How to get rid of dry and scaly elbows:

The high pressure joints like knees, elbows and heels needs some cushion, that is the reason the skin over these joints is thicker. Some extra padding is good for protection, but scaly buildup on elbows is really uncomfortable and unattractive. Even those who devote considerable time to groom and clean their skin can be guilty of overlooking this flaky spot.

Well,  No matter how long you have been ignoring your elbows (and other rough and dry parts) there are certain ways to get rid of dry and scaly buildup (leaving your skin soft and supple) :

1. Halve a lemon and add a few pinches of sugar/ salt and rub it on the rough/ scaly skin for 5 minutes. 

2.  Exfoliate once or twice a week.

3. Moisturize your elbows using a thick cream or petroleum jelly especially before going to bed.

4. Coconut oil works great in doing away with dry and scaly skin.

5. When the dryness situation is really dire; soak them in raw milk for 10 minutes.

Note: Thick red skin with flaky white patches can be psoriasis. In that case you need to consult a dermatologist.

How to get Soft, Beautiful and Youthful hands:

Do you want to have soft, supple and youthful hands?

Pamper your hands with tender loving care and follow these simple points:

1.  Moisturize:

Keep your moisturizer somewhere close -within easy access, so that you can apply it on your hands time and again everyday especially during winters. As every time you wash your hands they strip off some moisture, so in order to compensate the moisture loss you need to smear on the moisturizer at regular intervals. Apply the moisturizer on your cuticles as well to avoid cracking and drying.

2.  Apply Sunscreen:

As far as sun protection is concerned, we concentrate on our face and neck and forget about the hands. As our hands are exposed to sun even they need protection from harmful UV rays.  So, don’t forget to apply sunscreen with SPF 15-30 on your hands before leaving home.

3.  Gentle wash:

Use a mild and anti-bacterial soap/hand wash to prevent dryness (as dryness can cause the hands to look older).

4.  Protection during domestic chores:

Always wear gloves while washing the dishes or whenever your hands are exposed to harsh detergents and hot water.

Fitness zone: Easy ways to reduce the weight

Everyone of us wants to get rid of the appalling body fat but the conventional trend of fad diet followed by most of the women for losing the weight is really unhealthy. Here we go with some cushy yet healthy ways to shed off excess body fat.

1.     Honey:

Ensure the intake of honey with lukewarm water on an empty stomach.

2.     Coconut water:

Relish this delicious and soothing drink regularly to reduce your weight.

3.     Lemon tea/ Green tea:

 Limit your tea/coffee consumption to 1 cup a day and its even better to replace your regular tea/coffee with green tea or lemon tea.

4.     Turn down fruit juices:

Yes, while you are trying to slim down avoid fruit juices. If you have a desperate craving for fruits then you can try eating fruits instead of having juices then you will get more nutrition without excess sugar found in fruits.

5.     Go Chinese:

 Chinese is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Here I am not talking about the “Indianised Chinese” but the real Chinese i.e. Crunchy and boiled vegetables, broiled meat, plain rice and nothing fried.

6.     Fat is good:

You may find this statement to be an oxymoron but it is absolutely true- fat is actually good for you. All you need to know is the difference between the good fats and bad fats. Eat plenty of good fats like fish, avocado, nuts etc. as it is the grease that helps you in losing weight by making your metabolic system run smoothly.

7.   Workout:

Try any activity you like or find easy to do - jumping a rope, yoga, dancing, swimming, jogging or just a walk.

Just follow these simple points religiously to reduce the bulging body fat and let me know how well they work for you!!!

Natural skin care tips for winters:

1.     Oil massage:

Massage your body with Luke warm oil before taking bath. Oil massage promotes blood circulation, nourishes your body and prevents dryness making your skin soft, supple and healthy. You can use coconut oil or any other oil of your choice.

