Natural Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Hair
1. Avoid shampoos that contain sodium laurel sulfate, or sodium laureth
sulfate. These chemicals are synthetic detergents that are used in dishwashing
liquid and other cleansers. They are valued because they lather well, but they
are very harsh, and can dry out your hair. Instead, look for shampoos made with
decyl glucose, or decyl glucoside, which are much gentler.
2. Give yourself a hot oil treatment to deep condition your hair. Warm oil
penetrates the hair shaft making the hair more flexible and giving it shine.
This can also help to prevent split ends which result from dry hair.
3. Eat right and consider taking vitamin and mineral supplements to encourage
healthy hair. Several vitamins and minerals have been shown to help hair growth
and condition including biotin, vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin C and MSM.
4. If you are an African American, or if you have extra curly hair, avoid
brushing your hair. Use a wide toothed comb, or your fingers to work with your
hair. Brushes can destroy African American or extra curly hair by shearing it
out of the scalp.
5. Look for essential oils, herbs and vegetable oils in your hair care products.
Essential oils such as rosemary, ylang-ylang and west indian bay help to
stimulate hair growth. Lavender and tea tree and naturally antiseptic and help
to fight dandruff. Vegetable oils such as soybean oil, safflower oil and corn
oil are moisturizing and conditioning to the hair shaft.
6. Avoid sleeping in hair accessories such as barrettes, scrunchies, head bands,
etc. This can lead to hair damage.
7. Massage your scalp to help stimulate hair growth. Massaging helps stimulate
hair growth by increasing the blood flow to the scalp. This nourishes the hair
roots and helps to stimulate the hair growth process.
8. If your hair ends are damagedFind Article, give yourself a trim every so
often to remove damage. Natural Beauty Basics of Skin Care
The care you give to your skin depends to a large extent on the type of the
skin you have.
A good daily skin care regimen calls for four basic steps: Cleansing,
Exfoliating, Toning and Moisturizing. If you are not doing these steps daily,
you are not taking proper care of your skin.
1. Cleansing
Cleansing is a critical daily skin care step. It removes the dust and dirt that
chokes the pores on the skin. Most people do this 2-3 times a day; this is
adequate for normal skins. But,for oily skin type a more frequent cleaning is
very essential-even 4-5 times a day, using either a soap or some kind of
cleansing agent.
* Always wash your hands clean first. This will prevent the transfer of bacteria
to your face
* Soap and water do tend to remove the impurities but are incapable of removing
make up completely, hence proper cleansing is required. Skin experts recommend
avoiding soap because of its high pH.
* There are several alternatives to soap and water cleansing- creams, milks,
lotions, foams, oils, gels and liquids.
* Depending on whether your skin is normal to oily or normal to dry, you should
use cleansers and products that are formulated for your specific skin type.
* Wash face using a gentle cleanser, with fingers, moving in a circular motion.
* A cotton pad dipped in fresh milk is a cheap but equally effective cleanser.
* Upwards and outwards movements have frequently been suggested as the right way
to apply all kinds of creams to the face. Leave the cleanser on for a minute or
two so as to loosen the dirt and make-up.
2. Exfoliation
Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells, which cause the face to
look dull. The build up of dead cells can also contribute to blockage of the
pores causing acne. Facial scrubs help clean the surface of the skin by removing
the dead skins and the dirt mechanically. European women have been using
exfoliants for decades. Skin exfoliation is suitable for greasy or normal skin,
but should be used with caution on dry or sensitive skin.
* A granular scrub helps to slough off dead cells from the skin surface.
* The scrub should be strong without being damaging.
* If your skin is sensitive, use a synthetic puff or natural sponge.
* To add a gentle theraputic exfoliation treatment to your bath, add 2 teaspoons
of natural sea salt
* Men are exfoliating their faces every day by shaving. The razor removes the
top layer of dead cells every day.
