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Expert Tips for a Clean Body

To stay protected, it is important to keep our body clean from outside and as well as from inside. Here, are some of the expert tips for a clean body.

Raid your kitchen for effective beauty secrets

Forget about making a run to the cosmetics shop. Your very own kitchen is full of great natural beauty products for the skin.

Your kitchen is full of alternatives to those expensive, chemical based and processed, over-the-counter cosmetics. And are more importantly a much healthier and skin-friendly formulation. So why not use them?

Here are some food swaps for your routine skin care products. The best part? You can find them all in your very own kitchen!

Natural cleansers

• Milk (lactic acid), sugar cane (glycolic acid), and grapes (tartaric acid) make wonderful facial cleansers.
• Olive oil or sesame oil can be used as make-up removers.
• Strawberries contain natural salicylic acid, which is a great cleanser for acne prone skin.

• Rolled (coarsely grounded) oatmeal can be a great facial cleanser with gentle scrubbing properties for all skin types.
• Dried and coarsely grounded orange/lemon peel, almonds, or brown sugar can also be used as gentle scrubs.
• You could also make a great scrub out of walnut powder, honey and lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each.

• For dry skin: mashed ripe banana, avocado, papaya and egg yolks works wonders. Poppy seeds and peanuts both contain natural oils; their paste can be applied over the face to get a lasting sheen. Curdis also a well-suited potion for dull skin.
• For oily skin, egg whites are very nourishing. Fenugreek and red gram paste can also be applied to control excess oil, while keeping your skin moisturised.

• Apple cider vinegar is an excellent toner.
• Cucumber, pineapple and lemon juices are naturally occurring astringents.

• Before any at-home treatment, give yourself a "pre-mask prep" to prime your face by having a simple steam to open and cleanse your pores for easy and better absorption of nutrients.
• For a smooth and silky feel of skin, rub some "baking soda" all over the body while in the shower. You can also do this on your face to remove black heads.
• Vinegar works wonders for smelly armpits and feet. Mix vinegar and water in equal proportion and use in place of deodorant. If you suffer from athlete's foot, a "vinegar foot bath" can even help you completely get rid of your condition.
• Benefits of turmeric or haldi are well known. Apart from its antiseptic properties, it also helps in reducing under eye dark circles and puffiness, soothing cracked heels, minimizing pigmentation/wrinkles, and giving skin a radiant glow.
• Olive oil can be used to sooth sunburned skin.
• Dip your nails in lukewarm olive oil for healthier talons.

• Use natural skin toner like "rose water" after cleansing the face.
• Boil green tea leaves in water, cool it down and use it as a sunscreen below your makeup.
• To remove tan, apply a mixture of cucumber and lemon juice and wash off after 20 minutes. Alternatively, mix a pinch of turmeric in some yogurt and apply in a similar way.
• Mint is an excellent refreshing agent for the skin, if you have been out in the sun.

Are you suffering from a dull face caused by flaky skin? It's time to exfoliate your skin to get rid of those lustreless dead cells.

Our skin is in a continuous process of replacing old cells with new ones. Sometimes, the old, dead cells do not fall away and tend to clog up the top layer. They need to be removed in order to bring forth brighter, more youthful layer.

Most skin experts suggest a simple regimen that can be followed for clean, healthy and glowing skin. Cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturising are the four cardinal steps that guarantee you beautiful skin.

Exfoliation helps in removing those dull and dead cells that conceal your beautiful underlying skin. So, scrub to a youthful vibrant skin.

Some Natural Homemade Exfoliating Scrubs:

Facial scrubs should be used twice or thrice a week to shed off dead cells. They rejuvenate the skin and increase blood circulation. And you don't necessarily have to spend exorbitant sums on buying them. Here are some highly effective and easy-to-make scrubs that can be prepared at home without spending much.

1. Honey scrub: Honey is known to be good in imparting radiance. Honey scrub is ideal for dull skin as it gives you a shine and youthful look. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice in a bowl. Rinse your face with fresh water and use the mixture as scrub for 5 minutes. Wash and dry with a clean towel.

2. Olive oil and sea salt scrub: Mix 1 teaspoon of olive oil with teaspoon of sea salt in a small dish. Scrub your face for 5 minutes and then wash with clean water. The results will be remarkable. You will see a visible glow and shine on your face. Olive oil will also nourish your skin.

3. Cucumber facial scrub: Blend a medium sized cucumber with 1 teaspoon of honey until a fine paste is prepared. Add 1 teaspoon of almond oil and 1 teaspoon of wheat germ. Use it as a scrub for 5 minutes. Wash with water and pat dry. You will notice a shine and radiance that this scrub gives your face. Cucumber scrub is also effective in removing dark spots and freckles that act as beauty stoppers.

4. Papaya Scrub: Add teaspoon of brown sugar to a piece of papaya and blend smoothly. Scrub on your face for few minutes. Rinse well. Your skin will glow and you will experience a fresh feeling.

A word of caution:

In case you have acne, consult a dermatologist before scrubbing your face, as it might exacerbate the situation.

Turmeric – curcuma longa has spiced up your curries and sometimes made way into your glass of milk when you caught a cold. This wonderful antiseptic spice is a favorite among grandmas when it comes to whipping up homemade beauty treatments. Read on to find out why.

Battling pigmentation

Turmeric has an old reputation of giving the skin a natural glow. And that's exactly why traditional Indian weddings follow the custom of the 'haldi' ceremony before the wedding day, so that the bride and the groom really glow on the D day. A teaspoon of turmeric powder in your face pack, or with a couple of tablespoons of gram flour and lemon juice helps lighten your pigmentation wonderfully.

For the wow glow

Turmeric has been used in beauty treatments since ancient times. Being an excellent antiseptic, you can freely use it even if you discover a few breakouts on your skin. And believe it or not turmeric doesn't stain your skin. For a healthy glow, add a pinch of turmeric to the pulp of tomato (if you have oily skin) or a tablespoon of curd (if you have dry skin). Leave it on your face like a mask for 15 minutes and rinse.

Anti-ageing spice

Turmeric is packed with anti-ageing properties. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and makes the skin soft and supple. This works best when a pinch of turmeric is mixed with cucumber pulp and applied to the skin. Do this regularly and you're sure to get compliments.

De-tan

If fair skin is all you covet, here's turmeric to your rescue. Lemon or tomato juice coupled with turmeric used twice a week reduces the tan and lightens the skin visibly, minus the cakey fairness of the fairness creams.

Acne treatment

If those zits and boils are all you can think about, try treating it the turmeric way. You can't go wrong with this mixture of coconut oil, turmeric and a nice helping of sandalwood powder (if you want it to be a mask) or sea salt (if you want it to be a scrub). Tired of using the concealer every time to hide the spots left behind? Dab turmeric and lemon juice mixture directly on the spots and leave it for five minutes.

So opt for turmeric – the inexpensive and natural alternative care for your skin instead of the expensive chemical-filled store-bought treatments!