Why Besan works? {DIY}

Have you ever wondered how besan is able to clean the skin? The answer is very simple. It has high content of saponins - the same thing present in reetha or soapnuts. The very reason makes the mung dal or green gram dal which is a major ingredient of sunnipindi equally or even more effective than besan in cleaning the skin. So, washing skin with besan or sunnipindi regularly ensures your skin is receiving no harmful or harsh chemicals and the skin is cleansed effectively too. Mixing it with milk which has lactic acid makes the cleansing process even more effective ensuring your skin is on the same time getting AHA (very famously known as Alpha-Hydroxy Acids) which is mild enough to be used on the skin everyday and protects the skin from free radicals and other skin-damaging agents. 

Milk Powder Face Pack {DIY}

An amazingly hydrating face pack for all types of skin except acne prone skin.

Ingredients

• Milk Powder (2 small pouches or 2-3 table spoons)
• Rose Water

Method: Mix the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour very little of rose water and make a smooth paste. The consistency would be very watery and thin. Apply a thick layer on the face and leave it on til it dries. After 15-20 minutes, the mask starts to harden gradually (it takes a little time) into a white layer on the face. After the complete mask hardens, remove the mask by taking a little water and gently scrubbing it off. Wash off and moisturize. 

The result is a supple and brighter skin which feels extremely soft. The mask is so gentle that it can be applied daily. 

Tips:

• You can use any liquid in place of rose water. I used my Rosemary - Black Pepper toner. 

Cleanse your face with Rose Milk {DIY}

I had posted about the DIY rose milk I made couple of days back. I used it to cleanse my face at night with it without using any cleanser. Since the texture of the milk is scrubby but not spiky so it is perfect for a 2-in-1 cleansing at night. The cleansing action of the rose milk is due to the lactic acid present in milk so I am not sure how well the rose milk made from water would cleanse the skin. 

Take a little of the rose milk in your hand and rub it on your face just like a cleanser. Massage the face very gently. The soft rose petals do not exfoliate the skin as such such but they feel nice against the skin and make the skin super soft. It can be drying for some too so following with a moisturizer is very important. But, it cleanses the face really well. 

I do not wear makeup and I wasn't even wearing kajal so I am not sure how well it will remove the makeup though it can be used in conjunction with the makeup remover. 

Milk Turmeric Solution for glowing skin

A very simple remedy which works for all skin types and not only protects skin from all kinds of outbreaks but also improves the skin tone and makes your skin flawless and radiant. This remedy can also be stored for some days in the fridge so you need not make it everyday. 

Buy turmeric root from the market. Make sure they are long and thin and rich in color. If they are more brownish than yellow, they are old roots. Try to buy new or better if you can plant them in your garden. Turmeric is really good for health apart from its beauty uses. Take a cup of raw milk (better if it is cow or goat milk) and boil in a single root of turmeric in it for an hour or so till the root loses its color. Let the milk cool. Discard the root and refrigerate the milk. Dip a cotton in the milk and apply it on your face. Wash your face with this solution as much as possible or at least make a habit to use it once a day or once in a week. This would control the oil production in the body and also improve your skin tone making your skin flawless. Turmeric also helps in preventing skin breakouts. Thus, this solution is great for all skin types. You can also use this milk to mix your face packs and scrubs.

11 Reasons not to eat dairy products

Yesterday I was just browsing through the internet and looking up on certain articles on eating dairy products and their effects on health. Well, let me inform you if you do not have an idea that eating dairy products cause us to age quickly because the dairy products are acidic in nature. Avoid milk and milk products if you want to look young. But, I actually came across an article which put forth a total of eleven arguments in favor of not eating dairy products and some of them, I must say, are really compelling and made me rethink about milk, milk products and the consequences.

The main argument is the condition in which the cows and buffaloes are kept and the food they are given to eat. And, personally, I have seen some cowsheds within my city and I acquiesce with the condition. The cattle is generally fed

Milk has also been linked to osteoporosis and arthritis. And, one more thing which I want to add is the milk in the cartons and packets we get now are pasteurized and deprived of all the nutrients so you drink milk or not, it is not going to make any difference to you. You can read the entire article here.

There is something more I would like to bring to your attention. I did some research on milk and discovered that there is a growing craze of drinking raw milk these days as it is deemed to be highly beneficial for the body. For that, I just have to say that one should never drink raw milk and please never feed it to your children. There are lot of viable reasons for that. Firstly, the cows are no longer getting their feed from clean green fields as they used to when there was less pollution during the time of our grandfathers. Secondly, the food they are fed might have bacteria which is not good for our bodies so you really need to kill that bacteria. And, finally, you do not know about the hygienic conditions in which the cows are milked. Thus, boiling raw milk is the best way to consume milk and if you use the milk cartons available in the markets, you can drink straight from the carton as that milk is already pasteurized and does not need to be boiled. Drink a glass of boiled milk everyday to stay healthy.

Almonds for Brain Power and Skin Care

We all know what good are almonds for our skin and hair and brain and our overall living. There is nothing different I am going to tell you today except for recounting everything again so that you get yet another reason of liking almonds again. 

First, eating almonds soaked in water overnight everyday is very good for our brain. It is especially good for the growing kids as they need more nourishment. The almonds have been found to increase the brain activity considerably. 

