How to remove scars and marks of acne

51. Boil cumin seeds in water and use this water to rinse your face.

52. Mix a pinch of salt to half spoon of ginger juice and dab on your acne to dry it up fast.

53. Mix lemon juice with a pinch of camphor and apply on pimples.

54. Mix neem oil, coconut oil with a pinch of camphor and then massage this mix gently on your face affected with pimple and pimple marks.

55. Mix curd, honey and egg white for smearing on acne and its ugly marks. Apt for mature and aged skin also.

56. Grate a potato and apply this on face to cure acne and its ugly marks. Potato's mild bleaching qualities lighten acne marks well.

57. 2 spoons of choker, half spoon of lemon juice and one spoon of honey and raw milk mask is good for treating pimple marks.

58. When you see a pimple popping out, just place ice cubes on it for 5 minutes to suppress it and then dab clove oil on it, pimple will not erupt.

59. Drink rose water and honey mixture daily on empty stomach and get rid of pimple and pimple marks naturally.

60. Drinking wheat grass juice daily helps to combat acne.

STRETCH MARKS

 STRETCH MARKS

Stretch marks are the result of sudden body changes such as puberty, pregnancy or weight gain or loss where the skin stretches out to accommodate the body changes. The best way to combat stretch marks is to prevent their formation.

Stretch marks, also known as Striae Gravidarum are scars that develop mainly around the arms, breasts, abdomen, thighs and buttocks. They are pink, purple or red when newly formed and turn silver or white over time. Stretch marks develop in the dermis i.e. the middle layer of the skin.

Rapid or sudden weight gain is said to be the main cause of formation of stretch marks. Therefore, stretch marks are primarily the bane of pregnant women. 75 to 90% women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. The main cause of stretch marks is excessive production of the hormone, cortisone, during pregnancy. Collagen, a protein, helps keep the skin supple. Cortisone decreases the level of collagen present in the skin leading to development of stretch marks. A woman's stomach stretches greatly to accommodate her growing baby. Her breasts grow as well, thus leading women to develop stretch marks on these areas.

Stretch marks are also characteristic in the case of pubescent girls who begin to develop breasts and pubescent boys who begin to develop muscles. Stretch marks can also occur when people begin to lose weight or workout to tone their body. Stretch Marks are hereditary as well. So, if anyone in your family has stretch marks, you are bound to get them too.

The best way to combat stretch marks is to prevent their formation.

Body Lotion

Stretch marks generally appear on areas where skin is dry. Apply body lotion all over, not just on your arms. If you are pregnant, do not forget your tummy and breasts - they need lotion the most. Do not wait until you are pregnant or until you start planning a baby before applying lotion. Start today. Do this every morning, after a shower. Your pores are still open, they are clean, and will be able to absorb the moisturiser well.


Malai or Milk Fat

You could also try something more natural, and apply 'malai' (milk fat) to your body every day. You could do this after applying soap. Smita has been applying malai and haldi instead of soap for years now. And when she delivered, she did not have a single stretch mark! She is now 48-years-old, and her skin glows to this day. For those of us who cannot conceive of taking a shower without soap, using a moisturising soap is a good idea. (If you have very oily skin and pimples on your back, skip applying moisturiser on your back, and when taking a shower, make sure you scrub your back well with a loofah.)

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is also believed to help prevent stretch marks. Invest in a cream which has Vitamin E, or apply pure Vitamin E oil to your stomach and breasts every day. You could do this from the time you find out you are pregnant.

Massage and Skin Exfoliation

Regularly exfoliate your skin either with a dry brush, pumice stone or exfoliating body wash in order to improve blood circulation and keep your skin healthy. This will not only reduce appearance of existing stretch marks but also act as a deterrent in formation of new stretch marks. Regular oil body massages help keep your skin nourished and supple. Coconut oil is a good bet as it gets absorbed fairly easily. Start with body oil massages before pregnancy, and speak to your doctor about continuing them during pregnancy. You could gently massage your tummy with oil yourself.

Diet and Water Intake

Water hydrates the skin from within by helping the skin cells stay plump, moisturised and healthy, and if you have been drinking enough water every day, chances are that you have well nourished, supple skin, which will be able to bear the impact of sudden body changes without developing marks. If you have a poor diet, your skin is more likely to be unhealthy. Diets deficient in antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin A or Omega 3s can lead to your skin lacking elasticity which will cause development of stretch marks.

