My hair is bushy and dry with split ends. How can I get it to be silky and tangle-free? — Vidya
First, snip off the split ends. To make hair smoother, try these remedies. Use a mild herbal shampoo. Use less shampoo and rinse well with water. After shampooing, apply a little creamy conditioner, massaging it lightly into the hair. Apply on the ends too. Leave on for two minutes and rinse with water. You can also apply a “leave-on” conditioner or hair serum the same way, but take care to not rinse. Or, mix some water with creamy hair conditioner and spray the mixture on the hair. Then, comb the hair so that it spreads well. Have a deep conditioning treatment once a week, before shampooing. Mix together an egg, a tablespoon of castor oil, the juice of a lemon and one teaspoon of pure glycerine or honey. Apply on the hair, wear a plastic shower cap and keep on for an hour.
My face is oily. Are there any natural remedies to set it right? — Jagdeesan
After washing the face, wipe with an astringent lotion. Or, apply cucumber juice; this helps remove oiliness and closes pores. Make a paste of Multani mitti with rose water and apply on the face every day, washing off when dry, gram flour (besan) and oats also help remove oiliness. Besan can be mixed with curd and a little turmeric and applied on the face; wash this off after 20 minutes. Similarly, oats can be mixed with egg white and applied twice a week; wash this off why dry. Diet is important. If the system is congested, it reflects on the skin. Keep your system clean by including fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yoghurt in your daily diet. Drink six to eight glasses of water every day. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of warm water and have it first thing in the morning.
I have acne and big pores on my skin. What can I do to remedy it? — Anisha
These are “pits” or tiny holes in the skin left by acne. Normally, we recommend clinical veg peel treatments to minimise acne pits. You could also wipe your face with chilled rose water every day after washing the face. Mix oats and egg white, and apply once or twice a week on the areas with pits. When dry, moisten with water and rub gently on the face, first clockwise and then anti-clockwise. Then, wash off with water.
After bathing my face becomes dry. How can I overcome this problem? — Harika
Use a mild glycerine soap to wash the face. After bathing, apply a moisturising lotion to relieve dryness. Or, mix 100 ml of rose water with a teaspoon of glycerine and store in an airtight bottle, in the fridge. Apply a little of this whenever the face feels dry. Wash the face with cool water.
I recently had chicken pox, and my face and body are riddled with scars. I am very depressed. Please help. — Sameena
Chicken pox scars normally fade with time. So, stop being depressed. After the marks heal, and after checking with your doctor, try the following remedies. Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little water. After washing the face in the morning, apply the paste on the areas with marks and wash off after five minutes. Use a facial scrub twice a week. Rice powder and curd make for a good scrub. Apply on the face and rub gently on the skin with small circular movements, especially on the areas with marks. Wash off with water. Twice a week, apply a paste of one teaspoon of Multani mitti, two teaspoons of ground almonds and a teaspoon each of honey, curd and egg white on the face, avoiding the lips and the area around the eyes. Wash this off after 30 minutes. For dry skin, add a teaspoon of almond oil to this. If there is any dryness, take two teaspoons of curd, add a pinch of turmeric and apply on the face, washing off after 15 minutes. This will also help reduce the marks.
My hair is infested with lice. How can I get rid of them? — Sangee
Apply vinegar on the hair and scalp. After an hour, comb with a fine lice comb and take the nits out by hand (vinegar loosens the nits and they are easier to remove). Then, wash the hair with a mild herbal shampoo. After shampooing, add two tablespoons of vinegar to a mug of water and use as the last rinse. Then, comb again with the lice comb. Do this every day for a week. Also, you could go for weekly henna treatments. Add four teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, two raw eggs, one teaspoon methi seed powder and enough “tea water” to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. If the hair is dry, add two teaspoons of oil. Apply the henna on the hair and wash off after an hour.
