SKIN CARE ROUTINE: Agustus 2015

Senin, 31 Agustus 2015

From the Archives : Turn your regular shampoo into a homemade herbal shampoo {DIY}

Today, I would be sharing with you a recipe which I have been using for long for my hair and believe me, it has done wonders. I no longer believe in buying hair products according to your needs like a hair fall shampoo as a solution to hair loss or a damage repair shampoo for a heat burnt hair. I have got rid of these things using simple home remedies and I would suggest you to practice them regularly to see quick and long lasting results. You can use tomato repair the dry dull hair or fenugreek for hair loss. ~~If you feel like, you can top your treatment with such fancy hair products too. They might do you some good, who knows!!!~~

Coming back to the topic, the recipe is very simple.

Ingredients (practically everything you think is good for hair and worth boiling in water)

- Indian Gooseberry (fresh or sun-dried amla)

- fenugreek seeds and leaves (methi)

- curry leaves

- sage leaves / basil leaves (tulsi)

- hibiscus flower and leaves

- mehendi leaves (henna)

- jasmine flowers and leaves

- rose petals

- lavender and rosemary flowers (if available)

Method
Soak ~~them~~ all the ingredients in two liters of water overnight. Boil next morning till water remains half of the original quantity. Let the water cool and strain. You can use this directly as a shampoo but it would not lather and I don't know if it removes the oil completely. And, you might not get satisfied with it.

So, take a fresh clean bottle. Pour your regular shampoo to a one-third quantity of the bottle. And, pour this liquid over it. Shake well. Your herbal shampoo is ready. ~~Do not worry about diluting your shampoo. It is good for you as less number of chemicals are applied on your hair and your shampoo lasts longer.~~

This shampoo works better than the regular shampoo. And, it will definitely give better results than the regular application. Do not judge it until you try this out. It might sound weird to some people. But, if you have ever heard, many people advice that one should dilute the shampoo with water to decrease the harshness of chemicals on the hair. I will request you all to give it a try.

You can use a shampoo sachet for a trial. And, then, you can decide for your own self whether this shampoo will suit you or not. And, it surely does help in hair growth too.

Words of Caution
Please refrain from using any ingredient, which you already know, you will be allergic to. If you want to dye your hair some color, you can continue with using henna leaves. But, remember that though henna is conditioning for hair, it is extremely drying too. So, you can skip it.

You may put some green tea ~~(or your favorite flavor)~~ too in the boiling water. Do not add anything which has short shelf life as it will spoil the whole recipe like lemon peels, soapnuts or shikakai. Use them fresh. You can use lemon juice as a hair rinse for shine. But, lemon causes hair to get dry. So, you might want to try out other remedies for shiny hair.

Have you tried something like this ever?

Minggu, 30 Agustus 2015

Best Foods for Brain, Sleep and Stress Relief {Infographic}

Source: http://www.thebestcolleges.org/brain-food/

Sabtu, 29 Agustus 2015

Vaadi Herbals Aromatherapy Body Oil Pure Lemongrass and Lily Oil {Product Review}

I simply love body oils and this one is fast growing on me. Though I don't like the fact that it gets finished off too soon for me, it sure smells really fresh and lemongrass-y. I love the citrus-y smell which hits the nose as soon as you open the bottle.

The fragrance is strong but not overly so which does make me a bit suspicious if it is natural or not. I have never actually smelled lemongrass essential oil, hence, my suspicions. I have had bergamot though it wasn't this strong. But, it was equally refreshing!

Pros

gets absorbed easily

smells refreshing

moisturizes the skin well

cute packaging

Anyways coming back to the product, it comes in a cute green bottle with a stopper. You have to pierce the stopper but I, being lazy, chucked it out altogether. Don't do that because then you don't really know how much of the product is enough for one use.

Due to that issue, earlier I used to end up using a bit too much of the oil but then slowly I decreased to using around 5-10 drops of oil for each body part. Applied on damp skin, the product gets absorbed really easily and moisturizes the skin well.

Cons

doesn't do anything for the tan and blemishes as it claims!

can be sticky if overused

smell might get too strong for sensitive noses

I won't say that it made my skin glow or remove the tan or did what it claims but it is definitely worth a try. I think a 100ml would last around a month of usage. And, the price is decent for the quantity.

Price: Rs 65 for 50ml

Availability

Website: Vaadi Herbals, Flipkart

PS: Product provided by brand.

Have you used this product?

Get from flipkart:

Jumat, 28 Agustus 2015

Blogging Series Vol. 13 - How to improve traffic on the blog?

So, if you follow me on the blog's facebook page, you would have seen a particular status update. Actually what it was about was something on these lines.

Just day before yesterday, I was talking to my colleague. He was asking my opinion on a launcher or landing page he had created for his sister's upcoming food blog. And, we got talking about blogging. Suddenly he asks me if I blog and without thinking I give him an affirmative answer. Well, if you are not already aware, no one in my close friend or family circle knows about my hidden hobbies. So, he was obviously interested in the domain name and what I blog about when my self-preservation instinct took over and I kept my lips sealed.

