Get A Glowing Skin With Turmeric!

I'm a big fan of turmeric for very good reasons such as soothing for flu, depressions, insomnia; headaches, fights allergies, fight inflammation. One of the most restorative foods you can add to your diet. 

There is a long list of skin care benefits associated with turmeric, including the treatment of acne blemishes, blackheads, dark spots and hyperpigmentation and other skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It helps heal and prevent dry skin, and to slow the skin aging process, and is used to diminish wrinkles, keep skin supple and improve skin’s elasticity. This sunny bright spice is also being used as an ingredient in sunscreens. It is used daily by East Indian women as a facial cleanser and exfoliant.


For a wrinkle reducer and skin brightener: A mixture of milk and turmeric is good for fine lines and wrinkles. Mix turmeric powder and honey with raw milk and tomato juice, enough to form a paste, and apply to face and neck for 30 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Acne treatment: Turmeric is used for acne because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties that fight pimples and breakouts. It removes redness from acne and other types of scarring, reduces inflammation and evens out skin discolorations. Some people drink the spice as a tea with water or milk to help prevent acne outbreaks. If turmeric tea doesn’t sound very palatable to you, try mixing turmeric with plain water or coconut or sesame oil, and dab onto blemishes and acne scars. You can also mix a small about of turmeric with lemon or cucumber juice (just a few drops to make a paste) and leave on the marks for 10-15 minutes.

Health and Beauty Benefits of Dates

Dates have long been used as sweeteners and a quick snack, or meal even, for centuries. They are cholesterol-free and very low in fat. Plus they’re energy boosters, making them a suitable snack for the health-conscious. Also, they’re rich in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, A1 and C, proteins, dietary fiber, iron (11 percent), potassium (16 percent), calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. The soluble and insoluble fibers and amino acids present in dates can also help to improve the digestive system.

Dates is a fruit that can be consumed directly without addition of any other ingredient. It is also sweet and thus lazy girls like me can just pop one or two anytime we want.

Now let me list down the various health benefits of dates:

• Dates help a lot in preventing constipation.
• People with intestinal disorders have been advised to take dates.
• If you are very skinny and you want to put on weight, then take this healthy sweet fruit with milk.
• People with heart problems have also been advised to take dates on a regular basis.
• It helps to arrest diarrhoea.
• People suffering with abdominal cancer have also been advised to consume dates.
• Dates helps in good muscle development.
• Dates help in improving the digestive system.
• Dates also helps in reducing cholesterol.
• Dates is known to slow the process of tooth decay.

The benefits of dates goes on and on. It is a great substitute for sugar. I usually make milk shakes using dates and not sugar and thus I can serve the same to people of all age groups from kids to elderly people.  These dates are also available in the form of syrup and the same can be taken directly either like two spoons per day or we can even add that to our milk, juice, desserts and other dishes. It not only adds just taste to the food but also lot of health benefits.

To have healthy skin and hair is not an easy task in today’s busy life and for people like us, dates is our saviour.  Just take a couple of dates everyday and you can see a drastic transformation in your skin and hair. Let me list out the various ways you can take dates.

• Beat dates with milk and you can have it as a milk shake.
• You may add fruits of your choice to the above-mentioned shake and thus the dates just acts as an sweetening agent and it would not dominate the flavour of the milk shake.
• You can make dates paste and use instead of jam.
• Dates syrup is readily available in the market which can be used in place of  honey.
• Dates syrup can be topped up on fruit salads and ice creams to add more flavour.
• You can skip sugar if you are adding dates to a particular dish.
• Dates as such is a sweet fruit, which can be consumed directly.

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

A family which has dates will not be hungry. 

Reference	: Sahih Muslim 2046 a

Want a natural spa treatment?

Once a week for 20 minutes, sit in a hot bath that contains a handful of Epsom or sea salts, 10 drops of lavender essential oil and a half cup of baking soda. This combo draws out toxins, lowers stress-related hormones and balances your pH levels. 

My favourite way to de-stress and detox at the end of a long week. Detoxing is so important because toxins are everywhere. They are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medications we take and in the water we drink. Toxins cause irritation, harm and destruction in the body if left unchecked.

Detoxifying is in the body's way of removing and metabolising these dangerous compounds. A detox bath encourages the body to efficiently flush our toxins. 

Henna For Hair

Henna isn't just for covering grey hair. It makes your hair strong, voluminous and shiny. Find out the benefits of henna for hair.

1. Henna is a great conditioner for your hair. It adds shine and volume to it, and also shields it from further damage by forming a coating on it.

2. Henna helps maintain the natural acid-alkaline balance on your scalp and cleanses it of dirt without altering the natural balance unlike chemical-based products.

3. It promotes hair growth, reduces hair fall, dandruff and other scalp problems. You can even use it for colouring your hair as it does not have any side effects and gives a deep colour with a reddish tinge.

4. Henna also prevents your hair from greying and thinning making them healthy and lustrous.

Simple Henna Hair Packs you can do yourself:

Henna is applied on your hair in hair packs. Read on for three hair packs to benefit your hair, and get a lustrous mane.

Pack 1: Henna pack to reduce Hair Fall and Promotes Hair Growth:

Using henna with mustard oil makes your hair grow well and makes it healthy.

Ingredients:

• Henna
• Mustard Oil

Procedure:

• Take a few tea spoons of mustard oil in a bowl. Add a few henna leaves to it, and boil well. The leaves must get burnt in this oil.
• After boiling, take it and leave it to cool down to room temperature.
• After cooling, use a muslin cloth to sieve the oil. Store it in an air tight container.

