Natural Body Care

 

You must be aspiring for a sound health and a good skin and thus go for various body care treatments. Previously only women used to be more conscious then men but now situation has completely been changed. Lately everybody both men and women are very much conscious about their health and body and regularly go to the fitness centers and beauty salons.

To make your body fit and skin healthy you have to make certain changes in your life style. A healthy and balanced diet helps reduce many health and skin problems. Also a regular skin care should be done properly in order to keep them glowing and problem free. A lots of body care products are available in the market but only some of the brands maintain their quality. Thus before choosing any brand, you must go for a little bit study and research. For overall fitness physical exercises on a regular basis is essential. Yoga also helps to decrease many problems. 

Skin care

It really matters a bit whether you have a darkish or whitish complexion but a glowing and healthy skin always makes you charming and attractive. To have a healthy and glowing skin you must follow certain health care rules, such as washing hands and face with a mild or herbal soap, applying moisturizer after washing them etc. Also you should go to a salon for a regular facial treatment. Nails should also be taken care properly and manicure as well as pedicure must be done once a month. You can also go for some homemade masks which you can easily prepare with your kitchen ingredients. Some are as follows:

Take one tablespoon lime juice, one tablespoon curd and a pinch of turmeric powder. Make a paste and apply it your face. Leave it for ten to fifteen minutes and then wash the face with lukewarm water. Do it at least three days a week and you will have a magical charm in your face within a month.

Squeeze out juice from a cucumber with the help of a mixer and mix it with one teaspoon honey and apply on the face. Leave it for five minutes and wash it with regular water. You can do it regularly to get an early result.

OTO BodyCare

If you are figure conscious but can’t carve out time to go to any fitness center then you can make a petite gym in your home with OTO’s fitness equipments. They are just awesome. As we all know, OTO BodyCare is famous for producing top rated health care machineries and equipments. OTO Monitoring and diagnostic equipments, fitness equipments as well as therapeutic machineries are gaining popularity world wide. OTO has launched several outlets in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Superdrug body care products

If you are looking for branded products then must visit a Superdrug store. Superdrug is one of the leading cosmetic retail stores in the United Kingdom. This organization has a number of outlets in several parts of UK. Superdrug always sales reputed and branded body care products and of all Nivea, Colgate, and Palmolive products are the most popular.

Beauty tips for healthy body and skin

• Try to avoid fast food and eat lots green vegetables and fruits. You can also go for steamed food. Also eat some dairy products including yogurt and paneer.
  
  
• Always apply sunscreen lotion or sun block cream before going out.
  
  
• You must go for a little bit workout or yoga on a regular basis. It will keep you fit and fine.

Care for Lips

Care for Lips

Treat Dark Lips and Chapped Lips!
To get nice and beautiful lips:
A beautiful smile lights up a day. It makes your face more beautiful and lively. Your lips are the most important and exquisitely sensitive part of your body. And therefore you have to take special care of your lips. 

The common lips problems are:

* Dark Lips
* Cracked lips

1) Dark Lips:
You will be surprised to know that our lips unlike most part of our body do not have any melanin pigment to protect them. Lips are covered on the outside by a thin layer of skin and on the inside by virtually transparent mucous membranes.
Therefore it is necessary to take care of our lips and to eat well-balanced food and lots of fruits.

If you have dark lips you have to do the following………

* Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
* Stop smoking.
* Avoid lipstick.
* Apply a layer of oil and leave it on for several hours. Best apply before going to bed
* Mix coconut oil and almond oil in equal quantity. Apply a coat of this on the lips and leave on overnight. This has to be done daily for at least two weeks for best results.
* Massage lips: Every night with a mixture of 1/2 tsp. Glycerine and 1/2 tsp. Castor oil with 1/2 tsp. Lemon juice and leave overnight.
* Apply cream from curds with saffron on your lips.

2) Cracked Lips:
Lips do not produce oil like our skin, because they have no oil producing glands. The skin on our lips is actually mucous membrane, so for them to remain smooth and chap free is a bit of a challenge. The most common cause of cracked lips are allergic reaction to cosmetics, skin infections, extreme weather conditions like excess sun and wind exposure, biting of the lips or a vitamin B deficiency.

