Anti-acne masks straight from your kitchen

And while the acne and pimples are embarrassing, they're also signals from our bodies that things are out of balance. 

So take note and then start taking action. There are some simple ways that you can deal with the surface of your skin by using ingredients that you already have in your kitchen. 

Strawberry Lemon potion

Ingredients - 1 tsp lemon juice - 1 egg white - 1 1/2 tsp honey - 1/2 cup strawberries 

Preparation

• Mash or blend the all the ingredients together.
• Smooth over face. 
• Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water. 

Apple Cider Vinegar treat 

Ingredients - 1 tbsp raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp lukewarm filtered water 

Preparation 

• Mix the apple cider vinegar and filtered water together. It's good to start with a 1:1 ratio (50% ACV, 50% water), but you might find you need to dilute the mixture more based on the sensitivity of your skin.
• Take a cotton pad or the corner of a washcloth and dip it into the solution. Spread evenly all over your face.
• Don't rinse it off, but just let it air dry, then finish with a light layer of coconut oil as moisturizer. The smell can be a bit potent at first, but don't be dismayed! The smell quickly dissipates. 

 

Baking Soda glory 

Ingredients - Lukewarm filtered water

- 1-2 tbsp powdered baking soda 

Preparation

• Put the baking soda in a small bowl.
• Slowly add water until it soaks into the baking soda and forms a paste.
• Apply the paste to your face using small circular motions. 

Cranberry magic

Ingredients - 3/4 cup cranberries (fresh berries work the best)

- 1/2 cup seedless grapes (red or green) - 4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice - 1 envelope plain gelatin - 2 tsp oat powder (if you can't find oat powder, put some raw oatmeal in a coffee grinder or blender) 

 

Preparation

• Puree the cranberries and seedless grapes in a blender.
• Mix in the gelatin, oat powder and lemon juice and blend until it forms a paste. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little water if it's too thick or a bit more oat powder if it's too thin.
• Put the mixture into the fridge for an hour so that it will thicken up.
• Take the mixture out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes (unless you want a cold facial, which works well if your skin is puffy or irritated).
• Apply the facial mask and let it soak in for 20-30 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water.

Easy beauty tricks

We're always hearing of ridiculous beauty tricks that sound too good (or crazy) to be true, but there's no better feeling than making a weird beauty discovery that really works.

 

Here are a few weird beauty tricks that really work.

Avoid stray mascara marks: 

Just hold a plastic spoon over your eyelid while applying your mascara so that the excess mascara goes on the spoon instead of your lids.

To reduce puffy eyes: 

This is easy, just cut a raw potato and peel out a chunk. Place this over your eyes for about 10 minutes. The potato will cool your eyes and any swelling or puffiness will decrease.

Deep hair conditioning: 

Mayonnaise, yes the same thing you spread on your bread and eat well, get it out of your fridge and into your hair for about 20-30 minutes.

 

Glitter nail polish removing nightmare: 

Yes it sure is a nightmare. But not If you soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover then place it on your nail, wrap your finger tip in tin foil and let it sit for five minutes. For the magic remove the tin foil and Voila! The glitter will slide right off.

At-home manicure: 

It's a little harsh and may give you cold fingers but it's worth it. Submerge your fingers in cold water for three minutes and your nails will come out dry. This is the easiest and fastest way for a quick on the run manicure.

Teeth jewelery the latest trend

Are you looking for adding a spark to your personality? Then get chasing the latest trend which is to add a 'sparkle' to your teeth.

We are talking of teeth jewelry that helps you to flash a million dollar smile! Many are adapting this style statement not only to surprise friends with a sparkling crystal glass design, or something in gold with a twinkle of ruby or diamond, but also adds zing to your smile.

Brijesh Patel, one of the leading dentists shares, "Teeth jewelry is very much well-versed and preferred by NRIs. Although, not many localities contact us for the same as the concept of having teeth accessories is not known much to people here as of yet. The trend is catching up with males, specially those heading towards foreign destinations for study or leisure. However, not many girls are visiting clinics and inquiring about tooth jewellery."

The procedure of fixing teeth jewelry is very simple and usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Dentists do offer lots of fun designs to choose from crystals, diamonds and 24 carat gold. There is no drilling involved, so the jewel does not damage tooth and has no side effects. It can be easily removed without any damage to the tooth structure. Further, if one wants tooth jewelry can be fixed again at a later stage. The longitivity of adhesion of these studs varies from 6 months to years.