Weight Gain

It is easy to gain weight during pregnancy since pregnant women feel hungry all the time and are often tempted and encouraged to indulge. In addition, indulgence during pregnancy tends to be guilt-free, so women tend to give in to their cravings. Whatever the reason, if you do gain more weight than you should, you are certain to develop stretch marks. The best thing for you to do is to weigh yourself regularly, and aim to gain weight in a systematic manner, as suggested by your gynaecologist.

However, since some factors that cause stretch marks are out of our hands, some stretch marks are bound to appear. If treated immediately upon formation, you can reduce and in some cases completely remove the appearance of stretch marks. You can treat stretch marks as soon as they appear by use of medicated remedies containing glycolic acid or retinoids. You can even try home remedies such as lemon juice, virgin coconut oil or malai if you wish to go the organic route. If stretch marks are not treated as soon as they appear, it becomes much more difficult to treat them without use of surgical options.

FOOT CARE

Look after your feet and treat them with the care and attention they deserve. Your feet, and your back, will thank you for it.

Foot hygiene

While bathing, we often tend to ignore our feet and only apply soap from the ankles up. Your feet need a wash just as much as the rest of your body does, if not more, so make sure you wash and soap your feet as well. Take care to rinse off all soap, and dry feet thoroughly, wiping between the toes.

Keep a pumice stone in the bathroom and every two to three days, soap your feet and scrub them with the stone, paying extra attention to the heels.

Change your socks daily. It's surprising how many people wear the same socks for a couple of days before throwing them in for a wash! If you don't change your socks regularly, your feet will start to smell, and you may even develop a fungal infection.

Use foot powder.
Toenail care

When trimming toenails, don't trim them in an inverted U shape. Trim them straight across without digging into the corners. This keeps toenails healthier.

Shoes

Don't wear shoes that are too tight. They bruise your toes and heels, and they also hamper your walk. In addition, footwear that is too tight around the toes will cramp your toes, and may even cause your toenail to come out. It is also possible to strain your back.


Check your child's shoes regularly to make sure they are not too small. Children's feet are soft and flexible, and they can easily fit into shoes that are even two sizes too small! But you don't want them doing that, so make sure they wear shoes that are the right size. The easiest way to ensure this is to make your child stand on a sheet of paper as you draw the outline of her foot. Then, measure this outline with the sole of the shoe. If the outline is bigger or exactly the same size, you should get a bigger size. The sole of the shoe should be a little bigger all over than the outline.



Go shoe shopping in the afternoon. Your feet swell to their maximum at this time so you can be sure that anything you buy will not suddenly start feeling tight in the afternoon.

One foot is always bigger than the other, so try on both shoes before buying a pair.


If you are buying keds, wear socks as well while trying on the keds.


The best footwear to wear is genuine leather. It takes the shape of your feet and moulds itself accordingly.


If you will be on your toes all day, stay away from high heels. Heels are great for short periods, but not for long stretches at a time. They completely change your posture and put strain on your back and your toes.


Beauty Tip

A great tip for soft, smooth feet is to apply cream any cream generously to your feet before turning in for the night. Cover them with a pair of socks. Do this everyday, and within a week you will see the difference.

LOOK SEXY THIS WINTER

Winter wear is always tricky. You want to look good and wear something fashionable, but at the same time you want to make sure that you�re warm and snug.

Every year most of us spend at least a few days sick in bed because we sacrificed warmth in the quest to look good. Why is it so hard to achieve both?

Here are some tips on how you can look hot and keep warm this winter!

Boots

Invest in a pair of knee length boots. They are a great buy, because you can then get away with wearing a knee length suede or denim skirt, which would otherwise be virtually impossible in the winter. Make sure you wear stockings or thigh length socks (preferably the colour of your boots), as just a skirt may not provide you with adequate protection from the chill. You could also pair the boots with jeans that have a slit up the side, no higher than the length of the boots.


