My hair is dry and frizzy. I also have dandruff. Please suggest some remedies. - Rena
Apply non-oily herbal hair tonic on the scalp daily, using cotton wool and leave it on. Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo three or four times a week, using less shampoo and rinsing well. Half an hour before applying shampoo, apply two tablespoons vinegar on the scalp, massaging it lightly into the scalp. After shampoo, apply little leave-on conditioner avoiding the roots and scalp. Apply it over the lower half of the hair. Twice a week, heat olive oil and apply on the scalp at night. Next morning, apply vinegar as advised half an hour before washing your hair. Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yogurt in your daily diet. Drink six to eight glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. Ask your doctor to prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements.
Suggest some home remedies or any cream to reduce stretch marks. - Sai Lakshmi
Stretch marks fade away gradually with time, but can never be removed totally, as they are formed when the elasticity of the skin is lost. Apply til oil and massage daily before a bath. Make a paste of besan, curd and turmeric and apply on the areas three times a week. Wash it off after half an hour.
My hands are darker than my face. Suggest some remedies. --Madhubala
Apply til oil on your hands and massage it before a bath. Take two tablespoons of sunflower oil, two tablespoons lemon juice and three tablespoon of coarse sugar and mix well to a paste. Apply over your hands and wash off after 15 minutes.
Repeat this thrice a week. To soften the skin and lighten skin colour of hands, you can rub a mix of sugar and lemon juice and rub it on the back of the hands and wash off.
What should I do to get rid of a tan? -- Pavithra
Use a facial scrub twice a week. You can either buy a facial scrub, or you can mix rice powder with curd and use it as a scrub. Apply on the face and rub gently in small circular movements. Leave on for five minutes and then wash.
Mix one teaspoon each of honey and lemon juice and apply daily on the face, any time of day. Apply face mask twice a week. Mix three teaspoons of oats with one teaspoon each of honey, curd and lemon juice, or egg white. Apply the mix on your face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it after half an hour.
I have aloe vera plants at home. Suggest beauty care using it. -- Anusha
Aloe vera helps to soothe and moisturise the skin. Aloe vera gel or juice may be applied on the face and then washed off with plain water after 20 minutes. The gel is the leaf pulp, found in the inner portion of the leaf. The aloe juice is found just beneath the outer skin of the leaves. Aloe vera can also be added to face masks. Take one tablespoon besan, one teaspoon each orange peel powder and curd and one tablespoon aloe vera gel. Mix and apply on the skin, washing it off after 30 minutes. It can also be used as a hair pack.
Apply it as it is or mix it with one egg and the juice of a lemon. If the hair is dry and brittle, add one teaspoon pure almond or castor oil. Apply on the hair and wear a plastic shower cap. Wash the hair after half an hour.
How does rinsing the hair with beer work? -- Sadhna
A beer rinse helps to condition the hair. It adds body to the hair, leaving it soft, smooth and shiny. Flat beer works better. So open the bottle or can two hours before washing your hair. Lukewarm beer is also good. Add the juice of a lemon to the beer. After shampoo, rinse the hair with it. Massage it lightly into the hair and then leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes.
Then rinse with plain, cool water. You can also add a few drops of rosemary essential oil to it.