But, then the topic moved to hosting of the blogs and everything when I told him it is too expensive actually to host the blog instead of using blogspot where you get away by paying 10$ a year. Well, actually, let me say that this is not necessarily true but we will debate over this in some other post coz its highly technical. But, the whole point he said was the entire costing depends on how much traffic the blog gets. I was like yeah that's true! And, then, he asked me about this blog's traffic. I was like its 5k right now but generally its 8k a day. And, he was like wow! that's awesome. It must have taken a lot of work and many years. I was like yup. It did. 3 years almost and then I realize its gonna be 4 this December. So, yup, we have definitely hit a good threshold and its all thanks to all my lovely readers who make me blog.

Now, coming back to today's blogging topic, how to get traffic and what are the principles. Actually, the blog hit a major snag this Independence Day weekend. The traffic had a spike drop from 8 to 5k a day and its not raising up even though I am doing all what I have been doing. Well, we can always say that it might have been excess of spam visits in such a case but whatever it be, it is quite disheartening. So, to avoid such downward spikes in the blog, you can do your own bit.

Write the Content in advance

This has to be the only principle of blogging if life was easy but unfortunately its not! But, still, its the 90% stakeholder. So, write and write and write and don't copy or plagiarize or steal. Create! The content might deliver the same message but give it your own voice. Tweak it to your style. But, whatever you do, make it your own.

Blogging remains exciting in the starting but after a while it can become monotonous so try out some different ways or diversify your blog enough that you do not go out of your niche or specialization but it keeps you excited enough to keep writing. And, I have also mentioned some of the ways to overcome Blogger's block sometime back. Keep a chunk of posts in the drafts which you can publish or schedule when you don't feel like blogging.

Post regularly

Most of the bloggers are part-time! So, I would say daily but twice a week or thrice a week. Whatever you do but you should time your posts properly so that your readers get what they expect and a proper posting schedule gets registered with the search engines as well.

Of course, posting daily does keep the blog updated so it ranks higher in the searches. That is why you would find multiple posts on professionally managed blogs or community blogs. But, for a personal blog, it can be a bit ambitious to achieve. So, set targets which you can plausibly reach.

Here I would like to add that howsoever much you might try, sometimes its just not possible to put up the posts on a timely basis so expect a traffic crunch at that time. Do not be disheartened and keep trying. Also, scheduling of the posts works really well in such cases.

Spreading a Word

Publicizing your blog is obviously important. Use social platforms like facebook, google+, twitter to give regular updates. More your content is exposed, more traffic it gets. Now, this is something I totally suck at. I have hardly tried to publicize my blog and whatever meager efforts I have put have definitely borne results.

I have recently started posting status messages on the blog's facebook page. But, let me also say that posting on blog's facebook page is more to interact with your readers than to publicize the blog but that has also worked in my case. If you are using twitter or facebook groups, it then becomes a way to promote the blog to other audiences who do not know about your blog.

One of the simplest way to reach out is to comment on other blogs. But, always remember to leave a meaningful comment. No one likes to read great blog or this is amazing, follow me back! Create a relationship with the blogger. And, yes, it does take a long time so don't be impatient.

So, I would again say that content is the key and it does take a bit of time to get faithful readers to the blog. And, stop comparing your blog to other blogs because they might be doing something which you are not and reaping those benefits. But, at the end of day, every blogger works hard whether it looks like it or not.

What do you say? How do you improve your blogs traffic and statistics?

Blogging Series Vol. 11 - Setting goals for the blog!

Blogging Series Vol. 9 - Reviving Old Posts!

Kamis, 27 Agustus 2015

Happy Janmashtami!!

So, today is Krishanji's birthday!! I don't really celebrate this festival but then any festival is supposed to be a holiday, no?? So, what are you guys doing today?? Plans to temples or ISKCON. I had been once to ISKCON Hyderabad. I think there are two or more temples but I have been only to one and the decoration was awesome even though the temple wasn't very huge!! Wish you all a very Happy Janmashtami :)

How to make the skin clear and get rid of scars and blemishes and dark spots? {Skin Care}

So, last week I had left you with the post on melanin production. So, in that post, I had specifically mentioned that you can do nothing to lighten your skin color but you can always keep your skin clear and avoid from getting tanned. So, how to go about doing that?

Sunscreen

This is the first and foremost principle for any skin care routine. Applying sunscreen regularly keeps your skin young and also free from tan. Well, ok, lemme reiterate that sunscreen does not prevent tanning but it is comparatively lesser than if you go into sun without any protection. And, if you are using physical sunscreens, you can be assured that the tan is minimal. That does reduce a lot of your work!!

AHA's

As I mentioned in the last post, lactic acid and glycolic acid have been believed to reduce the melanin content in the skin. So, may be a weekly routine of this might help. Let me again say MIGHT! Because, what I understand is that a 50%-70% concentration of these acids might be really successful in doing the intended but yes an occasional use can definitely give a healthy glow.

Now, lactic acid is present in milk and glycolic is mostly present in sugarcane juice or jaggery or, most available, sugar. Milk is generally considered to be safe for daily usage and it is famous since ancient times for its benefits on skin. But, I will suggest all the oily skin and acne-prone skin people to stay far away from it.

Coming to using glycolic acid, it is quite strong for skin especially when you are going to use freshly squeezed sugarcane juice so I would say go easy on the skin. Use it as a face mask mixed with any flour and wash off after 10-15 minutes and no more!

