Skin Care This Holi!

Make your own natural colours: To make your own colours, all you need are a few plants. For green, take plants like henna and dry and powder them. Use separately or mix the powder with suitable flour to make a green colour. Ultimately, you could use the paste of green leafy vegetables to turn others green. Turmeric mixed with gram flour gives a good colour too. Marigold flowers can also be dried and ground and paste used instead of artificial colours. Red sandalwood powder can be used to colour the cheeks crimson. Rose petals or gulal is also a good option and so is vermilion. Red hibiscus flowers soaked in water overnight, also give a red colour. Use palaash or tesu: These flowers, available with any general merchant, can be boiled and soaked overnight to get a rich yellow colour. In the Vedas, it is written, "If clothes soaked in this colour are worn, then that colour will have its effect on our bodies by entering through the pores of the skin, and will save us from contagious diseases." It has miraculous medicinal effects on the body. The increased heat in the body may result in gloominess and an increase in anger. Palash prevents all such symptoms as it regulates the body temperature. This colour destroys kapha, pitta, leprosy, heat and urinary disorders, vayu and blood impurities and increase blood circulation. It also increases willpower and mental and physical strength. And now... Get set and go: - Wear clothes that cover most of your body. - Liberally coat your entire body with oil, rubbing it into fingernails and body folds. Oiive oil is the best. Even coconut oil will do. This prevents permanent staining and forms a barrier to protect your skin from potential allergen. - Oil your hair similarly. Colour will wash away more easily and not leave your hair feeling like a bundle of rope later on. - Use nail paint and transfer resistant lipsticks (any Colourstay range), which stays put on your fingers and lips, besides protecting your fingernails, nailfolds and delicate skin of your lips. - Colours and sunlight combined may cause a "photo toxic" reaction, so sunscreens are a must. Use waterproof sunscreens because liquid colours can wash off ordinary sunscreens. Try Banana Boat SPF-30 or Spectabran SPF-28. When the hulla of Holi is over... - Cleaning the skin of all the colours after the fun and games are over is the most important aspect. Wash immediately as these chemicals can harm your skin on prolonged contact. So bathe and shampoo as soon as possible to minimise skin contact time. Use a glycerine-based soap. - Stuck with gulal stains on your face and ink blobs on your nose? No problem! For colour, or gulal on the skin, massage warm oil into your skin, (heavy oils like mustard are the best), and let the oil seep in for 15 minutes. Using a gentle soap and warm water, wash off the oil. - For permanent colour stains, use a cotton ball soaked in acetone (your nail polish remover) or kerosene and gently remove it. - Do not rub the skin vigorously with soaps, etc., but instead, opt for a cleanser. Follow this up with loads of moisturiser, especially one that is meant for sensitive skin. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin. Apply moisturiser on damp skin immediately after the bath. - Apply the pack of curd or mashed papaya for 20 minutes. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin. - After removing the colour, replenish and rejuvenate the skin by using a paste of soya bean flour or besan with milk. A mixture of sea salt, glycerin and a few drops of aroma oil has an anti-bacterial and antifungal effect and can take care of the bad effects of chemical colours. Use warm water and moisturising soap to scrub off the colours. Then, using a cream cleanser or baby oil, gently massage off the leftover colour. - Colour on the hair should be rinsed off with a mild shampoo immediately. Conditioning is a must. Apply a hair pack of olive oil and honey after shampooing. If you have any rash or allergy, you can take a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet like Ceterizine or consult a doctor immediately. If you continue to have problems... - If your skin feels irritated and is itching or burning, wash it properly again. Then mix one part of cortisone (Fluticasone) lotion with two parts of moisturiser or calamine lotion and apply. - For a more severe reaction with eruptions, a tablet of Cetrizine (available at chemist shop) may be taken but its better to see a doctor immediately. - For dull, dry hair, try this hair pack. Mix half a cup of olive oil, an egg white and 4 teaspoonfuls of honey. Coat your hair with this mixture for half an hour then wash off. - A soothing face pack can be made with a mixture of pureed banana, 2 teaspoonfuls of honey and 2 teaspoonfuls of milk cream. This hydrates, softens and soothes the skin. After Holi hulla, you are bound to get tanned, so try this natural recipe. Puree a tomato and apply it on your face for about 20 minutes. Fresh, crushed tomato pulp is supposed to remove immediate tanning. Wish you a happy Holi with a healthy skin and great hair! Visit http://www.time4tips.com for more beauty and makeup tips, skin care advice, hair care with lots of effective home remedies.">Holi is after all Holi. There is no festival more vibrant, colourful and exhilarating than Holi. Everyone wants to enjoy it - to dance in clouds of gulal and to get soaked in