Shoes

If your budget doesn�t allow you to go in for knee length boots yet, don�t fret. Instead, go in for closed shoes, with pointed toes. Shoes that end in a point look more formal and fashionable than other shoes, and you can wear them with anything to immediately dress up an outfit. However, you may not find these shoes comfortable for daily wear, especially if you have to walk around a lot. Nothing beats keds for walking, and thankfully, canvas shoes are very fashionable at the moment, so invest in a pair of blue canvas shoes that you can wear with all your jeans.

Coats and jackets

Going shopping for a coat? Often people tend to rush in and buy one, only to realize it�s too large or too small. While buying a coat, remove all excess clothing, and wear only what you would normally wear under the coat. Then, try it on and button it up from the front. Stretch your hands out in front of you as if you are steering a wheel, or hug yourself, and see if it feels too tight. If it does, you should go in for a bigger size. If you are perfectly certain that you will never button up the coat, you could go in for one a size smaller. Avoid buying oversized and fluffy windcheaters or jackets. Go in for well-fitted ones, and opt for wool over PVC. Windcheaters are great after a workout, but are far from sexy.

What colour?

Although white is a great colour for a jacket as it can look very striking, it will get dirty all too soon, and is not very practical. Similarly, colourful jackets like dusty pink or burgundy look great, but cannot be paired with many outfits. On the other hand, no matter what you think, you really don�t need more than one black jacket.

It thus makes sense to first stock up on the basic colours, and then slowly build up your wardrobe. Remember, overcoats and jackets last a long time, and through many seasons, so you can afford to buy unusual colours as well, as you will wear them often through the years.

After buying a basic black overcoat, opt for a camel coloured jacket, which will go great over a black, navy or red turtleneck sweater. Try and fit a bright, long coat into your wardrobe, like turquoise or even orange. Wear it with basic blacks and blues, and the minute you put it on you will feel a lot brighter and sexier.

ARE YOU A WORKING MOTHER

Are you always in a hurry and constantly worrying about your curry? If you are the quintessential workingwoman, you will certainly find yourself neglecting the woman in you. It is absolutely no joke to do a full-time job and look after your husband and children. Therefore, while taking care of others, take care of yourself too.


Your physical and mental health and sense of self-worth plays an important role in what makes you tick. Let us see how working mothers can look and feel beautiful. Pamper thyself.

1. The first step is to de-stress. Worries only bring wrinkles. So when you wake up in the morning, the first thing that you need to do, after stretching and yawning, is to take a few deep breaths and relax. In fact you could even do it in the middle of the day, especially when you find the pressures threatening to take over. Before starting on any work, meditate. Say 'OM' for a few minutes. Or anything that makes you feel good. Even if you can spend just 5-10 minutes of your day on meditation, you will look and feel much better.

2. Drink loads of water. Start with 2-3 glasses until you can swallow over a litre on an empty stomach. This will serve to flush out all the toxins from your system and make your skin glow.

3. Next, splash your face with cold water before brushing your teeth. Put a few drops of some aromatic oil in your bathwater to help you feel fresh and energetic. After bath, use a good hand and body lotion to keep your skin supple and young.

4. Apply some sunscreen lotion before going out to work. Do not forget your dark glasses to avoid crow's feet around your eyes.

5. After coming home from a hard day's work, clean your skin with a little bit of cotton soaked in unboiled milk. This serves as an excellent cleanser. Next comes the astringent. For a natural astringent, you could simply splash cold water on your face. After this relax with a herbal face pack or a moisturizer.

6. Just in case you have been tanned, mix a little vinegar with one teaspoon of honey and apply on your face for 15 minutes to remove the tan.

7. You could also apply a paste out of honey and corn flour in order to keep those wrinkles at bay.

8.Soak your tired feet in a bucket of warm water with salt and watch the tiredness slip away.

9. Put a slice of cucumber on both your eyes for about 10 minutes before you go to sleep, as this will not only help you to relax, but it is also excellent for removing dark circles underneath the eyes.

10. Lastly, make sure that you get a good eight hour sleep, as no amount of make up, herbal packs or moisturizers can replace that.

  

Digestion

What do weight problems, skin conditions, allergies, fatigue, insomnia, arthritis, headaches, depression, yeast infections, constipation, and cancer have in common? These and dozens of other conditions may all be caused or worsened by poor digestion.

