Five fruits that work magic on your skin

Face it. Fruits can make you glow in more ways than one.
1. Papayas
"A papaya contains the enzyme papain, making it an excellent cleanser. It also helps revive blemished and undernourished skin. It is particularly good for oily skin and also lightens skin colour," says beauty expert Shahnaz Husain.
* Use ripe papaya pulp as it is or mix with oatmeal, honey or curd and apply on your face for 10 minutes. Rinse off with cold water when dry.
* Put a mix of papaya and cucumber pulp under the eyes to minimise dark circles.
2. Apples
"Apart from vitamins and minerals, apples also contain pectin and tannin that help tone and tighten the skin and improve blood circulation. Apples are specially effective for those with sensitive and fair skin," says natural beauty expert Suparna Trikha.
* To take care of sunburnt skin, add a teaspoon of glycerine to apple pulp (grate the apple or put in mixie) and apply on your face for fifteen minutes. Wash off with cold water.
* For tired and undernourished skin, mix two teaspoons of grated apple, two pieces of mashed papaya, one teaspoon of fresh cream and a teaspoon of China clay. Apply the mixture to a clean face and leave for 15 minutes. Wash off with cold water for healthy-looking skin.
3. Bananas
"Fresh, ripe bananas make excellent face masks. Bananas don't only tighten and cleanse pores, they also revitalise dry skin," says Dr Shobha Sehgal, head of business, day spa and beauty zone, VLCC.
* Mash two ripe bananas with a tablespoon of honey. Smooth over the face and leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cold water to reveal soft, supple and hydrated skin.
4. Oranges
"The citrus family is best known for its astringent and toning properties. Rub fresh orange peel on your skin to tighten it and lighten the colour," says beauty expert Shahnaz Husain.

* Take the juice of two oranges and freeze it in an ice tray. Rub your face with the frozen orange juice cubes whenever you need to look good after a tiring day. The orange juice will give your tired, dull and oily face an instant pick-me-up sheen.
5. Pomegranates
"Pomegranates are excellent for oily and combination skin. Rich in AHA, pomegranate juice acts as an astringent and is a natural toner too," says Suparna Trikha.
* Pound pomegranate seeds and use as a face scrub. This will remove excess oil and make your skin look fresh.
* Using cottonwool, massage around 50 ml pomegranate juice on your face for 10 minutes. Wash off for an instant glow.

Jojoba for the skin, grapefruit for the face, basil and mint for the hair... Who said summer's dry and dull?
You don't need your newspaper to tell you it was the hottest day in the last whatever years. You've faced and 'haired' the brunt! So while the air-condi­ tioners and refrigerators work overtime, you need to turn on your own coolants as well.
SPRAY IT!
Slogging it out in office all day, stepping in and out of air-conditioned environments, braving the dust and grime? A face mist spray is a must in your bag! Make it at home by adding five drops of pure sandalwood oil and two teaspoon of honey in a litre of distilled water. Refrigerate it and spray on before stepping out into the sun and on returning, to reduce sunburn.
To instill life into oily or limp hair, try, this after-shampoo rinse. Boil a handful of basil and mint leaves with the juice of four lemons and add to a litre of distilled water. Prickly heat? Ouch! Mix pure sandalwood powder with your regular talc or spray fresh­ ly ground basil on the affected area.
PASTE IT!
You can make cool face packs in very little time and with very little effort. Beauty expert Suparna Trikha suggests making a face wash with four tablespoon of Fuller's earth (tnul-tani mitti) and half teaspoon camphor blended well with rosewater. Fighting a tan? Paint the tanned area

Flowers that Cure :
What do flowers mean to you? Freshness? Probably. Romance? In some cases. Beauty? All the time. These are edifying attributes. They contribute to an indefinable feeling of happiness. In short, flowers make us feel good.It’s a bit of a surprise to learn that flowers can contribute something rather more physical to our wellbeing.Essential oils of flowers have been used for years in alternative therapies.
A lot of research has gone into it and you’ll find flowers in several creams, lotions and even capsules and tablets.Let's Find Out then..! The seeds of the evening primrose are used to produce evening primrose oil, an excellent source of the omega-6 essential fatty acid. This is used for several skin disorders, and may also help prevent diseases involving the breasts and central nervous system. Studies have shown that oral supplements containing this oil can help inflammatory skin conditions including eczema, and atopic dermatitis.

“Primrose oil is also beneficial for pre menstrual syndrome (PMS) and attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is easily available in capsule form,” says Dr Budhiraja. Aside from its health benefits, says Dr Shushant Shetty, vice president, beauty services, at the beauty chain VLCC, evening primrose oil has good cosmetic uses. “It helps cure acne scars, dry eyes and dry skin, and also contributes to strong and healthy hair and younger looking skin,” he says. Doctors recommend sunflower oil as a cooking medium because sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant. “Vitamin E also plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” says Dr Budhiraja. The vitamin E content is also useful if you have acne, because it soothes several types of skin irritations. “Like every other oil, sunflower oil helps the skin retain moisture. What sets sunflower oil apart, however, is that it provides the skin with a natural barrier against bacteria and other irritants that are at the root of most blemish issues” says Suparna Trikha, a natural beauty expert. “That’s why sunflower oil can be found in skin care products such as soaps, body wash and lotions,” adds Dr Shetty.

Commonly known as the English marigold, calendula is particularly remarkable in the treatment of wounds. That’s because it contains chemicals that increase blood flow to the affected area, and promote the production of collagen proteins. “Calendula petals have anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antiseptic (antibacterial and antiviral) properties, and may even offer immune-stimulating actions,” says Dr Amrit Kalsi, senior medical officer (homeopathy) , Delhi government. “Astringent actions promote healing. Moreover, it can reduce the swelling and itching associated with insect bites and may even help to prevent infection due to its antimicrobial actions.” The dried petals of the calendula plant are used in tinctures, ointments, and washes to speed the healing of burns, bruises, and cuts. It is also drunk as a tea for gastro-intestinal disorders. “This tea can be refrigerated and used to take care of nappy rashes and sunburns,” adds Suparna. Says Blossom Kochhar, “Add marigold flowers to your bath water as they are effectivefor broken veins as well as certain types of acne.” While essential oils from geranium leaves are known for their toning, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial strengths, geranium can also help relax tight muscles. “Add the geranium flower to bath water as it helps improve circulation. Besides this, it is widely used in hand and body lotions and moisturisers,” says Blossom. The oil of the geranium makes a good astringent. “It also has great antiseptic properties and restores the balance to dry or oily skin and hair. You can also make a tea with the leaves and flowers. Geranium is perfect for making face creams and if you add oatmeal to it, you get an excellent body scrub,” reveals Suparna. The geranium also has soothing qualities and helps relieve symptoms of anxiety and insomnia as well as PMS. It is reputed to help heal bruises, sunburns and varicose veins too.