Good Morning everyone, today I have the herbal/natural way for those of us who are obsessed with skin whitening, here are a few recipes to help lighten skin tone.

* A paste made of sandalwood powder and rose water can be applied daily for good results.

* Turmeric paste combined with sandalwood paste/powder makes skin noticeably fairer.

* Cucumber juice alone or in combination with fuller's earth or gramflour is considered to be an excellent skin whitener.

* Coconut milk combined with equal quantity of cucumber juice is another great recipe for skin whitening. Apply this mixture as often as possible.

* Gently massage coconut water all over face and neck to lighten skin tone.

* De-seed and mash grapes, apply all over face and neck liberally. This helps to make skin much fairer.

* Almonds ground to a paste using milk or rose water is said to white skin.

* Make a paste using red sandalwood and rose water. This preparation not only whitens skin but also helps to fade away minor scars and blemishes from the skin.

Hope you all enjoy reading this post and share with us your personal fairness recipe. Thanks :)

                  



















                 Bath Scrubs help to maintain a smooth, silky skin. Scrubs are tiny, granules with slight abrasive properties. Scrubs slough away old cells and clean the surface for new cells. Scrubs eliminate the build up of dirt and oil on skins surface. It improves the texture of the skin, lending it a nice sexy glow.


                 All types of skin benefit from the use of body scrubs. However, oily and normal skin derive maximum beneficial qualities from scrubs. Scrubs must be applied to damp skin. Allow it to soak in before your regular rub down using a scrubber. Rinse well and gently scrub with a towel. Apply a body lotion to finish off.


DIY Orange Peel Scrub


1 tbspn Orange Peel Powder

1 tspn Oatmeal Powder

1 tbspn Almond Powder

Mix the 3 ingredient and make a paste with rosewater and use.

DIY Greengram Scrub


10 tbspn Greengram Powder


2 tbspn Orange Peel Powder


5 tbspn Safflower Oil


Mix the ingredients well and add rosewater to make a paste and use on your body.




Hope you find the scrubs useful and please do leave behind your sweet comments.

        

                          Precious drops of olive or almond added to your bath water enhances a creamy, shiny and smooth skin. Aromatherapy is the use of scented essential oils. These oils help to i,prove circulation, soothe tiredness and even helps to fight infection. Rose, Lavender (my fav) and Chamomile are the best oils for relaxing. Inhaling essences like sandalwood and Chamomile is said to have a calming effect on the mind. All you need to do is add a few drops of your favorite oils into your bath water and bathe in it.






A Rich DIY Bath Oil


1 cup Olive Oil


1 tbspn Body Wash


1 cup Vegetable oil


1 tbspn Lemon Juice


Blend all the ingredients together. Store in a glass bottle and use 1-2 tbspn for your bath.

            

                       Hair is a woman's crowning glory. Since it is a precious beauty asset, it deserves good care. Your hair is an inseparable part of your face and it adds to your good looks. Well maintained tresses adds to your personality as well. So lets give our tresses a treat once in awhile with these 2 hair masks.



Fullers Earth Mask (For Oily Hair):-


Fullers Earth (Multani Mitti)- 4 tbspn


1/2 Lemon's Juice


Egg- 1


Shikakai Powder- 2 tbspn


Indian Gooseberry (Amla) Powder- 2 tbspn


Milk- as required to make a paste.


           Mix well all the ingredients and apply to moist hair. Leave it on to work for an hour or so. Shampoo off.



Banana Mask (For Dry Hair):-


Mashed Bananas- 6


Olive oil- 2 tbspn


Egg- 1


Shikakai Powder- 2 tbspn


Curd- as required to make a paste.


      Mix all the ingredients well and apply on moist hair. Leave it on for an hour or so. Shampoo off.

                    

               
              Acne is a common inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous glands just below the skin surface. It is characterized by the recurring formation of blackheads, whiteheads and acne. Primarily, acne occurs on the face but in some cases, it may be noticed on the back, shoulders, chest and arms.




