Makeup and Beauty

Normal Skin
Clean your face in the morning with milk and wheat flour. Use a moisturizer and protect it from the sun. At night clean with milk again; massage with a nourishing cream and wipe off before sleeping. Once a week use a honey and egg mask.
• A daily routine of skin care is a must for everyone. A good complexion is the background for an attractive face. If your skin is in bad condition because of acne, pimples, or blackheads, consult a dermatologist. Cleanliness is the beginning of a clear complexion. Different types of skin require different care.
• keep your skin-care programme simple, so that you will do it every day. Again, it is the daily care that counts.
• Wear makeup that is appropriate for you and your job.
Oily Skin
Oily skins are sometimes quite troublesome as the excessive secretion of oil leads to not only dull looking skin but also blackheads and pimples. One must be very careful and regular with a proper cleansing routine as well as be careful about what one eats. If you can follow a strict diet control routine for a month you will see the difference in your skin. Start by emphasizing more on salads, fruits, fresh green veg. and lots of water and fresh veg and fruit juices. As for your skin wipe face with cold rose water several times a day and also start to use a face gel that will remove excess oil. At home make a pack with the following : sandalwood powder, fuller’s earth, lemon, juice, paste of neem leaves and a little grated cucumber. Mix this paste and apply all over the face and neck and leave on till dry. Dab with milk and then wash off with ice cold water, you will feel your skin tingling afresh.
Oily Skin :
• Deep cleanse with skin tonic or antiseptic solution before using soap. Any neem soap is preferable to keep common skin problems at bay.
• Oily hair makes the face look oily too, one must keep hair clean and dandruff-free.
• Always apply a non-oily base before going out since your skin is exposed to sunrays, pollution, dust and dirt. The base will protect your skin to a large extent.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is’ difficult to handle and it is necessary for you moisturize it well daily. Use cactus and almond based creams and also use face packs that have a moisturizing as well as tightening effect on the skin. Apply honey all over face and neck and leave on for about 15 to 20 minutes. Almond oil applied and massaged into the skin is very good, but should be wiped off with a moist cotton wool.
Dry Skin :
• Keep your skin well-moisturized preferably with herbal skin lotions since premature aging is more obvious on dry skin.
• Keep your hair dandruff-free as it causes scarring on dry skin.
• Drink a lot of water to keep your skin looking fresh and supple.

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The basic cause of any skin problem is more internal than external. Heredity, genetic reasons and common sickness like constipation, acidity, dandruff etc. are the main causes of chronic skin problems like pimples, pigmentation and blackheads. Oily skin needs more attention than dry skin, even though oily skin does not show signs of aging and is less prone to wrinkles compared to dry skin.
What you eat also affects your skin. If the diet intake consists of oily foodstuff one is prone to acne; lack of fresh fruit and green vegetables causes dullness of skin, scars and dark circles under your eyes.
A low intake of water deprives your skin of much needed moisture giving it a dull and stressed look.
Good blood circulation is important for a fresh, radiant skin and so is the regular intake of blood purifiers which are available at Ayurvedic medicine outlets.
Clean scalp means clean skin. One must keep the scalp free from dandruff and excessive oil.
Generally there are three types of skin textures — normal, oily and dry. The oily skin is due to excessive secretion of sebum from the oil glands and has a shiny appearance. The excess oil accumulates dirt and grime and the resulting blockage of oil ducts causes pimples and acne on the face which is very common ailment in the younger generation today. The dry skin on the other hand, is caused due to lack of oil secretion and dehydration. External causes of dryness are use of strong soaps, exposure to sun, wind, indoor heating, air conditioning and unbalanced diet. Proper skin care can be achieved by cleansing, nourishing and toning processes. Cleansing is necessary to remove dirt and grime from the face. Use mild baby soap for dry skin. Use standard skin foods for this purpose. Toning of oily skin is best done by an astringent cream and for dry skin use cold water splashes.

