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Are You in a Skin Care Rut?

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Are You in a Skin Care Rut?
Ordering the same dish at your favorite restaurant is one thing. But caring for your skin in exactly the same way for years and years? That’s a different story. Make sure you’re giving your complexion the best treatment by tuning up your routine.

1. The rut: You only care for your face.

There’s no doubt that the skin on your face needs a solid care routine. But the rest of you needs love, too. And maybe even more so. “Because the skin on the neck, chest, and hands is thin, it’s at a particular risk for early aging,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

To ward off dark marks and wrinkles, cover those zones with sunscreen and moisturizer just like you would the skin on your face. Bonus points if you choose products have antioxidants, which can help repair damage that’s already there.

2. The rut: You exfoliate with a scrub.

Rubbing your skin with a gritty paste feels incredibly satisfying. But dermatologist Yoon-Soo Cindy Bae, MD, says those products can be damaging.

“Exfoliants made with natural materials like seeds or ground-up shells have sharp edges that can cut and tear the skin,” she says. The result is skin that’s ruddy and inflamed, not soothed and radiant.

Chemical exfoliants, or those that have acids — glycolic, lactic, or ones that come from fruits — will slough away dirt and dead skin cells without cutting up your complexion. Start with a product that has a low concentration of the chemical, and use it one or two times a week.

How You’re Wrecking Your Hair

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How You’re Wrecking Your Hair

Brushing Too Much

The old “100 strokes a day” beauty tip is a myth. Brushing your hair too much can cause split ends. Over time, it could even lead to hair loss.

Too Many Blowouts

The more often you heat your hair, the more damaged it gets. Air-drying keeps hair its healthiest. When you can’t do that, be sure you keep your dryer’s heat setting on “low” and hold it at least 6 inches from your hair as you dry it.

Not Shampooing Often Enough

Your hair may not need a daily wash (or even one every other day). But it’s important to shampoo often enough to keep oily buildup at bay. That can lead to dandruff and other scalp problems.

Overusing Shampoo

When it comes to shampoo, a little dab will do. Focus on scrubbing your scalp instead of lathering up the whole length of your hair.

Brushing Wet Hair

Water weakens your hair, so treat wet hair with care. To tackle tangles after a wash, use gentle strokes with a wide-toothed comb instead of tugging your tresses with a brush.

Flat-Ironing It When It’s Damp

When heat hits water in your hair, it can turn to steam and cause “bubble hair.” You’re left with brittle locks that have frizzy ends and break easily. Be sure your hair is dry before you use a hot styling tool. Keep it on the lowest temperature you can, and use a heat protectant spray before you style.

Toweling It Dry

Wrapping your hair gently in a towel after a wash is fine (air dry is best). But rubbing it with a towel will damage the strands.

Sticking to the Same Tight ‘Do

If you leave weaves or hair extensions in too long, or you pull them out without a professional’s help, it can cause big-time breakage. Same goes for braids, buns, and ponytails — too tight for too long, and you’ll start to see split strands. Mix up your ‘do to keep hair healthy. Read more

Read also: How You’re Wrecking Your Hair

 

 

 

Health and Beauty Uses for Baking Soda

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Health and Beauty Uses for Baking Soda

Not Just for Your Kitchen

You may know it as the orange box that lurks in the back of your fridge to take out bad smells. Or as a pantry staple that helps your baked goods rise. But baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, deserves a spot in your medicine cabinet, too. Here’s how it helps keep your body healthy and clean.

Inexpensive Mouthwash

That garlic aioli pasta was delish. But now your breath is keeping even your dog away. Swish a teaspoon of baking soda in a half glass of water and rinse your mouth. It doesn’t merely mask the smell with a minty scent like most mouthwashes do. Baking soda actually banishes the odor altogether.

Body Deodorant

Most things that stink have acidic or basic odor molecules. Baking soda brings them to a more neutral, odor-free state. No wonder sewage plants and feedlots use the stuff. It also works on your body odor. Dust a little under your arms in the morning. If you don’t care for the powdery residue on your clothes, use stick deodorants that have baking soda. Look for ones that list sodium bicarbonate as a main ingredient.

Helps Your Kidneys

These organs remove waste and extra water from your body. If you have chronic kidney disease from diabetes, high blood pressure, or other causes, acid can build up in your body.  Sodium bicarbonate can bring the acid levels down and may help slow bone loss and build muscles. It’s important to work closely with your doctor if you want to try this. Scientists are still figuring out exactly when and how this works.