And, if sugarcane is not available, you can use brown sugar, raw sugar, powdered sugar or powdered jaggery as a face scrub mixed in honey. But, be sure not to use it more than twice a week, no matter what skin type. Exfoliating the skin everyday is not a good idea, howsoever much you might love your skin after that!!

Also, papaya and pine apple juices are quite effective. They can also remove the tan and dead skin cells and the dark spots and blemishes and scars and what not. But, these remedies should again be used only twice a week and no more because they can end up drying the skin a lot!

Vitamin C

That is another great home remedy which works absolutely fantastically. And, the best part is that not only it exfoliates but it also rejuvenates the skin. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis which is important to keep the skin youthful and smooth.

But, here I would again suggest instead of lemon juice, tomato juice should be used on a daily or alternate day basis. It really helps! The reason being lemon is drying on skin as it is too acidic.

Other Home Remedies

There are a whole lot of other spices and vegetables and fruits which can be used on skin like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, mint, cucumber, berries, date juice, turmeric, mustard and probably all other spices in the world!!

So, what are the simple ways to keep your skin clear and avoid blemishes and dark spots?

Pai Avocado & Jojoba Cream features on TheSun.co.uk

Pai's Organic Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream features in
TheSun.co.uk beauty page!

Here's a little snippet of the piece below.

SUN-scorched, sallow or sluggish skin?

http://bit.ly/currantbun

The quickest way to 'lift' flagging skin is with beauty's new
refreshing buzz products, created to give the instant pep you need.

Pai Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream "improves suppleness
with its mixture of avocado and jojoba oil."

Rabu, 26 Agustus 2015

From the Archives : Get rid of Split Ends {Hair care}

Split ends are ugly and make our hair look unhealthy. More than that, they actually make our hair unhealthy by climbing up the hair shaft. The only way to get rid of split ends is by trimming your hair up to the level where you are sure all your damaged hair is gone. Next step is to take care of your hair properly so that there are no split ends in the future.

First is to handle your hair very gently. Do not rub with a towel or use a rough accessory on it. Do not be harsh with it while drying it. Just gently squeeze the excess water out of the hair and let it air dry. Keep your combs and brushes smooth. If they develop jagged edges or get broken at any point, change them. The jagged edges or sharp broken points can rip off the hair.

Proper nutrition and regular exercise is necessary to maintain beautiful hair. Why? As our hair grows from the follicle, it gets old. The tips of our hair is years old actually and due to the lack of proper nutrients and exercise and loss of proper capillary action in the hair, it becomes difficult for the hair follicles to provide proper nutrition to the ends of the hair. This is one of the reasons for even the hair getting dry as it grows past a certain length. Due to the lack of nutrition, the cuticle wears off and the hair strand starts splitting.

Due to the very same reason, we need to provide the ends with extra nutrition on a regular basis. If your hair is extremely dry or is prone to lot of split ends, do a weekly pre-poo on your hair. Egg and honey is especially helpful.

Excess usage of hair products can also bring this calamity to your hair. Use only the most required of the products and make sure they are of the highest quality. Use as minimum amount as possible of any product.

Mix a tea spoon of castor oil with two tea spoons of pure coconut oil and massage in into your hair with special attention to the ends twice a week. Dip a towel into warm water and wrap your hair in it. You can even take a steam for your hair. You can leave it overnight or wait for an hour or two and wash off with a mild shampoo. Do not forget to dilute the shampoo. After washing your hair, apply a intensive hair conditioner to the ends of the hair and stay for 5-10 minutes. Wash off. You can follow with leave-in conditioner.

So, how do you prevent the splits in your hair?

Selasa, 25 Agustus 2015

Nivea powerfruit relax Shower Gel {Product Review}

It has been a really long time since I have used any shower gels. I had switched to natural and handmade soaps and this was quite a refreshing change from them. For the starters, I really like the packaging - the purplish color. It also smells nice, not in a natural way though!

I can not describe the smell but its a bit jammy-like and its a bit strong, may be not to everyone's taste! Also, after the shower, the whole of it smells of the shower gel for quite half an hour. I like it, though! Anyways, the gel is transparent in color and lathers pretty well.

Pros

smells nice!

works well with scrubbing gloves!

It does leave a film on the skin which is something I do not really like with any product but after you are dry, your skin does not really feel sticky or anything. In fact, the body oil I am currently using gets absorbed pretty easily!!

So, its a heads up for me and I love to use my body shop gloves with this product. So, yes, this is worth a try!!

Cons

leaves a thin film on body which is not to everyone's taste!

Price : Rs 175 for 250ml

Have you used this product?

Garnier Daily Care Gentle Cleansing Milk

Clear Nourishing Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Get it from flipkart:

Ireland’s beauty experts fall for Pai

Irish eyes have certainly been smiling over Pai in recent weeks, with a host of fabulous coverage coming in from the Emerald Isle.

Amongst other pieces we were absolutely thrilled to see Ireland’s leading beauty expert Laura Bermingham announce her love for our BioAffinity Toners in the Mail on Sunday.

This fabulous reception from both press and our lovely customers has led to us expanding our Irish empire, and I’m delighted to announce some news hot off the press - Pai will be launching into Dublin’s Nourish chain of health & beauty stores in September!

