Relieve Tired & Swollen Feet

Your feet are the most used and abused part of your body. You are on your feet all day and you rarely think of consciously resting your feet or relieving your tired feet. Sometimes your feet may even swell because they are very tired. You must take some time out and relax and relieve your tired feet. Here are a few ways in which you can relieve your tired feet.


If your feet are swollen then rest your feet above your head for about 10 minutes.

To do this lie at right angles to a wall, or on a bed with your feet on the headboard or on the floor with your feet resting on the edge of a chair. The swelling will subside as trapped fluids travel back from your legs towards to your heart.

Dip your feet into a tub of cold water or sit on the side of the bath with your feet under a cold-water tap. After this put your feet up for a while.

Take cold drink cans from the fridge and roll your feet over them.

Squirt your feet with cooling foot spray. Buy one with mint; they are easily available at the chemists. Refrigerate them when the weather is hot.

You should treat yourself to a foot massage every week. Before you begin the massage, wear loose comfortable clothes and sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported. You can make your own foot massage solution at home.

You need:
· 2 teaspoon of castor or jojoba or soybean or extra-virgin olive oil.

·3 drops of lavender essential oil.

·1 drop German chamomile essential oil.

·1 drop geranium essential oil.




Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and massage gently into your feet. Once you do this put your feet up for sometime. Wash your feet with a mild soap and apply nourishing cream on your feet

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Natural Foot Care Product

The skin on your feet needs to be taken care of in the same manner as the skin of your face. You need to clean it, exfoliate it and moisturize it like you would any other part of your body. There are a number of foot care products available in the market. But you can make your own natural foot care products at home. These products are simple and easy to make and use naturally available material. Given below are a few simple recipes of natural foot care products.

Lime Cleanser

Ingredients:
Paper towels
Lemon juice
Take a bowl and mix half water and half lemon juice. Then dip paper towels into the mixture and apply on to your feet. This will soften, smooth and remove odors from your feet. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. The shelf life of this product is approximately one week.

Strawberry Foot Exfoliator

Ingredients:
8 strawberries
2 tablespoons of olive oil or safflower oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon finely chopped almonds
Mix all the ingredients together and make a paste of it. Do not blend too much as the strawberries have a lot of water and this will make the paste too watery. Massage it onto your feet, rinse off and dry your feet. This foot care product has no preservatives and has to be refrigerated. Shelf Life is about one week.

Relaxing Foot Lotion Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon almond oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon wheat germ oil
12 drops eucalyptus essential oil or fragrance oil
Put all these ingredients into a dark colored bottle and shake it well. As and when you require rub into the feet and heels. Store in cool dry place. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. Shelf life is approximately one week.

Make and use these simple natural foot care products at home and they will keep your feet healthy and beautiful

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Homemade Foot Scrub

The skin of your feet needs to be exfoliated and renewed like the skin in any other part of your body. There are different types of scrubs that are available in the market today. But you can try this homemade foot scrub and you will realize that is just as good as any of the commercially available foot scrubs. Before scrubbing your feet you can soak it in a homemade foot soak. Given below is the foot soak recipe.

Foot Soak Recipe:½ cup sea salt
3 slices of lime
5 to 10 mint leaves
5 drops of essential lime oil
Combine all these and add to a basin filled with warm water.

Scrub Recipe

3 limes
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil
15 fresh mint leaves (chopped)
5 drops of lime essential oil
Cut the limes into small pieces and pulse these pieces into a thick pulp in a food processor. Mix this lime and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Soak your feet in the homemade soak for 5 minutes. Then apply the homemade foot scrub with your hands using circular movements around the foot, ankles and calf. Remove the scrub with a warm, damp towel and then apply a mint moisturizer all over your feet.

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Carrot Facial Mask

There are a number of beauty treatments and skin care products, which women use to restore the beauty of their skin. One of the common beauty exercise practiced among them is application of face masks. Facial masks are one of the most inexpensive products available in the market. Moreover, they do not require much time and energy to be used. Another benefit of face masks is that they can also be prepared from daily household items, right at the comfort of your home. One such homemade facial mask is prepared from carrot. The carrot face mask is perfect for oily skin and helps prevent wrinkles. So, for that glowing and youthful skin, know how to make carrot face mask.

