Archive for the ‘Advance Skin Care’ Category

At long last, sunny and warm days are here- with a chirpy holiday mood in the air. Yet there’s no denying that getting tanned is one of the worst nightmares of young Indians. Summer is knocking on your door to invite you to frolic in the plethora of activities.

It is believed that up to 80% of one’s total exposure to sun’s harmful UV rays occur before the age of 18. Therefore it is vital that you inculcate healthy sun habits in your kids right from the beginning, while following the same yourself.

Here are some protection tips you can insist that your family follows:

• Covering up: It is time to fish out some cotton pants, long-sleeved cotton tops & hats from your wardrobe. This will shield your skin from the worst of UV rays, if not all.
• Dabbing on sunscreen: A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher can be your best friend this season. Don’t forget to apply after swimming and every 2-3 hours.
• Sporting sunglasses: More than a cool & bold fashion statement, it is the best defense for your eyes and delicate skin around eyes during scorching summer.
• Wearing a hat/scarf/dupatta: Covering head with a hat, scarf or a dupatta can be the final touch to your sun safety measures.

During summer, playing in the bushes or grassy areas (like a park) may present you with ticks also known as bites from the small insects called ticks. Ticks flourish in verdant and tropical areas.

Use the following protection tips if you are in a place where ticks might live:

• If your kids play in such an area, make sure to check your skin & scalp the moment you/they reach home.
• If you have pets at home, take a look at them too.
• Apply insect repellents but use it exactly as said in the directions for use.
• Here, too staying covered like mentioned above is the best possible way to steer clear of ticks.

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Let us beckon 2013 with a fresh pledge to living healthy. The following healthy resolutions, if you adopt, are sure to keep you happily fit and gorgeous, both inside and out.

Rein your portions

Wish to right size your shape? Mindless binge eating is often the villain. Start right sizing your food portions by using smaller dishes. Yes, the smaller your platters are, the more you lose that extra weight. And instead of serving directly from the main bowl, take some into a small dish and put away the main bowl.

Staying Active

Instead of sighing jealously at those naturally thin people, observe their lifestyle. They are most likely to share a great liking for being physically active. Aim for moderate intense activity like brisk walking for atleast 30 minutes per day. This, you can squeeze in your busy schedule easily- like 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes after lunch and and another 10 minutes after office.

Cutting down on salt

Now the recommended limit of salt consumption per day is 1 teaspoon. And you know that’s way less than your daily intake. Besides making your stomach feel all bloated, this habit can shoot up your BP. Processed foods are the most dangerous as they use salt as preservative. Remember to check labels carefully before you give it for billing.

Piling on the antioxidants

Do you know why we need antioxidants? When foods are digested, body releases harmful free radicals that can eventually lead to heart burn, cancer etc. Antioxidant-rich foods like orange, tea, pomegranates etc are important to defend your body from these free radicals.

Flossing Daily

Oral Hygiene is horribly underrated. But bacteria in mouth can cause serious health risks. Flossing daily can ward off bacteria; it is a simple enough practice to ingrain with long term benefits to your dental health.

But all these resolutions will go down the drain if your expectations from yourself are far from healthy. For example, don’t expect a drastic change in your figure soon after you started portion-controlling and exercising. Just as it took your body to build-up fats, it will take time to lose it too. So if your inner-spirit tends to be a bit mean to you, just bash it with healthy acceptance. Let that be your founding stone to all your healthy New Year Resolutions.

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When people hear the term ‘Facial Exercise’, it is not rare to see their raised eyebrows as their standard reactions (which in fact is one way of doing it). Saying that it is as good as a plastic surgery is without doubt an exaggeration. But conscientious practice of facercise can and will give you a face-lift! And this fact is now backed by ample research and studies. So you really needn’t lose weight (unless you are overweight) to slim and beautify your face.

Why would you doubt the benefits of facial exercise anyhow? If exercising legs and arms can tone them, regular workouts can result in flat belly, why can’t face exercises tone and strengthen your face muscles? Increased blood circulation promotes formation of new cells. This stimulates your skin layers to produce collagen and elastin proteins, giving your skin that elasticity and smoothness that you craved for. A facercise routine can also activate creation of natural oils that keep your natural glow always.

Droopy & dull eyes can take the life out of any conversation as it may make one think that you are not interested. Since eyes are the most eye-catching feature of face, lets focus on some eye-lift techniques as a first step to face-lift:

Gazing around:

‘Well, we do it all the time’. Is that what you are thinking? Not in that mechanical way without taking in anything! Sit somewhere and look up… deliberately and as far as your eyes can see. Repeat the same and look down, leftwards and to the right side. Doing this eye-xercise atleast 10 times for each side every day will gradually sharpen eye muscles and make your eyes appear bright & sharp.

Practicing your typical surprise reaction:

Yes, you heard right. Take a break from whatever you are doing and raise your eyebrows like its in the danger of disappearing into your hair. Relax. Do it again with closed eyes.