If you have cracked lips you have to do the following………

* Protect the lips from weather by applying heavy plain cream.
* Avoid licking your lips.
* To cure dry chapped lips apply peanut butter or coco butter to your lips before going to bed.
* Grind rose petals with cream on the top of milk and apply on lips to cure the cracked lips
* Take vitamin B, C foods in diet.
* Mix 2 drops of glycerine with 1 tsp of cream on the top of milk and apply to lips to cure the chapped lips and keep overnight to get smooth and shiny lips.
* Mix equal quantities of nutmeg, turmeric, and fresh butter and apply to lips.
* Hot water fomentation, followed by a mixture of Vaseline and honey applied on the lips at least thrice a week will prevent lips from chapping.
* Lips should be moisturized and exfoliated. Exfoliate lips with your gentle facial scrub using a toothbrush or just the tips of your fingers. You can make a paste using baking soda and water to exfoliate lips as well. Work it for a minute and then rinse with lukewarm water.

General Care for lips
* Apply cold cream or moisturizer or lip balm before applying lipstick.
* To get natural pink lips apply beetroot juice before bed.
* Grind rose petals and apply on lips to get smooth pink lips
* Apply menthol based lip balm and take an old brush and brush gently on lips (don t rub too hard, because lip are very sensitive) to get rid off chapped lips. 

Beauty Tips-Fruit recipes 

Fruits not only add physical strength to life but also fresh fruit make perfect face masks because they contain a large quantity of fruit acids, vitamins and enzymes and when applied to the skin have a powerful exfoliating cause that leaves the skin feeling soft, smooth and gleaming

Accessory Fruits

Accessory fruits examples are apple, strawberry, quince, pineapple, watermelon etc..

Strawberry

The strawberry is a accessory fruit as discussed earlier; that is, the fleshy part is derived not from the ovaries (which are the "seeds", actually achene) but from the peg at the bottom of the hypanthia that held the ovaries. So from a technical standpoint could be, the seeds that are the actual fruits of the plant, and the flesh of the strawberry is a vegetable. It is greenish-white as it develops and in most species turns red when ripe. The rosette growth of the plants is a well-known characteristic. Most of the species send out long slender runners that actually produce a new bud at the extremity. The leaves typically have three leaflets, but the number of leaflets may be five or one

Apple

Apple tree is a deciduous tree. The spring season is the most ideal for the apple flowers to bloom along with the leaves. Flowers are white, initially tinged pink with five petals. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple oval with an acute tip and serrated margin, slightly downy below, 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm petiole. The season for the apple fruits is usually the autumn. Apples are always known for healthy reasons as said "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". There are many reasons for why we say so! Apples are suggested to reduce certain levels of risk of colon, prostate and lung cancer.

Apples are a host of Vitamin C and antioxidant compounds, which explains the reduced risk of cancer. The fiber in the fruit is responsible for reducing the risk of colon cancer. They weight much for their rich calorie content. There are about 2500 known apple varieties, so you can try at least ten among them.

Watermelon

Watermelon is the fruit and also plant of a vine-like (climber and trailer) herb originally from southern Africa. This flowering plant bears an accessory fruit of a type that are actually botanist's call a false berry. The watermelon fruit are, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Curcumas) it has a smooth exterior rind and a juicy, sweet, usually carries red interior flesh. The species descriptor Catullus vulgaris is sometimes, synonymously, used to refer to this plant (vulgaris meaning "common"). Fresh watermelon could be eaten in a variety of ways and is also often used to flavor summer drinks and smoothies all taste good. The simplest way to cut a watermelon is to slice it crossways and then to slice the resulting round slabs into halves or quarters. This method is generally used in a casual setting where people do not mind the juices flowing everywhere.

Since the rind provides a handle, no utensils are needed. If the watermelon is to be eaten in conjunction with a meal, it is generally cut into bite-sized squares or balled with a melon baler. The resulting pieces are often mixed with other melons and fruits and possibly syrup to form a fruit salad.

