Face mask for glowing skin

For glowing, luminiscient skin, use the following pack atleast thrice a week -

Powdered orange (dry orange peels in sunlight and then grind them)
Milk cream (malai)

Mix the above and apply on face and neck. Wash off with cool water after it dries and bask in the softness thereafter!

Update (5th May, 2010) - I did grind orange peels and used the powder as well. My only reservation was that the powder didn't smell zesty and nice like oranges do. The smell wasn't too bad, but I guess I shouldn't expect dried orange peels to smell citrus-y nice like fresh, juicy oranges do! :)

All the same, the powder is granulated and works nicely as a scrub. Using it with other ingredients like lemon or tomato juice overpowers the smell a bit. So it's good to use for a change. Not one of my favourites though!

For softer, fresher skin

Use this mix for softening and pampering your skin -

Papaya pulp
Yoghurt

Apply this simple mix on your face and relax while it dries. Wash off with milk or water. Use this pack during summers, to give your skin the much needed rest after the day’s heat, sweat and pollution.

Exfoliating mix for oily or normal skin

This is a quick and wonderful fix for dull skin that needs exfoliation (only for oily to normal skin). Use every alternate day or everyday if you face alot of pollution, dust and dirt while outside -

Lemon juice
And salt for scrubbing!

After applying lemon juice, massage gently with salt for 3-4 minutes, in circular upward motion. Wash with tepid water and get ready to be amazed by the smoothness of your skin!

For silky, smooth skin

If you have dry skin and are looking to moisturize your skin, then the following mix will go a long way in plumping up your skin -

1 tbsp of yoghurt
1 tsp of honey

Mix these and apply thickly all over your face. Once it dries, wash off with cool water. Use this everyday to invigorate your skin.

For dry, patchy skin

A quick fix for dry skin with uneven tones is the following simple mix -

1 tbsp of oatmeal
1/2 tbsp of yoghurt
1/2 tsp of honey

Mix to a creamy consistency and apply all over. Wash your face with water, by scrubbing gently in a circular motion, giving your skin a nice exfoliated fresh feeling.

Rich facial scrub

When it comes to giving your skin a glow, nothing works better than scrubbing away dead and dull skin cells, paving way for fresh, brighter skin. Whip up this rich scrub for a softer, youthful look -

Banana pulp
1 tbsp of milk cream (malai)
1 tsp of milk

Apply this luscious mix generously over your face and neck. Relax while it dries and wash away with cool water. Pat skin dry to feel the freshness.

Face mask for skin lightening

If your skin has dulled down due to constant exposure to the sun, heat and pollution, apply this mix to lift away the dust and dirt to bring out the radiant you -

1 tbsp ground almonds
Unboiled milk (to make a thick paste)

Spread this on your face and wash away with water after it dries. Apply this mask every alternate day for best results.

Tan removing face pack

To gently get rid of tan lines or uneven skin tones, try the following -

1 egg white
1/2 tsp honey

Whip the egg white till it forms soft peaks. Add the honey and then spread the mix on your face. Wash off gently with water. Use regularly for 5 weeks for optimum skin lightening.

Simple home made face cleanser

To clean your skin at the end of a long day, dip into this simple yet amazingly refreshing mix -

Cucumber juice
Unboiled milk

Combine these 2 and apply this with a cotton ball all over in a gentle, upward motion. Wash off and spritz your skin with rose water for closing your pores, leaving behind a tingly, fresh aroma on your skin!

Eye gel for removing dark circles and puffiness

Whip up this delicious gel to rejuvenate and relax your eyes. You can refrigerate this mix for upto a week -

1 tbsp aloe vera
Drops of lemon and cucumber juice

Mix this, and add the juice sparingly or add more aloe vera to make sure the gel isn’t too runny. Apply this around your eyes every night before sleeping. And there is no need to rinse it off because it’s all natural! :)

You should begin seeing a difference in 2 months time (yes, dark circles are stubborn).

Soothing eye pack

For tired, itchy and dry eyes, try this simple and effective pack -

1/2 tsp of apple puree
1/2 tsp of potato pulp
Milk cream (malai)

Mix rich milk cream with the apple and potato pulp to make a creamy thick mixture. Appl this generously around your eyes and relax for 15 minutes.

Rinse gently with cool water. This mix is ideal for everyday use and would work wonders in perking up your eyes.

Eye pack for nourishing away crows feet

If you are looking to banish crows feet and plump up the skin around your eyes, then this is just the pack for you! -

1/2 tsp of almond oil
Drops of honey
Milk cream (malai)

Apply this softening pack around your eyes and wash away with cool water. Regular application of this will ensure softer, smoother skin around your eyes.

Getting rid of puffy eyes

If you suffer with puffy eyes, then using this extremely cooling paste will do wonders -

1 tsp of ground mint leaves
1/2 tsp of gram flour (besan)
Drops of rose water (optional)

Only add the rose water, if the paste is too thick. Apply this generously around your eyes and relax while your eyes ‘feed’ on this! You can say good bye to puffy eyes with this effective paste. Just make sure to be regular with applying this!

Exfoliating scrub using oatmeal

This scrub sloughs away dead cells and increases skin circulation -

1-2 tbsp oatmeal

Orange juice (you can use lemon as well)

Make a paste of this and gently scrub your skin for 3-5 minutes. Rinse and pat your skin dry. Apply a moisturizer, so that your skin can easily absorb the cream. And your skin will feel soft for hours after this!

Simple way of staying acne free

If you are prone to acne and breakouts, then a simple and effective way of keeping a check on them, is to use warm water with some salt added in it. Add some lemon juice to this (if you have oily skin), or use it as is without the lemon juice if you have normal or dry skin.

