Bananas, watermelons, honey, oatmeal, tomato juice, cucumbers and more from your fridge and kitchen can help you maintain a refreshing and rejuvenating do-it-yourself skin care regime, says an expert.
Blossom Kochhar, chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic, shares some pointers for skin care:
* Mash a ripe banana or a watermelon. Mix in one teaspoon of milk power and one-fourth teaspoon of honey and two drops of orange essential oil. Apply to a clean face and allow it to remain on the face and neck for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water. This pack is especially good for dark skin that gets markedly grey or ashen due to the heat.
* To remove a tan and brighten dull skin, mix one-tablespoon oatmeal powdered with enough sour yoghurt to make a paste and the juice of cucumber or grapes and add two drops of rose oil. Massage this pack into the tanned area leave for half an hour rinse off and apply moisturiser.
* To a tablespoon of tomato juice, mix enough oatmeal to make a thin paste. Add one drop of essential oils of peppermint. Apply to dampened skin, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. Leave on for five to 10 minutes, then wipe off with damp cotton or a sponge and rinse with cool water. This will help to shrink large pores and slough off dead skin
* Make refreshing eye pads from thick slice of cucumber on cotton pads soaked in milk (iced). To relieve itchy, reddened eyes use chilled raw potato slices. Place over eyelids and rest for 10 minutes.
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For bathing:
* Add a cup of buttermilk (lassi) to your bath to tighten pores and add few drops of jasmine.
* To soothe sunburn use a head to toe yoghurts mask. Leave on for 10 minutes then shower off with cool water. This gives fast relief. Rub ice cubes wrapped in a tissue on pulse points such as wrists and ankles. You will feel instant energy that will make up your appearance
* For dark elbows, mix one spoon of sugar with half lemon juices and rub onto the elbows and leave for 10 minutes
* Try a few drops of sandalwood essential oil or vertiver (khus) essential oil in your bath water. These oils are very cooling. They take away negativity and keep you grounded.
* For a whiff of cool aroma, add a few drops of vertiver essential oil in your cooler.