We have heard the phrase “You are what you eat.” This is true, but nutrition is not just what we eat, it is what the cells of the body actually receive–and the cells only receive what is broken down through the process of digestion. Therefore we may also say, “You are what you digest.”


Digestion is a topic that stretches far beyond the stomach. Poor digestion affects the intestines, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, blood, and lymph and immune systems. Poor digestion also affects hormone balance and the functions of the brain.


When we consider the 30-foot tube–the intestine–that runs through the body, we can begin to understand why it should be a major consideration in any type of health issue; digestion is key to obtaining and maintaining overall health and well-being.

Learn at Home
Recognizing and answering the need for a better understanding of health and digestion, the alive Academy of Natural Health has created a distance education course to guide interested students through the gastrointestinal tract with steps to better digestion and, in turn, better health.

Digestion: Your Inner Path to True Health lessons are designed to inform all levels of students, from the general public and layperson to the health professional who wants a deeper understanding of digestion.

Lessons include quizzes and self-marked tests to enhance the learning process. Information covered includes an easy-to-understand explanation of the digestive process along with practical advice about what, how, and when to eat.

Additional topics include the many factors affecting digestion, common digestive disorders, and larger health links to digestion such as allergies, fatigue, hypoglycemia, and diabetes. Finally, the course provides 15 steps to better digestion and describes many natural digestive remedies.

By properly digesting nutritious foods, every cell in the body is fed exactly what it needs to be truly healthy. The digestive process really is your inner pathway to true health.

Facts to Chew On
Did you know that stress shuts down the digestive process? No matter how healthy your food choices are, if you eat while stressed, preoccupied, or in a hurry you will not digest well.

According to the Journal of Gastroenterology, chronic constipation is one of the most gastrointestinal complaints.

More than six million Canadians suffer with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Get to Know Your Liver

The liver is one of our most vital organs and, next to our skin, the largest. Optimal function is essential to dealing with the abundance of toxins that are processed through the liver.

If our liver is not healthy, these toxins can cause it to become sluggish. This can lead to various health problems such as toxicity, high cholesterol, poor digestion of foods, fatigue, blood sugar problems, hormone imbalance, headaches, allergies, sensitivities, and poor skin.

The liver plays a role in a number of important functions in the body, including making cholesterol, bile, blood proteins, and clotting proteins. It is also involved in blood cleansing, production and breakdown of hormones, regulation of blood sugar, and detoxification.

Detoxification–Liver’s Primary Role
The liver’s main role is detoxification, using two methods.

Phase one liver detoxification eliminates toxins through a complex group of enzymes that break down toxins into nontoxic substances, ensuring they can be removed through the kidneys or via the bile.
Phase two liver detoxification involves a process called “conjugation,” where toxic substances are “bound” to other substances in the body (such as glutathione, amino acids, methionine, sulphur, acetyl coenzyme A, and glucuronic acid). Once bound, these substances can be safely eliminated through the kidneys or via the bile.


Cleanse Your Liver
When cleansing the liver, use supportive herbs as well as herbs that stimulate the liver’s production of bile. Used as a vehicle to carry toxins into the small intestine, bile is absorbed by fibre and removed through the colon. Herbs that increase bile include artichoke leaf, dandelion root, and Eclipta alba. It is essential, when performing a liver cleanse, to ensure your bowels are moving at least once per day, otherwise you may reabsorb the toxins.

A liver cleanse should also include antioxidants (such as alpha lipoic acid, green tea leaf, and selenium), as they are good not only for the liver, but also for the entire body. Cleansing the liver can help you to achieve healthy liver function, a necessity for optimal health.

Liver Helpers
Herbs and amino acids that help to support and enhance liver function:
Glutathione is essential for phase two detoxification. Alpha lipoic acid stimulates glutathione production, while L-methionine and N-acetyl-cysteine are amino acid precursors to glutathione.

Milk thistle seed includes the extract silymarin, which prevents depletion of glutathione, and has been shown to increase glutathione levels by up to 35 percent. It has also been shown to be effective for various liver diseases including cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, fatty infiltration of the liver, and inflammation of the bile duct.

L-taurine is important for detoxing drugs, food additives, and toxins from intestinal bacteria. It is also required to eliminate steroid hormones (estrogen) and thyroid hormones so they do not overload the body.