Omved Intense Moisturizing Cream {Product Review}

Price: Rs 440 for 40 gms

Ingredients

DM water, extract of harida, baheda, glycerin, aloe vera juice, carbopol ultrez 21, phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, green tea extract, oils of lavender, chamomile, vertiver, sodium hydroxide.

Pros
- gets absorbed into the skin very quickly

- moisturises instantly

- moisturising stays for long time 

- doesn't really get washed off with water
- keeps the nails and cuticles moisturised too

- awesome ingredients

Cons

- very expensive

- doesn't help extremely dry skin

My Experience
Let me start by saying it smells really weird. But, once you get used to it, you will actually like it and sniff your hands for it. I used this small sample only to moisturise my hands. When I had received this in February, my hands were extra dry and I was hoping to improve their state with this.

The sample is not as big that I can actually review it but I can give a decent verdict on the product because of its concentrated use on one part. It is a thick cream which I used to apply after washing my hands and it moisturised my hands pretty well and instantly. It spreads easily and gets absorbed quickly without leaving any greasiness behind.

But, I also noticed that it didn't really help my extremely dry skin which was a con but gradually, my hands came back to the normal state so I am hoping that a continuous use of the product does show effects. This is an all-purpose cream which can be used on any part of the body. And, I definitely like the smell now :)

Availability
Online - NaturalMantra.com (10% discount valid till 31st March)

PS: Product sent by brand. 

PS 2: I have taken the images from Corallista.com owned by Ankita and I am really thankful to her for allowing me to use the images. Do check out her review on the same too.

Vedic Line Apple Green Toner {Product Review}

Price: Rs 190 for 200ml

Ingredients

Pros

- gets absorbed very very quickly

- if used after a face wash with a cotton pad, it removes the residual dirt entirely

- lovely packaging

My Experience

I love the brilliant blue color of the toner. It comes in a spray bottle and thankfully, the quality of the spray pump is really good. The toner gets absorbed very quickly and it improves hydration to a limit. It does feel a little sticky when applied but that gets solved as soon as it gets absorbed. 

I used the toner after washing my face and I could still see the dirt when I wiped it off with the toner. So, it is extremely effective in that. And, it has no alcohol too so that's a plus. I does smell a little strong for me but the smell doesn't linger around so that's fine. Overall, its a good toner.

Have you tried anything from this brand?

PS: Product sent by the brand.

Other reviews from Vedic Line:

Vedic Line Papaya Scrub and Papaya Face Pack

Vedic Line Fig & Honey Moisturizer

Vedic Line Neem & Brahmi Disinfecting Face Wash

What hydrates our skin? {Science}

[Source: Google Image]

Hydration is one of the most important issues of skin. And, we use toners, serums and moisturizers to help our skin look supple and hydrated. But, our skin has its own method of keeping itself hydrated. So, the question is what actually keeps the skin hydrated?

Skin Constituents

Skin is mainly made up of water, lipids and proteins. Water is, of course, what keeps it supple and hydrated but there is more to skin than just that.

Yes, our skin also has proteins in form of amino acids, collagen, keratin and many other chemical groups. And, the skin also has lipids which are molecules which create a protective barrier over the skin and guard the skin pores against intrusions from pathogens (bacteria, virus, etc.). Another thing which our skin has as lubrication is 'sebum' produced by sebaceous glands on the surface of the skin.They are also one of the kinds of epidermal lipids.

So, we have various things on the skin which provide hydration to the skin - sebum and the other kinds of epidermal lipids (lipids present on the skin surface). Let me also make a point here that there are various kinds of lipids in our body used for numerous function in the tissues and blood. So,we are talking only about the skin lipids. 

Now, these lipids have to be replenished continuously. And, as we age, the replenishment of the lipids doesn't happen as well as in the younger ages. These lipids are mainly made up of fats. That is why it is advised to eat lots of fatty acids for a beautiful supple skin. Vitamin E is one of the most important vitamins found in the lipids. And, Vitamin C which is responsible for collagen production of the skin also takes care of the lipids production on the skin. 

