Beauty splashMultani mitti

The mud basics: What is multani mitti?

Grandma was right! Multani mitti-what we know today as Fullers earth, is truly an excellent
skin essential. Originally used as an absorbent or filter in the fabric industry, Fullers earth is
now an established comonent of numerous skin roducts. !t is also used in the military and ci"il
ser"ices as a decontaminant for clothing soldiers which may ha"e been affected by chemical
agents.
#ses of multani mitti
$kinsational
Multani mittis highly absorbent %ualities make it a suerb face mask and an excellent coolant
for aggra"ated and irritated skin. &eole suffering from outburst of acne ha"e a reason to re'oice.
(he hydrated aluminum silicate in the Fullers earth sas the skin of the excess oil, tras the dirt
and dead skin cells accumulated o"er time, lea"ing you with a fresh, radiant and glowing skin.
(he wonder works
Multani mitti works like magic, esecially for acne rone skin. !ts cooling action soothes the
skin, relie"es the inflammation caused due to aggra"ated and sore acne, and reduces the ossible
erution of more acne.
(he famous )face mask
(he multani mitti and rose water mask is famous around the globe, and for a good reason. (his
duo works great by balancing the * of your skin, naturally cooling it, and reducing oiliness,
making you look fresh and radiant. For eole with dry skin, mix together a ts of crushed
almonds and a bit of milk with the Multani mitti for soft and sule skin all day long.
Freedom from sweat
Mixed with your talcum owder, multani mitti makes for an excellent sweat absorbent for those
summer months when your feet gets all sweaty in your shoes. Mix e%ual arts of both Multani
mitti and your talc and rub it on your feet before lea"ing for work.
For a shiny mane
!s your hair lacking shine+ !ts time to ut the good old multani mitti to use. ,ust mix together a
few soonfuls of multani mitti with the 'uice of half a lemon and a little bit of water so it forms a
nice, thick aste. -ly it on your scal 'ust as you would a shamoo and rinse off.
.e sot free
(ired of hiding your sots with a concealer+ (ry this excellent face ack and watch your sots
lighten away. !n a small mixing bowl, add two soonfuls of multani mitti, the 'uice of / tomato
and a little bit of sandalwood owder. For an extra glow, add a inch of turmeric owder. Mix
together till it forms smooth aste and alying onto skin. 0ea"e it for /1 minutes before rinsing
and watch your face glow like a star!
THE FRAGRANT SANA!W""
For centuries, sandalwood has been used for its beautifying and fine fragrance roerties. Find
out why this recious wood, nati"e to the south of !ndia, is so oular in the world of beauty.
2hat is sandalwood+
$andalwood is the name of a grou of fragrant trees that is found mostly in !ndia, some other
countries of south -sia, !ndonesia and -ustralia. (his aromatic tree was initially used mostly by
erfume makers, a ractice that lead to the o"erhar"esting of this otherwise slow-growing tree.
2hile the fragrance continues to be one of the most oular deri"ati"es of sandalwood, the
owder and oil are also hea"ily used for their excellent skincare enhancing %ualities, esecially
to enhance the glow on a bride 'ust before her wedding.
Many -yur"edic, as well as other natural roducts use sandalwood as a key beauty ingredient.
-lternati"ely, you can also use sandalwood to make your own homemade face acks.
$andalwood in beauty roducts
$andalwood is excellent for "arious skin aliments and roblems3
As an anti#a$ein$ t%eatment: $andalwood contains owerful antioxidants and is also an anti-
inflammatory agent that hels to imro"e blood circulation to your face, remo"e toxins and fight
the formation of wrinkle-causing free radicals. - sandalwood face ack also hels undo damage
caused by the sun, and works as an excellent anti-ageing treatment.
&ap th'se (its: $andalwood owder has long been used by teenagers tormented by imles. -
traditional aste of e%ual arts sandalwood owder and turmeric with water can be "ery effecti"e
in reducing random erutions of 4its.
!f you suffer from a more serious acne roblem, a aste of sandalwood owder and rosewater can
hel mellow down a imle breakout.
itch that d%y s)in: Many creams and lotions aimed at reducing dryness use sandalwood oil as
a key ingredient.
As a massa$e essential: $andalwood oil is often used in aromatheray massages, esecially if
the erson getting the massage is rone to anxiety and moodiness. 2hile some may find the
sandalwood fragrance too strong, the scent is actually great for soothing ner"es and romotes a
sense of eace and meditation.
