by Arshita

Hello everyone!
Hands are working all time, writing, eating, washing, on the computer, cooking. The lack of proper care may lead to tanned rough hands very soon. To keep your hands soft and beautiful will need special care, and no, once in a manicure is not enough for your hard-working hands. They need pampering.

The simple ways to keep your hands soft:

• Always wear gloves while doing any work related to water or dust like doing the dishes or gardening. Rubber gloves are recommended, but do not wear these while cooking, the heat may damage it.

• Avoid all time washing your hands. Some people have this bad habit to wash hands every time they do anything, the best way is do all your work and when you are done, wash your hands with a mild hand wash.

• Whenever you are done all the messy works, wash your hands and apply moisturizer immediately. Keep a hand cream or lotion or your body lotion handy, keep a smaller file in your handbag also.

• Get a manicure done once or twice a month from a nail salon or spa. You can do it at home also, using the proper technique (cleansing, scrubbing, pack and massage).

• Massage your hands whenever you are sitting free. While watching TV or just sitting by the window, apply a little cream on your hands and gently massage both your hands one by one. I know it would be perfect if someone would do it for you, if you have someone to do it then ask for it.

• Once in a week, use scrub in your hands. You can use store bought ones or homemade scrubs. For homemade scrubs: mix one whole lemon juice with one tablespoon salt and one tablespoon sugar and add some olive oil. Massage your hands with this scrub.

• Always wear sun-block on your hands before stepping out. Exposed to harsh UV rays will tan your skin and make it rough.

• Baking soda mixed with water is a good solution to clean your hands. When you don’t have time for manicure, dilute your hands in this solution and gently rub with a brush for 5 minutes. You will get fresh clean hands instantly, and never forget to apply moisturizer after that.

• Apply moisturizer after every 2-3 hours. Staying in an air-conditioned room for long hours will tend to dry out hands. Keep them well moisture by applying lotions and moisturizers.

Homemade packs to keep your hands beautiful:

• Cucumber juice and glycerin: mix two tablespoon of cucumber juice mixed with one teaspoon of glycerin and apply this on your hands every day. Massage it for 5 minutes and wash off with water. This will keep your hands fresh and moisture.

• Milk cream, almond powder, honey and lemon juice: Mix all the ingredients and apply on your hand; keep it for 20 minutes and wash off. This will help lighten the tan on your hands while keeping them soft.

• Egg whites and honey: mix one egg white and two tablespoon honey; apply the paste on your hands. Wash off after 30 minutes. The egg white will keep your hands youthful and tight.

• Honey and Orange juice: it is a great tan removal pack. Mix one tablespoon honey and three tablespoons of orange juice. Apply it on your hands after coming home. This will help reduce the damage due to scorching sun rays.

Keep your hands dry and warm to keep them soft and beautiful. Use homemade packs twice a week to reduce the damage and get fresh looking attractive hands. Stay healthy and stay happy.

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Blemishes are dark spots caused by acne or aging or lack of water intake. These spots are very stubborn and if not taken care of it, it can bother you for a long time. Though it would not harm you, but these spots can be a reason of you embarrassment in front of others. Many chemical treatments are available for this problem, but some of us are not very fond of chemical world. So, here are given some tips to reduce blemishes with homemade recipes.

Oatmeal Mask: Take two tablespoon oats and add one cup water in it. Bring it to boil and cook the oats well. Then add two tablespoon honey in it. Leave it to cool down and after 20 minutes, apply this paste on face. Keep it for 15 minutes and then gently scrub it for 5 minutes. Wash with lukewarm water. Oatmeal is great for exfoliation, it cleanses all the dirt. It will also absorb the excess oil from your face. And honey is natural moisturizer for skin.

Lemon Juice and Rose Water: Mix two tablespoons of lemon juice with one tablespoon rose water; apply this solution on your face and keep it for 15 minutes. Wash with cold water. Apply this pack every day before taking a bath. Lemon is a bleaching agent. It will gradually lighten the blemishes while rose water will tone the skin.

Onion Juice: Cut one small size onion into small pieces. Blend it in a blender and squeeze out the juice from it. Apply the juice directly on face and wash after one hour. Onion is a natural remedy for blemishes. Using this juice one a week will get rid of all your blemishes and also it will cure acne.

Garlic: Cut a small piece of garlic and rub it on the blemishes and pimple. Do it every night before going to sleep. Garlic has natural properties that will help reduce blemishes gradually.