More on that to come over the next couple of weeks, but for now, here’s a round-up of some of our recent Irish press:

‘This ultra-soothing organic (certified by the Soil Association) lotion gives skin a little TLC for summer. Great range, well priced.’

Chamomile & Rosehip Sensitive Skin Cream, The Gloss

‘With so many of us having sensitive or easily irritated skin, it’s a relief, literally, to use products tailored to our sensitivities. Here’s [one] to try that won’t have you running for the shower of antihistamines.’

Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream, U Magazine

‘We’ve been fans of the Pai Skincare range since it came to our attention in Nelsons Homeopathic Dispensary on Duke St last year. Pai’s philosophy is to work with your skin type and not against it and their new BioAffinity Toners are no exception’

BioAffinity Toners, Beauty Couture

Senin, 24 Agustus 2015

From the Archives : Hair Types and their Hair Care Routine {Hair Care}

Our hair has generally been categorized only in three types: Dry, Normal and Oily. But, have you ever thought that the hair can also be like skin. As skin has many types like dry, sensitive, normal, oily, combination; similarly, our hair can also be categorized in various types:

Normal Hair
Damaged (or Sensitive) Hair
Dry Hair
Oily Hair
Combination Hair

Dry Scalp with Oily body
Oily scalp with dry body

Please remember that I am talking about the condition of hair not the texture of hair. And, the way we care for our hair should be customized depending on the hair condition.

Normal Hair does not require any special care. Normal routine of shampooing and conditioning will keep it in place.

Dry Hair needs a lot of conditioning and deep conditioning treatments. Avoid going into sun too much and do not let your hair get subjected to heat.Always keep your hair moisturized using a leave-in conditioner or aloevera gel. And, of course, do not forget the hot oil treatments for your hair weekly once or twice.

Oily hair does not need oil. It needs something which can soak oil from the hair and neutralize the oil production. For this, you can two things: one is using lemon on your scalp and another is using ~~milk (without cream) or~~ buttermilk on your scalp. Apply fresh lemon juice on your scalp before you shampoo your hair every time. You can also use tomato instead of lemon juice as lemon juice is highly acidic and lead to dryness in the long term. ~~It also has the same effect.~~ You can also experiment with strawberry hair mask but then I would say eat those strawberries instead :D And, you can use your clay masks as a hair mask also. ~~After all, clay will absorb oil no matter where it is applied. Right!!~~

Combination Hair really needs a combination of oily and dry hair treatments but not so much in intensity.

- For dry scalp, you can massage a few drops of oil (coconut or olive) every time before you shampoo your hair. And, leave the hair body as it is. If your scalp is dry to the extent of being scaly and itchy, only then use hot oil treatment but use it just for the scalp. And, once in two weeks you can also go for deep conditioning treatments but make it only for the scalp (only if your scalp is scaly and itchy or if you feel a tightness in your scalp).

- For oily scalp, follow up the lemon juice or tomato treatment on the scalp and leave the body as it is. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner. You can also use your favorite conditioner to condition your hair. ~~But, in no case, use hot oil treatments or deep conditioning treatments on your hair.~~ Keep the conditioning treatments to the body of the hair only, especially the ends!!

So, what hair type is yours?

From the Archives : Use "Shaving Oil" to get rid of unwanted hair {Skin Care}

I would like to share an absolutely fabulous home remedy today. Shaving Oil. This is to bring to kind attention of all people who like to shave, you can consider using a shaving oil instead of the shaving gels, creams or hair conditioners or whatever you use.

And, the best part is you do not have to go and hunt for a shaving oil in the market. You can use any oil available in your kitchen. Be sure to use only vegetable oils or pure oils. It might sound weird for you to hear that we can use an oil as an alternative to shave.

But, it works fabulously and gives a much cleaner and safer shave than any richly foaming hair conditioner or shaving creams.

What are the advantages of Shaving Oil over Shaving Creams and other products?

No chemicals. While shaving, any cream or gel might enter your body or react with your skin. It might give you rashes or allergies. Shaving Oil is nothing but a moisturizing ingredient so you would not feel any rash.
Oil moisturizes your skin well so there is no dryness which happens after shaving.
Oil helps the razor to glide smoothly so it gives a much cleaner and closer shave. You would love the way your skin feels afterward. Also, you would not suffer from any nicks and cuts while shaving due to the smooth gliding motion
Oil can be used anywhere on the body safely. You can apply oil on your pubic area also without having second thoughts where as other methods (use of gels and creams) might cause allergic reactions on sensitive parts of the bodies and might become big problems. You can also use this method to shave the genatalia.
You can easily shave a dense growth of hair too after applying the oil.There is a less risk of ingrown hair.
And, lastly, it costs much less so saves your pocket money or you can use the same money to buy something more worthwhile.

What is shaving oil made of?

I am not talking about a particular kind of oil which is known as shaving oil. By Shaving Oil, I mean using oil for shave. You can use any kind of an oil available at home which you are not allergic too. You may even mix 2-3 oils of your choice.

The ideal oils for shaving are: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil.

You may use them individually. If you would like to blend more than one oil, you can pour equal quantities of all the oils you want to use in a jar for storage. Make an exception while using Castor oil as it is very thick. Always use half quantity of Castor oil as that of other oils.

