Beauty and Personal Grooming

Bad breath is a common problem and a cause for social embarrassment faced by majority of adults; in children it is comparatively rare. Very rarely will people tell the sufferer that he/she has it and the sufferers themselves may be quite unaware of it. One simple test that helps to detect it is to lick the back of your hand and sniff it. This puts your saliva and mouth odor under your nose and is a good guide to the state of your breath. Once bad breath is confirmed, the next step is treatment which will be based on the factors causing the same.

Pearls are amongst the oldest and most universal of all gems and the only gem made by a living animal, the pearl oyster. Throughout history, the pearl, with its warm inner glow and shimmering iridescence, has been one of the most prized and sought-after gems. Pearls have been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence.

Beauty isn’t skin-deep. This saying is true as far as our health and looks are concerned. Emotions rule our life and have a powerful effect on our health. There are two types of emotions viz. positive and negative. Positive emotions enhance the beauty of the face, whereas pessimistic ones lessen it. Some facts about positive emotions:

Though we cannot do without them, feet are probably the most neglected areas of our body. They do not receive as much care and attention as do our face, hair and hands. Our feet endure a lot of wear and tear in the course of the day. So it is our duty to protect them, pamper them and guard them from infections. Strong, clean and well-looked after feet invite admiring glances from everyone.   Here are a few suggestions for foot care: * Always try to keep your feet clean and dry. Wash your feet as soon as you come from outside or if you have just finished gardening. Pay special attention while drying your feet. Always ensure that you dry your feet well, especially between the toes. * Pamper your feet with the luxury of foot bath when they ache. Foot bath not only relieves pain, but also banishes bad odor of the feet and prevents cracking. Add 1 tbsp common salt and a few rose petals to warm water kept in a tub, and soak your aching feet in it for 10-15 minutes. During winter u...

At one time, applying only face powder constituted the total make-up and one depended entirely on it to look good. The heavy and pure white powder of yesteryear was the favorite beauty aid to augment one’s appearance. But, today we have fine powder in varied s hades to match individual skin textures. Translucent face powder is most popular and easiest to use since it has very little of a color and allows natural skin tone to glow through it. Applied over a foundation or on its own, it helps to take a shine off the face. It is good for oily skin as it absorbs excess oil, does not clog pores and blends well into the skin. Found in 3 tones, light, dark and medium – you can select the one that suits you.

Why should you shampoo the hair? Shampooing is an integral part of hair care. Dirt from the air, natural oils and scalp secretions, hair dressings, hair sprays, gels etc. cling to the hair shaft and make thorough cleansing absolutely essential.Shampoo cleanses the hair and gives it a pleasant, lingering fragrance. Clean hair is beautiful hair. Use a shampoo and not a soap to clean hair It is a must to use a shampoo and not soap. Soap has carbonate in it, which remains on the hair after it has been rinsed and over the long haul makes the hair coarse and brittle. Choosing the right shampoo The ideal shampoo is the one which removes dirt and oil from the hair without drying or damaging the hair, leaving it clean, bright and manageable. Today the market is flooded with various brands of shampoos. Choose your shampoo very carefully according to the condition & type of hair. Shampoos are ‘tailor made’ to suit different needs. For instance, dandruff prone scalps require medicated shampoos...

Masks are a marvelous way to pamper yourself with, besides their being one of the oldest forms of beautifying treatment. You put on a preparation, leave it for 10 to 20 minutes and then wash it off. There are many different kinds of masks: some act as pick-me-up, some have nourishing, healing or cleansing actions, some whip up the circulation and some others have an astringent action. Unfortunately, masks cannot perform miracles but they do freshen up the skin and leave it soft and glowing. They cannot be used everyday, but once a week or just when your skin needs a boost. One of the most important things to remember, when using a mask, is to relax completely. Lie with your feet up, put on eye-pads and relax. 

These are visible as black dots on the skin surface. These occur when there is an increased activity of the sebaceous glands and an accumulation of oil, dirt and dead cells in the pores. Mostly, people with oily skin have them. These are mostly found on the face, nose, chin and forehead. You should never pick them up as this sometimes results in infection and even permanent marks. Although obstinate and persistent, they usually respond to treatment and can be removed. Treatment advised is deep cleansing, steaming, extraction, mask & avoiding faulty food.

