Look Great Feel Good

Ayurveda is the new buzzword for beauty.

An Indian woman's recourse to beautiful skin and hair for centuries, it is now the base for some of the bestselling modern beauty products in India. But in this image-conscious environment, looking after appearance is imperative. Relax. There are simple and easy remedies to all your skin, body and hair problems. And you need not spend a fortune. Just a little self-discipline and pampering can bring back the glow that you lost to the stresses of every day life in a very natural way.Help is only a hand's reach away. The kitchen shelf is a treasure trove of all that a complete beauty treatment needs. Whether it is an annoying pimple that sprouted overnight, dark circles that seem to get darker or fine lines around your mouth, natural remedies work like magic on all these and many more such problems. All it requires is little time and some patience.

With life moving in the fast lane, stress, worries and negative thoughts make the skin look dull as it is the most vulnerable organ of our body. Simple measures can change all that," she adds.Natural treatments are not merely a fashionable concept but a sure cure for various ailments. The best thing about these treatments is that they have no side effects. And that is the reason why I always advise women to go back to their roots. Holistic beauty is a way of life. For you are what your lifestyle is. So, if you lead a healthy lifestyle, your skin, eyes and hair will have the glow of good health. Ayurveda, the ancient science of healing which believes in using herbs and natural sources for treating all that ails the body and mind, believes in this philosphy. Natural healing alternatives are fast gaining international acceptance. Here are some simple recipes for a glowing you:

For the body:
• Drink plenty of water, buttermilk and lime juice and avoid sugary and heavy fried foods, especially during summer. Eat more steamed vegetables, poultry and fish. Combine it with fresh salads, fruits, sprouted lentils, beans and chick peas and large glasses of seasonal fruit juices.

• To lighten under-eye dark circles, mix together 2 tsp mint paste and 1/2 cup milk. Freeze to make an ice cube. Rub them daily around your eyes for effective results.

• If you suffer from regular headaches, soak your feet in warm water for about 15 minutes daily.

• If you have yellow teeth, mix lemon peel powder with a teaspoon of salt and add water to make a hard paste. Polish your teeth daily with this and within a week, you'll have a sparkling white smile.
• To thicken eyelashes, rub them daily with castor oil.• If you are suffering from pimples because of constipation, take a cup of warm milk last thing at night to cleanse the stomach naturally!

Skin remedies:
• During summer, keep your face well moisturised with a drop of almond oil.• Grated cucumber is a cooling astringent face mask. It not only feels good but also makes the skin feel cleaner and toned.

• Apply mashed and chilled watermelon on oily skin for the same effect. • Clay packs absorb excess grease on oily skins. Even those with dry and combination skins can use it once a week. Mix 2 tbsp fuller's earth, 2 tbsp honey and juice of 1 lemon.

• Grate a cucumber and squeeze out the juice from it. Mix in 1 tsp honey to the juice to make a tonic that refreshes your skin, especially during changing weather.

For the hair:
• Add 5 drops of lemon oil to your last rinse to make a naturally refreshing fragrance that's cooling and fresh.

• For extra body and shine, mix lemon juice, a glass of strained tea decoction and use it as an after-shampoo rinse.• To treat very oily hair, add 2 tsp of vinegar to the last rinse for a shine and super bounce.

• To help falling hair, grind 20 hibiscus flowers and leaves. Mix this paste with two eggs and apply to the hair and scalp. Leave it on for an hour and shampoo. Do this twice a week for one month.
• If you have very tangled hair, apply 5 tbsp honey and leave it on for 5 minutes. Rinse for super silky hair.

• A quick remedy for clumped, sticky hair during times when you have no time to shampoo: sprinkle talcum powder on a hairbrush and brush out your hair from the nape to the ends. This will reduce surface oiliness.

• To treat very dry hair, mix 2-3 tsp of mayonnaise with 1 tsp honey and apply it into the scalp and hair strands. Leave it on for 15 minutes and shampoo for a luxuriously soft feel!

For the skin:
• Cleansing scrub for oily skin: Mix 1/4 cup fuller's earth, 1/4 cup dried orange peel and 2 tbsp sandalwood powder/oatmeal and store in a container. Take one tsp of the mixture and mix in a little water to make a paste. Rub it over the face and rinse it with warm water. Use every alternative day.

• Toners: Mix a tbsp of lemon juice or a tbsp of malt vinegar in a glass of water. • Cabbage or cucumber juice, mixed with rose water, is an excellent toner. Add a pinch of alum and two drops of spirit of camphor. Keep a bottle of any of these toners handy for frequent use during the day.

• To shrink open pores: Mix tomato juice and honey and apply it to the skin daily for ten minutes. Rinse off. It helps close them.• Moisturising oily skin: Use an oatmeal sandalwood scrub (mix together 1 tsp each, oatmeal and sandalwood powder) to cleanse the skin. To tone, add 1 tsp vinegar to a glass of water, rub all over the face and leave it on for 15 minutes. Do this regularly for a smooth and moist texture.

• Moisturising dry skin: After cleansing the skin with soft soap, tone it with rose water. Apply a tsp of glycerine mixed with a few drops of vitamin oil or amla (gooseberry) oil on the face. Rinse after 20 minutes. Use this moisturising preparation on the face .