Causes:- Hormones, are the main culprits and when they are at their peak of activity, influencing the secretion of the sebaceous glands. The excess production of sebum causes breakouts that are highly incidental during puberty and menstruation. At times, psychological stress cause acne.




Prevention:- Balanced nutrition and diet, skin hygiene, adequate sleep, exercise, fresh air, sunlight, meditation help in combating acne.




Role of Diet:- Diet is an important factor in acne. Carbohydrates and food with high fat content should be avoided from diet. The high content of oxalic acid that is present in chocolates, cocoa and rhubarb inhibits the body's absorption of calcium. Since Calcium maintains the acid-alkali balance of the body, it is important for a clear complexion. Reducing salt intake in your diet also shows a remarkable improvement in complexion. Vitamins are necessary for your lovely, smooth skin. Vitamin A is important for clear, healthy skin. Vitamin B Complex reduces facial greasiness and the formation of blackheads.






Treatment:-


*Saturate cotton wool in mint juice extract and apply everyday.


* Apply crushed marigold leaves on acne.


* Boil and mash plums to get roughly 8 tspns. Combine with 1 tspn of almond oil and apply.


* Make a smooth paste of Kasturi Turmeric and apply evenly on acne.


* Apply a mask made out of fresh margosa leaves ground to a fine paste. Add 1/4 tspn each of turmeric powder, sandal paste and gram flour. Let it dry completely before rinsing.

                


























           Hello ladies, today I have for you a very special scrub that you can make at home and store for future use. Its cheap and effective as well as without side-effects and its consistency can be adjusted as per your wish.






Ingredients:-


1 kilo Masoor Dal (Brown-skinned lentils which are red inside)


1 Coconut's water


2 Eggs (beaten)


250 gms Orange Peel (dried)






Wash and clean the masoor dal and soak it in the coconut water overnight. Dry the dal-coconut water in the sun for few hours.


Add the beaten eggs to the dal and mix very well. Again dry it in the sun till completely dry.


Grind the dal into a coarse powder and add the orange peel powder. Mix well with a spatula but do not touch with bare hands.


Store in an air tight jar. Take 2 tbspn of this powder and make a paste with water, use it daily.


Apply all over face, neck and nape avoiding the eye and mouth area. When the scrub is semi dry, gently scrub with fingertips until all the paste falls off.


Wash off with warm water. This is best done before you take your bath as this can be a little messy at other time.


This is a multi-purpose scrub treatment for removing unwanted hair (fine hair of-course) as well as for dissolving spots and freckles.


The skin will become petal soft and will glow and feel silky to the touch. This treatment is also applicable to arms, legs and other body parts.


This scrub is perfect for brides-to-be as it makes the fairer and radiant.

           

























                 I have received a lot of requests for tips on glowing and fair complexion. So here are some tips from the herbal diva Shahnaz Hussain which I have complied for you guys.

1. Avoid the sun as much as possible. Carry an umbrella ans put on your shades. Apply sunscreen on all exposed parts of your body before going out in the sun.

2. Whenever visiting a swimming pool, beach or a place receiving snowfall; use sunscreen as many times as possible because water and ice reflect more sunlight.

3. Grind to a paste or powder some sesame seeds. Add a little water ans sieve it, you will get a whitish liquid as residue. Apply this whitish liquid on your face and specially on sunburnt areas. The skin will become fairer.

4. To get fairer skin apply curd on the face and neck. Keep it on for 20 mins and wash off. Repeat thrice a week.

5. Regularly wiping face with unboiled milk makes the skin much fairer.

6. If your's is an excessive oily skin, use the following recipe to make yourself more fairer. Take equal amount of lemon juice and egg white, mix very well. Apply on the face for 20 mins and wash off.

  




















     

7. To make the entire body fair and glowing, mix together gramflour, curd and turmeric on whole body and face. Regularly use this mixture instead of soap while bathing.

8. Often arms, legs, knees and elbows become darker than the rest of the body. In this case mix together:- 1/2 cup papaya pupl, 1 tspn watermelon juice, 1 tspn lemon juice, white of an egg and 1 tspn honey. Apply this mixture where necessary, let dry and wash off.