 

Neeta Rautela, a dentist, raises concern towards care and maintenance of the same. She shares, "Teeth jewelry does require a lot of maintenance because of accumulation of plaque, this depends on one's food habits et al and on tendency of one's teeth to have stains. Thereby, timely routine cleaning and polishing is required so as to maintain shine of jewellery."

When we asked Avni Panchal, who is a dentist, she shared, "I have an embedded diamond stud on tooth for quite some time, it is totally non-toxic and maintenance free. Even if one swallows this stud just in case, it does not cause any harm. I'm confident enough to recommend the same to those who are all game to keep a pace with new fashion trends."

How to postpone greying of hair

What wrinkling is to skin, greying is to hair. Both are signs that herald age. But it can be postponed if taken proper care

 

We despair as much over the wrinkles that begin to line our face, as we do over the hair that turns white. Ageing, however, is a natural process. With time, the body ages and the signs of ageing manifest themselves... greying is one of them. Sometimes, the hair begins to gray prematurely and presents a problem, mainly because the exact cause of graying is not known as yet.

To understand the graying process, one must have a basic idea of the structure of the hair. Each hair consists of concentric layers. The outermost layer is the cuticle, which is made up of tiny transparent scales that overlap each other. The cuticle protects the hair and contributes to its shine. The second layer is the cortex. It is in the cortex that pigment or colouring matter forms and gives the hair its colour. For reasons not yet known, the pigment does not form. When the pigment fails to form, the hair is white. The white hair mixes with the dark hair and gives the impression of grey hair. Naturally, when the white hair appear, the question of how to deal with them causes much concern, not only from the aspect of concealing them, but also to check further graying.

 

To begin with, the hair that have turned white cannot become dark again, except by dyeing or colouring. Today, dyeing and colouring of the hair has become common practice. In fact, colouring of the hair is very much in fashion. Today, it is not merely a matter of hiding gray hair. Unfortunately, most people do not know the way the structure of the hair can be affected by using chemical dyes and colourants.

  

Semi permanent methods, like hair rinses and creams, last for 4 to 6 shampoos. They also work by penetrating the cuticle, but do not cause as much damage as the permanent dyes, which actually enter the middle layer and change the pigments. Semi-permanent methods are used for disguising grey hair, or for lending a richer colour to dull hair. Repeated use of semi-permanent colourants also causes enough hair damage.

Henna is the only natural hair colourant that is widely used. In the ancient days, walnuts and indigo were used along with henna to colour the hair. Modern colourants made from vegetable dyes are also available, in the form of "hair mascaras." These are somewhat like crayons, which are used to colour strands of the hair. They can disguise strands of gray hair quite effectively. They also help to add glamour to the hair, by colouring strands a different colour from the normal hair colour. Hair mascaras are temporary methods of colouring the hair. They are easier to use and remove and the effect lasts till the next shampoo. The main advantage is that they assure safety from damage to hair structure and texture. We have introduced Herbal Hair Mascaras for streaking the hair, to add glamour, or to camouflage grey hair. They are available in many shades, like black, brown, copper, bronze, gold and starlight blue.

 

Using amla with henna also helps to check graying. To add amla to henna, soak a handful of dry amla in about 2 to 3 cups water overnight. Next morning, strain the water, but do not throw it away. Grind the amla. To the henna powder, add the ground amla, 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs and enough amla water, so that the henna mixes into a thick paste. If one does not wish to use eggs, they may be omitted. Apply the paste on the hair, so that the entire head is covered. Keep it on for two hours and wash off with plain water. This can be done once a week.

However, if you have coloured your hair with a chemical colourant, henna should not be used, as it will interfere with the colour of the chemical colourant you have used. So, you can wait for your chemical colourant to wear off and then start using the henna and amla treatment. Apart from concealing gray hair and checking further graying, the use of henna and amla have other benefits. Natural products are non-toxic and do not harm the structure of the hair. The body is also safe from the build-up of toxins and their harmful effects. A natural dye like henna does not enter the hair shaft. In fact, it coats the hair shaft and adds body and strength to the hair. Henna also has so many benefits for the scalp. It restores the natural balance and actually promotes the health of the scalp and hair.