Sandal*''d as a s'p'%i+ic: $ince anxiety and insomnia are often related, the soothing
sandalwood not only hels to reduce anxiety and stress, but also romotes better slee and tackle
insomnia.
Reduces itchiness: $andalwood has a calming effect on the skin and can be used to relax
inflamed skin. !ts also great to aly after an insect bite.
Helps %em',e a tan: $unburnt skin or a atchy tan can be taken care of with a sandalwood
aste. Get yourself a good sandalwood aste and aly it to tanned skin for a more e"en skin
tone.
A!"E -ERA. NAT/RE0S BEA/T121AN3
Aloe vera, which is mostly used to treat various skin conditions and topically heal wounds, can
be traced back to early 5gyt where it was called the )lant of immortality.
2hat is aloe ,e%a+
-loe "era, 6ronounced alo "era7 which is said to ha"e originated from -frica, is a stem-less or
"ery short-stemmed succulent lant with fleshy green lea"es.
-loe "era, which is also called the )burnt lant with its anti-inflammatory, anti-healing, healing
and cooling roerties, is the main ingredient in se"eral skin care roducts. !n addition,
aloe "era is rich in amino acids, "itamins -, F, 8 and ..
For years researchers ha"e been conducting studies to learn the benefits of aloe "era and ha"e
found that the lant does ha"e roerties that can be effecti"e in treating se"eral skin conditions,
minor skin infections and also burns and wounds.
-loe "era gel is the transarent, 'uicy substance found in the long thick-skinned lea"es of the
lant. (his gel is suitable for all skin tyes. 5"en eole with sensiti"e skin can use the
aloe "era gel.
9arious uses of aloe ,e%a
Anti#a$in$ a$ent: -loe "era rotects, nourishes and moisturi4es your skin. -ccording to a study
ublished in the Molecular and 8ellular .iochemistry maga4ine, aloe "era, when alied
toically, imro"es the le"els of collagen. -loe "era also rotects your face from de"eloing fine
lines.
.efore going to bed, gently massage a thin layer of fresh aloe "era on your face, around the eyes
and the corners of your mouth. (his will kee your skin younger looking.
Al'e ,e%a as m'istu%ise%: -ly aloe "era on the skin before the alication of make-u. (his
will re"ent your skin from drying. 5"en men can use the aloe "era gel like an aftersha"e. (he
healing roerties will hel in treating the minor nicks and cuts caused while sha"ing. :uring
winter your skin tends to dry more often. (o kee your skin hydrated, make a mask by mixing
e%ual arts of honey and aloe "era gel 6ure extract from the lant7 and aly on your face. 2ash
it off with warm water after /; minutes for a glowing, soft skin.
Al'e ,e%a +'% t%eatin$ acne: For those suffering from acne, aloe "era with its anti-inflammatory
roerties is a blessing. -ccording to a study conducted by the #ni"ersity of Maryland Medical
8enter, aloe "era gel has more anti-inflammatory roerties than one ercent of cortisone cream.
!t also has strong antibacterial roerties, which will heal the skin %uickly and naturally with
"ery little scarring.
Al'e ,e%a t' %educe st%etch ma%)s: 2ant to get rid of those ugly stretch marks you gained due
to weight gain or regnancy+ *undreds of women try scores of cosmetics to hide these scars, but
in "ain. $tretch marks are nothing but tiny tears in the skin caused due to sudden and excessi"e
stretching. -loe"era gel can hel you with that. <egular alication of aloe "era gel hels in
hiding these marks by healing the wounds.
Al'e ,e%a +'% sunbu%ns: -lication of aloe "era gel on sun burns will reduce the ain as well
as the swelling and kee your skin moisturised. <eco"ery will be %uicker if your skin retains its
moisture.
!n addition, aloe "era also acts as a brightening gel by remo"ing dead cells and kees oiliness
under check.
$o go ahead and make aloe "era a art of your daily beauty regime for a glowing, sule and
sotless skin!
Raid y'u% )itchen +'% e++ecti,e beauty sec%ets
=our kitchen is full of alternati"es to those exensi"e, chemical based and rocessed, o"er-the-
counter cosmetics. -nd are more imortantly a much healthier and skin-friendly formulation. $o
why not use them+
*ere are some food swas for your routine skin care roducts. (he best art+ =ou can find them
all in your "ery own kitchen!