Blinking away your eye wrinkles:

Sit on a chair. Keep 2 fingers on either side of your eyes near your forehead. Stretch a little and then blink many times. Relax and do the same. Within 2-3 weeks, this face-lifter can take care of the first wrinkles that appear on a woman’s face.

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Atleast a few of you might be happy about the winter season looming in the distance, thinking its the end of sweating in pools at workplace, home or outdoors.

Sweating has an unfortunate reputation. People hate to sweat as it makes them feel icky & supposedly lead to body odor.  There lies your reason for not being appreciative nor aware of the various purposes of body sweating. Did you know that you sweat out around 10% of the water that your body loses daily? Yes, even if you don’t exercise! But its sweating while working out that’s going to benefit your body.

Sweating, a self-cleaning mechanism

How else does your body get rid of the toxins built-up in your skin pores? Yes, this natural body wash can keep your skin clean, healthy and young. Agreed that getting a fever is no picnic! But a fever is in fact your body’s method of warding off illnesses by making you sweat it out. Ring any bell? One of those old granny’s remedies that is apparently relevant & scientific.

Embarrassing Body Odor

Even though perspiration is virtually unscented & even healthy, it can at times cause an objectionable odor when it mixes with the bacteria on your skin. Nothing that a few lifestyle modifications, home treatments or even a prescribed antiperspirant can’t handle! But if the bad smell persists, it might be due to an underlying cause which you need to confirm it from a doctor.

‘I don’t sweat at all’- Not cool!

Do you happily say to friends that you never sweat? Time to bust your bubble! It only means that your temperature is much too high and you need to drink more water i.e. atleast 8-10 glasses of it every day. Inadequate sweating can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. You need it in winter as well for your skin to stay active. So why not put down your winter jacket & venture out instead of discovering new heights to being a couch spud?

Hopefully you are not a victim of the myth that ‘excessive sweating can only mean that you are unfit’. Quite the contrary! Not only does it make you an efficient cooler but also polishes your sleep hygiene & fights symptoms of stress & depression. So next time you’re annoyed when you sweat it out at a game or at gym, remember that your body owes you!

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Celebrate ‘Diwali’ with great pomp and show, but save yourself from the cracker-wreckers. Even a little burn on your skin can be harmful, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep your first-aid kit handy, just in case. Also, a few precautions taken on your side will also help in maintaining the sparkle and splendor of the fireworks. So the bottom line is – Stay safe this ‘Diwali’ to better enjoy the ingress of festival of light into your dwell.

Any Unfortunate Burns! Be the First One to Provide First Aid

• Break free from traditional myths and never apply any oil, butter or cream on the burnt area.
• Allow the running water to help run away any blister formation.
• For major burns, extinguish the fire first, remove all smoldering clothes from the body and wrap the victim in a clean bed-sheet.
• Rush to a nearby hospital or a burn-specialist.
• If the victim’s eyes are involved, immediately wash the eyes with cold running tap water for not less than 10 minutes before rushing to a nearby hospital.

Some Must-Take Safety Precautions

• Look smarter with ethnic wear, but play safe with no Nylon on board. Try and wear cotton stuff as much as possible.
  
• A wet towel will be handy in emergencies.
• Don’t worry if your water bills inflate. It is important to keep buckets of water ready.
• In case of fire, extinguish it by water.
• Always make sure that there is atleast one adult member accompanying the kids while they are bursting crackers.
• Distance yourself a little away from the cracker while lighting it.
• Never let the crackers and fire-sources cuddle. Store them away from any fire-sources.
• There is no better place to keep used crackers than in a water-bucket.
• Never tie your decorative lights to metal poles and/or around curtains to prevent any shocks or any unfortunate fire.

Are you ready with your armamentarium this Diwali?

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Pregnancy and childbirth, though one of the most precious experiences of life, leaves behind its not-so-pretty imprints on a woman’s body. Simply speaking, stretch marks are formed when the skin stretches during pregnancy as the fetus grows in size and mostly surfaces out in the 3rd trimester.

Stretching creepily around the areas of belly, breasts, hips, thighs, abdomen, arms, buttocks and even back, its hard to stop them from appearing. Initially the color may be reddish or purplish, but gradually these marks turn white. Though you cannot eliminate them from appearing, but you can certainly reduce their potency by following some simple tips.

Simple Ways to Keep Stretch Marks a Stretch Away

Are you fearful of ugly stretch marks as the byproduct of your pregnancy?

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Weight gain and winter season are inter-related! How? Though a little twisted explanation, it’s at this time that we like to curl up in blankets with a book or TV remote or laptop in one hand and steaming coffee in the other. Result? Reduced physical activity & consequentially reduced metabolism rate too. In winters, our digestion improves and we tend to eat high-calorie high junk that we used to run away from in summers. So, on the onset of winter, stop being a victim of weight gain by this seasonal-culprit, by following a few tips given underneath:

What are you planning to do to avoid weight gain this winter?

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Psoriasis can be a drop from your gene pool. It is commonly characterized by grey scaly skin rashes and profuse itching. It can be avoided from flaring up, if not completely eliminated, by taking some precautionary measures.

