The heat strips it of all its nutrients and rather changes its molecular structure. And, this change in the molecular structure makes it stick to the arteries and clog them instead of being absorbed by the body easily. Cooked honey is equally bad for the body due to the same reasons. So, if you are a fan of honey, hunt out for a beekeeper or check the bottles of honey in supermarkets for the specification of "raw".

Update: Read this article from TOI which states the usage of antibiotics and other impurities in Honey which are extremely harmful for us. This is indeed a sad state for India.

READ MORE - Health Benefits from Honey

Oat meal face pack

A very Happy Friendship's Day to you all!!

Today, I would be sharing with you a simple face mask recipe made from oats. The oats which we eat are equally good for our skin. They provide smoothness and suppleness to the skin. 

• Mix a handful of oats in honey and use it to cleanse your skin. 
• Indulge in oat bath. Put a handful of oats in a muslin or cheesecloth and tie it. Put the cloth under running water in the bath tub. The water would turn milky in texture. After filling your tub, you can use the cheesecloth as a sponge to cleanse your body. 
• Prepare a face mask of oats by grounding them and mixing them with milk. 

Voila! Your skin would turn soft as a baby's bottom. Go on and enjoy these face masks.

READ MORE - Oat meal face pack

Chocolate Strawberry fruity face mask

It has been a lot of days since I have posted anything. So, today, I bring to you a very interesting homemade face mask which is so tempting that you would want to eat it. This mask is a variance of the earlier discussed chocolate mask and is good for getting rid of acne and pimples.

Ingredients:

- Strawberries

- Cocoa Powder

- Honey
 

Method: Mash the strawberries along with cocoa powder and pour honey to make the mask of a creamy consistency. Make sure not to mash the strawberries to a watery consistency because the mask would run down your face. Apply the mask to your face for 15-20 minutes and wash off with cold water.

Strawberries are good for controlling oil balance in your skin so it will take care of acne and pimples. And, they bring a rosy glow to your face. 

Honey and cocoa powder moisturize your skin from within. So, this mask is as good for dry skin as much for oily and combination skin. 

READ MORE - Chocolate Strawberry fruity face mask

A nourishing and moisturizing mask

Well, after playing Holi, you should apply an extremely nourishing mask to avoid the drying of your skin with colors. So, what mask should you apply for that. Definitely, a honey mask would be a good option. But, we can surely improvise on it.

Ingredients:

1 half of a very ripe Banana (mashed)

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon cold / chilled yogurt 

5 tablespoon milk cream

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon almond oil

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Method: Blend the egg yolk first into a smooth and frothy paste. Add banana and yogurt to blend again. Then, add honey and milk cream and blend for 5 minutes more. Finally, add the oils and runt he blender for a minute. Your nourishing face mask is ready. This mask also acts as a skin firming and anti-aging mask.

Apply it on your face in a thick layer and settle down. You can put cucumber slices or chilled tea bags on your eyes. Wait for 30 minutes. Remove the mask and wash your face with cold water. Your face would very soft. You can moisturize if you feel the need or apply 1 drop of olive or coconut oil. Preferably, apply this mask at the night and do not put any moisturizer on your face afterward. Your face will be soft in the morning.

For Oily Skin: You can exclude the oils, substitute the milk cream with milk and lemon or tomato juice and the egg yolk with egg white.

READ MORE - A nourishing and moisturizing mask

Is Glycerin drying for our skin?

Well, the title may seem really odd. But, yes, there have been lately many contradictions to the fact that glycerin draws moisture from our body and not from the air. Here, you would find one of the articles which states such a claim.

Glycerin is a natural by-product of the soap making process and is separated for soap to be used in the lotions and creams. 100% natural glycerin is highly concentrated and is not considered good for our skin as it can cause blisters by drying our skin. But, the glycerin which you get in the markets is not the original concentrated glycerin but the diluted glycerin which is good for daily usage. 

And, when you use glycerin, you mix glycerin with other ingredients and then use it on face (or for any skin care). Interestingly, a mixture of glycerin and rose water used to be a favorite moisturizer in the olden days when there were no body lotions available. And, your grand moms will swear by the remedy. So, basically, it does not dry out our skin. Instead, it acts as a humectant just like honey and provides a protective covering instead of just coating our skin like Vaseline does. So, if you are buying a product which says it has glycerin in the top of its ingredient list, do not worry, because it is not the original glycerin but rather a diluted form of it. And, it would not cause any skin irritation or have any drying effect.

You can read more about glycerin here.

READ MORE - Is Glycerin drying for our skin?

Going for facial waxing....Wait and read this.....