2.     Choose your soap carefully:

Soaps tend to disturb pH balance of skin leading to its dryness. Choose moisturizing and cream based soaps/body washes. After taking bath nourish your body with daily moisturizer or aloe-Vera gel to keep your body moist and soft.

3.     Avoid use of hot water:

Hot water bath (although irresistible during winters) should be avoided. It stripes your skin off its natural oils that’s why you must go for Luke warm water.

4.     Gorge on the greens:

Vegetables with high water content are essential during winter. They help in improving digestion. Include salads, green vegetables, carrots, cucumber and lemon in your diet.

5.     Stay hydrated:

Regular intake of liquids is really important in winter to prevent dryness. Drink plenty of water, juices, and soups to keep your body hydrated.

How to get rid of dark underarms:

Dark armpits can be detrimental to one’s self confidence (especially in public). Woman with dark underarms face crisis as they can’t wear sexy sleeveless blouse or cocktail dress. Discolored underarms should not be a hindrance to wear your favorite outfit as they can be naturally treated at home.

The best way to treat underarms is to eliminate the causes that result in this condition, various causes of dark armpits are- wearing tight clothes (that constantly abrade your armpits), excessive sweating, removing hair using blunt shaver, and use of alcohol based deodorants.

Home remedies to treat dark armpits:

1.     Baking soda:

Rub baking soda on the affected area after taking shower as this works as a natural whitening agent and controls body odor.

2.     Coconut oil:

Coconut oil is great in treating dark armpits just apply some coconut oil on the affected area.

3.     Potato juice:

Apply potato juice on your armpits for 10 minutes and rinse it off. Regular use of potato juice would gradually create whitening effects.

4.     Honey and lemon:

Take 1 tablespoon honey; add 5-6 drops lemon juice in it. Apply this mixture on your armpits for the fairer underarms.

5.     Lemon juice, turmeric powder and cucumber juice:

Apply a mixture of lemon juice, turmeric powder and cucumber juice on your dark armpits for 20 minutes to whiten your dark armpits.

A valuable suggestion:

Don’t shave your underarms as it darkens them. The best way to remove hair is waxing your underarms.

Pedicure at home in just 5 steps:

Step 1- Trim and shape your nails:

Start with removing all the traces of nail paint (if any) with the help of nail paint remover. Trim your nails straight across (don’t cut the corners too much) and give them desired shape using a nail filer. You can trim and shape your nails even after soaking but in case your nails are soft, trim and shape them first (as your nails will get too soft for shaping once they are soaked)

Step 2- Foot bath:

A nice foot bath session is a great help in getting rid of day long stress. Fill warm water in a bucket or tub (water should be enough to cover up to your ankles) and add:

• Bath salts (1/2 cup)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• A few drops of a Foot wash or shampoo
• Essential oil of your choice (10-12 drops)
• A few smooth pebbles (these will render a gentle massage as you place your feet on them)

Take a comfortable position, soak your feet (for 15-20 minutes) and relax.

Step 3- Exfoliate:

• Once you are done with the soaking. Pat your feet dry and rub in some cuticle cream on the base of each toe nail to soften your cuticles and leave it on for a few minutes. Meanwhile use a foot file or pumice stone to slough away dry and dead skin cells from your heels, balls of the feet, sides of the heels and the area around your toes. Don’t scrape too hard be gentle while scrubbing.  
• Now wipe off the cuticle cream and gently push back cuticles using a cuticle pusher. You can use an old toothbrush to scrub your toes and area underneath your nails. Gently clean the dirt under your nails as well.
• Pat your feet dry and massage them using a foot scrub. Gently scrub the foot sole, ankles, top and sides of the feet, area in between your toes and your heels (make sure your feet are dry before you apply scrub).

 Step 4- Moisturize:

Once you are done with scrubbing, wash your feet, wipe and moisturize them. Moisturizing softens, hydrates and protects your feet from cracking. Slather the moisturizer on your feet and massage well until it is completely absorbed. Massage promotes blood circulation, nourishes the skin and foot muscles.

