Beauty and Personal Grooming

Coconut oil, due its high saturated fat content was branded as unhealthy and artery-clogging which could cause heart diseases. This claim has been widely disproved by the scientific community and it is now being hailed as one of world’s healthiest cooking oils. Though it may take time, perceptions are slowly changing as people are beginning to realize its tremendous benefits. Coconuts and coconut oil have always been a part of the cuisine in tropical countries like India (South) and Sri Lanka and even today coconut is indispensable in their diet. For now, let’s leave aside the health benefits and focus our attention on the beauty uses of this wonderful oil. South Indian women swear by it. They attribute their dense, long, raven black hair and a flawless , clear complexion to good genes and the liberal use of coconut oil in their diet and beauty regimen.

If you are on the lookout for brushing your teeth with some natural ingredients and herbs, then neem twigs, Tulsi (Basil ) powder, babool bark, dried orange peel powder are all good. Our ancestors who used these had strong teeth and they could chomp chikoos and sugarcane with equal ease. For a change if you would like to make your own toothpowder, then you here’s a simple recipe which I got to know from a naturopath. Try this if you can procure the ingredients. Ingredients: Tulsi (Basil) leaves powder -2 tbsp Neem leaves powder -2 tbsp Saindhav salt -2 tbsp Jatamansi -2 tbsp Ashes (Bhasma) of almond shells – 2 tbsp Roasted betelnut powder – 2 tbsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder- 2 tsp Method: Grind all these to powder which is slightly coarse. Use this powder to brush your teeth in the morning and at night before you retire to bed. If you want you may also use it after every meal. This is supposed to help with disorders of teeth, including pyhorrhea. Re...

This winter I used a herbal face wash specially formulated for normal to dry skin . Normally I would have chosen a strong anti-bacterial face wash for my acne-prone, oily skin . But as I had mentioned in my previous post , this year the chilly winter air nearly altered my skin’s texture making it itchy and dry. That’s why, these days, I completely avoided using masks/scrubs having even the slightest drying effect. I wanted something gentle for my skin and so I purchased this Himalaya Herbals’ Gentle Face Wash Cream, meant for normal to dry skin . It has a creamy base and a lovely herbal aroma. And the best part -- it is enriched with the goodness of cool cucumber and moisturizing aloevera . Besides, it is hypoallergenic, does not contain harmful chemicals and is not tested on animals. I just squeezed a little of it on my palm and after moistening my face with water applied it in gentle, circular motions. Then I splashed cold water on my face to rinse it off. It did not ...

Though there are several factors leading to body odor, excessive perspiration is the most common cause. Read all about it in Body Odor – the ultimate social disaster . Here are some more effective home remedies to combat body odour: * Try bathing with water to which alum is added. * Add 3 cups of tomato juice in your bath tub and soak yourself in it. * Bathe at least twice a day in summer if you live in tropical countries. * Wash your armpits with a good quality body wash or use a home made bath powder like this for scrubbing. * You can also use baking soda as deodorant. * Or you could even use cornstarch instead. * Turnip juice also helps. Grate a turnip and extract the juice. Strain it through a cheese cloth and wash your armpits with this. * If you are comfortable with wheat grass juice therapy, you might try taking around 500 mg of wheat grass juice daily on an empty stomach or the first thing in the morning. This helps a lot in reducing body odor. * Apple ...

You have zits all over your face and desperately yearn for a clear complexion. You also love listening to music. Then this is the gadget that will fulfill both your needs. A Tokyo based company has come up with a weird MP3 player which claims to zap pimples instantly. According to this source , it’s a pretty ordinary 1.2-ounce mpion MP3 player that holds only 128MB of music (approx 20 mins), but promises to clear your face of zits while pumping melodious tunes into your ears. Apparently, you have to touch the device to the offending area as you listen to tunes, flip the switch to minus, and hold for 5-10 minutes. Allegedly, the negative ions open pores and replenish moisture. Then you have to flip it to positive and hold to reduce oil and close your pores back up. The price is rather steep and it costs around 21000 yen, which works out to about $185. Does this gadget actually work on pimples? Absolutely, no idea.

