Suggest a natural cleanser, toner and moisturiser suitable for dry skin. Do these have to be used daily? Also, should these be used before or after a bath? I use green gram powder instead of soap. Is this causing dry skin? — Mohana Priya
Green gram powder is the cause of dry skin, since it reduces oiliness. Cleansing, toning and moisturising should be done daily. Cleanse your skin before a bath, but toning and moisturising may be done afterwards. For dry skin, use a cleansing gel or cream. Tone the skin with rose water. Mix honey with a little milk and apply it daily on your face. Wash it off after 15 minutes. Apply a sunscreen before going out in the sun. Massage your body with til or olive oil daily. Use a mild glycerine soap. Immediately after a bath, apply a body lotion while the skin is still damp. It helps seal in the moisture.
How should rosemary oil be used on the hair? — Meenakshi
Buy Rosemary Essential Oil. It is said to control dandruff and keep the scalp healthy. Add five drops of the oil to 50 ml of rose water. Shake the mixture well and store it in a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Apply the lotion on your scalp after a shampoo wash using cotton wool, and leave it on. Essential oils should never be used by themselves.
I have tiny pimples on my forehead. — Sharmi
Check to see if you have dandruff or oily hair, as it can lead to pimples on the forehead. After washing your face, apply astringent lotion only on your forehead, using cotton wool. Add a little rose water to sandalwood paste and apply it on your forehead. Simmer neem leaves on a low flame. Cool and strain the liquid. Apply the paste of the leaves on your forehead and wash it off after half-an-hour. Mix multani mitti with rose water into a paste and apply it on your forehead. Wash it off after it dries. After a shampoo wash, add the juice of a lemon to half a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. Keep the hair away from your forehead.
I have stretch marks on my arms. — Janani
Stretch marks usually fade with time, but are never removed totally, since they form when the elasticity of the skin is destroyed. Massage the area with olive oil daily. Use long strokes for the arms. Mix gram flour with curd and a pinch of turmeric into a paste and apply it on the area three times a week. Wash it off after 30 minutes.