Step5- Dress them up:

Pick a nail paint of your choice and paint your toe nails. Apply a base coat first and let it dry then you can apply the subsequent coat (this will make your nail paint last longer). You can also jazz up your feet with beautiful anklets.

Do this once a week along with daily cleansing and moisturizing to keep your feet soft and beautiful!!!

Homemade body scrubs:

Who said you need to spend a great deal for a body scrub treatment?You can experience the scrub benefits without leaving your pocket light. You can make your own homemade scrubs. The best thing about homemade body scrub is that, you can customize the scrub according to your skin needs. Homemade scrubs offer finest and natural treatments to your body and are very efficient in rejuvenating your skin. 

5 easy and effective homemade body scrubs:

1.     Milk, Honey and Oats scrub (for dry skin):

Mix milk (1/2 cup) and oats (1 cup) and honey (2 tablespoons) well to form a consistent paste. Apply the scrub all over your body. Gently massage your body, leave it for 2 minutes and wash it off. This scrub will leave your skin clean, smooth and soft.

2.     Gram flour –Yoghurt scrub:

Take 1 cup gram flour and 1/2 cup yoghurt, mix them well. Use the mixture as a scrub all over your body and leave it for 2 minutes before you wash your body. This scrub can do wonders to your skin leaving it clean and fair.

3.     Tomato- Rice scrub (for oily skin):

Soak uncooked rice (a fistful) in water for half an hour. Grind the soaked rice coarsely. Make a puree of 3-4 tomatoes; add coarse rice particles in it. Apply the mixture on your body; gently massage your body in a circular motion. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash off with Luke warm water. This scrub is very beneficial for oily and combination skin.

4.     Yoghurt –Coffee scrub:

Take 1 cup lightly ground coffee and ½ cup yoghurt. Gently massage with this paste in circular motions and wash it away. This scrub works as a great moisturizer too.

5.     Honey-Walnut scrub:

Take a handful of walnuts, 2 tablespoons honey and ½ cup milk. Lightly grind walnuts and mix all the ingredients well. Use the mixture as a scrub to make your body supple and soft.

Body scrubs are helpful in opening and cleaning skin pores, promoting blood circulation and removing dead skin leaving your skin clean, smooth and healthy looking.

Points to be taken care of:

1. Don’t use body scrubs more than two times a week as frequent use can damage your skin.

2. You needn’t use any soap or body wash after scrubbing your body.

How to keep body fair and glowing:

 

When it comes to beauty and skin care, we generally concentrate on our face and pay less heed to rest of the body but to stay forever young and beautiful, body care is equally important as taking care of  face. The best thing is you don’t have to spend too much time and money on your body care, just adopt some tips as part of your routine to beautify your body.

Simple and easy tips to keep your body fair, young and glowing:

1.     Regular massage:

Make it a habit to massage your body everyday (before taking bath) with almond oil/coconut oil  or any other oil of your choice.  Oil massage promotes blood circulation, nourishes your body and prevents dryness.

2.     Scrub your body:

Scrub off dirt and dead skin from your body regularly. You can use a paste of gram flour and curd as scrub. Scrub your body once a week to keep it clean.

3.     Milk bath:

Milk bath is very refreshing and is a great help in keeping your body glowing, fair and youthful. Add 2 tablespoons milk powder/ 1 cup milk in your bucket. Try this refreshing bath once every week.

4.     Moisturize your body:

Moisturize your body using daily moisturizer after taking bath and before going to bed (to keep your body soft).

Pamper yourself and stay young, glowing and beautiful forever!!!

The best time to drink water:

We all know that drinking a good amount of water is very beneficial for our health but a study has revealed that drinking water at these particular timings is most effective on the human body:

• Commence your day with 1 glass of water just after you wake up. It helps in activating internal organs (intake water sip by sip, avoid gulping).