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Beans, Cabbage & Rose Water Toner:
Save the water you’ve cooked beans or cabbage in and use it as a vitamin-enriched face rinse. Or make a rosewater toner, take two handfuls of dark-scented rose petals. Put them into a large screwtop jar and pour over a litre of still mineral water and eight ounces of sugar. Close the top, shake vigorously and leave for two hours. Then shake it again, strain and store in the fridge.
For oily skin, mix a quarter of a cup of alcohol (such as vodka) with half a cup of rosewater. Into this put two tablespoons of rosemary leaves, the peel and pith of an orange quarter and a lemon half, and four sprigs of mint. Let it stand for at least 48 hours, shaking frequently, then strain and bottle.
Almonds & Lemon Cleansers:
For a general purpose cleanser, just pour a little oatmeal or ground almonds into the palm of your hand and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to the skin in circular movements, then rinse thoroughly. Watermelon juice makes a good cleanser for dry skin and is said to reduce wrinkles. Another face-washing tip is to add a handful of sugar to the lather when you use soap or a foaming cleanser, and massage for a couple of minutes. Rinse with warm water that has lemon juice added to it.
• Incorporate this five-minute body brush into your daily bathing routine to tone and soften skin and pep up circulation. Brush skin when it’s dry (before bathing), with a natural bristle body brush, and always towards your heart.
• After showering, massage and exfoliate wet skin to remove dead cells and boost circulation. Use a body scrub in upward, spiral motions. Concentrate on rough, dry skin, e.g, heels, knees and elbows.
• Rinse off and direct the shower head at zones that need toning such as thighs and upper arms. Towel-dry, leaving skin slightly damp, then smooth on moisturizer.
Base for Make-up:
If your skin lets you down, new complexion primers and foundations can help.
• Prime skin with a firming, moisturizing and protective gel or emulsion. Apply prefoundation products after cleansing, while skin is still warm. Leave to settle for a few minutes before putting on make-up.
• If your skin is up to scratch, use primer instead of foundation. Just add blusher, concealer and a dusting of loose powder on your nose.
• Mix foundation with moisturizer and a primer or facial spritzer for fast, easy application and to give skin a well-toned look.
• Prepare skin with a premake-up mask : add a dash of olive oil.

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Wash gently with a mild soap
Once or twice a day is usually sufficient to remove surface, oil, dead skin, and dirt. Always wash at bedtime and perhaps more often during the warm summer months. Since acne is not caused exclusively by dirt, washing with a strong soap or scrubbing violently may only cause undue irritation.
Avoid oil-base make-up
Cosmetics can make acne worse; the oil base plugs pores. Look for water-base make-up such as Almay and Allercreme foundations, which are available in a number of shades for both light and dark skins.
Eat a sensible diet
Specific foods have not been proven to affect acne, but good nutrition helps the body maintain healthy skin. Some scientists have suggested that caffeine products and excessively salty foods aggravate acne in certain individuals.
Avoid excessive exposure to the sun
Your August suntan may lead to late fall or winter skin problems. Most acne seems to improve during the summer months with increased exposure to the sun. However, sunburned or suntanned skin is actually damaged skin. As your skin rebuilds and repairs itself, it sheds the dead sun-damaged skin cells. This may cause dead skin debris to clog oil glands, leading to acne.
If you use over-the-counter medications, be wary of adverse reactions
Benzoyl peroxide the primary active ingredient of these remedies. Many people are allergic or sensitive to this chemical. These individuals may see little improvement or even a worsening of their skin condition when using products that contain benzoyl peroxide.

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Traditional home-brewed hair rinses are lemon juice for fair hair and vinegar for brunettes—dilute them eight parts to one with water. This will neutralize alkalinity and give hair a real shine.
For dry hair, try an egg and honey conditioning treatment, mix one egg with one teaspoon of honey and two teaspoons of olive oil. Apply to wet hair. Put on a shower cap or a layer of cling film, cover with a towel, and leave for as long as possible before shampooing out. If you have an over-ripe avocado, use it as a nourishing hair pack in the same way.
Egg is a very good conditioner, besides it also nourishes the hair. However, you mix in curd, tea water, coffee-powder, amla powder and your henna. Leave it in an iron vessel for a couple of hours, then use it.
Should you avoid alcohol formulas ? Although the trend is for gentler control, dermatologists still maintain that very oily skins benefit from alcohol’s decreasing influence—used wisely, it’s an oil control that dissolves plugged pores. But abuse may parch skin into panic producing sebum and establishing a vicious circle. Many toners now have soothing, moisturizing and stimulating properties, taking them up a level from basic cleansing to the treatment zone. The newest way to use these formulas is as a hydrating spray. Apply moisturizer while your face is still wet for maximum benefit. An entire system is based around misting before moisturizing, to rehydrate parched cells. Desperately dry skin can take up to ten misting daily. It’s a wise idea to carry simple mineral or floral water sprays to spritz over your face in low-humidity atmospheres like offices and aeroplanes. They refresh even over make-up—but shut your eyes before you spray.

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