So you need to wear glasses. A neat pair of glasses can actually enhance your features or compensate for your not- so- perfect facial features to make you look good. Frames first. These are basically either plastic, metal-rimmed or half eyes, with a whole range of permutations and colors, couture designs as well as conservative styles. Here’s how you can choose the correct spectacle frame for your face:   Color of the frames: Fair persons should opt for pastel shades, clear or metal frames, leaving the horn-rims and dramatic shades for people with a dark complexion. Basically, as regards frame color, emphasis can be made on eye color by echoing it in a deeper shade, or the frames can match the hair color.

Normal hair is glossy, healthy and sleek with a clear shine. It is neither greasy nor dry. This type of hair looks good in any style. You are really lucky if you have this type of hair. The flip side is that this type of hair can have dry ends. Normal hair also needs good care to maintain the natural beauty. If you have this kind of hair, maintain it by following these simple steps: *Massage your hair twice a week with warm coconut oil. *Give your hair hot-towel treatment twice a month. Then shampoo it. For this refer article on dry hair . *Use a mild shampoo enriched with vitamins for normal hair. Always buy a shampoo with conditioner. * While conditioning, massage the conditioner into the ends to give them extra protection *Let the hair dry the natural way.

Speech is unique to human beings, and voice is a powerful medium. The voice is not only the medium for conveying the message, but also an outlet for expression of feelings.  While most of us use voice only for conversing with fellow beings, there are others who need to use their voice a lot for their professions; teachers, clergymen, preachers, singers, actors, dubbing artists, TV presenters to name a few.  It is these people who need to take utmost care of their voice so that they don’t develop problems. Like other faculties, age too takes its toll on the voice.  Around the age of 45, subtle variations in the voice start occurring in both sexes. In males, the habitual pitch starts to go up and in females it tends to slide down. 

Go and stand in front of a mirror. What kind of image do you see? Do you see yourself as a confident, healthy, pleasing person? Do you love yourself? Do you accept yourself fully with all your plus and minus points? Are you happy with your self image? If you are not, it means you do not have adequate self-esteem (self-respect). Besides good health and other basic needs of life, self-esteem is a requisite to keep you happy. Self-esteem is also important for maintaining good mental health. It is one of the major ingredients in the formula for success. According to Brian Tracy: "Your self-esteem is probably the most important part of your personality. It precedes and predicts your performance in almost everything you do." "Your level of self-esteem is really your level of mental fitness. To perform at your best and to feel terrific about yourself, you should be in a perpetual state of self-esteem." When self-esteem is very low, it is difficult for you...

Staying properly hydrated is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to stay in good health. DAILY WATER CONSUMPTION For normal metabolism, a human body releases 500ml of water in the form of urine every day. Through breathing and sweating, the body releases another 500ml-800ml of water. Therefore maintaining a content of 1000ml of water in one’s body is of utmost importance at all times. IMPROVES BLOOD CIRCULATION Water helps the blood in transporting nutrients, antibodies and blood cells to infected areas when sick and it removes toxin and waste from the body. With this, it smoothens metabolism and at the same time increases the immunity of the body.

Though torrential rains have lashed most parts of South India, some parts of North India are still in the throes of the hot summer. Whether it is to quench your thirst or for a celebration, a cool refreshing drink is always welcome in summer. Benefits of drinking juices in summer In summer, juices not only help in overcoming fatigue but also boost energy and work wonders in a state of dehydration. Moreover they are rich in various kinds of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, low in calories and boost the immune system. Water melons, juicy grapes, oranges, mangoes and melting pears are all filled with the goodness of summer. Mango, the king of the fruits is the hot favorite and a ‘welcome guest’ of this season. So make the most of this fruit while it is there.

Our sense of humor abandons us right when we need it the most- on a really bad day. We seem to associate growing up with “getting serious”. Sometimes we suppress our laughter simply because we are afraid of what others will think of us. Our funny bone gets broken.

Of all the herbs available in the kitchen garden, aloe is perhaps the richest in healing properties and has been rightly named the “first-aid” plant. It has moisturizing and emollient properties and is used in cosmetic creams, sun-lotions, shaving creams and face packs. It can easily be cultivated as a house-plant in a sunny warm spot with good drainage. Cosmetologists mix aloe with several other herbs and draft fancy names for it. Then these “herbal” avatars are sold at exorbitant prices. Growing a plant and using fresh gel is much more effective than bottled gel, simply because it is alive and therefore is more potent. It is the only plant whose extract is applied directly from plant to face in its natural and purest form.

This type of hair is straight, shiny and dull. It gives a bouncy look the day you shampoo, but the next day it starts looking dull and lifeless. It is lank, cannot keep its style and can easily become smelly as dust particles tend to stick easily due to oiliness of the hair. Dandruff is a major problem with this type of hair. If this is your hair type, maintain your hair in the following way.