• Take 1 glass of water immediately after taking bath. It helps in lowering blood pressure.

• Take 2 glasses of water half an hour before having meal. It helps in digestion (avoid taking water immediately before or after the meal).

• Finally take 1 glass of water at bedtime. It helps in avoiding stroke or heart attack at mid night.

Remedies for chapped lips:

Remedies for chapped lips:

Winter's here; get ready to face the problem of chapped, dry and flaky lips. Chapped lips are painful and embarrassing too-they don’t let you talk, eat or even smile properly. Our lips lack oil glands and the skin on the lips is thinner and more delicate than other skin areas. That's the reason our lips are more prone to dryness and demand some extra care (especially in winters).

5 Simple and easy remedies to get rid of chapped lips:

Remedy#1-Coconut oil:

As dryness is the main cause of chapped lips. Apply small amount of coconut oil on your dry and chapped lips to nourish them (especially before going to bed).

Remedy#2-Cucumber:

Rub a cucumber slice on your lips to get rid of chapped and dry lips.

Remedy#3-Milk cream and honey:

Apply a paste of milk cream and honey to do away with chapped lips and to keep them supple and soft.

Remedy#4-Glycerin and honey:

 Apply a paste of glycerin and honey to remove dryness from your lips.

Remedy#5-Aloe-Vera gel:

Aloe-Vera gel is a very good healing agent. Apply Aloe-Vera gel on your chapped lips many times a day and before going to sleep.

Some valuable tips to avoid chapped lips:

• Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated.
• Don’t lick or bite your lips as it can cause chapping.
• Moisturize your lips regularly (especially before going to bed).
• Have food rich in vitamin A like carrots, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables.
• Don’t peel dead skin from your lips.

Don’t let the harsh winter weather steal your smile as your beautiful smile can make someone’s day!

Keep Smiling!!!

Remedies for cracked heels:

Remedies to heal cracked heels:

Cracked heels, is a very common problem with many of us. The basic reason behind cracked heels is negligence towards foot care. Non- moisturized foot and dryness can also induce the problem of cracked heels and the problem turns severe during winters as heels get flaky. Cracked heels are not just painful, but can be embarrassing  for you as well. Here we go with some home remedies to heal your cracked heels.

Remedy #1

Ingredients- Lemon, Shampoo, Glycerin and Rose water

Squeeze a lemon and add few drops of shampoo in warm water. Soak your cracked feet in the foamy water for 10-15 minutes (this will loosen the dead skin). Gently scrub off the dead skin with the help of pumice stone and pat your feet dry with a towel. Mix 1 tablespoon glycerin and 1 tablespoon rose water well, apply the paste on cracked heels and go to sleep. 

Remedy#2

Ingredients-Sesame oil/Coconut oil

Massage your heels every night with sesame oil or coconut oil before going to sleep. Scrub off the dead skin, the following morning (while taking the bath). Follow this schedule until your cracks get healed.

Remedy#3

Ingredients –Banana and Honey

Mash a ripe banana to turn it into paste (you can also use over ripe bananas). Mix mashed banana and honey well, apply the paste on your cracked heels and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Wash your feet properly with water and wipe off with towel. When used regularly, this paste softens your heels.

Remedy#4

Ingredients –Milk cream and Honey

Mix milk cream and honey to form a consistent paste. Apply the paste on the affected area throughout the night. Scrub off the dead skin in the morning. You can follow this everyday (especially in winters) to keep your heels soft and moisturized.

Remedy#5

Ingredients- Aloe-Vera gel

Apply Aloe-Vera gel on the cracked heels throughout the night. Aloe-Vera is very helpful in rejuvenating cracked heels.

Some other tips to avoid cracked heels:

• Drink lots of water to hydrate your skin.
• Wear socks and covered shoes when you go outside.
• Wash your feet properly when you come back home.
• Scrub and moisturize your feet regularly.