Make sure you rinse your face well everyday with this solution. This will open up the pores and kill the bacteria. Then use a skin toner like rose water or simply splash your face with cool water, to close all the pores. Do this before sleeping (preferably), so that your skin can breathe and stay clean.

Being regular with this will help your skin unclog it's pores and will keep blacheads at bay as well.

How to thread your upper lips - Tips and tricks

Once you are able to thread your upper lips yourself, it gives you complete freedom to be fuzz free all the time. Plus, now that you can pluck hair easily, you can thread any stray hairs you find on ur face, or anywhere else.

So some tips to make threading a better experience for you -

• Initially, it might hurt you some bit to thread, especially if you've only just started. But nothing to worry, with time, as you continue threading, the hair follicles loosen up and it becomes almost painless to thread your upper lips.
• To lessen the friction between the thread and your skin, just dust your upper lips with powder. With this, you'll be able to see the hair more clearly too.
• If you have sensitive skin, which tends to redden after threading, then rinse with cool water and apply some calamine lotion or aloe vera gel. If you don't have either, rub some ice over the area and then dab on a little cream to moisturize and calm.
• If it hurts you alot while threading, then the easiest way to reduce this pain, is to thread earlier than usual, while the hairs are still shorter. It makes alot of a difference and I thread my upper lips often, to avoid any unpleasantness of threading alot of (longer) hair together. Plus, I look like I'm always de-fuzzed!

Sweet lip scrub

This makes for a quick lip scrub and works great to soften your lips -

1 tsp honey

Some granulated sugar

Simply scrub gently in circular motion with your finger, and then wash with cool water. And for a while, you'll be able to taste a little sugar as well. Sweet indeed! :)

How to thread your upper lips - The technique

Once you are ready, cut a thread, roughly 20 inches in length and loop it by tying the free ends into a knot. You should have something like this -

Now hold the looped thread with both hands and twist it (or wind it) around the center of the loop, about 3-4 times. It should look like this -

Hold the wound thread with your fingers pointing outward (ie, away from your face), just as shown in the picture above. Now this is how you would be working on your upper lip. You'll need to practice the 'opening and closing' action, done by your fingers, to get a hang of it.

Like in the picture below, open your right hand wide (somewhat like a claw, except using only your index finger and your thumb to manoeuvre the central wound to the left of the loop) -  

Now while closing the open right hand, simultaneously open the left hand, using the same index finger and thumb movement. The criss crossed point would move from the left to the right of the loop as you do this -

And that's it! Keep repeating this open and close action till you can do it easily. Once you'r comfortable with this action, simply try plucking a hair off your leg (since it's easiest to reach). Sit with your leg propped up, bent at the knee, and position the thread in such a way, that the single hair is on the left and the criss crossed (or wound part) of the loop is to it's right. Then repeat the above steps, opening with the right (in effect, pushing the wound point over the hair, twisting it to come out) and then back and forth till it comes out.

Initially, you will have to go back and forth quite a lot, before the hair starts plucking out easily. Keep at this for days or weeks, till you can easily pluck hair from your legs. When comfortable, try the same on your upper lip, and within 2-3 months, you should be alot more efficient at threading.

Nobody taught me how to thread myself and I learnt all by trial and error after having some read some vague instructions on how to go about it. But hey, I did learn it and so can you! If you have any confusion, or need some more clarification, drop me a line. I'll be glad to help out! :)

How to thread your upper lips

Threading upper lips is the safest way of getting rid of unwanted hair, without waiting for it to grow to a certain length (like waxing requires). I've been threading my upper lips for years now and do it whenever I see even the slightest of fuzz.

It's one of the best things I've learnt to do on my own, because rushing off to a parlour for a 5 minute threading session is such a waste of time. Ofcourse, it did take me around 3 months of solid practice before I could efficiently pluck out all hair. But now it's real easy and infact, I can thread other people too using the same technique!

Now threading yourself does not require you to get all technical like ladies at salons do, holding one end of the thread in their mouth and then, pulling back anf forth with their hands. So for this do it yourself technique of threading, you simply need the following -

• 
  
  Threading thread (there are threads available just for threading, or you could simply use a strong cotton thread available at home. Only problem is, it snaps rather quickly, but if you'r in a hurry, this would do just fine) (The one in the picture is the threading thread that I've been using for years)
• 
  
  A mirror
• 
  
  Good lighting right above the mirror
• 
  
  Powder for dusting (not necessary though)

Once you have the above ready, get comfortable in front of the mirror. I wouldn't suggest using the washroom mirror, which is usually placed above the sink, which creates a distance between the mirror and where you are standing. So use the dressing table mirror, or the almirah mirror, where you can stand or sit closest to the mirror to have a good, clear look at the hair that you want to thread.

I prefer standing and threading, though if it's comfortable to sit in front of the mirror and thread, you sure can do that. Check out the next post on the technique of DIY threading.

Face mask for removing sun tan

Tan lines are a common problem and using this simple home made face pack, you can get rid of sun burnt or tanned skin -

1 tbsp of gram flour (besan)
1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
Rose water or tap water (enough to make a paste)

Mix these and apply over tanned areas. After it dries, moisten your face with a little water and then scrub away gently, in circular motion, giving your skin a good final cleanse as well. Infact, I just applied this and my skin feels so clean and soft. This is one of my favourite mixes, partly because you'd hardly find an Indian household without besan and haldi, and mostly because this really works!

Just make sure you apply this regularly for 4-5 weeks to see visible results. :)