shower of coloured water. Yet many of us suffer from skin problems, allergies, breakouts and irritations later on. The consequence of Holi in not just spoilt clothes and floors, but skin and hair damage too due to the presence of chemicals in the colours used. Synthetic colours Most Holi colours sold these days contain many harmful chemicals. In fact, most are dyes meant for industrial uses like dyeng textiles and are not meant to be applied on humans. These colours have in them heavy metals, acids and powdered glass. The black paste youngsters use has lead oxide, green contains copper sulphate, red is mercury sulphite and so on. All these are toxic and can result in anything from skin allergies to cancer, from eye irritation to blindness. And worse. Even the bases in which these chemicals are mixed are highly toxic. Many dry powders use a base of asbestos talc, chalk powder or silica. Asbestos is a known as human carcinogen, which builds up in the body daily tissue, and even micro quantities can result in cancer. Silica may dry as well as chap the skin. The shine in the colours is due to the addition of powdered glass or mica. Many water colours have an alkaline base capable of causing severe problems. If it enters the eyes, it can pose a great danger to one's vision. Colours in the form of paste have toxic compounds mixed in a base of engine oil or other inferior quality oil, capable of causing skin allergy, temporary blindness and much more. Synthetic colours used during Holi often contain lead oxide, engine oil, diesel, chromium, iodine and copper sulphate, which cause skin irritation and even blindness in case of extreme exposure. Colours in the hair: Hair can turn brittle and extremely dry if colour remains in it for a long time. This is due to the chemicals in the colours and the dust in the air. Though no damage is done to the roots or scalp, the hair begins to break. Oiling of the hair thoroughly before jumping into the playing arena can go a long way in taking care of this common problem. If the colour enters the eyes... While throwing colours at each other, people do not realise that these colours might enter the eye, damage the ocular surface and cause temporary problems. There could also be complications that pose a great danger to the sight and could impair it. There are well documented cases of eye injury due to Holi colours. So one should keep in mind that, while playing Holi, sensitive areas like the eyes should be avoided. However, if colour enters, one should immediately wash them with large amounts of water and, incase irritation persists, medical aid should be sought immediately. If your skin is too sensitive: Individuals with a history of eczema oratopic dermatitis are at a high risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis due to Holi colours and dyes. This will manifest in itching, a red rash and irritation in the area of contact. Such individuals should use a barrier cream (white soft, yellow soft, paraffin) prior to playing Holi While the application of very little colours would be an ideal solution to avoid any kind of allergy, the application of a body oil, like coconut oil, can also protect the skin. However, if the colours irritate the skin, they should be immediately washed away with running water. To make Holi truly colourful: Use quality colours: - Use water-soluble colours and stay away from "permanent" colours because they contain cheap dyes that cause reactions. - Avoid metallic colours, like gold and silver. - Most dry colours are safe, but avoid glittery ones. They contain silica particles that can abrade your skin. - Feel the texture of the colour before buying it. It should feel powdery, like talc and not grainy or gritty. Make your own natural colours: To make your own colours, all you need are a few plants. For green, take plants like henna and dry and powder them. Use separately or mix the powder with suitable flour to make a green colour. Ultimately, you could use the paste of green leafy vegetables to turn others green. Turmeric mixed with gram flour gives a good colour too. Marigold flowers can also be dried and ground and paste used instead of artificial colours. Red sandalwood powder can be used to colour the cheeks crimson. Rose petals or gulal is also a good option and so is vermilion. Red hibiscus flowers soaked in water overnight, also give a red colour. Use palaash or tesu: These flowers, available with any general merchant, can be boiled and soaked overnight to get a rich yellow colour. In the Vedas, it is written, "If clothes soaked in this colour are worn, then that colour will have its effect on our bodies by entering through the pores of the skin, and will save us from contagious diseases." It has miraculous medicinal effects on the body. The increased heat in the body may result in gloominess and an increase in anger. Palash prevents all such symptoms as it regulates the body temperature. This colour destroys kapha, pitta, leprosy, heat and urinary disorders, vayu and blood impurities and increase blood circulation. It also increases willpower and mental and physical strength. And now... Get set and go: - Wear clothes that cover most of your body. - Liberally coat your entire body with oil, rubbing it into fingernails and body folds. Oiive oil is the best. Even coconut oil will do. This prevents permanent staining and forms a barrier to protect your skin from potential