Natu%al cleanse%s
Milk 6lactic acid7, sugar cane 6glycolic acid7, and graes 6tartaric acid7 make wonderful facial
cleansers.
Oli"e oil or sesame oil can be used as make-u remo"ers.
$trawberries contain natural salicylic acid, which is a great cleanser for acne rone skin.
Natu%al sc%ubs>exfoliators
<olled 6coarsely grounded7 oatmeal can be a great facial cleanser with gentle scrubbing
roerties for all skin tyes.
:ried and coarsely grounded orange>lemon eel, almonds, or brown sugar can also be used as
gentle scrubs.
=ou could also make a great scrub out of walnut owder, honey and lemon 'uice, / teasoon
each.
?atural moisturisers
For dry skin3 mashed rie banana, a"ocado. aaya and egg yolks works wonders. &oy
seeds and eanuts both contain natural oils@ their aste can be alied o"er the face to get a
lasting sheen. 8urd is also a well-suited otion for dull skin.
For oily skin. egg whites are "ery nourishing. Fenugreek and red gram aste can also be
alied to control excess oil, while keeing your skin moisturised.
?atural astringents>toner
-le cider "inegar is an excellent toner.
8ucumber, ineale and lemon 'uices are naturally occurring astringents.
m:hils must-try skin-care tis3
.efore any at-home treatment, gi"e yourself a Are-mask reB to rime your face by ha"ing
a simle steam to oen and cleanse your ores for easy and better absortion of nutrients.
For a smooth and silky feel of skin, rub some Abaking sodaB all o"er the body while in the
shower. =ou can also do this on your face to remo"e black heads.
9inegar works wonders for smelly armits and feet. Mix "inegar and water in e%ual
roortion and use in lace of deodorant. !f you suffer from athletes foot, a A"inegar foot
bathB can e"en hel you comletely get rid of your condition.
.enefits of turmeric or haldi are well known. -art from its antisetic roerties, it also
hels in reducing under eye dark circles and uffiness, soothing cracked heels, minimi4ing
igmentation>wrinkles, and gi"ing skin a radiant glow.
Oli"e oil can be used to sooth sunburned skin.
:i your nails in lukewarm oli"e oil for healthier talons.
$ome cool and easy skincare tis for all times3
#se natural skin toner like Arose waterB after cleansing the face.
.oil green tea lea"es in water, cool it down and use it as a sunscreen below your makeu.
(o remo"e tan, aly a mixture of cucumber and lemon 'uice and wash off after C1 minutes.
-lternati"ely, mix a inch of turmeric in some yogurt and aly in a similar way.
Mint is an excellent refreshing agent for the skin, if you ha"e been out in the sun.
T"4 5 FA2E!1FT F""S
; foods to hel you look your best
From ageing to ollution and stress to fatigue, the effects of our lifestyles can dislay themsel"es
on our faces before we e"en start to feel them. 0uckily, there is no need to ot for surgery 'ust
yet. *ere are our to fi"e foods for a natural facelift.
Faceli+t +''d 6: Spinach
$inach, like many other dark green leafy "egetables, is rich in an antioxidant called lutein. ?ot
only is this great for healthy eyes, but more recent research has shown that it is also good
for p%e,entin$ *%in)les by helpin$ t' %etain the s)in7s m'istu%e and elasticity, increasing
liid le"els and re"enting damage caused by free radicals.
(he benefits of sinach do not sto there, howe"er, as the leafy "egetable also has the ower to
reduce da%) ci%cles unde% the eyes due to its high le"els of,itamins 8 and 2. -lthough there
are many reasons behind dark circles - such as tiredness and heredity - one of the roots can be
oor circulation. !n cases where this is a roblem, increasing your intake of "itamins D and 8
can alle"iate them by heling to boost circulation and strengthening caillary walls.
Faceli+t +''d 9: "yste%s
.esides being a well known ahrodisiac, oysters can also enhance your beauty. !f you are
suffering from ale, sall'* s)in '% da%) ci%cles unde% y'u% eyes, this may be due to ,itamin
B69 '% i%'n de+iciencies, both of which can cause anaemia. (o beat asty skin, try boosting your
intake of these essential nutrients by stocking u on oysters, which ha"e high le"els of both.