3. Toning
Toning the skin helps remove any residual cleanser or make-up that may have been
left behind. A toner also helps restore the natural pH level of the skin, leaves
your skin clean, clear and ready to be hydrated. Toning close the pores, tighten
the skin, and keep it from being exposed to many of the toxins that are floating
in the air or other environmental pollutants.
* Astringents and toners with glycolic or alpha hydroxy acids work the best for
toning the face.
* For Normal Skin, chop up a small sized fresh cucumber and liquidize it with
half a cup of yoghurt.Apply the mixture for 5-10 minutes, and wash it off.
* For dry skin, use a mild freshener-toner.
* For Oily Skin whisk one egg white until it thickens, then whisk in 1 tsp of
honey. Finally add 1 tsp of lemon juice.Apply to your face and neck avoiding the
delicate eye and lip areas
* The easiest way of applying a toner is to put it on a cotton pad and wipe face
in outward and upward strokes.
4. Moisturizing
Well-moisturized skin is soft and supple, reflects a healthy glow and ages less
quickly. Moisturisers give a smooth finish to make-up. Putting on a light
moisturising cream will make make-up much easier to apply and reduce the risk of
dragging the skin.
* Always use a light moisturizer on your face after cleansing and shaving and
don't forget your neck
* Make sure to apply extra moisturizer to dry skin areas and areas such as
elbows and heels.
* Lips are very delicate and can dry out easily. They need to be protected
moisturized to maintain a plump, healthy appearance.
* Too much moisturizer can lead to clogged pores and blackheads.
Herbal Remedies:
One of the most powerful blood purifiers and detoxifiers in Ayurvedic usage,
Neem is often used to maintain healthy skin. The antibacterial, antifungal &
blood purifying properties of Neem are useful in skin disorders and keeps the
skin healthy. The Beauty Basics Of Natural Cosmetics
Natural Cosmetics refer to the cosmetics produced from things obtained from
nature. They may either involve using the products directly or derivatives of
these products. Nature offers innumerable products which can be wisely utilized
in preparing different types of cosmetics. Plant products are the most widely
used ingredients in natural cosmetics. Thus, they are also often referred to as
herbal cosmetics.
Natural cosmetics have been used since times immemorial. Historical records
testify that all the ancient civilizations had discovered and harnessed the
utilities of natural or herbal products for cosmetic use. Medicines, cosmetics
and toiletries had all been prepared from natural products- herbal products
being most commonly used.
Benefits of natural cosmetics
Natural cosmetics have a host of benefits. Being natural, they are considered to
be quite harmless on the skin. They contain time tested ingredients with proven
efficacy. A judicious combination of potent herbs can not only produce cosmetic
effect but also help cure skin ailments and hair problems. The natural products-
leaves, roots, fruits etc. supply several essential nutrients to the skin too.
The essential oils of certain plants can bring forth miraculous results.
There can be natural alternatives suggested to almost all kinds of cosmetics.
Cleansers, toners, moisturizers, face masks, creams, lotions, face packs- all
are available in herbal varieties. Various natural lip gels and balms, soaps,
shampoos, conditioners, hair packs, hair gels, sun protective bases and makeup
ranges are also on offer.
Beauty recipes from China and India using traditional herbs have earned a
special significance the world over. Ayurvedic recipes from India for skin and
hair treatment also serve as cosmetics. They are often widely acclaimed as the
ultimate in skin and hair care simply because of the effective results produced
upon their usage.
Natural cosmetics use various parts of plants- the leaves, the bark, the roots,
the oil extracted from seeds, the fruits and also at times the whole plant.
Alongside, mud and mineral products, honey etc. may be used. Milk, milk cream,
yoghurt and eggs are also largely used in various natural cosmetics as an
ingredient to add body.
Some simple household products may also double up as natural cosmetics. These
constitute home remedies for skin and hair problems. Spices and condiments like
turmeric and saffron quite often figure in the list of ingredients for natural
cosmetics. Natural cleansers like milk and lemon are effective natural cosmetics
in themselves. Fruits can make up excellent face packs. The names of cucumbers,
peaches and apricots can be especially mentioned in this regard. The oils
obtained from almond and coconut act as very good massage oils for skin and
hair. The application of these oils brings a healthy glow to the skin and hair
and makes them beautiful. They also help restore or maintain youth by
controlling wrinkles and crease formation on the surface of the skin.