I love early morning showers . It perks me up and keeps me energized and refreshed for the whole day. To hydrate and soothe my skin during bathing, I used Lux Silk Nourishment Body wash . It is packaged with the goodness of creamy yoghurt, honey and olive extracts and costs only Rs.40 for a 125 ml bottle . You also get a free loofah with it to make your bathing experience more enriching. You have to just pour a few drops on the wet loofah and gently rub it all over your skin in circular motions. It works up loads of rich creamy lather, so you need to use only a little of it; hence very economical. It definitely left my skin moisturized and soft after use but didn’t give a super silky feel as it claimed. But I have to admit that this body wash is much, much better than the other drying soaps that I have used before. The fragrance isn’t particularly strong, but it isn’t so pleasant either. That’s fine with me as it lasted only till I was done with my shower. Take your pic...

We all know that the skin around the eyes is the thinnest while that on the soles of our feet is the thickest . However this does not in any way make the skin on the soles immune to problems. In fact, our feet are often bugged by problems of corns and calluses due to one reason or the other. Vagaries of seasons also take their toll. In monsoons , for instance, excessive moisture collected around the toes causes fungal infections . Winters are no good as they tend to give cracked soles and feet .

Black pepper (Kali Mirch) , a highly valued kitchen ingredient when sprinkled over bland tasting dishes not just adds punch to them but has amazing health benefits as well. If you go through one of the previous posts , you will know how to make the best use of this spice to treat minor ailments and upsets like coughs , toothaches , indigestion , loss of appetite , bloating and flatulence , pains and even to dry out pimples and deal with skin disorders like eczema . Speaking of skin disorders, it has been recently found that this wonder-spice can cure a skin disease vitiligo . Actually, Vitiligo/Leucoderma is a condition in which areas of skin lose their normal pigments and turn white. National Vitiligo Foundation elaborates: “Patients with vitiligo develop white spots in the skin that vary in size and location. The spots occur when pigment cells, or melanocytes, are destroyed and the pigment melanin can no longer be produced.” Researchers at King’s college in London carrie...

Long, slender fingers in women are not just to be admired; they indicate much more. For instance, people with exceptionally long ring fingers and specifically women may have a greater risk of developing arthritis in their knees, independent of other risk factors, according to new research . Index to ring finger length ratio (referred to as 2D:4D) is a trait known for its differences between the sexes. Usually, women's index and ring fingers are of equal length, while men’s second finger is a little shorter than the fourth. So according to the study , women with the male pattern of length ratio - that is, ring finger relatively longer than the index finger - are more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. The difference between the lengths of a woman's index and ring fingers could also be an indicator of a woman’s sporting prowess. A study carried out on 607 women participants found that the highest achievement in any sport was strongly linked to a low second to fourth finger ra...

Back-pain is a bothersome problem which affects almost all age groups. And it’s often triggered when we move or lift exceptionally heavy objects. All the while we keep on hearing the goody-goody advice on how to keep the spine straight and to bend at the knees while lifting such objects as these techniques do not strain the back muscles. But does it actually help? Maybe not, claims a new study. Researchers now say these habits may not be particularly effective in preventing backaches or back injuries as was previously thought. There seems to be no evidence that these techniques work. A study was conducted on 18000 manual workers where they were divided into two groups. One group was trained and they scrupulously followed the supposed back-strain preventing techniques while lifting heavy weights while the other group didn’t. The find ings of the study didn’t show any marked difference in back pains or back injuries sustained by the two groups. Dr Verbeek says, “The techniques th...

Clay therapy is held in high esteem in alternative medicinal systems like naturopathy and Ayurveda .For long, clay and mud packs have been used to cool the body. Naturopaths insist that clay has a wonderful and unique property of absorbing toxins from the body. According to them, the significance of clay or mud as an external therapeutic agent rivals that of water itself. If we look back in time we find some references about the legendary queen Cleopatra’s penchant for bizarre and uncommon beauty rituals. Clay or a mud pack was also one of her favorite beauty aids , which she used for a tightening effect. Nearer home, we have Multani mitti (fuller’s earth) (Buy from here . )that is being used as a cleansing face pack and which works wonders with oily skin . This face pack absorbs excess sebum and removes deep-seated dirt and grime and hence it is highly recommended during the hot summer months.

