Beautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
I wash my hair thrice a week, but it becomes oily the very next day after it is washed. — Tanmayee
You can wash your hair daily, but use very little shampoo. Take half a teaspoon for short hair and one teaspoon for long hair. Dilute it with a little water before applying it. Only one application is enough. Rinse if off well. Give your hair a tea water and lemon rinse after a shampoo wash. Boil used tea leaves again in enough water. After boiling, you should have 4 to 5 cups of tea water. Cool and strain the liquid. Then add the juice of a lemon and use it as a last rinse after a shampoo wash. Applying egg white on the hair 20 minutes before a shampoo wash also helps reduce oiliness.
My face becomes oily very fast. Also, what should I do to improve my dusky complexion. — Varsha
After washing your face, apply an astringent lotion, using cotton wool. Mix multani mitti with rose water and lemon juice into a paste and apply it on your face two or three times a week. If your skin is very oily, you can apply it daily. Wash it off after it dries. It reduces oiliness and will lighten the colour of your over a period of time.
Suggest tips to reduce abdominal fat. What should I do to have slim hips? — Indu
After consulting your doctor, do the following spot reducing exercises. For the abdomen, lie on the floor on your back, feet together and arms at the sides. Lift your legs about six inches above the ground and hold this position for a count of ten. Then lower your legs to the floor. Repeat this exercise 3 to 4 times, and increase the number of repetitions gradually. For slim hips, lie on your back and roll your hip to the right side. Try to touch the floor on the right side with your left foot. Do the same on the left side, touching the floor with your right foot. You can also learn yoga and practise it daily.
Suggest home remedies to tackle body odour. — Rohini
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) helps prevent body odour. Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it under your arms. You can also add lemon juice to this paste. Leave it on for 10 minutes before washing it off. Or, mix a little baking soda with talcum powder and apply it under the arms, or on the feet. Potato slices can also be rubbed on the areas where odour forms easily. Add one teaspoon of alum to your bath water. Crush some mint leaves and add them too. Rosewater or Eau de Cologne can always be added generously to bath water. They keep you cool and fragrant.
I have whiteheads on my nose. Though scrubs help, the whiteheads appear again. — Deepthi
You may be having oily or combination skin. If so, after cleansing, your skin, wipe the oily areas with an astringent lotion. Mix multani mitti with rosewater into a paste and apply it on the problem area three times a week. Wash it off after it is dry. Make a paste of fenugreek leaves and apply it on your face daily, washing it off after an hour. Grated potato or potato juice may also be applied. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. Drinking barley water is also said to help prevent whiteheads.