 

If you wish to use a chemical colourant, ensure that it does not contain ammonia and remember to condition your hair after shampoo. Use shampoos that have built-in conditioners. Herbal shampoos for damaged hair would also help. Those who colour or dye their hair should give their hair regular hot oil treatments. Once or twice a week heat pure coconut oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, wring out the water and wrap the towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better. Use a mild herbal shampoo to wash the hair. One can also use hair oils and shampoos which contain natural ingredients like amla, bhringaraj, brahmi, reetha, shikakai, henna and so on.

As amla is said to check graying, one can drink daily the juice of one raw amla added to a glass of water. Some doctors also believe that strengthening the immune system also helps to check graying. Therefore, you can ask your doctor to prescribe Vitamins B-Complex and C.

One of the most important aspects of beauty is to be aware of the damage caused by chemical ingredients. Avoid treatments that mar the natural beauty of the skin and hair. The choice is yours.

(Inputs by: Beauty expert Shahnaz Husain)

Ways to fix your discoloured lips

Dark/discoloured lips could be due to an unhealthy lifestyle or bad hygiene habits.

 

If you smoke, here's one more reason to kick the butt. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of lips turning dark. Experts say that the nicotine present in cigarettes causes lip discolouration.

Your lips also need regular exfoliation. Use a soft bristle toothbrush to scrub your lips once a week. This will remove all dead skin and keep your lips pink, soft and healthy.

Experts say that massaging your lips regularly will improve circulation. Make a paste of crush almonds and lemon juice and massage it on your lips regularly. 

 

Lips also need to be hydrated and moisturized. Apply petroleum jelly or lip balm daily so that you don't suffer from dry and chapped lips. Use a balm, which has cocoa butter, known to be great for lips.

A simple home remedy to lighten dark lips is to crush pomegranate seeds and mix them with a few drops of milk cream. Apply this paste on your lips and leave for 20 minutes.

Top ten beauty myths

A new study says that nine out of 10 women admit to making grooming mistakes such as washing hair daily to bring more volume to it or plucking eyebrows too close to the mirror to get a perfect shape. 

The study has been conducted by professional hair care website Hairtrade.com, reports femalefirst.co.uk. 

"We all make hair and beauty mistakes but the good news is they can easily be put right and by doing so, may even save you time and money," said a spokeswoman from Hairtrade.com. 

Here are the 10 most common hair and beauty mistakes: 

Washing hair too much:

 One believe that by washing hair every day you're keeping it squeaky clean and in top condition. You're wrong. Washing locks so frequently means you strip them of their natural oils and are actually doing more harm than good. 

Applying too much conditioner: 

People apply conditioner all over hair like the way they do it with shampoo. The hair at roots is new and healthier so concentrate on the tips of hair. 

 

Not using a heat protector: 

There really is no excuse for not protecting hair while using hairdryers and straighteners most days. Blasting hair with heat without shielding it in some way will leave it dry, frizzy and in poor condition. 

Tying your ponytail in the same place: 

If you always wear your hair up in a tight ponytail, then try not to tie it in exactly the same place every day. It can cause too much tension on the hair and over time can weaken it. 

Forgetting to wash make-up brushes: 

It's one of those jobs you know you should do but just can't be bothered about. If you fail to give your brushes a good clean then not only will you have mixed colours, you are also allowing bacteria to build up. Aim to give your brushes a clean once a week. 

 

Neglecting neck: 

As part of your daily skin care routine, do you cleanse and moisturise your neck? Thought not. Don't stop at your chin, make sure you carry on and take care of the thin, delicate skin on your neck. This area can be prone to sensitivity so it is really important to look after it. 

Over-treating and over-covering spots:

It's too easy to apply every spot cream you have to your face as soon as you have a breakout, but don't. They work on your skin for hours so make sure you always follow the pack instructions to the letter. Likewise, don't cake them in make-up. Your skin needs time to breath. 

Applying foundation before moisturiser is dry: 

Moisturiser needs time to dry so give it a minute before you start applying your foundation. The creaminess of moisturiser can cause makeup to thin out, so if you apply too quickly you'll get a streaky look. 

