Soaps-some facts about them

Health and hygiene are important for the very existence and well-being of mankind. Hygiene without soap is as unimaginable as breathing without oxygen. When soaps are rubbed on the skin, a little of it separates and unites with the grease of the skin. It also softens the superficial layers of the skin and facilitates their removal by water. This is the reason behind the fresh feel we get after a bath.

Why is soap used?
Our skin gets enveloped in layers of dust, grime and dead cells in which bacteria and germs thrive well, also giving it an unclean dull appearance. To avoid this,soap is used in conjunction with water to clean the skin. The function of water is to wet the skin. Now the soap can be worked into a lather which disperses dirt and grease, enabling it to be washed with additional splashes of water.

Soap-flip side
While washing away the dirt, soap has a drying effect on the skin. So excessive and frequent use of soap should be avoided. It can strip the skin of its protective coating and make it vulnerable to infections. Again, if after using a soap, the skin gets irritated or appears shiny, it is not suitable for you.

Types of soaps
We have toilet soaps, scrubbing soaps, laundry soaps, carpet soaps, medicated soaps, aroma therapy ‘body bars’ and several more soaps flooding the market. There are also special soaps for babies, cleansing gels and face washes too. Body soaps are available for our canine friends too! The present craze for herbal products has been extended towards soaps also. Soaps with Neem, lavender, sandalwood and other essential oils are also available. New additions are soaps with fruit and flower essence and fragrance – peach, apple raspberry, cherry, aloe vera , almond etc.

Toilet soaps are also available as bottled body wash. Liquid soaps are also widely used for washing hands, especially at hotels, clinics, airports and other public places. Medicated soaps are used for skin problems: sulphur soap is used for scabies, naphthol soap for psoriasis and soap with carbolic acid for antiseptic effects. Glycerin soaps being mild are mostly prescribed for those with dry skin.

Points to remember while selecting a soap:
* Choose a soap which suits your skin type.
* The soap should have a mild perfume or color. Strong perfumes might be used to mask odor of substandard fat. Again, dark color might be used to conceal the dirty color of other harmful ingredients.
* If a soap causes allergic reaction, then discontinue its use immediately.
* Soap with a good percentage of olive oil is good for baby’s skin.
* Soap with a high percentage of moisturizer is good for winter, in summer, a lemon or lime-based soap is more refreshing.

See also: Baths/ Shampooing your hair/ Body Odor /About deodorants and anti-perspirants

Highly Effective Indian Home remedies For Delayed Periods

Delayed periods or Irregular menstrual periods have become very common these days for a lot of women in their reproductive age and they suffer great agonies when their period does not come on time. A delay of 4-5 days may be fine but if it exceeds 8 days, then it's certainly a cause for concern. In this post, I'll be sharing highly effective Indian home remedies for your delayed periods . I'd been a long sufferer of irregular periods during my teenage to early twenties. I've tried most of the recipes here, along with Kapalabhati pranayama, yoga poses, mudras and other lifestyle habits. Now my periods are extremely regular like clockwork; not a day less or more than 28. When I look back, I'm surprised how I managed those years of anxiety and fear about my late periods.

The ache of acne (pimples)

Acne is often the bane of a pretty face. It is painful more emotionally than physically, for the scar that it leaves behind can last for a lifetime, adding to one’s miserable look & feeling. No doubt many expensive skin care clinics have mushroomed in ever nook & corner, offering to clear all the scars & blemishes on the face, but they are very expensive & charge exorbitant price for each sitting; not everyone can afford them. So why not try out this simple skin care regimen to minimize the damage caused by acne & as far as possible prevent its eruption.

Aspirin for acne-prone skin

Aspirin has been around for a long time and its health benefits are wide and varied. Aspirin , or acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains , as an antipyretic to reduce fever , and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin's greatest benefit is reducing cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes. According to the American Heart Assoc. virtually all women are at risk of heart disease and doctors should more strongly consider prescribing a daily aspirin for their female patients. There is growing evidence to suggest regular aspirin use may reduce cancer and dementia as well. Investigators from the Women's Health Study have reported important new findings demonstrating that aspirin reduces the risk of a first stroke in women. When given to someone immediately after a heart attack, aspirin decreases death by 25%.

Comments

Anonymous11:27 AM
use camper soap they have special shampoo and conditioner too! and it 's good for the environment cost more then normal stuff but it's natural meaning the bugs won't be as bad smell the chemicals they put in the stuff we normally by!
Malini9:06 AM
The soap I’ve found to be best for my face is Dead Sea Mud soap from Adovia. It is expensive, but the bars last a long time…and what price wouldn’t you pay for a safer, better product?