Use this oil to massage your hair regularly. Your hair growth will increase, and you find a reduction in the loss of hair and hair fall. The stored oil can be used for a month.

Before applying the oil, you can add some lemon juice, or a teaspoon of fresh curd to it. It offers better results.

Pack 2: Henna pack to Color and Condition your hair:

This pack is very useful for coloring your hair, and conditioning it from deep

inside. Leave it for as long as you can, to achieve all benefits. the longer you keep, deeper will be the coloring effect on your hair.

Ingredients:

• Henna
• Lemon juice
• Freshly brewed tea – black tea or green tea

Procedure:

• Soak the henna powder overnight. In the morning the next day, apply the henna on your hair.
• Soaking the henna in black tea or green tea is the best idea. It maximizes the effect of coloring and conditioning on your hair. The tea must be freshly brewed. It is better than using water for soaking.
• Add a little lemon juice to the henna hair pack. It adds luster to your hair, and makes it shiny and beautiful.

If you want to condition your hair further, take an egg and beat it. Add this beaten egg to the hair pack just before you start applying. For people who do not like the smell of egg or are allergic to it, yoghurt or any essential oil can be used instead. Take 2 tablespoons of the ingredient you choose and add to the pack.

Make sure to apply this hair pack once in two weeks. It makes your hair shiny and promotes the growth of hair. The strength of your hair is increased, and it also gets better volume. Henna has a magical effect on your hair.

Pack 3: Henna pack for Preventing Dandruff:

All common hair problems like itchy scalp and dandruff are cured by using henna. Use henna regularly to get rid of dandruff, and even prevent it from returning and affecting again.

Ingredients:

• Henna
• Fenugreek Seeds
• Mustard Oil

Procedure:

• Take some fenugreek seeds and soak them overnight. In the morning, grind them well and make a paste.
• Mix henna, mustard oil, and the paste made from fenugreek seeds
• Make a hair pack to apply on your hair and scalp.
• Let the pack stay on for about half an hour.
• Wash your hair well and condition it.

Apply this hair pack on a regular basis. It makes your hair healthy and protects your scalp from all kinds of issues.

How to get longer thicker eyelashes

Women in all ages become conscious when their eyelashes are falling out and eyes does not seem to stand out with respect to other facial features. The eyelashes become weaker and delicate and result in abnormal falling out. Lack of nutrients in diet, frequent rubbing of the eyes, etc. makes your eyelashes sparse. There are many ways to regrow fuller, thicker and longer eyelashes; let us discuss some of them.

Castor Oil

A lot of hair products out there contain castor oil owing to its ability to help hair grow long and strong. Castor Oil contains Vitamin E which helps nourish the hair follicles, thus promoting them to grow longer and become thicker.

What You Need To Do:

Apply a few drops of castor oil on your hands. Soak a small cotton ball in the oil and rub it on the eyelashes. Continue to do so until the lashes are completely covered with the oil. Keep it overnight and wash off the oil in lukewarm water the next morning. Your eyelashes will grow thicker in no time at all. 

Coconut Milk

Coconut Milk contains healthy fats as well as protein which would help your eyelashes grow longer and thicker. Regular application of coconut milk would also make your lashes attain a beautiful shine.

What You Need To Do:

Soak a ball of cotton into a cup of cold coconut milk. Squeeze out excess milk and place the cotton on your eyes. Remove the cotton after about 10-15 minutes and wash your eyes with cool water. Repeat this remedy every day for quick and effective results.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is known for their hair beautification benefits. And you can use it to make your eyelashes grow longer and thicker as well. Olive oil contains oleic acid and Vitamins A, B and E among nutrients which would help your lashes become thicker in no time at all.

What You Need To Do:

Simply rubbing a small amount of olive oil your lashes every night before hitting the bed would help. Alternatively, you can make your own oil serum by mixing a few drops of olive oil with an equal amount of almond and coconut oil. Store the serum in an airtight container.  Using a mascara brush or cotton swab, apply a small amount of this serum on the lashes, covering them from root to tip. Follow this remedy at least 3-4 times every day to add more volume to your lashes.

Why I love sesame oil

Use natural oils on your skin. Sesame is considered one of the best because it contains several vitamins and minerals, has been known to fight skin cancer, is naturally antibacterial and when it is absorbed in your blood stream it can prevent migraines, diabetes and hepatitis. 

My favorite reason to use sesame oil – it’s a natural sunscreen and protects your skin from chlorine in a pool, radiation, and air pollution!

What kind of toothpaste do you use?

Are you brushing your teeth everyday with anti-freeze (Propylene Glycol), an allergy instigating chemical (Triclosan), or petroleum products?

If you are using any commercial toothpaste, you’re probably brushing your teeth with toxic waste – poisoning yourself, poisoning the environment, and telling that corporation from whom you bought the paste that you support them putting poisons in their toothpaste and selling it to you as if it’s safe to use.

Toxic chemicals found in most toothpastes:

Sodium fluoride, titanium dioxide, sodium hydroxide, mica, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), blue 1 aluminium lake, sodium saccharin, polyethylene, hydrated silica, sorbitol, xanthan gum, cellulose gum (chemically-treated), carbomer.

Beware, not all toothpastes you find in ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ sections in the grocery store are healthy. Many companies provide fluoride-free toothpaste, which is great, but then if you read the rest of the ingredients you’ll find all sorts of other poisons that you don’t want to be using. We must be vigilant and research every ingredient within.