9. If yours is a dry skin, mix together:- 2 tspn unboiled milk and 2 tspn potato juice. Chill and use as a cleanser with cotton pad to clean your face and neck regularly.

So try out these tips and do let me know how it worked for you. This post is dedicated to all who have been requesting for 'Tips for a fairer and glowing complexion'.

       

























The heavier the makeup you have been wearing, the more times you will have to cleanse your skin. Makeup has a waxy base which cannot be properly penetrated and cleansed simply by using soap and water. A cleansing cream is essential for this.




Rosewater Cleansing Cream


Ingredients:-


7 tbspn rosewater


4 tbspn mineral oil


1 tbspn emulsifying wax


1.5 tbspn beeswax


0.5 tspn borax &

a few drops of rose oil



Melt the waxes and oil together by double broiling method. At the same time heat the rosewater and borax, the borax should be completely dissolved. Now remove both bowls from the heat and pour rosewater into the oil. Continue stirring until a white cream starts to form. Now add a few drops of rose oil. Mixture will get thickened Continue to stir till it cools and thickens. Store in a glass jar.

            




























          Body lotions provide charm to the skin. You can very well prepare them at home. Homemade lotions are pure, safe and effective.



Almond Body Lotion

Ingredients:-


1 tspn almond oil


1 tspn petroleum jelly


3 tspn lanolin


2 tspn gycerin


10 tbspn water


1 tspn soap flakes &


perfume or almond essence


Method:-

Heat oils and water separately, double broiling method is suggested. Remove them from heat and now

mix them together. Bottle the lotion and shake rigorously. Now add perfume or almond essence as per your choice.

             


























The light slightly sour buttermilk made by churning curd and removing the butter from it, is an excellent drink in summer. In India it has been considered useful from ancient times.

Buttermilk is used to cleanse the skin effectively.It supplies the nerves and the skin with healthy ingredients and counteracts the evil effects of exposure to harsh sun. The bacteria in buttermilk makes the skin soft and glowing.

If your skin has sunburn, mix together- 5 tbspn of buttermilk and 2 tbspn of tomato juice. Apply on to the sunburnt part and leave it on for 30-40 mins. Wash off with plain water.

Mix few drops of almond oil and little rosewater in a tbspn of buttermilk. Apply it on your face, neck, arms and legs before taking bath. Leave it on for 30-40 mins. Now wipe off with a cotton pad or soft cloth and take your bath. See the skin glow.

Another beauty treatment for cleansing your skin is to mix together 2 tbspn of yeast and 2 tbspn of buttermilk. Apply it all over face, neck and body, leave on for 10-15 mins and wash off with warm water. This treatment cleans the skins and makes it smooth.

    























   

For treatment of pimples, use a mixture of curd and gramflour on face. Leave it on till it dries and gently wash off, your pimples will disappear soon and your skin will begin to glow.

If you are bothered with spots on your face, take a piece of radish (mooli), puree it and squeeze out the juice and mix with equal quantity of buttermilk. Apply it on your face Keep it on for an hour and wash off with cool water.

Make a pad of muslin and dip it in buttermilk. Then cover face with it. Dip pad in butter milk every 10 mins, preferably have two pads. After the process has been repeated 4-5 times wipe your face gently with a towel. Do not use water. Just dip the towel in warm water and use it. This makes the skin fairer, removes spots, cleans and nourishes the skin.

Buttermilk for beauty to be continued later. Time for a meeting now so have to go. :(

              


























             Hi Beauties, oily skin always tends to break out and create problems in the worst of times. Pimples, large pores, greasy and dull appearance are its main features. But did you know oily skin tends to age slower compared to dry skin. Well then its a boon if we take good care to reduce irritating breakouts, large pores etc.

* Mix together 2tsps of fullers earth, 3 drops of clove oil, a pinch of camphor and enough rose water to make a paste of toothpaste consistency. Apply on your face on alternate days, let it dry and wash off.


* Mix together 2tsps each of margosa leaves paste, sandalwood powder, rice powder, green pea powder, half a tsp of camphor and enough rose water to make a paste. Apply on your face and let dry and scrub it off. Repeat on alternate days.

