Beauty From Vegetable And Fruits

Highly effective face packs and lotions can be prepared from fruits and vegetables which will give your skin a soft, lovely radiance.

Astringent lotion - Blanch a small peach, remove its stone and grind and squeeze out its juice. Add to it onefourth teaspoon each of lime and tomato juice. Mix well and spread on your face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes.

Cucumber tonic - Grate and squeeze out juice from a small cucumber and mix in one-fourth teaspoon each of lime juice and rose water. Apply on face and leave on for 15 minutes. This tonic improves a dull and greasy complexion.

Cleansing lotion - To one-fourth teaspoon of lime juice stir in one teaspoon each of milk and cucumber juice. Apply on the face and neck and wash off after 14 minutes. This lotion cleanses and purifies the pores of the skin.

Cabbage mask - Grind a couple of cabbage leaves and extract juice. Dissolve one-fourth teaspoon of yeast in it and stir in one teaspoon of honey. Mix well and apply thickly over face and neck. Remove with cotton-wool soaked in water 15 minutes after application. This mask will Counteract any tendency towards wrinkles and dry ness and give your skin a flower-like bloom.

Orange tonic - Blanch and grind a couple of almonds to a paste and mix in two tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon each of carrot and orange juice. Apply thickly on face and neck and leave on for half an hour. Removes scars and blemishes from the face and makes it soft and smooth.

Tomato lotion - To one tablespoon of tomato juice add a couple of drops of lime juice. Apply on face and remove after 15 minutes. It is very effective for shrinking enlarged pores.

Watermelon lotion - Grate and squeeze out juice from a small piece of watermelon. Apply on face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes. This lotion freshens up the skin.

Whitening lotion - To one tablespoon of cucumber juice stir in a few drops of lime juice and a dash of turmeric powder. Apply on face and neck and wash off after half an hour. Makes an excellent whitener for all types of skins.
Potato tonic - Grind and squeeze juice of potatoes. Apply on face and neck and leave on whole night. Next morning, wash with water to which a little witch hazel has been added. This tonic whitens and brightens the skin.

Carrot lotion - To one-fourth teaspoon of carrot juice add one teaspoon of melted honey. Remove with cotton wool soaked in water to which a little soda bicarbonate has been added after 15 minutes. It removes roughness from the skin and makes it smooth as silk.

Tomato tonic - To two teaspoons of tomato juice add four tablespoons of buttermilk. Remove after half an hour. It is excellent for removing sunburns

Cucumber lotion - One tablespoon each of cucumber juice and milk and a few drops of rose water should be mixed together and applied on the face and neck and removed after 15 minutes. Makes excellent whitener for delicate skins.
Grape lotion - One tablespoon grape juice should be applied on the face and neck and left on for 15 minutes. Makes the skin soft and smooth, bright and fair.

Papaya cream - Apply one tablespoon finely ground raw papaya to the face and leave on for 15 minutes. Removes pimples and other embarrassing blemishes.
Apple tonic - Mix one tablespoon of apple juice with one-fourth teaspoon of lime juice. Leave on for 20 minutes. Makes excellent tonic for combating greasiness.

Coconut lotion - Water of coconut, if rubbed on the skin and left on for 15 minutes, lightens and brightens the skin.

Oily Skin Controlling Cream

To extensively remove oily skin that may cause pimples.

You will need:
Oatmeal
Egg white

Procedure:
Mix the egg white with oatmeal enough to create a creamy paste. Mix thoroughly and apply to face and neck liberally. Leave the mixture for 20 minutes and wash with clean water. Do this as often as needed

Dry Skin-Controlling Paste

To naturally-moisturize dry skin.

You will need:
Egg yolk
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Procedure:
Make a creamy paste with egg yolk, olive oil and lemon juice by mixing all these ingredients together. Mix well and apply it on neck and face. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes and wash with water. Repeat this remedy as often as needed.

Fruity Lip Gloss

Ingredients:
2 Tbls solid shortening
1 Tbls fruit-flavored powdered drink mix
35 mm film container

Mix shortening & drink mix together in a microwave safe bowl till smooth!
Place in microwave on high for 30 seconds until mix becomes a liquid!
Pour into clean (wash thoroughly before use) film container, or any other small airtight container!
Place mix into fridge for 20-30 minutes or till firm!