How to shave using shaving oil?

Do not wet the body part you want to shave.
Apply the oil very generously over the area you want to shave and massage the area well for 5 minutes to make the hair soft.
Now, gently shave with the razor.
After the shave, you can take a bath. Do not use soap on the shaved area. Instead, use enough hot water to wash off the oil.
You may consider sanitizing your razor.

I urge you earnestly to try this once. I have tried it and have fallen in love with it. This method gave me the smoothest shave ever in my life till now. And, the shaved skin does not hurt or irritate the way it used to earlier. I am looking forward to your comments about your experience with this method.

Related Posts:
From the Archives : Hair Tips for Monsoon {Hair Care}
From the Archives : Softening your skin starts from your bath {DIY}
From the Archives : Aloevera for Hair : a quickfix {DIY}

Minggu, 23 Agustus 2015

‘Parfum’: the sweet-smelling disguise that hides a multitude of sins

Last week’s ‘How to Read a Cosmetics Ingredients List’ post briefly touched on Parfum, but as many of you sensitive-skinned beauties will know it’s not an ingredient to gloss over.

‘Parfum’ is a bridging term for the countless cosmetic ingredients that ostensibly contribute to a product’s unique scent.

While these ingredients may include essential oils and synthetic fragrance, they can also legally include ingredients that have nothing at all to do with aroma, such as phthalates and preservatives.

Shockingly, current UK cosmetic legislation allows over 200 different chemicals to be covered by the listing ‘Parfum’.

The term itself was originally created to protect perfumery scent formulations, which were considered a closely guarded trade secret.

These days however it has become more of a labelling ‘loophole’, through which manufacturers can hide some of their potentially controversial or irritating ingredients.

No matter why a brand may choose to use them, as a sensitive skin sufferer I would never buy a product with the words ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’ on the ingredients list.

This is simply because I can’t be 100% sure what it contains and whether I may or may not be allergic to it.

In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, you will never find ‘parfum’ on a Pai product.

Instead we choose to list each and every ingredient in plain English so you know exactly what’s in the bottle and are able to make an informed buying decision.

What do you think? Is ‘parfum’ a misleading term, or simply a logical way of keeping ingredients lists short?

Stay tuned this week for a follow up post on Natural vs Synthetic Fragrance for Sensitive Skin.

Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2015

Can melanin production be controlled? {Skin Care}

So, yesterday I got a very crude comment on the post "5 steps to fairer skin". Wish it was a bit polite, I would have published it but the crux of the message is that melanin production can not be controlled. And, as you would be aware, melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color.

Skin Color can NOT be changed

So, yup, NOTHING can control melanin production. It is genetic and is dictated by a lot of factors like exposure to sun, your skin texture, exposure to pollution and dust among others. So, please realize that you can not change skin color EVER.

Are fairness cream claims wrong?

Not all! The expensive treatments like peeling and other treatments tend to decrease the melanin pigment in the skin. In peeling or micro-dermabrasions, they remove the top layer of the skin which is mostly dead skin cells and has been long exposed to sun and is heavily tanned.

The chemical treatments which work from inside do actually affect the melanin production. But, there are simple inexpensive treatments like bleaching which mainly have chemicals which have ingredients like Hydroquinone. It indeed prevents melanin production but safety of the ingredient is under debate.

Also, Niacinamide which is Vitamin B3 is also supposed to improve skin hydration levels and improve the skin texture and color by removing discolorations and reducing acne.

But, also remember that even if your product has all these ingredients, they might not really work for you because the ratio of these products or the concentration of the ingredients is very important. Also, many of these ingredients increase skin sensitivity.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Lets come to the home remedies and AHA's. According to wiki, AHA's can not inhibit melanin production unless they are in 50% concentration. They are just effective to remove the dead skin cells and improve the skin turnover. Whereas, lactic and glycolic acids have been proved to inhibit melanin production!!

So, yes, you CAN NOT lighten your skin color. But, then what can we do? Well, I can only say please wait for the next post :D Ok, don't hate me. This had become too long so I had to break it up!

So, what do you say about skin color and lightening?

PS: This is to the person who left the absolutely CRASS comment, please mind your language!!

Jumat, 21 Agustus 2015

Ponds White Beauty All-in-One BB + Fairness Cream SPF 30 PA++ {Product Review}

I have delayed this review by like almost three weeks! Anyways, so are you a BB-cream lover. Ok, I want to make one point over here. BB creams or any other creams for that matter are not a substitute for sunscreen!! So, please use a sunscreen separately.

Now, let me come on to my trysts with BB creams. I have not really been lucky with them. Either they leave a white cast or make my skin too dark or too oily. I rather prefer using base and follow up with my sunscreen and I am done.

Pros

blends easily

gives a dewy glow to the skin

leaves the skin looking a little bright

easy to carry

very less product needed so lasts long!

So, how did this product fare for me? For the starters, I like the packaging. Its stylish and very easy to carry and the mouth of the tube dispenses exactly the amount of product you need which is, trust me, less than a black pepper corn size!

Any more and you might end up with a white cast on the face. Using the right amount of the product, however, leaves the skin dewy. It does provide a little coverage but I can not really comment because I do not have small blemishes that I could cover up.

