A grooming-kit for you

There are so many natural ways to maintain the beauty of your hair and skin. Shahnaz Husain offers a few home remedies for personal grooming.

There are several home remedies that help maintain healthy and beautiful skin and hair. These are anyday better than cometic products. Here are some tips for you.
Fruit mask (all skin types)

Fruits like banana, apple, papaya, avocado, water melon can be mixed together and applied as a face mask for all skin types. Papaya, rich in enzymes, cleanses the skin of dead cells and helps cell renewal. Banana tightens the skin. Apples and oranges are rich in vitamins and minerals. Avocado is rich in antioxidants and has powerful age control benefits. Watermelon hydrates the skin. Apply and wash off after 30 minutes.

Beauty mist

Take 10g of rose petals and put them in a bowl. Add hot water to cover them and let them infuse in the water. Leave overnight. Next morning cool and strain. Add the contents of 2 vitamin-E capsules. Mix well. Put in a spray bottle and use it to spray a fine mist on the face. It helps to tone, refresh and nourish the skin.

Anti-ageing face pack

For an anti-ageing face mask that also adds radiance, take half-teaspoon wheatgerm oil and 2 DROPS geranium oil. Add 2 teaspoons oatmeal, one teaspoon almond meal and orange juice. The pack is rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E, with powerful anti-ageing benefits.

Skin toner

Green tea is a powerful antioxidant. Take half cup water and 2 teaspoons green tea. Bring the water to a boil. Put tea leaves in a ceramic bowl. Pour the hot water over it and keep for 2 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid. Apply on face with cotton wool to tone the skin. Leave on.

Body scrub

The best body scrub is the age-old “ubtan” made at home with wheat bran (choker), gram flour (besan), curd or cream of milk (malai) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi).
All these can be mixed together and applied on the body, about 20 minutes before bathing. It helps to clear away the dead cells and make the skin clean, soft and smooth.    
      
Take ground dry orange and lemon peels, oatmeal and ground almonds (almond meal). Add a little olive oil and rose water. Apply on the skin and rub gently with circular movements. Then wash off with water.

To remove tan

Take sesame seeds, dried mint leaves, one tablespoon of lemon juice and another of honey. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with lemon juice and a little honey and apply on the face and arms. Rub gently on the skin. Leave on for a few minutes and then wash off with water. Sesame seeds actually have sun protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin. It helps to remove tan and produce an even colour tone. Mint has a stimulating effect and adds a glow to the skin, while honey moisturizes and softens the skin.

Moisturising hair pack

Mix aloe vera gel with two teaspoons vinegar, one teaspoon pure glycerine and one egg. Mix them well together. Massage lightly onto the hair. Wear a plastic shower cap and leave it on for half an hour before washing the hair. 

Henna packs help to add shine, body and bounce to the hair. For oily, dandruff prone hair, add 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs and enough “tea water” to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste.

To make tea-water, boil used tea leaves again in enough water.  After boiling, you should have about 4 to 5 cups of tea-water. Cool and strain and add to the henna paste. Apply the henna on the hair and wash off after an hour with plain water. If you do not wish to use egg, add more tea water.

Shining nails

Take warm pure almond oil and soak the fingers and nails in it for 10 minutes. Massage the oil on the nails and on the skin around nails. Wipe off with a moist towel.  The nails can also be “buffed.” This is usually done with a piece of chamois leather. It should be gently rubbed with the chamois leather. It helps to remove discolouration on nails and also makes the nails shiny.