allergen. - Oil your hair similarly. Colour will wash away more easily and not leave your hair feeling like a bundle of rope later on. - Use nail paint and transfer resistant lipsticks (any Colourstay range), which stays put on your fingers and lips, besides protecting your fingernails, nailfolds and delicate skin of your lips. - Colours and sunlight combined may cause a "photo toxic" reaction, so sunscreens are a must. Use waterproof sunscreens because liquid colours can wash off ordinary sunscreens. Try Banana Boat SPF-30 or Spectabran SPF-28. When the hulla of Holi is over... - Cleaning the skin of all the colours after the fun and games are over is the most important aspect. Wash immediately as these chemicals can harm your skin on prolonged contact. So bathe and shampoo as soon as possible to minimise skin contact time. Use a glycerine-based soap. - Stuck with gulal stains on your face and ink blobs on your nose? No problem! For colour, or gulal on the skin, massage warm oil into your skin, (heavy oils like mustard are the best), and let the oil seep in for 15 minutes. Using a gentle soap and warm water, wash off the oil. - For permanent colour stains, use a cotton ball soaked in acetone (your nail polish remover) or kerosene and gently remove it. - Do not rub the skin vigorously with soaps, etc., but instead, opt for a cleanser. Follow this up with loads of moisturiser, especially one that is meant for sensitive skin. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin. Apply moisturiser on damp skin immediately after the bath. - Apply the pack of curd or mashed papaya for 20 minutes. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin. - After removing the colour, replenish and rejuvenate the skin by using a paste of soya bean flour or besan with milk. A mixture of sea salt, glycerin and a few drops of aroma oil has an anti-bacterial and antifungal effect and can take care of the bad effects of chemical colours. Use warm water and moisturising soap to scrub off the colours. Then, using a cream cleanser or baby oil, gently massage off the leftover colour. - Colour on the hair should be rinsed off with a mild shampoo immediately. Conditioning is a must. Apply a hair pack of olive oil and honey after shampooing. If you have any rash or allergy, you can take a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet like Ceterizine or consult a doctor immediately. If you continue to have problems... - If your skin feels irritated and is itching or burning, wash it properly again. Then mix one part of cortisone (Fluticasone) lotion with two parts of moisturiser or calamine lotion and apply. - For a more severe reaction with eruptions, a tablet of Cetrizine (available at chemist shop) may be taken but its better to see a doctor immediately. - For dull, dry hair, try this hair pack. Mix half a cup of olive oil, an egg white and 4 teaspoonfuls of honey. Coat your hair with this mixture for half an hour then wash off. - A soothing face pack can be made with a mixture of pureed banana, 2 teaspoonfuls of honey and 2 teaspoonfuls of milk cream. This hydrates, softens and soothes the skin. After Holi hulla, you are bound to get tanned, so try this natural recipe. Puree a tomato and apply it on your face for about 20 minutes. Fresh, crushed tomato pulp is supposed to remove immediate tanning. Wish you a happy Holi with a healthy skin and great hair!

Stay Tuned to Day Long Freshness

Sweating is a normal response to environmental or bodily heat. It can be accelerated due to pain, panic stress, ill health, or an emotional disturbance. When air is dry, evaporation of sweat takes place rapidly so that we don't notice it on our skin, but when the weather becomes hot and humid, the moisture lingers on and we get soaked in perspiration. As an elimination organ our skin allows sweat to pass out from the pores and rid the body of impurities, just as kidneys send out waste products through urine and the liver breaks down pesticides and other chemicals and shunts them off. Sweat is 99 per cent water while the rest is made up of salt, fat, lactic acid, uric acid and potassium. Since the body stores tiny amounts of environmental toxins in fatty tissues, it's possible that even these may turn up as well in the sweat. There are two types of sweat glands located in the dermis of the skin. The eccrine, found all over the body chiefly on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands, prepares plenty of clear sweat that is low in organic matter and is odourless though it can take on the smell of certain liquids or foods that have been consumed. The other is the highly sensitive apocrine which becomes active after puberty and produces a milky secretion that breaks down into fatty acids on mingling with local bacteria resulting in offensive odour. Since the apocrine glands remain stagnant in babies and the young, they smell sweet. Though we all have the same number of sweat glands per skin area, the amount of sweat varies from person to person. On average, women perspire less than men but those engaged in strenuous activities sweat much more. In men the sweat glands exude a hormone called testosterone which by itself is odourless. However, a host of bacteria known as 'coryneform' located in the armpits convert testosterone into substances that emit a seductive musk-like odour so typical of those sexy sweaty shirts! During middle-age, people with