Baking Soda: Mix one tablespoon baking soda with water and apply the paste on your face. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and wash with cold water. Baking soda is great for exfoliation. It removes dead cells from the skin while it’s bleaching properties help lighten blemishes.

Aloe Vera Gel: Take an Aloe Vera leaf and scrape out its thick gel; apply this gel on your skin. Do this every day when you come home from college or office. Aloe Vera is a natural tan remover, also it cures pimple. Its inflammatory properties will prevent your skin from getting more blemishes due to sun rays and pimple.

Face Mask: Prepare a paste with one tablespoon honey, one egg white and three tablespoons wheat flour. Mix all the ingredients very well and apply this on your face. Let it stay for 15 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Honey will clear out all the blemishes while keeping the skin well moisture. Egg will also help lighten the blemishes and giving an even toned skin.

Clearing out blemishes is not a speedy process; taking care of your skin daily, will help gradually. Drink a lot of water and fruits with anti-oxidants. Toxins in out body can also be one reason of blemishes. Stay healthy, stay beautiful.

Image source: Google images

Hi ladies! Most of us know about CTM and what it stands for but very few of us actually follow all the steps one by one in the required order for the routine to benefit our skin. We end up skipping one step or the other – for instance, I never used a toner, I didn’t know what purpose it served and I didn’t think it was important.

And in the summer months, even after washing my face I don’t feel like applying moisturizer! But here is a breakdown of each step and also why you should follow the complete CTM routine religiously 🙂

Cleanse:

Cleansing is the step that is quite commonly followed by all women. Most of us cleanse our skin before going to bed or after getting back from work. This step involves complete removal of all makeup – foundation, blush, kohl, mascara, lipstick, everything! The key is to also focus on your problem areas like around the nose if you get breakouts or have a tendency to develop blackheads. For this purpose you can use any cleanser – you can choose a mild or a strong one.

My go to cleanser all these years has been the Ayur Deep Pore Cleansing Milk, and I can vouch for this. Another decent pick is the Lakmé Deep Pore Cleanser, which I have reviewed on MABH.

Don’t forget to exfoliate your skin by using a gentle scrub once or twice a week! I recommend the VLCC Indian Berberry Facial Scrub 🙂

Tone:

Toning is the step that most people miss out on. While the need for toner has been debated by cosmetologists in past, it is considered necessary by many since toning helps reduce the pore size and get rid of dead skin cells that contribute to dullness. Hence toning clears the skin from within and at the same time it also reduces the possibility of breakouts and further blackheads from developing. Good toners include rosewater such as the Dabur Gulabari and Banjaras rose water for normal to dry skin. Oily skinned beauties could also try tea tree oil as a toner.

Moisturize:

Cleansing and toning leave the skin bare and the pores open, and so, especially in the drier months, skin tends to lose moisture. If you don’t properly moisturize your skin, it could look sallow and patchy and may even wrinkle faster. So a good moisturizer is crucial. Be absolutely sure to pick one that suits your skin. If you have dry skin, opt for a heavy moisturizer that is specially formulated for dry skin. If you have oily skin, look for an oil free moisturizer that hydrates your skin without making it greasy. Do NOT skip moisturizer even in the summer months. If it’s too hot, use a light moisturizer that doesn’t feel heavy on your skin.

Why the entire CTM Routine is important for your skin?:

More often than not, cleansing doesn’t remove all the impurities in our skin. That is why it is followed up with toning. Toning focuses more on dead cells – the fact that it removes the leftover impurities is like a bonus – it’s not the main job of toning. So if suppose you cleanse your skin, but don’t tone – some impurities will be leftover. Or instead you tone, but you’ve applied very light makeup so you don’t cleanse – toner alone won’t be able to get rid of all the impurities and it won’t even be able to reach the dead cells. Similarly, after toning, if you don’t moisturize, your open skin pores tend to lose more moisture leading to dry skin. And we all know that dry skin ages faster! So all three steps are required and they are required in conjunction 🙂

Remember, the CTM routine is an investment for your skin 20 years from now 🙂 Even if you are blessed with beautiful, blemish-free skin, put in a bit of effort starting today to ensure that your skin still looks fabulous years later. Your skin will thank you 🙂

Hope you girls found this post helpful. Cheers to flawless skin! 🙂