Pamper your skin and hair

You Time

Who says you have to usher in the new year in a noisy, congested pub surrounded by drunken strangers? There are numerous other comfortable ways to spend the evening that don’t involve the pain of strutting around in a dress that barely fits and high heels that hurt your feet.

Stay home and take a long, luxurious bath. While you’re at it, whip up a quick face or hair mask or get a massage. Spend the last few hours of 2016 in a state of blissful relaxation. Better yet, invite your friends over so you can reminisce about the year that was.

Here are a few nourishing face and hair packs that you can treat yourself to this weekend:   

Mix one teaspoon each of honey and orange juice with egg white. Apply on the face to make it soft and smooth. Wash it off after 20 minutes. This suits all skin types.

The pulp of fruits like banana, apple, papaya and orange can be mixed together and applied on the face. They should be mashed for easier absorption. Leave the pack on for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.

For dry skin, mix the pulp of a ripe avocado with a teaspoon of olive oil and egg yolk. Apply on the face and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash off. Avocado moisturises and nourishes the skin. Olive oil softens it and restores the pH balance. Egg yolk nourishes the skin and makes it soft.

Take one tablespoon of choker (wheat bran), one teaspoon each of orange peel powder and curd, and one tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Mix them together and apply on the face, washing it off after 30 minutes.

To moisturise oily and acne-prone skin, mix half a teaspoon of pure glycerine with 100 ml of rose water and keep in an airtight bottle. Apply a little of this lotion on your face twice a day to relieve dryness.

Add five drops each of jojoba oil, coconut oil and rose water. Apply on the face after cleansing. It nourishes, moisturises and tones the skin.

For extremely dry and damaged hair, mix a little olive oil with the yolk of an egg. Apply this on the hair. Tie an old scarf around the head and leave the mixture on for an hour. Then, wash hair using a mild shampoo.

After shampoo, add the juice of a lemon to beer and rinse your hair. Wait for a few minutes and wash off with plain water. This will smoothen dry hair.

To nourish dry hair, beat an egg with a cup of milk. Rub the mixture into the scalp and leave it on for five minutes. Afterwards, just rinse it with water. Do this twice a week.

If you have dry, damaged hair, firstly, cut off the split ends. Heat pure coconut oil or almond oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap three or four times, twice a week.

Mix one tablespoon of almond oil, the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply on the hair and wear a plastic shower cap. Wash the hair after half an hour.

Apply these packs periodically, not only to protect your skin and hair during the harsh winter, but to keep them supple and lustrous all year long.