How to Make Carrot Facial Mask

To prepare the face mask, peel the carrots and steam them until soft. Mash the carrots to make fine paste. Carrots protect the skin from free radicals and promote regeneration of healthy skin cells.
To this paste, add 1 tbsp of natural honey. Honey is a known natural remedy for many types of ailments and helps reduce inflammation, swelling and also eliminates germs.
You can even add 1 tbsp of olive oil to this mixture. Olive oil is a beneficial skin care product, as it helps nourish and cleanse the skin, leaving it supple and glowing.
People who have oily skin can squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice into the face mask mixture, as it is a natural astringent that helps clean greasy skin. The quantity of lemon juice depends on your skin type. If your skin dries easily, add only 8 to 10 drops. If your skin is considerably oily, add around 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
To make a smooth paste, mix enough mineral water to the mask. Add water carefully, lest your face mask becomes runny. If the mixture is consistent enough, it is not necessary to include water.
Wash your face and neck with warm water and pat dry. Apply the mask evenly to your face and neck, allowing it to set for 15 minutes. Thereafter, rinse your face and neck with warm water again and pat dry

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How To Use Cologne

Cologne is the term used on context of a perfume that is made in the style that originated in Cologne, Germany. It comprises of a mixture of citrus oils, including those of lemon, orange, tangerine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit and neroli, in a base of dilute ethanol. Apart from that, cologne can also have essential oils, like lavender oil, rosemary oil, thyme oil, petit-grain (orange leaf) oil and jasmine oil, in it. In today's world, cologne is considered almost a necessary application, especially before you step out of the house. In the following lines, we will tell you the proper way to apply cologne.

How To Use Cologne
If you are using the cologne after a long time or have just bought the bottle from the market, first ensure that it is spraying out the correct amount. In such a case, you might have to take a few pumps to get the cologne out of the bottle.
Now, you should spray one pump of cologne on either your left or right wrist.
Rub the wrists together, so that the cologne gets evenly spread on both of them.
Spray the cologne on your hands/fingers and wipe them behind the ears, on the chest and on the side of your neck (where you feel the pulse).
If your cologne bottle doesn't come with a spray top, put your finger over the top and turn the bottle upside down.
Thereafter, apply it on the inside of your wrists, behind the ears, on the chest and on the side of your neck.

Some Tips
It is always advisable to pat the cologne on the desired body parts. Do not rub, as rubbing would make the natural oils on your skin cover the cologne.
While spraying cologne, make sure to keep it away from your clothes. If you spray it onto the clothes, you might end up running them.
Whenever you buy cologne, spray a little from the tester onto the inside of your wrist. Wait for a few seconds before smelling it. If you like the fragrance, buy it.
Remember that the cologne should be enough to leave a lingering presence after you have passed a person. But, it should not be so powerful that a room starts reeking of it the moment you enter.

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Create Your Own Perfume

Perfume has become one of the essential cosmetic items in today’s world. No one, right from men to women and young to old, prefers to go out with applying a dash of perfume. The reason is that smelling good is one of the main requirements of a pleasing personality. However, with the high prices of perfumes in the market, it is becoming very difficult to buy perfumes. In such a case, making your own perfume seems to be the best bet. Yes, you read that right! It is not difficult to make perfume at home. If you don't believe us, go through the following and find complete information on how to create perfume at home.

Create Your Own Perfume

Items Needed
Concentrate of Essential Oils (2 drops Lavender Oil/ 4 drops Carnation Oil/ 3 drops Juniper Oil/ 2 drops Jasmine Oil)
2 1/2 oz 100-proof Vodka
2 tbsp Distilled or Spring Water
Glass Bottle, with a spray top
Coffee Filter

Instructions
Take a bowl and put the vodka/brandy in it.
Add the essential oil concentrate to vodka, stirring slowly as you go.
Let the mixture of vodka and essential oil concentrate stand for 48 hours.
Add distilled or spring water to the mixture, stirring slowly and thoroughly.
Again, let the mixture stand for 48 hours. (If you want a stronger perfume, you can go for a standing time of four to six weeks)
Smell the perfume. If you feel it to be too strong, dilute it by adding some more distilled/spring water and let it stand for 48 hours.
After the perfume has matured, pour it, through a coffee filter, into your bottle.
Your perfume is ready to be used.

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How to Buy a Lip Liner?