Homemade Body Scrubs

Exfoliation or scrubbing is a process by which skin gets rid of dry, rough, and peeling outer layer that gets blocked with dirt. This is generally due to exposure to extremes of condition. Homemade natural body scrubs are the best resorts to help you clear the skin from impurities thereby allowing it to breathe. Some people have very sensitive skin. Using homemade body scrubs minimizes any reaction to the skin.

Homemade body scrubs have three basic components in their content - exfoliators, carrier oils, and essential oils. An exfoliate can consist of sea salt, ground almonds or wheat bran. Grape-seed, hazelnut, or almond oil is generally used as carrier oil. While carrier oil gives elasticity and a soft shine to the skin, the essential oils stimulate and refresh adding fragrance and healing to the whole process. In the following lines, we provide you with recipes for homemade body scrubs.

Homemade Body Scrubs

Sea Salt Body Scrub

Ingredients:
1 cup Fine Sea Salt

1/2 cup Grape-Seed, Hazelnut, Or Almond Oil

10 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil

10 drops Juniper Essential Oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly so that everything is well blended.

Once properly blended, damp your skin. Apply the mixture and massage it well. Deal first with the tough, rough, thickened areas of the body, such as the feet and elbows.

Wash your skin and feel the tenderness.

Use this scrub once a week.

Almond and Bran Scrub

Ingredients

1/2 cup Very Finely Ground Almonds

1/2 cup Coarse Wheat Bran

1 cup Hot Green Tea

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Directions

tionsCombine the almonds, bran and tea and blend it to form a smooth paste.

Add the lavender essential oil, thoroughly blending the mixture.

Spread this mixture on your body and massage well.

Wash your body for a smooth feel.

You can use this scrub once a week.

Top 10 Skincare Tips

1. Protect yourself from the sun -- use sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight between the hours of 10 and 2.

2. Don't -- I repeat -- don't smoke. Your skin is a large organ and it needs a lot of circulation. Smoking impairs that dramatically. That's why smokers' skin looks dull and gray. Instead of having oxy-generated blood delivered to the surface of the skin, they're getting poisons and oxidants.

3. Get adequate rest and nutrition.

4. Protect yourself from stress -- both emotional and environmental stress.

5. Wash your face twice a day and put on the proper treatment product. I'm amazed when women tell me they don't wash their face in the morning. A lot of icky stuff collects overnight -- dead skin cells, dirt, and dust!

6. Don't neglect certain areas of the skin. Elbows, heels, neck, and decolletage need moisturizing, and your scalp and the tops of your feet need sun protection.

7. Touch your face less and wash your hands more! Don't get too surgical on yourself. It's very tempting to pick, poke, squeeze, and scratch in front of the mirror. But the more you traumatize the skin, the greater your risk of scarring. Apply treatment products and let them work.

8. Keep your makeup clean. Replace the sponges in your compact on a regular basis. Now and then, toss the whole works and start fresh -- the average shelf life for cosmetics is 6 to 12 months. Don't buy products so expensive that you'll be heartbroken if you have to throw them away.

9. Exercise moderation. More is not always better. Moisturizer, for example, is the most overused product in America. We've been bamboozled by cosmetic companies into thinking every square inch of our body has to be slathered. And it's simply not true. Exfoliators are another thing to be careful with. Used too often, they overacidify and irritate your skin.

10. Beware of counter girls. If it were up to them, you'd be in the bathroom for two and a half hours each morning -- putting 80 layers on your face. Keep your regimen simple. And when you do add a new product, do it gradually so your skin has time to adjust. Each skincare or makeup product has an average of 20 to 40 ingredients -- you're introducing 20 to 40 potential allergens to your face every time you try something new

Carrot Facial Mask

Ingredients Needed:
2-3 large carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Cook carrots, then mash. Mix with honey. Apply gently to the skin, wait 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water

Apple Zinger Facial Mask

This is good for Oily or Acne Prone skin.

1 medium size apple, grated fine
5 tbs. honey

Mix the grated apple and honey well. Smooth over skin and let sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse off with cool water

Make Your Own Hair Perfume

It is pleasant to perfume the hair after washing it when the hair is half dry. The following ingredients are required to make this fragrant perfume.

