Top 15 Tips To Get Rid of Pimples

Who wants a zit on a flawless face? But, the zits have a will of their own. And where there is a will there is a way, which makes them pop on our faces time and again like undesirable guests. You can squeeze them, but that doesn’t work in the long run. It’s only going to cause scars and shove the bacteria deep down in the surface of your skin. So quit that idea and try some of our ideas. Though they sound zany they work.

1. Try aspirin. How about crushing a couple of aspirins and making a facemask with the help of rosewater and few drops of olive oil. Apply it on your face. Wash off later with warm water. Aspirin has salicylic acid which cleanses the debris of dead cells on your face. When your skin breathes, acne leaves.

2. Try orange peel powder. It’s the most effective way to get rid of acnes. Though a bit cumbersome, it’s worth the effort. Dry orange peel and grind it. Mix it with fuller’s earth. Use yoghurt to make a paste. Apply it on your face and wash it off.

3. Have you tried olive oil? Massage your face gently with olive oil. Use steam to open up the pores. Dab with a cotton towel later.

4. Zap the zits with tea tree oil. Apply it directly on top of the zit.

5. Yoghurt works as an excellent cleanser. Eat it to restore the level of good bacteria in your gut and apply it on your face for thorough cleansing. Put half a teaspoon of salt in yoghurt before you massage it on your face.

6. Try aloe vera. Slice open an aloe vera spike and put the clear gel on your acne. Allow it to dry and wash off later.

7. Get help from calamine lotion. It works because of zinc content. Zinc dries pimples.

8. Try nutmeg powder mixed with honey. Honey is a natural anti-bacterial agent and it keeps your skin soft too. Mixed with nutmeg powder, it helps dry the pimple and reduces itchiness and pain. As a word of caution, do try it on a patch of skin before.

9. Apple cider vinegar works for many people to dry pimples. Dip a cotton ball in it and soak the pimple with it. Vinegar is an excellent exfoliating agent and it helps remove dead cells from the acne, which works in relieving acne.

10. Honey when applied directly on your face helps reduce zits. Wash it off later with warm water.

11. Tomato juice is an excellent astringent. Apply it on your face directly by squishing the tomato pulp, or make a face pack with tomato juice, fuller’s earth and honey. Wear it on your face for a while and wash with warm water. The redness of acne will subside and your face will begin to glow.

12. How about neem capsules? Neem has anti-bacterial properties. It cleanses your system inside out.

13. Mint juice is effective in getting rid of acne. Try it.

14. Tulsi or holi basil helps relieve pimples.

15. Crush a couple of garlic pods and extract the juice. Dab a cotton ball in it and cover the pimple completely with it. Many pimple victims swear by it.

Acne or pimples are an inflammation, which means your body is fighting against it. Supporting your body with nutrients like vitamin C and E supplements helps quell acne in long run. Do not use vitamin E for a long time, because it is fat-soluble. Vitamin C is harmless. Focus on omega 3 fatty acids. These are good fats. Vegetarians can get it from flax seed, walnuts and fish oil is a good source for non-vegetarians. Not only will your acne disappear, but your skin will also begin to glow.

5 Practical Tips on Dry Skin Care

Battling dry skin or dry skin patches is a constant challenge for most of us. And it gets worst especially in the colder seasons. But, what causes dry skin and how to attain that perfect glow is the actual concern. Worry no more, as My Health Guardian comes to your rescue.

Priya Singh interviews Dr Sheilly Kapoor, Consultant Dermatology with Medanta the Medicity and brings to you 5 practical tips on dry skin care. Keep reading to know the tact for that shiny skin.

Moisturizers and essential oils must be applied religiously. Moisturize your complete body every morning and night, without any laziness. Use a good nourishing cream on your face which has ingredients like jojoba oil, glycerin. And do not forget sunscreen. And be liberal to pour in while your skin is damp. Thick greasy moisturizers or oil-based creams are good dry skin lotions, especially during change of seasons. So when choosing a moisturizer or lotion, try to find a rich cream based lotion. Yves Rocher’s ADN Moisturizing lotion, Oriflame range of moisturizers, and many others likes Aroma Magic, Ponds are some of the best options to select. You can also your beauty consultant for the best lotion for your actual skin type. Body oil (or baby oil) even plays wonders on itchy skin or severely dry skin. Apply after a bath regularly.

Avoid using harsh soaps, handmade natural soaps are best for skin care. When cleaning your body, avoid using harsh alkaline soaps or products that contain alcohol or detergents. Instead use mild cleansers, mild soaps or natural-pH products. Try Guardian Xtracare range of handmade soaps.

Don’t miss on supplements for that supple and soft touch. Primrose oil supplements, Omega 3, antioxidants and multivitamins helps to keep your skin healthy. Include vitamins in your diet, as it is excellent for dry skin care. Moreover, you can apply vitamins C and E on to your face.

Ensure your skin is kept hydrated. Drink plenty of water (at least eight glasses a day). Give your face a sauna by filling a bowl with boiling water and take the steam over your face. Add some essential oils or herbs to the boiling water. (Chamomile, lavender and peppermint are good in a facial sauna for dry skin.)

Try these best kept home remedies too.

• Egg yolk is great for dry flaking skin. Apply all over the dry area and then when it becomes hard, wash off with warm water.
  Mash a ripe banana and apply to the dry skin, leave for at least 10 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
• Coconut oil, sesame oil or avocado oil can be massaged into dry skin.
• Honey is an excellent moisturizer and can be applied to the skin just as is, leave on for as long as you can (at least 15 minutes) Rinse off with warm water. Honey stimulates the renewal of skin cells and is a well know cure for dry skin.
• Aloe Vera gel applied to the dry areas will help with dry flakey skin
• Full cream milk can be dabbed on dry skin with a cotton ball. Leave for 15 minutes then rinse off.