Other good sources include clams and mussels.
Faceli+t +''d :: Ga%lic
!t may not be the most fragrant of foods, but garlic is a suerfood that can ha"e great skin
benefits. -s a natu%al antibi'tic *ith bl''d cleansin$. immune b''stin$. antibacte%ial
p%'pe%ties, garlic is an effecti"e, chea and healthy way to hel t%eat acne natu%ally. 2hile
there are many reasons eole suffer from sots, garlic - articularly when eaten raw and crushed
- can hel reduce future breakouts, while its anti-inflammatory roerties can reduce the swelling
and inflammation of acne.
Faceli+t +''d ;: A,'cad's
-"ocados often get a bad ress due to their high le"els of fats, howe"er the healthy fats
contained in an a"ocado can actually do wonders for your skin. &acked with 'me$a#: +atty
acids, a"ocados can hel to moisturise your skin from the inside and increase collagen
roduction, heling to re"ent wrinkles. (he anti#in+lammat'%y p%'pe%ties of a"ocado are also
good for heling to%educe acne and ps'%iasis, while the hi$h le,els '+ ,itamin E will hel to
kee your skin sule and re"ent remature ageing.
Faceli+t +''d 5: Bananas
Many eole know that fluid retention is the rimary cause of belly bloating, but it can also be
resonsible for a pu++y +ace and ba$s unde% the eyes< Fortunately, fluid retention can be treated
through the diet by redressing the bodyEss'dium=p'tassium balance. -s these two minerals
work against each other to balance water in the body, too little otassium - or too much salt - is
one of the most common causes of water retention. <edress this by increasing your intake of
otassium through foods such as bananas. Other otassium rich foods include strawberries,
melon and aaya@ making a fresh fruit salad a great choice for a sule, youthful face.
5 E-ER>A> HAB1TS THAT R/1N >"/R !""8S
5"eryday things that ruin your aearance
(here are lots of things we do e"ery single day that ruin our looks, from washing our hair to
talking to our friends. (o make sure you stay looking retty, fresh-faced and erfect, check out
this list and make sure you dont do any of these habits that ruin your aearance. !f you do find
some of your habits on this list, well also gi"e you remedies and solutions to each and e"ery
beauty dilemma.
E,e%yday habit that %uins y'u% l'')s: Sleepin$
-lthough e"ery rincess needs her beauty slee, sleeing could be causing your skin to age
unnecessarily. (he roblem with sleeing is not the rocess itself 6or those scary dreams where
you kiss that hideous colleague of yours7. (he roblem lies with your illowcase. $urrisingly
your illowcase can draw moisture away from you and this can age skin. !t can also lea"e
unattracti"e lines o"er your face.
(o combat your illowcase roblem dermatologists recommend you in"est in a silk illow co"er.
$ilk contains amino acids, similar to those found in our moisturisers, so when we rest our heads
for the night our skin is not losing any essential moisture. &roblem sol"ed.
E,e%yday habit that %uins y'u% l'')s: Applyin$ ma)eup
!n the #D the a"erage woman uses /C beauty roducts a day, yet these beauty roducts could be
ruining your looks rather than imro"ing your aearance. 2hen we aly our face creams, our
exensi"e moisturisers and our foundation, most of us are guilty of doing so with our fingers.
-lthough using your fingers is fine, how many of us clean our hands before doing so+ $ome of
us may wash hands before alying makeu in the morning or the night, but not so many do so
when they do the odd touch-u 'ob.
(his is bad news for our skin. Our fingers harbour bacteria and alying your roducts in this
way causes bacteria to be transferred to you face, which can cause infection and sots. (o
re"ent blemishes and still use your fa"ourite beauty roducts make sure you use a hand
saniti4er before alying your face creams or use makeu brushes.
E,e%yday habit that %uins y'u% l'')s: %in)in$ *ate%
-lthough drinking water can hel imro"e the way we look by nourishing our skin, the way we
actually drink can make us look terrible. #sing bottles or straws to drink is something most of us
do e"ery single day, but did you know that drinking through a bottle or straw can age our skin+
:rinking in this way can gi"e us the same lines and wrinkles around our mouths that smoking
causes. !f you want to stay looking young and wrinkle-free its time you bought a glass to get
your daily water fix and ditched the bottles and the straws.