 

Plucking eyebrows too close to the mirror:

If you pluck too close to the mirror you find yourself looking at every hair rather than looking at the overall shape of your eyebrows. This can leave you with thin, uneven brows. Instead use a large mirror and take a couple of steps back so you can see your whole face, not just your eyebrows. 

Yellow nails: 

If you love nail art and never leave the house without a new design or colour on your talons, then you could be prone to yellow nails. Constant decoration can change the natural colour of the nails. The answer? Always apply a base coat and this will help prevent the stains.

Master the formula for a pretty face

A perceptual psychologist explains the science behind beauty, and how to cheat your way to it

 

Archaeologists excavating sites at Harappa and Mohenjodaro say they stumbled on pots of kohl and red iron oxide (possibly used as rouge) used by the women of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Which means the Indian woman's need for make-up dates back to 3000 BC. It's no surprise then that the Indian cosmetic industry is estimated to be worth Rs 20,000 crore.

A professor of psychology in Pennsylvania, who has been researching the science of beauty for 10 years, swears by the power of make-up to cheat your way to attractiveness.

Using online surveys, human tests and statistical data derived from a large database of faces (of mostly students), Richard Russell of Gettysburg College, says, the 'perfect' face is a combination of prominent cheekbones, full lips and a neat nose determined by the facial measurements of the general population around you.

Can your nose do the math?

A key factor in determining how close you are to this 'perfection' is explained by how 'average' you are. A deformed ear can appear ugly. Hence, the averageness of a face with a deformed ear is calculated as low. "A hooked nose, droopy eye or a jutting chin could all contribute to a lower averageness," says Russell. The less average you are, the further you are away from 'beauty'.

For instance, consider a woman with close-set eyes. The distance between a lady's eyes helps determine how attractive she is to others (ideal horizontal distance between eyes: 46%, or a little less than half, of the width of the face). The close-seteyes lady can inch closer to her goal by extending her eyeliner beyond the corner of her eyes, and giving it an upward flick.

 

For droopy ideas, make-up artiste Clint Fernandes suggests using a darker shade of eye shadow on the outer corners. "An eyeliner will help define the shape, and eye shadow will erase the crease line in the socket below the eyebrow. This helps 'lift' the eyes. Attaching fake lashes a tiny distance higher than where your real ones start creates the illusion of wider eyes," he suggests.

Your arch nemesis 

Usually, a woman's eyebrows tend to be at a higher distance away from the eyelid. This is what contributes to how the brain perceives the male and female quotient of every face. The more feminine a woman's face, the prettier it appears. This is characterised by an oblong shape, narrow jaw and high cheekbones. A man's face tends to be angular, with a firm broad jaw. Women striving to inch closer to the ideal of beauty, must therefore, pluck their eyebrows with care.

"Never tweeze or thread hair from the upper arch. Also, an arch that's too high will leave you looking permanently surprised," says Fernandes.

For higher, chiselled cheekbones, make-up artiste Celina Rajamanickam uses two tones of blush, blended.

"Use a darker tone from the base of your ear up along the cheek. The lighter shade should rest above it, and then blend the two with a thick brush," she says. Use the same rule across the sides of the nose to make it appear slimmer.

The fairer sex 

After studying the faces of men and women across ethnic groups in the US, Europe and Asia, Russell discovered that pigmentation was a key difference between the sexes. Biologically, women are a few tones lighter than men in their race, he explains. Hence, the craving for fairer skin universally.

He adds that the contrast between the lips and eyes, and the surrounding areas is greater in women than in men. Which is why, when a woman accentuates her eyes and lips with kohl and lipstick, accentuates this contrast, appearing more feminine, and thus, attractive.

The bright red vintage lipstick trend is a way to exaggerate this contrast of colours between the skin and lips. Researchers relate the fullness and colour of lips with fertility because blood flow in the face is believed to be heightened. "Steffie Paul (in pic) has naturally full lips, and highlighting them with lip gloss heightens the pleasantness of her face," explains Rajamanickam.

Learn your lines 

Correspondingly, age lines and wrinkles darken the skin. "An older woman with smartly applied make-up will look like her younger self. The idea of youth and health is hence perceived as beautiful," says Russell.

Puffiness around the eyes can be tackled with neutral tones of foundation and concealer. Fernandes suggests you use it sparingly mask blemishes and spots.