Arrival of winter exposes your skin to chilly winds blowing even on bright sunny days. When you are up on your feet and ready to leave for work, always make sure to apply a mild skin moisturizer to keep your skin well hydrated when your are at work. An SPF lotion to match your skin tone is a big plus to avoid any sunburns or rashes that cause skin redness and irritation, resulting in skin scales and plaques.

Wash away any impurities, pollutants, or skin irritants that you might have gathered on the skin on your way while returning home with a gentle herbal face wash. Remember not to rub your face too forcibly.

Any cuts, bumps, scrapes or infections on your skin can be awful, but it can be more awful if they flare-up psoriasis. Always try and wear full clothing to prevent any unwanted abrasions by rubbing against sharp surfaces while in the office. And if you unfortunately have any, then avoid scratching on it. By the way, make it a habit not to leave any open wounds that can let your skin on lease to any skin infection and/or possibly psoriasis.

Sorry, long nails are a complete ‘No-No’ for you if you have skin rashes and prickly itching. Remember to always keep your nails clipped which not only help you keep away from any psoriasis flare-ups but also help you use your keyboard with lightning speed.

Did you know that built-up stress too can also be a major player in flaring acne, eczema and / or lead to psoriasis?

Don’t let your work responsibilities consume away all your precious time. Make room for doing a little exercise regularly in your schedule not only to keep fit but also boost blood flow, can keep your skin healthy and vibrant. It will also maintain distance chronic skin problem like from psoriasis.

Is life keeping you too busy to take necessary skin care precautions?

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Festivals are the time when you are mostly outdoors meeting your relatives or friends. This hardly gives you any time to spend on your beauty treatments. So, before the festive season arrives, your looks must be ready to look adorable. This calls for some pre-festival beauty planning on your part. Here are some tips to pamper yourself at home….

• Make your skin glow for the occasion. For this, you must work upon your skin atleast two weeks in advance. Proper cleansing, toning, moisturizing, scrubbing, and applying ‘Ubtan’ must be a regular affair for you during these two weeks. This will give you a glowing skin to last this entire festive season.

• Massage your hair everyday with olive oil and apply ‘heena‘ and ‘amla’ at least 2-3 times before the festivity begins for moisturizing and conditioning your hair naturally and revitalizing your damage hair too..This will provide your hair with the necessary shine and luster and a soothing golden-brownish tinge that will add to the beauty of your untangled locks and stimulate thicker hair growth.

• Manicure and pedicure must be done 2-3 days in advance to avoid spending much time in fine tuning your fingernails and toenails at the last minute. Soak your hands and feet with your herbal body wash to soften your skin and cuticles to keep the nails short and beautiful. This will help you remove any debris from getting collected inside your skin and nail folds, which if left alone can be an open invitation for fungal infections. Always use a cotton ball with non-acetone nail polish to remove old nail polish.

• Herbal bath starts with turmeric on the body for glowing look. If you are planning to go for facial, do it approximately a day or two ahead before the beginning of the festive event. A blend of turmeric and natural facial scrub can certainly remove any dead skin cells and make your skin look smooth and radiant as never before. A biweekly facial massage at home can also help you keep your facial skin rejuvenated by promoting the blood circulation through your facial skin with increased oxygenation.

• There is no “one way” or “right way” to mix and apply henna to add gilding, glitter, to temporary tattoo and body art. It will add to your festive attire and keep you away from unwanted skin allergies and rashes. Mehandi or henna not only known as auspicious but also as a form of festive skin decoration among females of all ages. Henna is anti-bacteria.

It’s time to get your festival face on…

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Being sober at a party won’t make you a party pooper. Don’t ever feel obligated to drink, even to ‘fit in’ with the crowd. Though phrases like ‘everybody does it’ fly around a lot, ‘everybody’ is definitely inaccurate. As a matter of fact, most people might offer you a drink as a polite gesture, but care two hoots if you drink or not. And you can afford to stand firm in the health standpoint with a NO placard. If you are underage, it is illegal to consume alcohol. If you have crossed the first line of age bar, then remember to drink in moderate level that is safe and enjoyable and does not pose any health risk to you.

Have you ever wondered why legal drinking age is 21-25 in India when you can vote at 18? No, it is not regressive as you may feel. Brain is not fully developed until our mid twenties. So it is common sense that boozing before 25 can leave lasting & negative impact on your cognitive skills.

And being a woman, you need to be smart enough to leave alcohol out of the battle of sexes. Do you think matching men drink for drink will achieve anything except a head-splitting hangover? Now if you truly, enjoy drinking that’s a different matter altogether. But you still need to know How Much Drinking Is Safe Drinking or Where to Draw the Line.

Are you proud of your great tolerance level? Here’s a wake-up call. If your alcohol intake is increasing, it means that your drinking has started to affect your body & deteriorate your health steadily. It DOESN’T mean that you have developed higher tolerance or capacity or whatever you want to call it. Due to factors like age, weight, physique and health history, alcohol affects women differently than men. Apart from health, your oblivious state can even be more dangerous as there are risks of date-rape drugs, unsafe sex & unplanned pregnancy. Please keep your safety guard on…

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