      





















     

* Mix together 2 tsps each of red lentil powder, wheat flour, sandal wood powder, half a tsp of camphor and enough rose water to make a paste. Apply on face, let dry and scrub off. Repeat every alternate day.


* Beat a little curd well and add 2 drops of lemon juice, mix well. Now apply this mixture to your face and keep it on till 20 mins. Wash off.


* Tomatoes are good for oily skin. Mash a tomato and apply all over face. Leave it on for 15 mins and wash off. Tomatoes are acidic in nature and removes the greasiness and shrinks the pores.




     






















     

* Mash 2-3 strawberries and apply on your face. Leave it on for 15-20 mins. Wash off. Strawberries are acidic in nature and hence cuts the oiliness.


* Take a few grapes and make a pulp out of it. Apply on your face and leave on till 15 mins. Wash off. This will tighten the pores and cuts the grease.


* Chop a small piece of cucumber with its green skin intact. Make a pulp in the liquidizer and apply on your face. Leave it on for about 20 mins and wash off. This removes oiliness and hydrates the skin.



* Apply mashed papaya for few minutes on your face and wash off. Helps to keep acne at bay.



* Drinking lots of water, avoiding fatty and spicy food and meditating are essentials of maintaining a good skin without problems.

         






















     

            Hi Beauties, Winter is just round the corner. It brings with it the festive season and weddings of course. Therefore it can be understood how important it is to look your best during this time. But alongside it brings dryness, both of skin and hair. So this winter let's not panic and work our way towards a moist and dewy complexion.



* Twice a week internally take a tbsp of raw turmeric juice. Also make a paste with 1 tsp fresh milk cream and 1 tsp raw turmeric juice, apply it on your face and neck. Wash off with tepid water after 10-15 mins. This paste can be on your entire body including hands and legs. It makes the skin smooth and satiny. Better done at nights before hitting the bed.



* Grate a carrot and add to it a little raw milk if you have normal or oily skin or add milk cream if you have dry skin, now use it on your face and neck for 15 mins. Wash off with tepid water. This will reduce dryness as well as roughness of your skin if done twice or thrice a week.



* Take 1 tbsp of cucumber juice, 2 drops of lemon juice and mix it well. Now apply it on your face and neck with a cotton pad soaked in it. Leave on for 30 mins and wash off, done regularly your skin will acquire a glow.


* Take 1 tsp olive oil and add to the white of an egg, beat well and apply on face and neck. When it feels dry, wash off with warm water and sprinkle your face and neck with cool water. This pack can be used 3 times a week and can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

              

























* For mellowed skin, before taking your bath use on your face and neck a mixture of 1 tsp honey and a few drops of lemon juice. Keep it on for 15 mins and wash off with warm water.



* Treat your whole body with a paste made of 1 tbsp each gram-flour and milk cream. Also add a little turmeric paste to it and apply on your face, neck and full body. Keep it on for 15-20 mins and bathe.



* Massage your body regularly with either mustard oil or almond oil before taking bath. It will make the skin smooth and glowing. Its better not to use a soap on dry skin but instead use those moisturising body washes available at beauty stores.



* Every night before hitting the bed massage the face and neck with a good quality massage cream and add a drop of lemon juice to it if you have oily skin. Also instead of massaging cream a mixture of fresh milk cream and a few drops of lemon juice can be used to massage your face and neck.



* Not to forget your feet, every night soak your feet in basin of warm water. Add to it a little foot/pedicure shampoo. After a few mins brush off the dead skin on the heels, clean nails also. Now take another basin of warm water and add to it a few drops of mustard oil or olive oil. Dip feet in it for sometimes. Take out and dry with a towel properly. Rub in a rich foot cream and give a gentle massage, wear socks and jump into bed. Vaseline can well be used instead of foot cream.


Just set aside a little time for yourself and pamper your skin this winter. Drink lots of water to keep yourself well hydrated.

            



















           Hair care is so very important because without beautiful tresses to frame our faces our beauty will be incomplete. As you all know hair can be divided into 4 types, namely dry, oily, normal and combination.