Helps Fight Cancer

Emergency rooms and hospitals stock sodium bicarbonate as a treatment for cardiac arrests, poisoning, and other cases. It also helps to counteract the acidic properties of chemotherapy medication for cancer. Some studies show that lower acid levels may slow certain tumors from growing and spreading.

Soothes Your Skin

Bitten by a mosquito? Brushed up against poison ivy? Baking soda to the rescue. It can relieve minor irritation, pain, itching, and redness. Mix up a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Smear it on your skin and leave for 20 minutes before you wash it off. Or soak in a bath with a half-cup of baking soda added to the water. Read more

Read also: 4 Dos and Don’ts of Pore Maintenance

 

4 Dos and Don’ts of Pore Maintenance

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4 Dos and Don’ts of Pore Maintenance

 

Keeping your pores clean is a cardinal rule of skincare, but for all the work you put into maintaining them, a few common mistakes could be undoing your routine. See how to minimize pore appearance and help prevent breakouts and other irritations with proper pore care.

1. Don’t: Wash Your Face Too Often

It may seem like a good idea to wash your face throughout the day—especially if you’re struggling with acne—but this won’t help your cause. Over-washing can cause your skin to produce more oil, enlarging pores and risking more breakouts. Use a gentle cleanser no more than two times daily, and always follow up with a moisturizer.

2. Do: Apply Products to Different Parts of the Face

Not all of the skin on your face requires the same kind of treatment. For example, the skin on your nose is often more oily, and pores appear larger than they do on the sensitive skin under your eyes. Since your goal is to reduce the oil in your pores while keeping the skin under your eyes hydrated, applying the same astringent products to your whole face may be counterproductive. Instead, choose an oil-reducing product for your T-zone and a hydrating product for under your eyes. The result will be even skin and happy pores.

3. Don’t: Over Exfoliate

Exfoliating your face helps rid skin and pores of built-up gunk, including dead skin, sebum and products. It results in skin that looks brighter and more lustrous. Just like you shouldn’t wash your face excessively, though, you should also exfoliate sparingly. One to three times a week is plenty for both mechanical and chemical exfoliants.

4. Do: Layer Products in the Correct Order

Even the most disciplined skin care routine won’t help much if you’re applying your products in the wrong order. Layering is the name of the game here and products are absorbed differently depending on what they consist of. In general, you want to start with products that have the lightest consistency then work your way to heavier treatments. After cleansing, apply any toners or serums before using any active treatments that are designed to target specific issues like acne or hyperpigmentation. Then move on to lotions, oils and moisturizers, since these can create barriers between the product and the skin. Allow at least a minute for each product to dry and if it isn’t absorbing easily that means it can’t penetrate whatever is underneath it. Sunscreen should always be your last step in the morning, since it sits on top of your skin. If it goes on first, it prevents other ingredients from penetrating. Read more 

Also read 5 Possible Causes of Dry Skin

 

Diy Natural Lip Scrubs For Smooth Lips

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Diy Natural Lip Scrubs For Smooth Lips

The Best Exfoliating Peels for Every Skin Concern

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The Best Exfoliating Peels for Every Skin Concern

You may have traded a beach getaway for a picnic in the park this year, but the fact remains that the sun’s UV rays are more potent in the summer, and they can worsen concerns like dark spots, dullness and rough texture. Thankfully, best exfoliating peels can help with these issues and more.

If you can’t get to your dermatologist’s office at this time, at-home exfoliating peels are a good alternative. While a chemical peel at your doctor’s office may use trichloroacetic acid (TCA), phenol or resorcinol, at-home exfoliating peels use gentler ingredients like alpha and beta hydroxy acids (such as lactic, glycolic and salicylic acids) at lower concentrations. “In-office peels may go into deeper epidermal layers, potentially the dermis, and really help with wrinkles and acne scars,” says Dr. Marchbein. “But at-home peels are also excellent to brighten skin, smooth texture and dramatically lighten spots.”

Do’s and Don’ts of Using a Face Peel

Before you dive in, here’s what you need to know about adding a peel to your routine. 

Do Wear a (Physical) Sunscreen

Dermatologists recommend everyone wear sunscreen every day, but if you’re using a chemical exfoliant, it’s even more important. “You’re leaving your skin a little more exposed, since you are removing those top layers of the epidermis,” says Dr. Marchbein, who recommends a physical (or mineral) formula. “Physical sunscreens protect skin that hyperpigments easily by creating a literal barrier that reflects off the sun, while chemical sunscreen actually absorbs some of the heat, and can worsen pigmentation issues,” she explains.