E,e%yday habit that %uins y'u% l'')s: Tal)in$ t' y'u% +%iends
!f talking was an Olymic sort, wed all be gold medallists by now and although we lo"e
kicking back and relaxing on our hones and chatting to our friends, your skin doesnt. (hink
about the laces we lea"e our hones. 2e lea"e them on cafF tabletos, in the drinks holder of
our car and on the seat in changing rooms. 2e lea"e our hones on sho countertos, we lend
our hones to our friends and e"en lea"e them on the side in the ublic bathroom when we wash
our hands.
2hen you think about your hone in this way, its not surrising that hones can cause sots and
blemishes. (o combat this roblem use antibacterial wies and be a little bit more mindful where
you lea"e your hone next time youre out and about.
E,e%yday habit that %uins y'u% l'')s: Washin$ y'u% hai%
!f you want to look hot and feel good the "ery least you need to do is kee clean, right+ 2ell,
although basic hygiene is ob"iously a "ital art of your beauty regime you ha"e to choose your
roducts carefully. 2ithin most shamoos and hair conditioners you will find a foaming
chemical called sodium laureth sulhate.
-lthough commonly used, this chemical can damage your hair, your skin and your health. (he
*air 0oss 8ontrol 8linic exlain that sodium laureth sulhate can e"en cause your hair growth
cycle to decline and suggest the chemical can rolong your hair loss hase. $o to kee your hair
thick and luscious, choose roducts that do not contain this chemical, like organic shamoos and
conditioners.
H"MEMAE FA21A! S2R/BS
Our skin is in a continuous rocess of relacing old cells with new ones. $ometimes, the old,
dead cells do not fall away and tend to clog u the to layer. (hey need to be remo"ed in order to
bring forth brighter, more youthful layer.
Most skin exerts suggest a simle regimen that can be followed for clean, healthy and glowing
skin. 8leansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturising are the four cardinal stes that guarantee
you beautiful skin.
5xfoliation hels in remo"ing those dull and dead cells that conceal your beautiful underlying
skin. $o, scrub to a youthful "ibrant skin.
$ome ?atural *omemade 5xfoliating $crubs3
Facial scrubs should be used twice or thrice a week to shed off dead cells. (hey re'u"enate the
skin and increase blood circulation. -nd you dont necessarily ha"e to send exorbitant sums on
buying them. *ere are some highly effecti"e and easy-to-make scrubs that can be reared at
home without sending much.
6< *oney scrub3 H'ney is )n'*n t' be $''d in impa%tin$ %adiance< H'ney sc%ub is ideal +'%
dull s)in as it $i,es y'u a shine and y'uth+ul l'')< Mi? 6 tablesp''n '+ h'ney *ith 6=9
teasp''n '+ lem'n @uice in a b'*l< Rinse y'u% +ace *ith +%esh *ate% and use the mi?tu%e
as sc%ub +'% 5 minutes< Wash and d%y *ith a clean t'*el<
9< Oli"e oil and sea salt scrub3 Mi? 6 teasp''n '+ 'li,e 'il *ith A teasp''n '+ sea salt in a
small dish< Sc%ub y'u% +ace +'% 5 minutes and then *ash *ith clean *ate%< The %esults
*ill be %ema%)able< >'u *ill see a ,isible $l'* and shine 'n y'u% +ace< "li,e 'il *ill als'
n'u%ish y'u% s)in<
:< 8ucumber facial scrub3 Blend a medium si(ed cucumbe% *ith 6 teasp''n '+ h'ney until a
+ine paste is p%epa%ed< Add 6 teasp''n '+ alm'nd 'il and 6 teasp''n '+ *heat $e%m< /se
it as a sc%ub +'% 5 minutes< Wash *ith *ate% and pat d%y< >'u *ill n'tice a shine and
%adiance that this sc%ub $i,es y'u% +ace< 2ucumbe% sc%ub is als' e++ecti,e in %em',in$
da%) sp'ts and +%ec)les that act as beauty st'ppe%s<
;< &aaya $crub3 Add A teasp''n '+ b%'*n su$a% t' a piece '+ papaya and blend sm''thly<
Sc%ub 'n y'u% +ace +'% +e* minutes< Rinse *ell< >'u% s)in *ill $l'* and y'u *ill
e?pe%ience a +%esh +eelin$<