So, next time you think about hydrating your skin, hydrate it from the inside as well. All group Vitamins are extremely important for a healthy skin.

More about me and my skin care regime

About Me

• Name : Swati Murti


• Age : 25


• Hobbies : Reading


• Skin Type : Combination Skin tending towards dry


• Skin Color : Wheat Brown

What made me start "Perfect Skin Care for you"?

I have very thin hair and in consequence, I started searching for hair care remedies online. That was back in July - August 2009 and it had become an obsession. That was when I came across the concept of beauty blogs and websites. The obsession continued till November of the same year to a very high measure. And, then, in December, it struck me that it would be helpful if I could share all the extensive knowledge I had gained in the past couple of months and "Perfect Skin Care for you" was born.

When did I start "Perfect Skin Care for you" and what it is about?

I started blogging on 14th December, 2009. I had started with the intention of writing about natural skin and hair care topics and health was a subject closely related. And, very recently in January 2011, I have started doing product reviews.

What do I think is most important step in skin care regime?

Hydration. Keeping skin hydrated and supple makes it look young and healthy. So, hydrating the skin at every step is very important. 

My Skin Care Regime in a Nutshell

I don't have a very elaborated routine. I stick to the basics most of the time because of my laziness. Cleansing out the sunscreen is what I believe most essential. Then, I hydrate my skin with the toner. I take the toner in my palm and pat it onto my skin instead of using cotton pads or squirting it on my face. This helps in increasing the blood circulation.And, follow it with oil. Any facial oil or almond or coconut oil would do for me because my skin loves oils.

What are the 5 most important things in my bag?

I don't use makeup so you will find only skin care products in my bag. First will always be a lip balm, of course. Others include an all-purpose moisturizer, sunscreen, a face wash and a face spray.  

My favorite DIY 

Since I am a big fan of DIY remedies, I would like to end this post with my favorite DIY recipe. Its a homemade scrub which improves the hydration levels of the skin - sugar + salt + honey in equal quantities.

PS: This post is a part of the "Dove Diaries" section on 2threads.com which is sponsored by Dove.

Water for Lips {Lip Care}

Ok, so summers are gone and monsoons are already raging down on us. And, places which are cooler and highly humid come with another disadvantage. You forget to drink water because the thirst is not felt so much as much as in scorching heat. So, it is very important that you keep on sipping water little by little every one hour so that you don't go dry because it will affect your health first and then the skin, hair and lips show the signs of dryness. Lip becomes dry very easily when you don't drink enough water so make sure before applying your favorite lip balms or lip treatments, you are drinking enough water.

Drink, Drink and Drink - Summer Skin Care

Ok, so summers are really here. And, Hyderabad is already blazing and it will blaze even more in the months to come One thing I have noticed is that my level of hydration has suddenly reduced. I am drinking less water and my skin is becoming parched real soon. Yes, the evaporation levels are high in summers so obviously to compensate this loss of water, we have to drink extra amounts of water. Right??? So. how many glasses of water are you drinking????

Ok, here I would really like to make a point. Is drinking water alone sufficient to keep the body hydrated?? Because, I have a little theory about water levels in the body. I might be wrong but here it goes - our body flushes out unnecessary things, right?? So, if we drink excess of water which body isn't able to store so obviously we make more trips to the loo. And, then, somewhere I read that excess water also flushes out certain minerals and vitamins out of the body which seems plausible and total whacky theory at the same time. A doctor or a skin care can reply better to this. Well, if you can, please feel free to clarify.

So, whatever be the case but I certainly think that drinking water alone is not gonna help much in hydration levels of the body because it has to be done from inside. So, it also depends a lot on the type and amount of food we are eating. Eating hydrated foods will definitely help improve the levels of water in our body. What I am saying is to load up on the foods which are full of water - cucumbers, radishes, onions, watermelon, tomatoes, oranges, all kinds of grapes and berries and fresh green leafy vegetables which have huge amount of water in them. All of these are full of water and taste really good. So, combine them with your regular water intake and see the difference. And, of course, do not forget green tea because you would need anti-oxidants to fight the free radicals created by the sunlight. Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen :)