I had this bottle of Castor oil a long time back for a tummy ache and now its lying around.I have been using it on my eyebrows and eye lashes for its well known benefits.SO here's some research I present you guys with,so it can be of benefit to you as well.
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What Are the Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair Growth?
Regular Castor oil use on your hair’s roots and scalp will help:
Increase hair growth
Thicken hair that is starting to thin out
Reduce and prevent hair damage
Eliminate dry hair
Make the hair fuller and shinier
Deeply condition and moisturize hair and scalp
Prevents dry scalp
Boost your hair’s overall health
Applying Castor oil to your hair tips will also prevent your hair from looking frizzy and having split ends and damage. You will also notice that your hair is stronger and won’t develop split ends that easily anymore.
How Do You Use Castor Oil to Prevent Hair Loss?
Here are the common step-by-step techniques for using castor oil in hair loss:
Using your fingertips, apply high quality castor oil to your roots and scalp.
Make sure that you distribute the oil evenly on the scalp.
Do your best to avoid the oil fro getting into your hair as its thick consistency may be hard to wash out.
After applying it to your scalp, cover your hair with a plastic cap and wrap it in a towel.
Let the oil stay in your hair for at least 15 to 20 minutes or allow it to set overnight.
Wash it out with shampoo after to remove the castor oil.
Do this once a week for 6-8 weeks to see the results.
Depending on your preference, you can also mix the oil with other oils (i.e. grape seed) to eliminate the super-thick consistency and unpleasant scent of castor oil.
Castor Oil Takes Care of the Skin around Your Eyes
Castor oil is considered very useful in removing dark bags under your eyes. In folk and alternative medicine, the oil which comes from the castor bean serves as a treatment for many ailments. Because of its unique, healing ingredients, castor oil is used to alleviate constipation, induce labor, treat the sciatic nerve, support hair growth, cure the lymph system, and many other medical conditions.
Using castor oil is an easy, inexpensive and effective way to reduce the appearance of dark circles underneath your eyes, which are usually temporary and may be a result of different factors – lack of sleep, stress, fatigue and other similar causes.
Compared to most commercial eye creams that contain harsh chemicals, castor oil is all-organic. It is free from any artificial ingredients or chemicals that may be harmful for your skin. Castor oil is also very practical as it is relatively cheap compared to other eye creams.
How Do You Use Castor Oil Treatment under Your Eyes?
Application of castor oil for under your eyes is easy. Ideally, the procedure goes like this (as detailed by an article on American Chronicle):
Before going to bed, just rub a small amount of castor oil onto the spot surrounding your eyes.
Let the oil set there overnight. Castor oil works its wonders while you sleep.
Just remember to wash out the oil off the next morning when you wake up.
Do this regularly for many days for more effective results.
Upon continuous and consistent use of castor oil every bedtime, you will notice a difference. Dark bags under your eyes will start to diminish and your skin there will look better and younger-looking over time.
Castor Oil thickens eyelashes and eyebrows
Rub a little castor oil over the base of your eyelashes before bed. This prevents thinning and promotes rapid growth, leading to thicker and fuller lashes. In fact, many commercial products for eyelashes contain castor oil.
To thicken sparse eyebrows, rub a little castor oil over the brow line before bed.
Castor Oil softens thick calluses and removes corns
Castor oil application will soften any rough or thickened skin, including calluses and corns. To treat corns, apply castor oil over your feet and put cotton socks on before going to bed. (Incidentally, sleeping with castor oil socks on will also soothe painful heels and foot pain.)
Castor Oil prevents stretch marks
Rub a small amount of castor oil over your stomach and thighs daily to prevent stretchmarks during pregnancy or periods of weight gain.
Castor Oil will remove moles and warts (apply heat for faster results)
Rub castor oil into moles or warts every night. The moles (or warts) will start to shrink over a few weeks, and continued use will eventually remove the mole without any scarring. Complete removal may take 2-3 months, but this slow healing will also ensure there is no “hole” in your skin. (The surgical removal of moles will often leave a hole where the mole was. This indentation can often be permanent.)
Diana kindly shared a useful tip she discovered. She wrote, “I used castor oil on moles, but I think the secret is to use heat with it. For instance, keep a hot, wet towel on the mole for a minute, and then apply castor oil, and then reapply the hot towel, for another minute. Do that for about 10 minutes, 2 or 3 times every day. I did this and I started to see results in 4 days.”
Tip: Remove castor oil residue with baking soda
Castor oil is thick and viscous, but it can be washed out with regular soap and a good lather. However, if you find it more difficult than usual to wash castor oil out of your hair or skin, try mixing in some baking soda and water. Baking soda can cause some temporary dryness, but is very effective in removing all traces of castor oil.
Castor oil can be found in most good health food stores. Check the label to make sure it’s cold-pressed (or cold-drawn) and hexane-free. This is especially important if you plan to put castor oil on your face, around or in your eyes, or if you plan to ingest it for internal cleansing.
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TURMERIC :
Vienna Mendes kindly shared her success at fading a tan by drinking turmeric with milk. She wrote, “I had suntanned skin, one fine day I started drinking warm milk with turmeric powder in it. Guess what … my suntanned went off, my skin started glowing… everybody at my workplace started commenting. I was amazed, I couldn’t realise what had happened to me. Then I realised the milk & turmeric brought changes in me. It took just 15 to 30 days for my skin to improve. It really works.”
Why it works: Turmeric has powerful antioxidant properties, protects against environmental toxins, and has antibacterial properties.
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Baking soda prevents body odour
I live in a hot climate and sweat a lot. So it’s no surprise that I used to depend on roll-on anti-perspirants everyday.
But I decided to stop using them when I found out that they contained zirconium and aluminium, which inevitably gets absorbed into my system.
If you’re similarly worried about heavy metal toxicity from anti-perspirants, you might want to consider a healthier alternative—Baking Soda.
Baking soda will prevent body odour very effectively. But it won’t prevent the sweating. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s much healthier to allow your body to sweat as sweating is the body’s way of releasing its excess toxins. By plugging up your sweat pores unnaturally, you’re forcing your body to release these toxins through other means such as skin eruptions (e.g. acne, rashes).
So you might still sweat with baking soda, but you won’t smell at all.
And even as you sweat, you won’t stain your clothes yellow because as it turns out, the tell-tale yellow stain doesn’t come from your sweat, but rather the chemical reaction from your sweat and the antiperspirant. Sweat alone will not stain your clothes. So you’ll still smell good at the end of the day and your clothes will look good too.
What you’ll need: Baking soda (be sure to use baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate and NOT baking powder), some water
How to do it: Place a little baking soda (around a level teaspoon) on your palm. Add a bit of water, just enough to make the baking soda into a paste. Apply this paste on your underarm area. That’s it!
Tip (wait after shaving or waxing): Baking soda will not harm you. But you might feel some stinging when using baking soda if you’ve recently shaved or waxed your underarms. So it’s best to only use baking soda one day after shaving.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Spring rolls
I enjoy cooking but there are times you have no idea what to cook and you look for simple recipes which can be made in a jiffy.I had made these chicken spring rolls a couple of weeks ago for lunch.I just threw everything in and hoped for the best coz my husband hates Indo - Chinese food and I just love it.But it worked,he loved it and request I make more for him.So here's the recipe and hopefully you will like it.
Ingredients :
Half a Chicken (Boiled with 6 cloves,5 whole black pepper,salt to taste,1 inch pc cinnamon stick) You can save the stock you get for future pulaos and what not.
Shredded carrots,cabbage,capsicum,green chillies,spring onions ( they all should be finely chopped and uniform in size)
Soya sauce,White pepper,salt to taste
Method:
I shredded the chicken after it was boiled and cooled with my hands and just tossed the chicken,vegetables and soaya sauce,white pepper and salt.Its good to tatse at every point to get the taste just right.
You dont want it to be too salty coz soya sauce is mainly salt and what not.
Usually,you will see in other recipes that te vegetables are cooked.You can cook it in a frying pan with a tbsp or 2 of oil i.e. toss it with oil the whole thing,and let the water that comes out to evaporate.Taste the veggies and when you will they are sift,take it off heat and let it cool.
I use readymade wraps.Check out the ingredients to see if the rolls are made from basic ingrdients and not too make weird components.BAsically Maida and water and stuff like that.
Rolling the wraps is a bit tedious initially but the directions are usually on the back of the packet,I followed it to the tee and after 2 oddly shaped rolls ,I got the hang of it.Place the mixture in the center,just a tbsp and half.Fold the 2 opposite ends in and then just roll it.To stick the ends,make a watery paste of atta or maida or corn flour with water,and just with your fingers stick and place it down in a plate.