Extensive range of natural cosmetics to pamper you
There is an extensive range of natural cosmetics on offer. We can conveniently
choose from these as per our requirement. Associated with natural cosmetics are
natural perfumes obtained from essential oils of rare herbs. These may also come
within the ambit of natural cosmetics. The natural cosmetics certainly promise
to pamper your beauty and aesthetic senses and bring about a transformation in
the way you look about yourself and nature. The
Beauty Basics of Eye Makeup
In different cultures, beauty has been deified typically in female forms.
Ancient civilizations worshiped beauty in the face of goddesses like Aphrodite
or Venus, Freya and Lakshimi. Over the years, female beauty has been depicted in
paintings and sculptures, or praised with lyrics. But, what contemporary people
tend to consider as beautiful, or aesthetically pleasing, has probably nothing
to do with the notion of beauty other generations shared. Over the centuries,
the nature and meaning of beauty has undergone through considerable changes.
Even among people of the same age and with common cultural backgrounds, beauty
is not an easily defined term. Actually, people tend to agree that beauty is a
rather subjective term, which deals with an innate and emotional perception of
life's affirmative aspects-health, fertility, goodness, happiness, and
vitality-within objects of the perceived world.
Although beauty engenders a sense of positive reflection in finding balance and
harmony with nature, whereas the phrase "natural beauty" probably comes from,
women choose to emphasize their most distinctive characteristics with the use of
makeup, which can highlight their facial features. From Queen Nefertiti, who
lined her eyes with black coal to the contemporary female business executives,
women have been using makeup to emphasize their eyes' beauty. Being considered
the "mirror of someone's soul," the eyes communicate with a unique way and
sometimes convey meanings that cannot be accurately articulated. Thus, for the
modern woman, who wishes her eyes to make a statement, we have collected the
following eye makeup tips that can assist her efforts illustrating her beauty
with just a glance.
The first thing a woman should do before applying any eye makeup is to create
the right base. In this initial process, a concealer can be used to hide dark
circles and create a smooth surface for the rest of the makeup to be applied on.
It is better if the tone of the concealer is a bit lighter than the natural skin
tone since it will create a much more natural effect and it will blend better.
Then, the eye shadow has to be applied in several thin layers and they have to
blend well. Experts advice is to put the sheer color on the center of the lid
and then with a sponge applicator to spread it all over the lid's surface. It is
important to brush it up and out toward the eyebrow or nose. If a deeper shade
color is to be used, this has to be placed to the crease of the lid.
Additionally, to highlight the eyes, makeup artists use a lighter shade of the
same color of eye makeup applied on the lid, now to the brow bone. In order to
outline and define the eyes, it is best to use a soft eyeliner pencil and create
short, close little dots instead of a straight line on the top and bottom of the
eye lids. The outcome can become smoother if the dots are smudged from the inner
eye corners toward the outer ones. Finally, for great eyelashes it is advisable
to go over the lashes with an eyelash separator comb. Then applying a thin coat
of mascara to the lashes and re-comb the ones painted immediately afterwards so
as to keep them apart. When they dry the process can be repeated. The final
stage of a great eye makeup experience is that of removing the makeup. When it
stays on for hours-especially during sleep-it will create a coat of coloring
over the eyes and will itch. It is always better to remove eye makeup first,
since one has to be very gentle with the eye lids and eyelashes. A cotton ball
or swab can do a perfect job after being soaked in makeup remover lotion.
Eye makeup can become a woman's ticket to stares of admiration as long as it is
applied carefully and removed before bed every time. Eyes are very sensitive and
need to be taken care of as much as possible. Harsh rubbing and being in a rush
will not result is astonishing glowing eyes. Thus, be careful and let your eye's
beauty shine the room.
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