It is very important that you pick the right lip liner, when it comes to your beauty shopping. Infact, cosmetics of any kind demand that we devote some time and have some idea regarding what we are looking for. Random shopping never helps, when it comes to picking products that are required to complement your looks. Moreover, with such a wide variety of cosmetic brands in the market, one tends to get confused as to which brand, shade or quality of lip liner will do the magic trick. A lip liner can accentuate your lips and give them the perfect precision and shape that you always desired. Similarly, a lip liner that doesn’t gel well with the shade of your lipstick can spoil your entire facial make up. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you shop for your next lip liner.

How to Buy a Lip Liner

First decide which brand of lip liner you would like to go for. Different brand of lip liners are available in the market for different prices. You may take the advice of your beautician in this regard or simply choose a brand that you feel you can trust.

Next, decide if you would like to go for a wooded pencil type or a twist-up type liner. Twist-up liners are more convenient, as they do not require sharpening. Wooded pencils on the other hand provide a fresh and a fine point every time you sharp them.

Next understand if you are buying the liner to simply outline your lips, to fill your lips (like lipstick) or both.Choose a simple stick if you plan to use it in order to give shape to your lips. If you plan to use it like a lipstick, you can choose a liner that comes with a lip coloring stick and a brush.

If you are buying a liner to use it with a particular lipstick that you already have, see that its shade is similar to your lipstick or may be a shade lighter. Never pick one that is of a darker shade than your lipstick. You may also pick a neutral shade that goes with different shades of lipstick.

You may choose a long lasting lip liner that stays longer and is preferable if you have a busy lifestyle. You can put it under your lipstick for a long-stay effect. Otherwise, you may also go for a liner that might require some touch up every now and then.

Best Lip Liner Brands in India
Here are some of the best lip liner brands that are available in India.

Avon
Chambor
Christian Dior
Clinique
Elizabeth Arden
Estee Lauder
L’oreal
Lakme
Lancome
MAC Cosmetics
Max Factor
Maybelline
Oriflame
Revlon
Sheisido

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How To Buy Lipstick

So, you think buying a lipstick is easy? Think again! A lot of women (including me!) find themselves completely lost and helpless when it comes to buying the perfect lipstick. Well, you may like that lovely shade of matt pink, but would it go with your skin tone? Maybe you love all those five shades of red-brown, but are you ever going to wear all of them or would they be an addition to your existing collection of ‘non-usable’ lipsticks? Sounds familiar? We are here to your rescue. In the following lines, you will provide instructions and tips as to how to select that perfect shade of lipstick for yourself. So, read on!

How to Buy Lipstick
Go to a store that sells reputed brands. You are likely to find a great selection there. Make sure you have a certain color or shade in mind before you start choosing. If you are looking for browns, then go through their collection of brown shades, and so on.

Once you have assorted a few shades out for yourself, open one and lift it up till your mouth. See if it suits your face complexion. Avoid using the lipsticks on lips, hands and palms, as it is very unhygienic. If they have testers, just dab a little on the skin behind your palm and check it in sunlight. There is a lot of difference when you check colors in natural and artificial light.

Check the ingredients that have been used. Since you tend to lick your lips often, you tend to swallow lipstick too. So, make sure what goes inside is at least harmless, if not palatable!

A good thought would be to go in for two different shades all together. It will favor most of your clothes. Buy a brownish or reddish-brown shade for clothes that are beige, black, green, yellow, etc. Get another shade in maroon, mauve or pink (depending on your skin tone) that will compliment dresses that are in blue, pink, white, etc.

Don’t buy a lipstick just because the sales assistant thinks it is good! Trust your instincts and love what you buy. In case your lipstick doesn’t stay for a long time or vanishes fast, consider buying a long lasting one.

It is better to go in for matt lipsticks than the glossy ones. They last longer and bleed less and even if you want a shiny look, you can always add some natural gloss after applying the lipstick.

Best Lipstick Brands in India
Avon
Bobbi Brown
Clinique
Cover Girl
Elle 18
Estee Lauder
Lakme
MAC
Max Factor
Maybelline
Oriflame
Revlon

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How To Apply Bronzer

You want to amaze people in the party with your recently tan looks! Of course, neither do you have time to sit at the shore or tanning salon, nor are the negative effects of UV rays letting you take the natural tan. Obviously, you will be relying on bronzer to give your face a sun-kissed appearance. To assure you once more, you have chosen the right way to look great without being exposed to the bright sun. However, application of bronzer needs immense consideration, since uneven or excessive bronzer can make your skin look shabby and fake. If you’ve correct know-how about application, then bronzer is the best as well as quick and easy way to get that lovely golden tan. The powder form of bronzer is the most popular one, so here are given simple steps to brush on a natural glow.