Dry hair needs extra attention and extra care. Your hair becomes dry due to many factors, lack of care, pollution, ailment, using too much hair dryer, to name a few.


Dry hair often gets split ends and roughness. A massage with warm oil is the first step to caring for it. Remember not to go outdoors with oil on your hairs, you may acquire a reddish dirty look to it.


1. A homemade oil recipe for dry and rough hair- 


* 1 cup each of olive oil, sesame oil, castor oil and coconut oil mixed together.

* Store in a bottle or can. 

* Just before using add a few fresh mint leaves and basil to the oil, warm it a little and apply onto roots and ends and also the length of your hairs. 

* Massage gently for 5 mins and steam your hair with a hot towel.

* Repeat steaming with towel for 15/20 mins and let the oil sit on your scalp for a few minutes.

* This will result in good blood circulation, repeat this entire process 2/3 times a week.

* If done regularly the results will be amazing.


2. Shampoo your hair thereafter, use a mild herbal shampoo. Try not to use detergent based shampoos as those can be dry out your hair.Use a suitable conditioner specially on the ends and length of your hair. Towel dry and avoid hair dryers whenever possible.

             

















3. A hair pack to soften and nourish your hairs- take the yolk of an egg, 2tsp each of coconut and olive oils and 1 tbsp of curd, mix well and apply on your hair for an hour. Wash off with soap-nut or a mild herbal shampoo. After shampooing rinse your hair with a solution of tea water and add 2 tsp of white vinegar. Leave it on for a few minutes and rinse your hair with clean water. Hair will become very soft and manageable after this treatment.

4. Use a wide toothed comb and use a detangler regularly, eat lots of green veggies and fresh fruits. 

5. Meditate if possible. Also a regular exercise regime can help with your hair, take an additional multivitamin capsule, after consulting your doctor. 

6. Also cod-liver oil capsules are said to help in conditions of dry hair but consult your doctor.

7. Last but not the least, be happy and stay calm....... its good for beauty. 

Bye for now Beauties....

           

























        Hi Beauties, am back with anti-wrinkle treatments as I had promised earlier. Like I said prevention is better than cure, trust me it really is. But if wrinkles have already started showing up on your face...... well you can always try to cure it. Here I have for you today a few anti wrinkles recipes for you all.


1. Keep the skin well moisturized at all times, massage pure almond oil into the skin with gentle upward and outward strokes. Instead pierce a vitamin E capsule and squeeze out the oil and use it on your face. Let your skin soak up the goodness of the oil and wash off, better done at night. Be regular and see the difference.


2. Another way is to massage the skin daily with a mixture of honey and almond oil. Leave it on for a good 20-30 mins before washing off with tepid water. the wrinkles will disappear soon.


3. Massage your face with a mixture of honey and raw milk twice a day for one week to ease out fine lines.


4. Make a paste of milk powder, honey, almond paste and apply on your face for 20 mins. Use this 2-3 times a week and see the benefits for yourself.


5. Make a pack with sandal powder, lemon peel powder, oatmeal, honey and rose water. Apply on face for 20 mins, when dry dab with milk and scrub off gently and wash off. This treatment will polish the skin and iron out the wrinkles.

         

















6. Massage your face gently with a mixture of 2 tsp honey and a pinch of powdered camphor, wash off after 15 mins.


7. Soak a cotton ball/pad in raw milk and apply to your face and let it dry and wash off . Milk is a natural moisturizer.


8. Collect rice starch, the water in which rice has been boiled, and apply on your face after massaging with almond oil. Let it dry and wash off with cold water. It helps tighten skin, remove wrinkles and clean it in one go.


9. Mash a banana and add a tsp of honey, mix well and apply on your face daily. Wash off after 20 mins. It nourishes and moisturizes your skin.



10. Beat the white of an egg till it is stiff. Massage face with a good quality oil and brush in the egg white on to your face and neck. Let it dry completely before washing off. Do this every alternate day for about 10 days. You will get remarkable results.



Be regular and enjoy the difference in your skin. Try out the recipes and please lemme know. Till we meet again, byeee...