Once all the rolls are made,heat the oil for deep frying and place the rolls gently in in the hot hot oil.
Please bear in mind,its just the casing you wanna get golden brown,once they change color,take out and enjoy.You can enjoy it a hot chilli dip or mayonnaise.
The ingredients can be made a few days in advance and make a great snack or lunch.
You can use shrimps,you can use beef or eggs ( boiled maybe).But I love chicken.
I have guests coming over for dinner today,so I will making a big batch today along with mutton pulao.Yeah ! We are total foodies.
Ingredients :
Half a Chicken (Boiled with 6 cloves,5 whole black pepper,salt to taste,1 inch pc cinnamon stick) You can save the stock you get for future pulaos and what not.
Shredded carrots,cabbage,capsicum,green chillies,spring onions ( they all should be finely chopped and uniform in size)
Soya sauce,White pepper,salt to taste
Method:
I shredded the chicken after it was boiled and cooled with my hands and just tossed the chicken,vegetables and soaya sauce,white pepper and salt.Its good to tatse at every point to get the taste just right.
You dont want it to be too salty coz soya sauce is mainly salt and what not.
Usually,you will see in other recipes that te vegetables are cooked.You can cook it in a frying pan with a tbsp or 2 of oil i.e. toss it with oil the whole thing,and let the water that comes out to evaporate.Taste the veggies and when you will they are sift,take it off heat and let it cool.
I use readymade wraps.Check out the ingredients to see if the rolls are made from basic ingrdients and not too make weird components.BAsically Maida and water and stuff like that.
Rolling the wraps is a bit tedious initially but the directions are usually on the back of the packet,I followed it to the tee and after 2 oddly shaped rolls ,I got the hang of it.Place the mixture in the center,just a tbsp and half.Fold the 2 opposite ends in and then just roll it.To stick the ends,make a watery paste of atta or maida or corn flour with water,and just with your fingers stick and place it down in a plate.
Once all the rolls are made,heat the oil for deep frying and place the rolls gently in in the hot hot oil.
Please bear in mind,its just the casing you wanna get golden brown,once they change color,take out and enjoy.You can enjoy it a hot chilli dip or mayonnaise.
The ingredients can be made a few days in advance and make a great snack or lunch.
You can use shrimps,you can use beef or eggs ( boiled maybe).But I love chicken.
I have guests coming over for dinner today,so I will making a big batch today along with mutton pulao.Yeah ! We are total foodies.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Five Major Hair Care Myths
There's a lot of faulty science passed down generations when it comes to grooming.
Here, we take the mumbo-jumbo that a lot of you might believe.
Fixing Split Ends
It can't be done. Nope - it can't. The myth of 'fixing' split ends might have started with a company selling a split end sealing product, but split ends are terminal - they can't be fixed. You have to cut them off.
Of course, there are temporary fixes, with products that lay down the split ends so they don't show. But that's where the fixing ends.
Plucking a Grey Hair Causes Two to Grow Back
Again, not true. Plucking grey hair will damage your roots, even infect the empty root and hurt like hell, but it won't cause more grey hairs to sprout out. If it did, you'd have the world's cheapest (and most natural) way of avoiding baldness.
Braids Will Grow Your Hair Faster
For both women and men who braid their hair, braiding will cause too tight or too long can cause hair loss and baldness. One of the reasons behind this is Traction alopecia, a slow hair loss caused by pulling hair too tight by applying too much tension.
Regular Hair Washing Causes Hair Drying (and Hair Loss Too!)
Unless you're using a shampoo that leaves residue in your hair, a good shampoo and conditioner -selected for your hair texture and condition - the added add moisture and body will lead to nicer, healthier hair.
Hair Products used by Professional Stylists are the Same as Store-Bought Products
Not all shampoo is the same. (If it were, wouldn't SRK be saving money using Head and Shoulders) While the concept of 'professional hairstylist' is ambiguous in India, the expensive, 500 bucks a haircut guys (not barbers!)
Professional products have more quality, expensive ingredients blended for an optimum formula - something you won't find in your local Rs. 1 sachet shampoo. If you pay a buck, you'll get a bucks worth of hair care.
Here, we take the mumbo-jumbo that a lot of you might believe.