How to Apply Bronzer

Things Required
Bronzer
1 Large Soft Brush
1 Cotton Pad/Sponge

Procedure
First of all, apply a base or translucent power over face and neck as it will absorb the oil and moisture from skin. Such oil and moisture can lead to steaks and make the bronzer look unnatural.

You can apply the bronzer to the whole face. However, bronzer is usually applied to the key areas such as forehead, nose and cheek-bones.

First of all, swirl the brush evenly in the bronzing powder and tap off the excess.
Start sweeping motions with the brush from the top of the forehead, working down the nose and then the cheeks.

Start working lightly and fabricate the color steadily for an adapted shade. You can apply it to chin also.

Check the application in daylight or natural lighting to make sure that there are no streaks or bronzer is not too heavy.

If bronzer is too much, then blend it down evenly with a cotton pad or sponge.

Tips
Apply bronzer mainly to the key areas i.e. the areas where sun mostly rests, like cheekbones and the bridge of nose.

Apply bronzer not only to face but also to your neck, otherwise it will create a fake look. Blend the bronzer well.

Don’t over apply bronzer; otherwise it will give you a fake and shabby look.
Don’t apply foundation instead of powder, because it can make the tan look appear muddy.

For dry skin, it’s better to apply moisturizer evenly before applying the base powder.

Prefer not wearing copper lipstick or eye shadow when wearing bronzer, otherwise you’ll look metallic.

While removing excess bronzer, don't blow on the brush because if a little moisture reaches the brush, it can lead to streaks.

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How To Buy Sunscreen

The sun spares nothing, whether it is a dense forest or your exposed skin. The notion is not new and perhaps all of us know that the sunrays can be harmful. Though you cannot stop moving out of your house, you can guard yourself with adequate clothing, a hat and glasses. However, such protection isn’t viable at all times, so all you can do is use sunscreen lotion which is quick and easy means to shield yourself from the Sun. Now the point is which sunscreen to buy since the market is loaded with many brands and to choose the right one is a big deal. Don’t worry, here we are providing some requisites of a good sunscreen to help you buy the correct one for yourself.

To start with, make out the distinction between a sunscreen and a sunblock. A sunscreen could be any form of product, having a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or less. An SPF of 15 indicates that it would take 15 times longer to burn the skin with the sunscreen than without. An SPF of 30 or more is found in a sunblock.

If you have fair skin, use a sunblock with SPF 30 or more and you need it especially more between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m, when you’re at high altitude, near the equator, or outside in a sunny day. It is essential for everyone, including kids. Throughout the life-span, skin mostly gets damaged before the age of 18. Fair-skinned people require more protection.

Ensure that your sunscreen is marked ‘broad spectrum’ as it will shield against, both UVA (ultraviolet-A) and UVB (ultraviolet-B) rays. If you are over-exposed to the Ultraviolet radiation, it increases the risk of basal-cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.

Make out what protection you’re receiving. A sunscreen with SPF 15 provides you 94 to 95% UVB coverage, while SPF 28 gives you up to 96% coverage.

If you remain outside for longer duration daily, purchase zinc oxide or titanium oxide (or dioxide) to guard your ears, nose and lips. Such opaque and chemical-free sunblocks are perfect for sensitive skin. Z-Cote is the latest product that offers zinc-oxide protection. It is transparent; therefore you can evade that whitest look.

If you do swimming or sweat a lot, then but a water-resistant or waterproof sunscreen.

In case you’re allergic to certain skin products, go for PABA-free, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic sunscreen. Take a patch-test on your skin to verify whether the sunscreen is actually non-allergic.

If you’re prone to breaking out, choose a sunscreen which is noncomedogenic as it will not block the pores.

Based on your personal liking, select from the range of lotions, gels, ointments, wax sticks and sprays. Wax sticks are usually for lips. For restless kids, sprays can be an easy job.

30 minutes before going out in the Sun, sunscreen should be applied liberally to the exposed parts. Reapply the sunscreen in every two hours, or more frequently if you sweat too much.

Best Brands of Sunscreen in India
Avon
Ayur
Biotique
Fair & lovely
Himalaya
Lakme
Lotus Herbals
Nivea
Oriflame
Shahnaz Hussain
VLCC

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