Cons

leaves a white cast which might not suit all skin types

makes the skin a bit oily

does not last beyond 2-3 hours

But, I have issues with its lasting power. It does make my skin look a bit oily and dull by the end of the day so that did not quite work out for me! Also, I do not think it really lightens up the skin or clears up the tan or makes you look fair. It just brightens the skin subtly which is something which you will like when the product is fresh on skin.

The texture of the product is a bit creamy and it leaves a dewy finish, as I mentioned earlier. Whether it will lead to breakouts or not is something I can not vouch for! As for the cleanup part, the product gets cleansed off easily without any issues so hopefully it is non-comedogenic and does not cause clogged pores.

Price: Rs 65 for 9gms

So, what about you? Did you use this product? Do you like any other BB cream?

PS : Product sent for PR purposes.

Related Posts:
Garnier Daily Care Gentle Cleansing Milk
Clear Nourishing Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Nivea Sun Light Feeling Daily Face Sun Fluid 50+ Very High

Get from flipkart:

End of Summer Beauty Staples - Pai featured in Top Sante Magazine

Pai's Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream features in this month's Top Sante Magazine in the 'End-of-Summer Staples' column:

"Restore vital lost moisture to sun-parched skin with this hydrating body treat."

You may come back from your Summer holiday relaxed and de-stressed but unfortunately your skin doesn't!

Sunburned and even tanned skin = distressed and damaged skin (hence why we peel!)

Get your skin back into condition with our Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream.

This intensely hydrating and therapeutic cream is packed full of antioxidants and skin repairing plant extracts which will recondition dehydrated and sun-damaged skin.

Skin Exhibition in London

At Pai we love all things skin...so I was excited to read about the latest exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London.

'Skin' is dedicated entirely to our largest and often most over-looked organ.

The exhibition is split into different sections and spans:

skin from the anatomist's perspective - views from 16th century to the present day.
skin from the individual's perspective - how our scars, wrinkles and even tattoos document our life story and personal passage of time.
skin from the sensory pespective - how it is a unique organ of touch.
skinlab - a look at cutting-edge research and technological developments in skin science.

The whole Pai team will be visiting the exhibition at the beginning of next month - so hope to see you there! It runs until 26th September and is completely FREE so don't miss out.

For those of you not familiar with the Wellcome Collection, it's a brilliant centre dedicated to the world of medicine and its role in society.

It describes itself as the "free destination for the incurably curious". Just brilliant!

Beer Link to Psoriasis

Could the humble pint of lager cause psoriasis? A US study released earlier this week seems to think so.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University monitored 82,869 women (not diagnosed with psoriasis) and their drinking habits over a period of 15 years.

The findings showed that the women who drank five or more beers a week doubled their likelihood of developing the auto-immune condition.

Even more moderate consumption showed an increased risk while alcohol-free beers and other forms of alcohol were not found to increase the risk.

The study suggests that it could be the gluten-containing barley, used in the fermentation of beer, that is the cause.

Bruce Bebo, director of research at the National Psoriasis Foundation, felt "more investigation" needed to be done to determine whether the beer connection to psoriasis was real or not.

Previous studies have found a link between alcohol and psoriasis. Alcohol seems to affect immune responses as well as the biology of keratinocytes (skin cells).

Why beer should be a worse trigger than other forms of alcohol is not known.

The US study only tested women so it also remains unclear whether men are affected in the same way.

Kamis, 20 Agustus 2015

Just Gossip Vol. 23 - So, what happened the last weekend?

I have not been online for quite long and that is a bad habit for ~~bloggers~~ me ~~sometimes~~ because ~~you~~ I can totally lose track. Getting back to blogging is a serious issue then, for me! Anyways, I just wanted to share some recent gossip on here which you might have missed unless you were checking my facebook page updates!

Perfect Skin Care for you won the Lifestyle Health Indiblogger award for the best blog. Ok, that was a little difficult to digest because there were 73 blogs in that category and I won. Yipeeeee!! That would never have been possible without you all so thank you so much. And, a special thanks to all those who took out time and wrote testimonials for my blog :)

Oh btw, did you all start with checking out the weight loss series? I have posted only once till now but I have been keeping a checklist of days when I am working out. And when I see n number of days not checked against, I do feel bad and motivated as well. So, try it out. May be the checklist or calender listing might help you as well.

Also, another golden rule for working out is to NOT push your body hard otherwise it will reach the fatigue levels and that will tire you so much that you do not have the strength to carry on! So, do only that much as much you can actually manage without it being too less!

So, how is your weight loss routine, if any, going on? And, how was your last weekend? Did you do anything special? I got myself a pair of sandals with heels, they are the second in my life (heels not the sandals) as Rakhi gift!

Just Gossip Vol. 21 - Do you zoom your photos?

Just Gossip Vol. 20 - What are the beauty treatments you have planned for this month?

Rabu, 19 Agustus 2015

Its Just Life Vol. 1 - Are you really happy?

So, writing about life is a kind of stress buster for me but it is not something which I can do on a daily basis. I had started my other blog for this sole purpose but unfortunately, I am not able to maintain it so I thought I might as well start a series here! Hope you guys like the diversity and respond to it positively. And, also, please note that I am not very experienced in putting my feelings into words, it can all sound very muddled :D

So, once upon a time in my life, I went to this astrologer! Trust me, don't ever make that mistake in your life. I hate the entire breed and worst part, you can never say no to relatives so you end up having no choice! And, this ~~guy~~ astrologer observes me for quite sometime.