Don’t Combine Peels with Physical Exfoliators

Going overboard on exfoliation can irritate skin and lead to eczema, redness, dryness, inflammation and acne breakouts. When using a chemical exfoliant like a peel, “Hold off on any scrubs made from granular particles,” says Whitney Bowe, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “I also recommend avoiding loofah or Buf-Pufs, and anything else abrasive on the skin.” Read More……..

Also Read: Put these amazing tomato DIY hacks to use if you wish to achieve a glowing skin

How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

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How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Don’t take your eyes for granted. Take these easy steps to keep your peepers healthy.

1. Eat Well

Good eye healthy starts with the food on your plate. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E might help ward off age-related vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts. To get them, fill your plate with:

  • Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collards
  • Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
  • Eggs, nuts, beans, and other nonmeat protein sources
  • Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices
  • Oysters and pork

A well-balanced diet also helps you stay at a healthy weight. That lowers your odds of obesity and related diseases like type 2 diabetes, which is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

2. Quit Smoking

It makes you more likely to get cataracts, damage to your optic nerve, and macular degeneration, among many other medical problems. If you’ve tried to kick the habit  before only to start again, keep at it. The more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to succeed. Ask your doctor for help.

Read More

Also Read: Put these amazing tomato DIY hacks to use if you wish to achieve a glowing skin

3. Wear SunglassesThe right pair of shades will help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Too much UV exposure boosts your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration.Choose a pair that blocks 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side. Polarized lenses reduce glare while you drive, but don’t necessarily offer added protection.f you wear contact lenses, some offer UV protection. It’s still a good idea to wear sunglasses for an extra layer.4. Use Safety EyewearIf you use hazardous or airborne materials on the job or at home, wear safety glasses or protective goggles.Sports like ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse can also lead to eye injury. Wear eye protection. Helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses will shield your eyes.

Put these amazing tomato DIY hacks to use if you wish to achieve a glowing skin

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Put these amazing tomato DIY hacks to use if you wish to achieve a glowing skin
01/5-Put these amazing tomato DIY hacks to use if you wish to achieve a glowing skin

You might already know that tomato is a super food for many reasons. It isn’t just great for your gut health but works wonders for your skin too. They are loaded with vitamins A, C and K. Most of which you find in the beauty products that you use. These vitamins are very healthy for the skin. Tomato has the kind of acidity that unclogs the pores of your skin and helps treat acne. It can even be used to do away with free radicals that pollute healthy skin cells. There is a lot more to what you can do with tomatoes for your skin and so, we’ve got you some DIY recipes to try on your skin.

02/5-Tomato and sugar blackhead scrub

For this, you need 1 tomato and 1 tbsp granulated sugar.

All you need to do is sprinkle the sugar over the half tomato and rub it gently on your face in a circular motion. Make sure you focus mainly on your cheeks, chin and nose as these are the areas where you usually get blackheads. The acid in tomatoes and sugar granules will give your face a nice exfoliation. You can use this twice a week. Rinse it all off with warm water. This scrub can also be used for acne bumps and whiteheads.

03/5-Tomato face mask for acne

For this, you need 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp tomato pulp and 2-3 tbsp of oatmeal flour.

Now, whisk the tomato pulp and lemon juice all too well. Then, add the oatmeal flour slowly until you get a nice paste out of the mixture. Apply this mask on your face and let it sit for another 15 minutes. This mask will help unclog pores and fade acne scars over the period of time. It even works well to combat pigmentation. If you are dealing with sensitive skin, you need to patch test this mask before you use it on your face.

04/5-Tomato face mask for brightening skin

For this, you need 1 tbsp tomato pulp and 2 tsp Greek yogurt.

Mix both the ingredients nicely and leave no clumps. Apply this smooth paste on your face to cleanse and exfoliate your face skin for 10 minutes. Rinse it off with cold water once you are done. This mask will help in hydrating the skin and reducing the pigmentation appearance as well. Yogurt helps in hydrating the skin and gives you rather smooth and supple skin with time.

05/5-Tomato and papaya face mask for combination skin

For this, you need 8-10 cubes of papaya and tomato pulp.

