Henna has been used for centuries as a natural dye for hair, skin and nails (ew). Dying your hair with Henna instead of a chemical dye can result into smoother, shinier and tangle free hair. Because Henna is naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, it is a good cure for dandruff and scaly scabby scalp. People often argue that with henna, they are bound to one color, but actually, it can fall into a broad spectrum, from Auburn to orange, to deep burgundy, chestnut brown or deep black. People who have fine, thin limp hair also notice that constant Henna treatments give their hair more body, density, shine and all round bounce. Again this is because the regular coats of henna will build up the hairs structure and result in thick stronger strands.

I started using chemical hair dyes at an early age as I wanted to be different and had a craze for purple hair when I was in college. Even now, hair color change seems to be the quick change that we all need to give us a makeover. But in recent years, I have become more aware of the harmful effects of chemical dyes. That’s one reason why I keep a Mehendi Cone with me and use it for touch up between dyes which in many cases is after 6 months. I  have heard people tell me not to use a Cone Mehendi as it has chemicals. Of course, those chemicals are nothing compared to the Revlon or Wella dyes that we love to soak our hair in. Using Henna keeps hair much healthier.

I’ll tell you something pretty interesting. After I worked in Retail in London for 3 years, I used to be on my feet all day long. I was not allowed to sit down even for a minute during my days at work, once I got home, I was on my feet again as I had to do all the cooking, cleaning etc. Because of me being on my toes 24/7, I developed 7 Warts and Verrucas on my toes. One of my toes had 3 of them and every time I was on my feet, you can’t imagine the pain I felt. I had no choice but to continue working. When I really couldn’t walk, I booked an appointment with the podiatrist who made me visit him several times. He checked and gave me a list of medicines. These were extremely expensive but I had no choice so I bought them hoping they will give me some relief. Unfortunately, nothing changed and there was no improvement whatsoever. I became so desperate at times that I bought a blade with foot scrubbers and tried to use the blade to shave them off.

Warts and verrucas were so persistent that they just wouldn’t leave the skin of my toes, blood would come out, but warts seemed to stay there permanently. I googled the matter and tried to look for any possible cures to these nightmares. Finally one day, an Indian friend said that he had seen some army men use Henna at the bottom of their feet to sooth their foot problems caused by excessive exercise. He suggested I try that. I thought if a 30-pound tube couldn’t improve the state of my toes, what good could a 60p Henna Cone possibly do to me?

Reluctantly, I went to the Desi store and got that. One night, I carefully used that under my toes on all warts and verrucas, tied up a plastic on them and went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, it was as if I was dreaming. My toes had brown dots at the bottom, but there was nothing else. Miraculously, all warts and verrucas had vanished overnight. I had been wanting to share this secret with millions of other bloggers who wanted theirs to be cured but nothing seemed to be working for them. Unfortunately, with my working hours, I was guilty of never sharing my experience for all those who suffer from these. I’m really happy I have at least done my bit today.

You simply need these two ingredients. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use almond oil also. Simply mix these two together in your palm and massage this paste lightly on to your face with your fingers. Wash it off once done. This will make your skin feel softer and cleaner. This should be avoided in extremely hot weather as the skin will get more oily. A small container can be kept in the shower area with salt so you can easily use it during a shower.

Yogurt is delicious, healthy and is filled with the goodness of vital multi-vitamins. This white and creamy wonder food is known for its beneficial properties for healthy skin and strong hair as it contains Lactic acid. Applying yogurt on skin and hair dates back to ancient India when it was used as an effective remedy to get rid of acne and pimples. In fact, Cleopatra from ancient Egypt was known to take yogurt baths to keep her skin youthful. Yogurt can be mixed with some oats to make a face scrub used to remove dead skin cells. Yogurt on the skin is known to reduce blemishes, tan, under eye circles, skin discoloration, aging signs, skin infections, cure sunburn.

In addition to accelerating the growth of slow growing hair, yogurt also provides other benefits for healthy and beautiful hair. The protein content in yogurt provides ample nourishment and strengthening to the hair without making it dull or dry. The zinc and lactic acid properties help stimulate blood circulation, which aids growth. Yogurt on hair is known to reduce split ends, hair fall, dandruff and itchy scalp. The anti-bacterial benefits of yogurt for hair also help soothe the scalp and reduce itchiness The moisturizing properties of yogurt are not restricted to skin care. Yogurt acts as a great natural conditioner for dry and damaged hair and helps gain and retain lost moisture.

Blend half cup of yogurt into a smooth paste and coat the hair with it. Wrap the hair in a towel and leave it on for 20 minutes. Wash with your regular shampoo and notice the enhanced moisturizing and conditioning effect of the pack on your hair. Those with curly locks and frizzy hair can also use yogurt to make their hair more manageable. Make a paste of 3 tbsp. yogurt, 2 tbsp. coconut oil and 4 tbsp. Aloe Vera gel. Apply the paste evenly on the hair and leave it on for 30 minutes before washing with a mild shampoo. To get rid of rough and dry hair, especially in winters, whip half a cup of yogurt with 2 tbsp almond oil and 2 beaten eggs. Apply the paste on the hair and leave it on for 30 minutes before shampooing for nourished and hydrated hair.

Dry hands and feet and damaged cuticles can be treated with yogurt. Apply plain yogurt on the hands and feet and let the wonder food do its work. Alternatively, add some lemon juice to yogurt and let it rest for about 20 minutes before massaging into the hand, feet and nails. Wash and pat dry. The skin not only becomes soft and supply almost instantly but the cuticles are no longer dry or damaged. The proteins in yogurt also enable accelerate nail growth and regular inculcation of the remedy will show noticeable results. Moreover, yogurt also helps cure cracked heels or athlete’s foot. Gently massage some yogurt on the affected areas to see noticeable results in just a few weeks.

Green tea helps cleanse and tone your face. Green tea is full of antioxidants which are good for the skin. I would recommend using green tea with lemon. Lemon is also great for cleansing the skin, so it’s an added bonus if you get green tea with lemon. The green tea should be applied cold using a cotton pad. Using the cold green tea will close the pores, therefore stopping any dirt entering the skin and blocking pores. Green tea bags are perfect to use on tired eyes and to reduce the effect of under eye bags.

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