Second, almonds is extremely good for skin, hair and overall health. Daily ingestion of adequate almonds nourish our skin and make it look more beautiful from the inside. It also prevents early aging of your skin. Same goes for the hair. You will see an immediate change in a matter of month of starting to take almonds everyday first thing in the morning. 

Third, almonds are not only great for internal care but also for external. So, today, I wanted to share a very small tip with you about eating almonds. Please do not peel the almonds and throw away the skin. Skin of almond is fiber and necessary for our body. Second is almonds are supposed to be taken with milk. So, take the soaked almonds and a little milk and make a paste. Ingest the paste. It is said to be delicious in its own way. You can even use this paste to scrub your skin. 

One should not eat more than 5 almonds a day as it increases the body heat. This caution is for the people who live in tropical climate or hot climate; especially if you are not sitting in air-conditioner all day long . In cold areas, you can eat as many almonds as you feel like. So, this is for people who feel that they can live on dry fruits all day, please do not excessively take them and increase your body heat which will give rise to a varied number of problems like constipation, outbreaks on the skin, excessive sweating and many internal problems.

Use Orange peel to bring a glow on your skin

 

Today, I would be sharing with you a simple scrubbing method for your face without getting into the trouble of elaborate recipe making techniques. Yes, just as I talked about Banana peel last time, this time I am going to talk about how to use orange peel.

Eat your orange. Now, rub the peel directly on your face or anywhere else. Make sure you dig into the skin of the orange peel with your nails to extract its juice and apply it to your face. Keep on rubbing till the skin color of the peel changes into black. Do not wash your face immediately. Wait for 15-30 minutes. Then, wash off your face with cold water. Do not use any cleanser or soap after this application. Your skin will glow and be squeaky clean. And, this also ensures reduction in blemishes and dark spots. But, remember to do this at night as the citric acid makes the skin photosensitive and dry.

A tip: Dip the orange peels in raw milk for 1 hour before scrubbing. This would balance the drying effect of the orange peel with the moisturizing effect of milk. 

How do you use orange peels? Pin It

Also read: 
Benefits of Orange on Skin

Baby Skin Care Routine {Skin Care}

Today, I would be telling you about the baby skin care routine followed by many South Indians. Babies have very soft and delicate skin. So, you have to be extra cautious while taking care of their skin. And, they have under developed muscles and bones too.  Therefore, a general routine of their skin and health care is followed:

• To give strength to their bones and muscles, the new-born are massaged with hot oil (preferably coconut oil) to give strength to their muscles. 
• The babies should never be given long and hot baths. Always make sure that the water is lukewarm. And, do not give them a tub bath. The tub bath is very drying for their skin. 
• Babies have very less hair on their bodies. And, even if they have hairs, do not worry much about them. The roots of the hairs are very weak and they go on getting strong as the baby grows. Therefore, use the chickpea (besan) flour or green gram dal (sunnipindi) flour to get rid of the unwanted hair on their body. Mix the flour with water or milk or apply it directly on the skin (baby) oiling the baby. And, scrub very gently. Do it daily to see results. Do not miss out underarms and the pubic area too. You can mix the flour with turmeric and sandalwood powder.
• Mix turmeric and milk and apply on the baby from top to bottom after the oiling session. Let it dry. Then, remove with a soft wash cloth dipped in milk. And, give a bath to the baby. You do not have to use any soap or cleanser after this procedure as milk cleanses the skin. Your baby would grow to have very little or no hair.
  
• Instead of applying any chemical, apply pure aloevera gel on the complete body, scalp included. Or, you can even apply oil on their bodies. Try to keep babies away from the beauty products as much as possible. I would not even advice you to use the baby products. Natural is always the best.
  

A word of Caution: The skin of a newborn is extremely delicate. So, please be extra gentle while scrubbing with the flour. Otherwise, you can go for the next alternative. You can use the milk and turmeric alternative till the baby is 1 or 2 years old and then, switch to the scrubbing as their skin is better suited for scrubbing now. Many people use the chickpea (or Green gram dal) flour instead of a soap even after growing up. It keeps your skin smooth and glowing skin and complexion.

Use milk to keep your skin moisturized all day long {DIY}

I will be posting today a tip to keep your skin moisturized all day long. How? MILK. I have already talked about how milk can be used to maintain a shiny hair. Now, lets see how it takes care of our skin.

Take some raw unboiled milk along with its cream. Dip a wash cloth in it and saturate well. Apply the milk on your face using the wash cloth. Let it stay for 5-15 minutes till it dries. Then, again dip the wash cloth in milk and saturate it. Start scrubbing your face gently with the wash cloth. Scrub for 3-5 minutes. Then, wash off. Your skin will be smooth and supple. It will look fresh and glowing. This routine will improve your skin's elasticity, its complexion, its water retaining capacity and will keep it looking fresh all day long.

You can use this routine for your complete body once in a while. It is a great treat for your body. Instead of putting milk in your bath water or tub, use a wash cloth and saturate it well before applying it on your body. Use a full cream milk or if you can, goat's milk. That's the best for skin care. Do not worry even if you have oily skin. It balances the oil secretion in your skin and your skin would not suffer breakouts. Instead, your skin might turn to a normal type. And, if you are consistent with this routine, you can notice results in as less as 3 days. Your skin would be considerably lighter and glowing. 

Caution: Do not follow this if you are allergic to any dairy products or are lactose-intolerant or even if suffering from acne.