Pineapple

The pineapple is a fruit native to the Asian tropics, with a delicate and fresh fragrance that's simply irresistible! The top of the fruit resembles a royal crown or as some would say the feathers of the mythical Phoenix bird and the flesh is golden like the skin of the Asian pear. In Taiwanese the pronunciation of the word pineapple sounds like a propitious blessing of good fortune and future prosperity. It is a popular custom to decorate one's home or office with symbols resembling the lucky and auspicious pineapple to ensure that all of one's efforts will be blessed and all of one's goals will come to fruition. The pineapple has been referred to in traditional culture as the best gift for a house warming party and upon the opening of a new business or to wish one's favorite political candidate success at the election boxes. The pineapple was introduced to Taiwan long ago and during the 19th century had become a common fruit throughout the island. After the end of Japanese domination in Taiwan, the government engaged in aggressive promotion of pineapple cultivation and within a decade the region around Chiayi County had become a key producer of a hardy melting pot variety of cross-bred pineapples.

Since the pineapple enjoys high temperatures and has excellent drought resistant properties and locations where the temperature differentiates throughout the year and during the day are most ideal for pineapple propagation. Spring are ideally conducive to the natural climactic demands of the pineapple for the environment and weather. A wide variety of pineapples have been developed including the atemoya ice-cream-tree pineapple, winter honey pineapple, ice cream pineapple, fragrant apple pineapple, perfume pineapple and etc. Pineapples do not have the advantage of long-term storage, so for export purposes it is usually harvested early to prevent deterioration in quality during shipment. Taiwan pineapples are exported mainly to the Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canadian.

Berries

A berry is a simple fruit with seeds and pulp formed from a single ovary. In non-technical usage, berry means any small fruit that can be eaten whole and lacks objectionable seeds. The bramble fruits, compound fruits of genus Rabus (blackberries), are some of the most popular pseudo-berries. There are different varieties of berries which are classified as true berries and false berries.

 

Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Some Medicinal Uses of Oil

Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Some Medicinal Uses of Oil

Athi Oil

Athi oil is obtained by processing leaves, bark and fruits of Athi tree (Ficus retusa). The oil is used in treating cuts, burns, sores etc. It is an excellent home remedy for cat bite. This oil is still used in Tamil villages for treating the above-mentioned conditions. To prepare this oil you need the bark of athi tree, athi leaves, sesame oil and athi fruit.

The athi bark is powdered thoroughly. Tender athi leaves are ground to a fine paste. Same with tender athi fruits. The three are mixed thoroughly. This mixture is then added to sesame oil and then stored in a cool, dark place. After a week, you can start using the oil. Apply a thin coat of oil on the body. Skin diseases like eczema, scabies, skin allergies etc can be cured with regular application. This oil is very effective in treating acne and pimples. It is found to cure even persistent and tough acne, septic and pus filled pimples, acne scars etc. Athi oil is well known for its action on chronic sores and ulcers.

Cardamom Oil

Cardamom oil is known to provide a healthy sheen when applied on skin. It can be prepared the following way. The ingredients are cardamom 5 gm, camphor 5 gm, vetti ver 5 gm and sesame oil 200 ml. Make a fine powder by griding cardamom, camphor and vettiver in a mixie. Now heat sesame oil in a mud vessel and once it nears the boiling point and starts to give off vapors, drop the powder into the oil and let it cool. Store the oil in a bottle in a cool dry place. After childbirth, women can apply this oil on stomach, thighs and breasts to strengthen the sagging muscles in those areas. Stretch marks will start to disappear on regular application.

Olive Oil

Olive oil has excellent medicinal properties and is rich in antioxidants. It is ideal for those suffering from blood pressure, ulcers, indigestion, cancer etc. Though olive oil was not used in India, its easy availability these days has resulted in Indians starting to use olive oil both internally and externally. Olive oil is an excellent remedy for skin, especially during the winter and cold season. One way to get the maximum out of olive oil is to mix it with equal quantity of sesame oil and using that mixture to make a paste with green gram powder. This combination of green gram, olive oil and sesame oil can be applied on skin once or twice a week and can be washed off after 30 minutes to one hour. This is found to soften the skin and retain moisture.

Some newborns have black scaly patches on scalp. One can apply olive oil in these affected spots and gently comb the hair. A gentle olive oil head massage once a week followed by a warm water bath will help cure this condition.

BEAUTY TREATMENT

BEAUTY TREATMENT

Natural Beauty Treatment : They say, " Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" but one has to work towards looking beautiful and staying beautiful forever. In this article we have compiled a few beauty packs and tips that will help you have a smooth and glowing skin and look beautiful and youthful forever. Pack for a fair and smooth skin Take 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp glycerin and 3 tsp rose water and mix. Apply this lotion all over the body and keep it for 15-20 minutes and then wash with tepid water. Take 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ cup yogurt and 1 tsp orange juice. Make a paste and apply this on your face and neck and keep for 15-20 minutes and then wash with tepid water. For dry skin this mask works wonders. Take one egg and beat it till frothy. Add 1 tsp honey. 1 tsp glycerin, 1 tsp mineral oil. Apply this on the face and other dry areas on the body and wash after 15 minutes. Protein Pack: soak 1 tsp urad dal and 4 almonds in water overnight and then grinding them into a paste. You can then apply this protein mask to your face and wash it off after half an hour. This exceptional protein mask will not only nourish the skin but also bleach it. Mix 2 tsp rice powder, 4 tsp tea water, 1 tsp honey. Apply this mask to your face and wash it off after half an hour with lukewarm water. Take 1 egg and beat it in a small bowl. Add ½ cup coconut oil and 1 tbsp honey and beat it slowly bringing its consistency like mayonnaise. Spread the mixture into a toilet paper roll, and set in the freezer overnight. To use, peel away the top of the cardboard roll and smooth the frozen stick over your face. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes, and then wash off with warm water. Take 1 tbsp powder milk, 1 peeled cucumber and 1 tsp yogurt. Mix all these together in a blender to a fine paste and apply on the face for 15-20 minutes and wash off with warm water. Astringents Take 1 peeled cucumber; add 6 tsp rose water, 4 tsp Eau-de-cologne and 3 tsp glycerin. Make a paste in a blender and strain to get a lotion. Refrigerate and use on face and body. Take ½ lemon, ½ orange and 3/4 cup ethanol alcohol. Blend in a mixer and strain. Refrigerate and use. Mash strawberries, use as an astringent and cleansing facemask. Lemon is a strong astringent, dilute with water before using, being careful to keep away from eyes.

Handling various skin types

Oily Skin

How do you handle oily skin?

If you have a problem with your oily skin, you can follow these tips to reduce some of your troubles:

Choose a cleansing product made especially for oily skin and use it up to a maximum of three times a day. If you over do washing that will remove all the oil off your skin and this will cause your skin glands to produce more oil.

Wash all the cleansing agent off your face and use a toner or astringent on the oily sections of your face. You may use the astringent all through the day to tackle the extra oil produced.

How do you manage the make up on blemished skin?

Avoid the combination of blemish and make up altogether.

If you apply make up over blemished skin, this is going to make the scar look even worse.

Why is it so? The skin pores may become more clogged with the make up. The contents of the make up may cause the skin to be more irritated and cause it to break up even more.

You may apply make up on very rare occasions on your blemish, provided you remove it as fast as possible after the function/occasion.

Beautiful Skin

Some tips to gain beautiful skin

Some of the things you may do to keep your skin in great condition:

Try to relax and avoid stress as much as possible.

Stay out of the sun as much as possible and use a good sun screen with SPF 15 or higher when you have to stay in the sun.

Smoking affects your skin and so avoid the habit.

Drink at least eight glasses of water every day.

Get lots of sleep.

Make sure you clean your skin thoroughly every day.

Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Aging, Sun-Damaged Skin

Approved treatments for aging

FDA has approved only two products for treatment of sun damaged or aging skin. This was done after extensive studies to check the effectiveness and safety of these products.

Renova or tretinoin emollient cream is derived out from vitamin A and can be bought with prescription. This is approved for reducing the amount of fine wrinkles, dark spots, roughness of facial skin etc., on people whose skin do not show any improvement with regular skin care and even with the use of sun protection. Renova do not remove wrinkles nor repair sun damaged skin nor restore your skin to its healthier younger condition. Studies were not conducted in order to learn about the safety of daily use of Renova for a period of more than 48 weeks. It is not advisable for pregnant women or women who are trying to become pregnant to use Renova. The studies conducted for Renova has not been done on people who have moderately or dark pigmented skin or people who are older than fifty.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Erbium:YAG (Er:YAG) lasers are approved by FDA for treating wrinkles. The procedure is an out patient procedure and is done under anesthesia in a operation room by a qualified doctor. In this procedure, the facial skin is removed in a layer by layer manner.

 

Source: U. S. Food and Drug Administration

Body Massage Tips

Massage Oils

Massage oils can help you retain clean, flawless and wrinkle free skin for a long time. There is nothing more flattering than receiving compliments for a younger-looking skin even at an advanced age. Massage oils are used especially in Aromatherapy and Ayurvedic massages. A simple oil massage at regular intervals can do wonders to your overall health and can make you look younger and more beautiful. Massage oils makes your skin healthy, provides relief from stress and gift you with a flawless skin.

You will be surprised to know that the acclaimed ancient beauty, Queen Cleopatra used to go for regular body massage sessions. A variety of fragrant massage oils were used for massaging her body to keep her skin well-nourished and glowing. Even today, an extensive variety of massage oils is used by masseurs and massage therapists to keep the skin beautiful.

In our day to day lives, pollution causes severe damage to our skin, especially to the parts of the body that are directly exposed to it. It might not be possible for you to take care of each of your body parts, but no worries! You can get a healing treatment by opting for a massage session at a Spa of your choice. All you have to do is, pick the right massage oil massage oil that suits your skin type and is easy on your wallet. You can even hire a massage therapist to visit your place to get your oil massage done. 

Oil massages are done primarily for three reasons: nourishment, relaxation and cleansing. The choice of oil used in a massage is of critical importance. There are certain massage oils that can be used as base oils for Aromatherapy massages and are basically used for relaxation. While in Ayurvedic massages, body massage oils is used to detoxify the body from toxins.

A brief description of these massage oils will help you make the right choice for your beauty regimen:

Almond Oil

Almond oil is the most popular massage oil. The oil is very smooth and gets absorbed quickly into the skin. An almond oil massage makes your skin soft and smooth. Massage Specialists prefer to use almond oil for its rich content, which moisturizes your skin and makes it healthy and glowing. Almond oil is suitable for all types of skin. Normally your skin won't experience any form of irritation or itch while getting an almond oil massage. If you are prone to nut allergies, then it's better to go for a patch test before an almond oil massage. And remember, almond oil is the most cost-effective of all massage oils so you can nourish your skin by spending just a few bucks!

Grape seed Oil

Grape seed oil has a silky texture and is non-greasy. This oil is preferred as massage oil because it is odorless. It is extracted from grapefruit by using a chemical solvent, which enhances its effectiveness as massage oil.

Apricot Oil

Extracted from apricot kernel, apricot oil is rich in Vitamin E and is the favorite massage oil for women all over the world. The best thing about an apricot oil massage is that your body does not feel greasy afterwards.

Avocado Oil

Extracted from avocado fruit, this green colored oil is very thick and blended with light massage oils for ultimate benefit. It is one of the most expensive massage oils. However, if you are allergic to latex, your skin may be sensitive to avocado oil.

Jojoba Oil

Massaging with jojoba oil can be very effective for people suffering with acne. Jojoba is the wax extract of the jojoba plant. It is said to have antibacterial properties and consists of long chain wax esters, which are very similar to that of skin sebum. Known to be the most preferred aromatherapy massage oil, jojoba oil has a very long shelf life. If you don't use massage oils regularly, then jojoba oil is the best option for you. The silky texture of the oil makes your skin soft and glowing. The oil gets quickly absorbed so you may need to re-apply it few times while massaging.

Wheatgerm oil
Wheatgerm oil has rich Vitamim E content and revitalizes your skin after a massage.

Evening Primrose Oil
Massaging with evening primrose oil is very beneficial for those who have skin problems like eczema, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. This oil has a fine texture and is effective in weight reduction as well. If you want to de-stress yourself after a hectic day, pamper yourself with an evening primrose oil massage.

Essential Oils for massage

Apart from the above-mentioned oils, a variety of other oils are also popular as massage oils. Sesame Oil, which features in Ayurveda, is said to have detoxifying and nourishing qualities. Sunflower oil is used in aromatherapy massages to provide the skin with essential linolec acid. Kukui nut oil, shea butter, fractionated coconut oil and cocoa butter are also used as massage oils for nourishing purpose.

Use of massage oil

• Wheatgerm oil, grapeseed oil and rosehip oil are best for sun-damaged skin
• Jojoba oil soothes inflamed skin
• You can cure any kind of skin irritation with jojoba, hemp or extra virgin olive oil massage.
• If you have a sensitive skin, use apricot or sunflower seed oil for massage.
• For those who have dry skin, sesame oil, avocado oil or sweet almond oil can work wonders.