Fixing Split Ends
It can't be done. Nope - it can't. The myth of 'fixing' split ends might have started with a company selling a split end sealing product, but split ends are terminal - they can't be fixed. You have to cut them off.
Of course, there are temporary fixes, with products that lay down the split ends so they don't show. But that's where the fixing ends.
Plucking a Grey Hair Causes Two to Grow Back
Again, not true. Plucking grey hair will damage your roots, even infect the empty root and hurt like hell, but it won't cause more grey hairs to sprout out. If it did, you'd have the world's cheapest (and most natural) way of avoiding baldness.
Braids Will Grow Your Hair Faster
For both women and men who braid their hair, braiding will cause too tight or too long can cause hair loss and baldness. One of the reasons behind this is Traction alopecia, a slow hair loss caused by pulling hair too tight by applying too much tension.
Regular Hair Washing Causes Hair Drying (and Hair Loss Too!)
Unless you're using a shampoo that leaves residue in your hair, a good shampoo and conditioner -selected for your hair texture and condition - the added add moisture and body will lead to nicer, healthier hair.
Hair Products used by Professional Stylists are the Same as Store-Bought Products
Not all shampoo is the same. (If it were, wouldn't SRK be saving money using Head and Shoulders) While the concept of 'professional hairstylist' is ambiguous in India, the expensive, 500 bucks a haircut guys (not barbers!)
Professional products have more quality, expensive ingredients blended for an optimum formula - something you won't find in your local Rs. 1 sachet shampoo. If you pay a buck, you'll get a bucks worth of hair care.
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Kitchen beauty secrets of the stars
They may look like goddesses on the big screen and the red carpet, but even celebrities have their off days. And although they have an entourage of stylists and make up artists to make them look sensational, some stars also have kitchen beauty secrets that they swear by. Here are a few...
Aanchal Kumar
In my profession, we use loads of make up and our timings are awkward. So dark circles develop quite frequently. A home remedy I use is to mix lemon juice and tomato juice and apply it around my eyes. Trust me, it works instantly, and is better than any under eye cream.
Mini Mathur
Once a model friend of mine told me that when you have a zit, an easy way to get rid of it is by mixing a little sugar in water and applying it on that zit. Sugar is an astringent and helps close pores. Another time, right before a shoot, my blush got over. So I rushed into the hotel's kitchen where we were shooting and took some slices of beetroot. I rubbed it on my cheek bones right before applying my make up, and you won't believe the instant glow it gave me.
Neha Dhupia
Though it tastes extremely bitter, I drink aloe vera juice everyday . I have an aloe vera plant in my house. I feel it is a cure for everything. It is not only great for the skin and blood, but it also heals cuts and bruises because of it's medicinal qualities.
Amisha Patel
For my hair, I use a mixture of almonds and oil. My grandmom would make this oil out of 15-17 different kind of Ayurvedic products, so I could apply it on my hair. I also apply raw eggs on my hair, keep it on for 15-20 minutes till it hardens, and then wash it off. This gives my hair bounce. Also, for my skin, I apply a mix of turmeric powder and besan (gram powder) added to milk or yoghurt. This makes my skin glow.
Sonal Chauhan
I personally feel that I look beautiful when I'm well fed. The moment I am hungry, I feel my face drops, so I need to be well-fed always. I also mix honey and oats and apply it on my face, leaving it for some time and then scrub it off. It works wonders.
Angela Jonsson
I use milk on my face on a regular basis. In fact, I wash my face with milk, as it cleanses my skin and softens it. I also place hot tea bags on my lips. They are great as they soften my lips and make them look fuller.
Here's what Hollywood hotties prefer...
Demi Moore
Detoxes in a rather unique way. She uses medical leeches — creatures grown in a laboratory specifically to suck the blood of a person to detoxify.
Michelle Yeoh
Uses lemon juice to keep her face clean. Best for oily skin, the acid in lemon removes natural oils and also makes stubborn dirt come off the pores.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Uses fresh strawberries to whiten her skin. Strawberries contain malic acid, which acts as a mild astringent when mixed with baking soda. To keep her hair healthy and shiny, Catherine brushes it with castor oil, which is also known to prevent hair loss.