a weak digestive system are not able to metabolise foods like fish, eggs, nuts, legumes and liver and they discharge strong odours. Coffee, colas and chocolates also tend to stimulate the apocrine glands - concentrated in moist areas of armpits, breasts, naval and the groin - so more sweat oozes out from the pores. Excessive chronic-sweating called 'hyperhidrosis' can be due to genetic disorder, tension, low blood sugar, obesity or menopause. Sweating can be controlled by maintaining proper personal hygienes sometimes, pouring water on the body does suffice since our skin is an amazing self-cleansing organ but when dirt, dust, dead cells and stale make-up clog pores and hamper the skin's natural functions, a proper cleansing is required to remove accumulated pollutants without disturbing the skin's normal balance. Soap and water are commonly used for bathing and most soaps have fine floral notes that leave the body refreshed and relaxed. But enough water must be used to clear impurities as well as any soap residue. Applying body lotion or talcum powder after the bath adds to the effect of freshening up. Talc absorbs moisture and diminishes body odour though it lasts for a short while. Lotions and perfumes too repress body odour temporarily and that also aesthetically. However they don't fight bacteria and when sweat overpowers the scent, a stale whiff survives. Deodorants do a neater job to control body odour and keep delightful day-long fragrant freshness. They contain antiseptic ingredients and choice essences that destroy bacteria and keep the skin sweet-smelling. Deodorants are available as sprays, roll-ons and deosticks. Sprays: Formulated with active bactericidals and exquisite perfume, they must be used after stepping out of the bath. They should be sprayed carefully by holding the container away from the face and allowed to set before dressing up, as they can leave stains on clothes. Roll-ons: A thick liquid rolls out through a ball at the mouth of the bottle when pressed on the skin. It feels sticky at first but soon a thin layer adheres to the skin's surface and partly seals the pores. Less is better as excess deodorant may cause discomfort. Deo-sticks: Most convenient to use by rubbing the stick on dry skin. As it has little effect on wet skin, make sure to wipe the body properly. It's handy to carry in the purse and re-apply whenever one needs to freshen up. Some deo-sticks have a pronounced perfume to mask body odour. Select a deodorant that works well for your skin and gives total satisfaction. If a product induces an itch or blisters the skin, avoid it and try some other brand. Use of any deodorant should be restricted to thrice a week as frequent application reduces its potency. Often, sweat dilutes the deodorant and, in the course of time, builds natural immunity to that particular product. An anti-perspirant with its two-in-one formula has a long-lasting effect and doesn't wash off or vanish easily. When it is applied a powdery coat forms on the skin and chemicals like aluminium, salts arrest the flow of sweat considerably while eliminating body odour. The right time to use an anti-perspirant is before retiring to bed at night as then it works for a longer time and makes the skin slow down on sweating. ANTI-PERSPIRANTS Some preservatives in antiperspirants can be harmful for those with tender, sensitive skins resulting in a rash. They should use phitikari (alum) containing sulphate of aluminium and potash on armpits, or rub the juice of onion, lettuce or mint leaves to curtail excess sweat and prevent body odour. Hair follicles are ground for apocrine glands to set up body odour. When sweat doesn't dry up, bacteria - the real culprits - take over and cause decomposition and let off a repugnant stink. Make sure the pubic area and armpits are clear of hair. If you experience sweating of the scalp, where the skin's natural lubricants are concentrated, rub eaude-cologne in hair roots before combing. This will help and the hair will also become more fragrant and bouncier. Sweating of feet can be embarrassing when, on removal of footwear, a stench which is annoying to olfactory senses shoots up. Fungi thrive in warm moist places and increase rapidly between the toes. Best is to keep feet dry and clean and spray some talc or deodorant before stepping into well-aired shoes. In warm weather, drink plenty of liquids which will prevent dehydration and aid in diluting apocrine gland secretions. Try to stay calm and relaxed and wear loose, freshly-laundered cotton clothes. Avoid synthetics as these prevent air-circulation and don't permit perspiration to escape. Most ultra-violet rays are harsh and bounce off concrete surfaces. Zinc, an effective ingredient in sunscreens is the white paste that we find cricketers apply below their eyes and lips to safeguard from the sun's glare. Some cream products claim their sunscreen is sweat-proof and longlasting, yet no sunscreen is absolutely sweat-proof. The fragrant cleansers that we use to combat odour often merge with our skin chemistry and become identified as our particular body aroma. Some regard this distinct smell to be alluring as it often conveys signals of sexual intent. And see what someone has to say on this subject: "A horse sweats, a truckman perspires - but a woman glows!" So don't let your apocrine glands get you down even if you lead a hectic life and are always on the go!