Should you forget about contact lenses or laser eye surgery / LASIK and switch over to good old glasses instead? Do you feel that people will start taking you seriously if your wear glasses ? Can glasses do something to your ordinary looks and help you earn more respectability? Anyone can look good by choosing the right type of spectacle frames , say the Oogmerk opticians . To make spectacle wearing popular, they have come up with an interesting ad “ Get the respect you deserve .” While  you may disapprove of the way some people and professions are portrayed in these ads , you will surely agree with me that these ads are quite creative, fresh and different. Take a look. It will certainly make you smile. Courtesy

I just adore this wonder herb called aloevera and am fascinated by its multifarious uses. Fresh aloevera gel is one of my favorite beauty aids. I use it for just about anything – as a hydrating mask , as a conditioner , as an antidote for dandruff and last but not the least to soothe minor burns . I have a special preference for natural skin care products which contain aloe. So when I received a bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion, I was more than willing to try and test this product on my skin. Besides aloe-gel, it contains chamomile extracts, arnica, antioxidants like vitamin-E, and a humectant which is 6 times more effective than glycerin – and all these ingredients play a major role in skin care. It’s also hypoallergenic, paraben free and not tested on animals. Surely these reasons are compelling enough for anyone to consider using it without any qualms.

When an insect bite or an allergy to some cream which you had applied sparks off an itch, you promptly feel an urge to scratch that area to get relief. Has it ever occurred to you as to why scratching an itch feels so good? Researchers do have an answer. A study conducted by Dr. Gil Yosipovitch, a dermatologist from North Carolina , has revealed that scratching temporarily numbs the part of the brain linked to unpleasant thoughts and memories. And the more intensely a person was scratched, the less activity they found in these areas of the brain. Dr Yosipovitch explains: It’s quite possible that scratching suppresses the emotional components of the itch and brings about relief.” It has also been found why one scratch often begets another. Scratching also raises activity in brain regions related to compulsion – so that explains why we sometimes can't help but feel like sitting for hours and hours just to scratch. 

If wading in the cool waters of a swimming pool during weekends is your idea of breaking from the monotony and humdrum of daily activities, then you are indeed a wise fitness freak, who combines leisure, hobby and exercise in an amazing way. And why not - swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises around with tremendous health benefits. However there are certain tribulations that have to be faced. Most swimming pools, especially in the third world countries use chlorine as it is the cheapest and one of the most efficient ways of disinfecting the waters. The chlorine levels in the pool waters have to be monitored constantly and regulated carefully to maintain a recommended pH level. Correct levels of chlorine in waters don’t pose much of a health hazard. But if the level becomes too high, the water can become acidic and swimming in such over-chlorinated waters can cause many problems. Our skin is very vulnerable. Water by itself can dehydrate the skin - excessive...

Eye color can be changed in a matter of few minutes, thanks to colored contact lenses . However, can the eye color that you are born with help you to discover something about youself? Or in other words, can eye color help people to trace their lineages or track their ancestral roots? At least people with blue eyes can, if new research is to be believed. According to this article in LiveScience , a recent study has found that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor.

While some women simply can’t stand strong smelling perfumes or are allergic to it, others simply can’t do without spritzing a generous amount of it on their bodies. Wearing excessive perfumes might be a personal preference but if some studies are to be believed, this could also signify a depressed state of mind in some women . Yes, you heard it right. Wearing strong scented perfumes has a link with depression . A depressed state of mind wreaks havoc on the human body to the extent of even affecting the olfactory nerves and bringing about a loss in our sense of smell, say the researchers at Tel Aviv. That’s why depressed women are found to doll up with too much of perfume to overcompensate for their reduced sense of smell . Depression also makes some men to slap on too much cologne , they ad d. Dr Shoenfeld who is conducting the research says that loss of weight is one of the first signs of depression. And as it also has a bearing on your sense of smell, you don't eat eno...