6 tablespoons powdered charcoal
5 tablespoons powders myrrh
1 tablespoon powdered benzoin
1 tablespoon potassium nitrate
2-3 drops oil of bergamot
2-3 drops of sandalwood
mucilage of tragacanth
Mix the powders together and sieve, and then add the oils. Add the potassium nitrate, and then sufficient mucilage of tragacanth to make a stiff paste.

Heat the mixture over a water bath and then make into little cones and dry. Just light one of the cones and let the smoke go into the damp hair.
The smell is highly aromatic and exotic.

Beauty From Leaves

Many effective beauty aids are made from ordinary leaves. Here are some of them which will help you to maintain a flawless complexion.

Celery leaves - Clean, slice and boil a couple of handfuls of celery leaves in a small bucket of water. Remove from fire, cool and strain the water. Mix in a tablespoon of vinegar. Rinse your hair after shampooing with this water and see how your hair grows long and lustrous.

Leaves of ribbed gourd - Clean, slice and grind the leaves of this vegetable to a paste and apply over dark patches (on your body) left-over from some skin disease a few times daily. Within a week the patches will vanish, leaving no trace behind.

Bilva leaves -These are green leaves used in the worship of Lord Shiva. If you are suffering from offensive body odour, grind a handful of these leaves to a paste and apply this paste all over your body half an hour be. fore going in for your bath. Do this twice a week till you effect a cure.

Bay leaves - If you want to make your teeth sparkle, rub them twice a week with a dry bay leaf and see how women envy your bright smile.

Lettuce leaves - Grind a lettuce leaf with a small rose to a paste and mix in a few drops of lime juice. Apply this paste over your face and leave it on for 15 minutes. Remove with water. This is excellent for counteracting a greasy skin.

Mint leaves - Wash and grind a few mint leaves to a smooth paste. Apply over your face every night before you go to sleep. This helps you to get rid of pimples and other embarrassing blemishes of the skin.

Mehandi or henna leaves - These leaves are being used for centuries in India by women to dye their hair and to decorate their palms and feet. You can have best results if you soak fresh leaves for a whole night in water. The following morning drain out the water and grind them to a paste with a little Indain kattha, some lime juice, sugar and turmeric powder. This way, the color of the henna will come out bright red. They are also used for darkening -the hair and encouraging their growth. Soak a few Indian gooseberry in a little milk for a couple of hours and then grind them to a smooth paste along with a handful of henna leaves. Mix well and rub into the roots of hair an hour before you go in for your head bath.

Neem leaves - These leaves are very useful for removing scars from the body caused by chickenpox and small pox. They also help in the case of small boils, itching and prickly heat. Boil a couple of handfuls of tl1ese leaves in a bucket of water till the water is reduced to three fourths its original quantity. Remove the water from fire, cool and strain and let the patient use it in his bath and within a week you will find a definite improvement in his condition.

Tea leaves - Left over tea leaves are very good for preventing the hair from falling and they also make the hair glossy and soft. Therefore, next time do not throwaway used tea leaves, use them for washing your hair. Put the leaves in a bucket of water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from fire, cool and strain and use this for washing your hair instead of ordinary water. If lime juice is added to this water and it is used as a last rinse, it gives a lustrous sheen to the hair. These leaves are also excellent for reviving tired eyes. Mix some crushed ice in used tea leaves. Tie them up in two small pieces of cloth and put them on each eyelid for 10 minutes. They will not only remove tiredness from the eyes but will also make them brighter. They are also very good for treating sunburns. Dissolve four teaspoons tea leaves in boiling water. Strain and mix with clear, greasy surgical jelly and place in airtight jar.

Basil leaves - The leaves of Indian basil are very beneficial to the human body. Make a habit of taking a teaspoon of these leaves mixed with honey once a day to put a glow in your cheeks and to keep all the diseases away. This juice is also very effective for getting rid of lice. Apply it liberally to the head in the night and cover it with a towel. Next morning, wash your head in the usual way. Do this for a few weeks to effect a cure. If your baby has lice, scatter them on his pillow for a couple of days. These leaves also help in cases of almost all the skin diseases and removal of patches from the skin. Grind them to a paste and apply to the affected portions of the skin a few times daily for a few days and you will be completely relieved of your ailment. These leaves help even when all the other medicines have failed. It is rightly said-'A basil leaf a day keeps all diseases and skin ailments away'.

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