Julia Roberts
Soaks her hands in olive oil for a few minutes every week to keep skin soft and stop the nails from going brittle . Olive oil moisturises nails, makes them stronger and also softens one's cuticles.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Treats pimples with toothpaste. Applying a dab of toothpaste to the pimple overnight dries it out, in much the same way that prescription acne remedies do.
Teri Hatcher
Pours two cups of red wine into her bath every night to help soften her skin.
Jessica Biel
Keeps her skin youthful by mixing two teaspoons of sugar with her cleanser, and using it as a scrub.
Mariah Carey
Applies a dab of peppermint extract to her lips, which is known to increase blood flow to the lips and give her a sultry pout.
Cindy Crawford
Keeps her face moisturised by mixing equal parts of full fat milk and mineral water and keeping it in a spray bottle, which she sprays on her face throughout the day for extra moisture.
Miranda Kerr
Makes sure she takes four tablespoons of coconut oil without fail everyday either on her salads, her cooking or in her green tea, which she says is good for everything from skin and hair to weight loss.
Aanchal Kumar
In my profession, we use loads of make up and our timings are awkward. So dark circles develop quite frequently. A home remedy I use is to mix lemon juice and tomato juice and apply it around my eyes. Trust me, it works instantly, and is better than any under eye cream.
Mini Mathur
Once a model friend of mine told me that when you have a zit, an easy way to get rid of it is by mixing a little sugar in water and applying it on that zit. Sugar is an astringent and helps close pores. Another time, right before a shoot, my blush got over. So I rushed into the hotel's kitchen where we were shooting and took some slices of beetroot. I rubbed it on my cheek bones right before applying my make up, and you won't believe the instant glow it gave me.
Neha Dhupia
Though it tastes extremely bitter, I drink aloe vera juice everyday . I have an aloe vera plant in my house. I feel it is a cure for everything. It is not only great for the skin and blood, but it also heals cuts and bruises because of it's medicinal qualities.
Amisha Patel
For my hair, I use a mixture of almonds and oil. My grandmom would make this oil out of 15-17 different kind of Ayurvedic products, so I could apply it on my hair. I also apply raw eggs on my hair, keep it on for 15-20 minutes till it hardens, and then wash it off. This gives my hair bounce. Also, for my skin, I apply a mix of turmeric powder and besan (gram powder) added to milk or yoghurt. This makes my skin glow.
Sonal Chauhan
I personally feel that I look beautiful when I'm well fed. The moment I am hungry, I feel my face drops, so I need to be well-fed always. I also mix honey and oats and apply it on my face, leaving it for some time and then scrub it off. It works wonders.
Angela Jonsson
I use milk on my face on a regular basis. In fact, I wash my face with milk, as it cleanses my skin and softens it. I also place hot tea bags on my lips. They are great as they soften my lips and make them look fuller.
Here's what Hollywood hotties prefer...
Demi Moore
Detoxes in a rather unique way. She uses medical leeches — creatures grown in a laboratory specifically to suck the blood of a person to detoxify.
Michelle Yeoh
Uses lemon juice to keep her face clean. Best for oily skin, the acid in lemon removes natural oils and also makes stubborn dirt come off the pores.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Uses fresh strawberries to whiten her skin. Strawberries contain malic acid, which acts as a mild astringent when mixed with baking soda. To keep her hair healthy and shiny, Catherine brushes it with castor oil, which is also known to prevent hair loss.
Julia Roberts
Soaks her hands in olive oil for a few minutes every week to keep skin soft and stop the nails from going brittle . Olive oil moisturises nails, makes them stronger and also softens one's cuticles.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Treats pimples with toothpaste. Applying a dab of toothpaste to the pimple overnight dries it out, in much the same way that prescription acne remedies do.
Teri Hatcher
Pours two cups of red wine into her bath every night to help soften her skin.
Jessica Biel
Keeps her skin youthful by mixing two teaspoons of sugar with her cleanser, and using it as a scrub.
Mariah Carey
Applies a dab of peppermint extract to her lips, which is known to increase blood flow to the lips and give her a sultry pout.
Cindy Crawford
Keeps her face moisturised by mixing equal parts of full fat milk and mineral water and keeping it in a spray bottle, which she sprays on her face throughout the day for extra moisture.
Miranda Kerr
Makes sure she takes four tablespoons of coconut oil without fail everyday either on her salads, her cooking or in her green tea, which she says is good for everything from skin and hair to weight loss.
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