Now, the mantra is made simple for you. Just start following the suggested beauty regime accompanied with good food habit to feel the difference in your skin texture. And yes, don’t ever miss your 8 hours of beauty sleep.

Learn to Do Nail Art at Home

So, you always wanted to ‘do up’ your nails without paying a bomb for it.  Here’s an easy way to do nail art at home. Read the trick

What you will need: nail polish cleanser, nail buffer set, nail filer, cuticle cream, nail polish, nail art stickers and a good design to follow.

How to start - Start with cleaning your nails and clipping it perfectly using nail filers and cuticle cream. Apply cuticle cream on your nails and dip  your palms and toes in lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the dead cuticle with the help of filer to peel off the dead layer of your nail. Now comes the turn of buffer set; use three buffer sticks in the sequence of cleanse, moisturize and shine. Later apply a base coat. Let it dry thoroughly.

Create your nail art
There’s plenty of room for creativity—you can create flowers, smileys, abstract designs, etc. to your heart’s content — but don’t make your nails look too cluttered or busy. Few suggestions are given below:

• Quote a line or a style: Apply a coloured polish to your nail. Go with a strong colour like pink. Then take a toothpick and dip it in black nail paint. Now draw as you please on the dried previous coat to get a neo-modern print on your nails.
• Mark some dots: Take a white permanent marker and use it to get the polka dots look. Then let it dry for 10 minutes and take a thin tip marker and add dots to the nail paint.
• Add some sparkle: To get the rainbow glitter on your nails just take translucent or white nail paint. Apply a coat and before it dries, sprinkle on store-brought powdered sparkle (gold or say even black) and let it set. Your disco chic nails will be ready in 15 minutes.
• Paste on are your best friends. You don’t need messy polish. Just buy ‘paste on’ crystals, small stickers, etc from the local stationery store or beauty store and just use them to accessories your nails within minutes.

Keep your art simple. Care for your art. Re-apply a clear top coat every two or three days to protect your art. Nail art stick-ons tend to lose its adhesive quality when you eat with your hands or clean vegetables etc., so be concious to manage it nicely.

Secret of the French Nail Tip.  This is where a little trickery comes into play. Take a little tape (ordinary cello tape will do) and put it across your nail, separating the top from the middle and bottom. Apply the white polish and then just take of the tape. You’re set with saucy French tips!

Priya Singh

Love Your Lips to Get Perfect Pout

The skin on our lips is unlike the skin on the rest of the body. Lips have an extremely thin outer layer making them more vulnerable to dehydration and ageing. So you need to be extra careful with your skin. Follow the below regime to get soft smooth looking perfect pout:

Exfoliate Make exfoliating an established part of your lip care routine. Removing the dead and flaky skin on your lips will ensure soft lips. If you have dry lips, exfoliate atleast 2 times a week with a lip scrub homemade or bought. Even a tooth brush will do!

Moisturize it regularly Never leave home without moisturizing your lip skin. This step is essential to keep your lips smooth and beautiful.Use a lip balm. Many brands offer many a variety so pick any that suits your needs.

Tips to get that perfect pout

Apply a primer or foundation for that buoyant look. After moisturizing, this will give a matte effect and act as a base for your lips colour making it last longer on your lips.

Don’t miss to outline Faintly line your lips with a nude lip liner suited to the colour and tone of your lips.

Choose a bold or bright shade of lipstick which matches your skin tone and apply evenly on your lips starting from middle to corners.

Define it with a clear gloss, carefully dab over your bottom lip before dabbing a little concealer under the centre of your bottom lip for a fuller effect. Always apply the gloss in the middle of the bottomlips and press your lips together to distribute the shine across your lips.

So with these tips always follow a daily care regime for your lips to see beautiful change instantly.

Raid Your Kitchen For Fair Complexion

While it is impossible to change the skin colour there are many remedies available in your kitchen which help your skin tan fade, lighten hyper pigmentation of your skin and will improve your skin tone. My Health Guardian tells more…..

 1. Clean your face with a cotton wool dipped in raw milk to brighten the complexion. The logic being that all remedies that work to remove tan will also lighten your complexion. Hence, sour yoghurt and cold milk used as face cleansers will lighten your complexion.
2. Apply mashed over ripe papaya pack on your face to fade away blemishes and to even out the skin tone.
3. Mix oatmeal with curd and tomato juice and apply on the face. Keep it on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. It helps remove the tan and lightens the skin.
4. Pound raw turmeric and add drops of lime juice to it. They act as natural bleaching agents.
5. This summer grate tomato and cucumber. Extract juice and make a pack with fullers earth powder. Add drops of rose oil and put the paste on your face. Put slices of cucumber on your eyes. Rest for a while and wash your face later. Do it at least thrice a week. Your complexion will improve for sure.
6. Orange peel powder is an excellent product to enhance your complexion. Orange peel has volatile oil in it hence dry it in shade. When the peel gets crumb like structure pound it and add it to an cleaning agent, like gram flour, oatmeal powder or fuller’s earth. Keep the ratio 1:1. Make a face pack with sour yoghurt, tomato juice or rosewater. Orange peel has grainy structure and you have to scrub your face to get the pack away. This will help remove your black heads and even out the inconsistencies of your complexion.

Lifestyle Factors

Diet wise–what you eat reflects in the status of your health and your complexion. Although there are no particular foods that will lighten your skin instantly, a balanced diet definitely helps by giving your skin a healthy glow. Emphasise on fruits and vegetables for a radiant complexion. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water to hydrate your skin and keep it blemish free.

Sunscreen—Wear sunscreen when you go out, minimum of SPF 20 to protect your skin from the unforgiving rays of the sun.