And, then, the first thing he ends up asking me was "Are you Happy?" I have always thought myself to be a pretty much happy-to-go-lucky kinda gal so I very happily answer yes as if it is foolish to doubt such a thing! And, the interrogation carries on. How do you know a person is happy?

I say a happy person has a very positive and vibrant aura. Ok, yup, a very heavy answer. He was like yes, the person smiles a lot which you were not all the while I observed you. I was stunned. There was quite a lot of truth in that. I had been under a lot of stress lately.

And, since that day, I have always been trying to be consciously aware of whether I am frowning a lot, am under a lot of stress or worrying about unnecessary things!

So, Are YOU REALLY Happy?

Selasa, 18 Agustus 2015

Got a Skin Allergy? Top Ten Lifestyle Tips which really work.

I get lots of questions about how people should deal with a skin allergy.

Switching to organic beauty products like those from Pai Skincare is just one of many things you should consider doing.

For National Allergy Week I gave a number of consultations to people with skin allergies - ranging from eczema to contact dermatitis - and provided them with a fact sheet on how to help eliminate the problem.*

What is an Allergy?
An allergy is a disorder of the immune system. It occurs when your body is hypersensitive to an environmental trigger (or 'allergen') and reacts against it.

Common allergens include animal hair, dust mites, pollen, chemicals and certain foods.

The idea for Pai Skincare was born out of a bad skin allergy. As a long term urticaria sufferer, I wanted to tackle the root cause of the problem and eliminate the chemicals I applied to my skin.

The best way to treat a skin allergy is to identify the primary triggers causing it and avoid them.

This is easier said than done!

It can be difficult to isolate and eliminate a single allergen and often we have to settle for improving a skin condition rather than eradicating it.

Here are our top ten lifestyle tips to help you on your way.

The Top Ten Tips
1. Avoid stress
Stress and anxiety are known to cause skin flare-ups or make allergies more aggressive. If you want to tackle your allergy then eliminate potential sources of stress first. Book yourself a holiday or take a couple of weeks off work to relax and recuperate.

2. Sleep
Get lots of it. Sleep affects your physical and mental health and is essential for the normal functioning of your immune system.

It’s the only time your body and skin gets to regenerate.

3. Don’t over wash
Cleaning the skin too frequently can strip your natural oils and lessens its ability to heal itself effectively.

Harsh chemical detergents are not only allergy triggers in themselves but also can cause the skin to produce excess oil (sebum) as a form of protection.

Pores can become clogged and infected, resulting in spots. Always bathe in warm, rather than hot water and wear natural fibres, like cotton, next to the skin.

4. Beauty products
Read the label, as buying ‘organic’ doesn’t always mean getting ‘organic’. There is no labelling regulation so companies can make ‘all natural’ claims yet still contain any number of harsh, synthetic ingredients.

Don’t be duped. Here are some of the chemicals to avoid:
- artificial fragrances or ‘parfum’
- propylene glycol (PG)
- mineral oil (paraffin oil/wax)
- polyethylene glycol (PEG)
- formaldehyde (imidazolidinyl urea)
- pthalates (DEP, DEHP)
- parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-)
- sodium lauryl / laureth sulfate

One of Pai's founding principles is to avoid not just the types of chemicals above, but also to ensure that the natural ingredients we use, such as essential oils, also do not irritate the skin.

5. Diet
A lot of skin allergies can be successfully treated through the stomach.

Increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3 & 6) by eating avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Flaxseed, safflower and evening primrose oils are also excellent sources.

6. Eat alkaline foods
Ragnar Berg pioneered research in the 1930s that showed a link between highly acidic foods and eczema flare-ups.

Worst offenders are: rice, bran, porridge oats, wheat, red meat and cheese. Alkaline foods include: cucumber, dried fruits (especially figs and raisins), leafy greens, carrots, spinach, bananas and potatoes.

7. Avoid alcohol
Many allergy sufferers are deficient of the enzyme Aldehyde Dehydrogenase which metabolises alcohol. If alcohol isn’t broken down properly it is toxic to the body and an immediate immune response is triggered to try and rid these toxins.

8. Avoid refined sugar
It interferes with the white blood cells’ ability to destroy micro-organisms and is often linked to eczema.

Replace with a raw cane sugar or use natural sweeteners such as honey.

9. Eat sterols and sterolins
These are vegetable fats found in beans/ legumes and balance the immune system.

Mung bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts are both excellent sources, you can buy them ready-sprouted in most good health food shops.

10. Eliminate household chemicals
Avoid heavy use of surface cleaners and air fresheners.

Use natural minerals to clean surfaces instead and open a window to eliminate bad odours!

*All content provided is for general information only. It should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice from your doctor or other health care professional.

Women’s Fitness keep skin healthy with Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate oil

While some of us at Pai HQ may be slightly allergic to exercise, we were thrilled to see our Rosehip BioRegenerate oil pop up in the September issue of Women’s Fitness!