Make a paste of the papaya cubes by blending them and then add equal amount of tomato pulp in it. Mix it well and apply it on your face. Give it 15 minutes to do its job before you rinse it off with lukewarm water. This mask works great for blemishes and it even gives your skin the much needed glow.

….Read More….

Read Also: Haircare: THIS DIY 3 ingredient hair mask will tame your frizzy hair like MAGIC & easily become your favourite

BANANA HAIR MASKS FOR VARIOUS HAIR CONCERNS

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BANANA HAIR MASKS FOR VARIOUS HAIR CONCERNS

HAIR MASKS: Do you love natural ingredients and would rather turn to a home remedy than load your hair with multiple products? Well, so would we, and this time around, we chose bananas to treat various hair concerns. This magic ingredient is filled with nutrients and moisturising agents that are great for your hair.

Here’s how you can treat various hair concerns with a banana hair mask…

Banana and curd for dandruff:

Banana contains natural oils that will nourish your scalp and prevent it from getting dry and flaky, thus reducing dandruff. Curd, on the other hand, is a popular home remedy for dandruff because the protein nourishes your scalp. You can add in some lemon juice which is acidic in nature and will maintain the pH levels of your scalp.

Mash a ripe banana and add 4 tbsp. curd and 1 tbsp. lemon juice to it. Apply this mask into your scalp and let it stay for 20 minutes. Wash your hair as usual.

Do this once a week for dandruff-free hair.

Banana and carrot for hair growth:

This is the hair mask for you. Bananas are packed with carbohydrates and vitamins which help reduce breakage by improving the elasticity of your hair. The vitamin A in carrots helps reduce hair fall and makes your hair stronger. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants which can help improve scalp health.

Slice 1 carrot and banana and boil the two. Blend the softened banana and carrot with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Massage this paste into your hair and leave it on for 30 minutes, then wash off with shampoo and conditioner.

Use this paste once a week for healthy hair.

Read More

Also Read:Yoga during the First Trimester of Pregnancy

 

7 Ways to Use Activated Charcoal

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7 Ways to Use Activated Charcoal

Today we’ll be showing you 7 ways to use activated charcoal for your skin and hair. Activated charcoal isn’t only to detoxify and energize, it’s also amazing at treating skin and hair problems. Charcoal isn’t just great for your grill – its amazing detoxifying properties work wonders on both hair and skin. These days, people use activated charcoal as a way to detoxify, adding some into their smoothies or meals, but it’s got so much more potential! The results after using activated charcoal are truly amazing, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t experience amazing results!

How to Use Activated Charcoal

How it works:

charcoal works by attracting toxins to it. So whatever toxins may lay in your body, on your skin, or in your hair, the charcoal works kind of like a magnet to pull out toxins and reveal a healthier you! Whether you use it internally or externally, charcoal can deliver a slew of benefits so you’ll want to keep using it again and again!

#1. Reduce Pores Size

Because we are constantly exposed to environmental pollution, those toxins can burrow deep into our pores, making our skin less than stellar. Using a charcoal activated mask can pull out those toxins, therefore cleansing pores and reducing their size.

#2. Reduce Oil

Have oily skin or hair? A charcoal-infused cleanser or shampoo will literally pull the oil away. Use sparingly, about once or twice a week as you don’t want dry skin or hair.

#3. Treat Acne

charcoal masks and cleansers are AMAZING at treating acne. Because they pull dirt and toxins away, these cleansers will leave you with clear skin, fast!

#4. Deep Clean

Nothing says deep cleaning like  charcoal! Activated charcoal will penetrate deep into the pores to give your skin a much needed deep cleaning. It will remove toxins, blackheads, and any dirt or debris. You can use a deep cleaning activated charcoal cleanser 1-2 times a week.

#5. Heal and Soothe Bites

Applying a charcoal activated cream to bites and/or cuts can cure said ailment in half the time of regular creams. Also works amazingly for big bites!

#6. Rid Hair of Toxins

Activated charcoal shampoos are all the rage right now because they can rid your hair of all toxins in a very quick and efficient way. Ridding the hair of toxins will make it much stronger and less likely to breakage. also reduces the number of split ends and makes hair softer.

#7. Add Volume

Using this  shampoo can also add volume to limp hair as it’s an excellent oil remover. Not only that, but it will also cure an itchy scalp, and make your hair much more manageable. Read more 

Also read: DIY Green Tea Mint Ice Cubes for Puffy Eyes & Scars

 

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