I recently went to Lakme Salon for a hair cut. I have a problem of facial hair and was thinking of getting a facial waxing done as a quick fix. Home remedies do take a lot of time and you have to be consistent with them. otherwise, they do not yield the desired results. I asked the girl who was waxing my hand about facial waxing. She asked me my age and advised me on a personal front that facial waxing should not be done till you are 30. It opens your pores and makes them look bigger and you older. I wanted to bring this to your notice before you thought of opting for it. 

Instead, I would advise you to stick to the home remedies and follow them consistently and you should see some results in a month. I suggest you to try this home remedy. And, I am sharing today another home remedy to remove facial hair. Honestly, this never worked for me as I could not mix the paste in a consistency which would be apt for a peel off. But, you can give it a try. 

Ingredients:

1 egg white

Honey

Corn Flour

Method: Mix all the ingredients in a smooth consistency and apply it to your face. And, let it dry. Peel off after it dries. It would extract your facial hair along with it. And, applying egg white also firms up your skin. It is an anti-aging mask.

If you know, what consistency should be used to mix these things, please share it with others.

READ MORE - Going for facial waxing....Wait and read this.....

Chocolate Mask for you skin care

Today, I would be sharing with you a recipe of chocolate face mask. Chocolate has been attributed to have been rich in anti-oxidants. The advantage of these anti-oxidants can be received by feasting on a dark chocolate from time to time. But, a regular feasting on the chocolate can be more harmful for your health and skin altogether. Do not distress. There is another way to get these anti-oxidants to your skin. A nourishing chocolate face mask.

Ingredients:

Cocoa Powder

Honey

Method: Mix both chocolate powder and honey and make a smooth consistent paste. 

Apply it on your face in a thick creamy layer. Let it stay for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Removing it by scrubbing it off. And, wash your face. Your face would be soft, smooth and firm. The chocolate mask is a great anti-aging mask too. Apply it once and see the firmness in your skin. And, the mask is yummy too.

READ MORE - Chocolate Mask for you skin care

Softening your skin starts from your bath {DIY}

Taking Bath is the best way to unwind yourself from a hectic schedule. You can turn your bathing experience into a invigorating one by adding certain ingredients which help your body to relax and also relaxes your mind. Some ingredients which can be added to your bath water and their effects:

• Salt: Relaxes the tensed muscles, make your skin smooth, it detoxes the body, relaxes tired feet, improves circulation, prevents skin disorders, purifies the pores and toxins from skin. They are also good for exfoliation. Table salt would be a general choice but you can also go for rock salt.
• Milk: Softens skin, cleans the pores, good for exfoliation, nourishes the skin, improves skin texture and appearance, removes body odor, prevents skin disorders.
• Honey: soothes and nourishes the skin, makes skin silky and fragrant, prevents skin disorders, lightens scars and any marks on the skin and removes any bacteria present in the skin.
• Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil: lightens complexion, moisturizes the skin, nourishes the skin and prevents skin disorders. You can also put a mix of these oils.
  
• Oat meal: soothes and nourishes skin. Put some oat meal in a cheese cloth and put it under running water and then, use it for exfoliation. 
• Lavender Essential Oil: soothes and softens skin, lightens scars and any marks on the skin, heals wounds and soothes tired muscles and skin.
• Floral Water: You can definitely put many flowers into your bath for an aromatherapy. Rose,  Jasmine, Rosemary, Lavender, Chamomile, Marigold are some of the flowers which you can go for. They would relax your mind, elevate your senses and provide you the ultimate pleasure of relaxation. They soothe your complete body. You can also use the floral water.
  

So, go ahead and try putting a combination of various ingredients and enjoy an invigorating bath.

READ MORE - Softening your skin starts from your bath {DIY}

Get smooth and shiny hair {DIY}

"Whatever can be put into your mouth can be put on your skin or hair."

Honey smooth ens and softens your hair. It retains moisture in the hair. You can use honey in place of a conditioner. After shampooing your hair, let your hair air dry till it becomes just damp. Then, partition your hair into various sections and apply Running Honey on those sections concentrating on the ends. Let it stay for 30 minutes - 1 hour and then, wash off your hair. Your hair becomes more bouncy and lively.

You can also use honey as last rinse. Mix a table spoon or two with water and them pour it on your hair as a last rinse. Do not wash off. Let it air dry.

READ MORE - Get smooth and shiny hair {DIY}

Eyes too need cleaning {Health}

There is one ancient method used to clean the eyes which I would like to share. Put 1 drop of pure honey in each of the eyes. Caution: Eyes will sting badly for around 10-15 minutes. But, the procedure will clean your eyes and give the eyes a fresh look. This tip was told to me by one of my friend who does it occasionally. But, the after-effects were amazing. Eyes become really clean and bright.
But, before trying it, make sure you are using pure good grade honey. Do not use the commercial ones. They contain additives which might irritate the eyes. I would suggest using a good grade Manuka Honey. It is the best quality of honey available and has many skin and health related benefits.

READ MORE - Eyes too need cleaning {Health}

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}