With summer sadly coming to an end, the WF beauty team are on hand with their top 10 tips for extending that sun-kissed look into autumn and beyond.

While a clever bronzer and tinted moisturiser are all useful tools, it’s also important to remember to replenish and regenerate skin that has been exposed to the sun.

After all healthy skin glows all the brighter!

Here’s what the WF girls had to say:

‘Sun exposure can stress your skin, so now’s the time to repair.

Antioxidants are your armour against environmental damage, so use a nutrient-rich serum after sun exposure to make sure your holidays leave you looking healthy, not haggard.

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil - Boost skin’s natural healing with this blend’s essential vitamins and fatty acids, ideal for post-sun nourishment.’

If you are a fan of Rosehip then be sure to check out our Rosehip Sensitive Skin Duo deal, which saves you £9 on our oil + Chamomile & Rosehip Sensitive Skin Cream.

Hurry though, as this current offer ends on the 31st August…..

Minggu, 16 Agustus 2015

How to Read a Cosmetic Ingredients List

With faux-organic beauty products taking over our shop shelves, learning how to spot a true organic beauty from a chemical imposter has never been more important.

The key is in cracking their ingredients list, a feat often easier said than done.

These lists can be difficult to decipher - what with the rolling microscopic text, the long chemical names and, of course, the Latin!

I'd go as far as to say that in most cases ingredients lists are intentionally off-putting.

After all, the last thing the ‘natural’ mega-brand manufacturers want is for you to actually know what's in their products…

At Pai we buck the trend and list all of our ingredients in single lines with plain English translations.

Surprisingly, we're still the only cosmetics company to do this, but as a chronic sensitive skin sufferer I know how important it is to understand exactly what you’re putting on your skin.

With that in mind I’ve pulled together my top tips for navigating ingredient lists - follow these and you’ll be making fully informed buying decisions in no time!

1. Read from Top to Bottom

Ingredients are always listed in proportional order with highest quantities at the top of the list.

So if an ingredient you don’t like the sound of features somewhere in the top half, it’s probably best to leave that product on the shelf.

2. Understand your ingredients

The Cosmetics Safety Database is a useful tool for getting to know your ingredients.

It's an online directory of cosmetic ingredients that gives each a toxicity hazard score (0 being least harmful and 10 being most harmful).

It does have some flaws though, so be mindful of the following:

i. where there is 100% data gap (ie. no scientific data available) an ingredient is automatically given a hazard score of 0, regardless of its potential toxicity.

ii. concentration is not taken into account – an ingredient may well be harmful at 100% but harmless at 0.1%.

iii. where ingredients have the same name there is no distinction between the naturally derived and synthetically produced versions. These can be a world apart, particularly when it comes to skin irritancy.

3. Know your Organic Kitemarks

Not all organic standards are equal.

Look for the Soil Association or USDA kitemarks as these demand the cleanest ingredients – with 70% of their non-water ingredients having to be organically grown, harvested and extracted.

Standards such as ECOCERT allow companies to use as little as 10% organic ingredients in products that carry their ‘organic’ kitemark.

I’ll blog about this in more detail later in the week.

4. Seek out Organic Stars

A product claiming to be organic should have its organic ingredients clearly marked, usually with a star ‘*’.

If 70% of its non-water ingredients are organic then you’ll expect to see quite a few stars. If there are just a couple then you’ll know that its organic credentials are, at best, tenuous.

5. Know your irritants

Pai customers don’t just want to know that their products are organic, they want to ensure they are sensitive skin friendly too.

The following ingredients tend to be most irritating. This is by no means an exhaustive list and everyone’s skin is different, so it’s important to isolate your personal triggers:

i. Detergents – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine

ii. Preservatives – Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol and Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate.

iii. Fragrance – ‘Parfum’ the term can signify artificial fragrance which is a bad irritant. With natural essential oils – care must always be taken as in high dosages they can be irritating. Some, such as lemongrass, are irritating even at concentrations as low as 0.1%.

Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2015

Garnier Daily Care Gentle Cleansing Milk {Product Review}

So, on the days you do not want to write anything serious, product reviews can be a boon but let me make it very clear when you are doing a serious review, writing the review itself is a huge issue!! Anyways, coming back to the product, I am not a fan of cleansing milks because they get empty very soon :(

This cleansing milk is very thin and spreads easily on the face and neck and arms easily. It does remove the makeup pretty well. I can not really talk about kajal, though. But, then, kajal is probably the most stubborn in my stash except for mascara.

Pros

removes makeup really well

does not leave any film on the skin

gets washed off easily

So, that's pretty much my review of the product. Btw, I want to leave you pondering on something which I want to discuss soon enough. What is the difference between face washes and cleansers and cleansing milks? Do you think one can be used in place of another?

Also, I would like to tell you all that I shall probably not be around this weekend on the blog so please excuse the unanswered comments. These days I am getting time to answer them only in the weekends. So, see ya all on Monday. And, wish you all a very Happy Independence Day :)

Availability
The product is easily available but I got it from myntra.

Have you used the product? What special are you doing for the Independence Day?

PS: Product sent by website.

Related Posts:

Clear Nourishing Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Nivea Sun Light Feeling Daily Face Sun Fluid 50+ Very High

Vaseline Healthy White Lightening Visible Fairness Lotion