Skin Care For Men

Think about it. What is the first thing people notice about you? It's your face. Healthy skin is the most important element of a great looking face. It is not only easy to achieve; it is a critical thing you can do for yourself. Put your best face forward. As a professional make-up artist and founder of the first skin care and cosmetics line created especially for men, I'd like to share some basic tips and guidelines to encourage healthier skin. It's simple.

1. Keep it clean:

Men have approximately 15% oilier skin and significantly larger pores than women do. Basically, this means you get dirtier. It is very important; no matter what skin type you have, to clean your face every day. Deep cleansing is important. It keeps pores clear, skin healthy and you looking good.

Cleansing products should be as chemical-free as possible. Deodorant soaps shouldn't be used on your face. They cleanse with harsh ingredients and leave a detergent film behind. This may irritate your skin and will clog your pores. Go natural.

A good scrub is essential for healthy clean skin. It will remove dead cells and smooth the surface of your face. The scrub should be strong without being damaging. Stay away from scrubs that contain rough elements like ground bits of nut or seed extracts. They will tear and damage the skin. A good scrub will invigorate you, not hurt you.

Moisturizing is a necessity. Again, the product with the least amount of chemical additives is the best. Always use a light moisturizer on your face after cleansing and shaving and don't forget your neck!

For an intensive moisture treatment use pure vitamin E, or aloe vera oil. It is available in liquid form, or just break open a capsule and apply the oil directly to the skin. This is a great under eye treatment. Remember it is very important to moisturize this sensitive area of the face. It is one of the first places to show age because the under eye skin secretes no necessary oils on its own.

2. Keep it toned:

Because men are outside more than women are, environmental debris and pollutants are more a factor to their skin's health. Toning helps keep the skin clear and firm.

As skin ages, it needs to work harder to maintain its elasticity. Astringents and toners with glycolic or alpha hydroxy acids work the best for toning the face. These acids actually can reduce the pore size, and help avoid ingrown hairs. They are aggressive and have quick results. Remember to look for a product that is not photosensitive (sensitive to light).

3. Treat your skin:

Depending on your skin type (oily, dry or combination) and the time of year, there are different products that treat and enhance your skin. Different treatments will have very different results. It is important to know your skin's needs.

All types of skin need to be exfoliated. This is the removal of dead skin cells that form daily. This is an essential part of skin treatment.

After shaving, you need to moisturize with a product that has absolutely no alcohol in it. Avoid heavy fragrant after-shave products too, as they can irritate the skin. Skin that is too shiny doesn't look healthy, just greasy. Blot the excess oils away. Blotting papers or a light powder that will give you a more natural look.

BLEACHING TIPS TO LIGHTEN FACIAL HAIR

Bleaching has chemicals that merge into the skin and lighten facial hair. Technically it is not removal of superfluous hair but it makes it considerably less noticeable. There are three kinds of bleach, all unkind on the skin, but the degrees of harm may vary.

The home bleach: Mix two tablespoons of milk powder, mix in a enough liquid hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste and, if hair is very dark and coarse, mix in a drop or two of liquid ammonia. This is considered to be the least harmful kind of bleach since the powder milk in the mixture moisturizes the skin while bleaching, preventing skin burns and other reactions.

Powder bleach: Mix bleaching powder with liquid hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to form a thick liquid.

Cream bleach: This is what you get readymade in the markets. Easiest to use but the most harmful.

Results last for between two and six weeks and there's no re growth, since no hair has been lost. Expect to pay between Rs40 and Rs100 at beauty parlours, depending upon which bleach is used. Bleaching is not suitable for coarse hair as the chemical in bleach makes hair more brittle an makes it stand erect.

ACTRESS ASHLEY JUDD DIET SECRET

Ashley Judd

The star of A Time To Kill and De-Lovely eats no dairy at all! Her celebrity diet starts each day with hot water and lemon, and she puts Soya milk in her cereal.

BEST HOME REMEDIES FOR DANDRUFF

Dandruff Remedy - Best Home remedies for Dandruff:

Try one of these natural ways to cure dandruff and prevent your hair from damages. Dandruff is the enemy of the hair. It weakens the roots. The main symptom of dandruff is the presence of flaky skin region present in and around the scalp area. The scales can vary in size from small dust-like particles to large, greasy, yellow flakes. The good news is that dandruff can be easily cured at home by home remedies.

Home Remedies for Dandruff:

* Apply a paste made of crushed sesame seeds to hair (soak them for two hours at least). Keep it on for at least half-an-hour before washing.

* Apply a paste of boiled Bengal gram (kala chana) and fenugreek seeds (methi dana), soaked overnight. You could mix two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds in a small bowl of Bengal gram.

* Even washing hair after applying a paste of Bengal gram flour (besan) for half an hour, keeps hair clean and soft.

* For treating mild dandruff, massage hair with coconut oil mixed with the juice of one lemon. Follow it with a hot towel treatment. The massage really boosts bloods circulation.

* For oily dandruff (there's both the dry and oily variety) apply multani mitti (fuller's earth) but for no longer than 10 minutes, so that it comes off easily.

* SOAP NUT (REETHA) is ideal for removing dandruff. Soak half cup soap nut overnight in one cup of warm water. Extract the juice from the soap nut by rubbing them vigorously. Strain. Apply directly on the scalp. Leave this on for 15 minutes. Rinse and wash your hair with tepid water. Shut your eyes tightly while rinsing as it hurts the eyes. Ensure that no residue is left behind.

* Beets have been found very useful for treatment of dandruff from past many years. Both tops and roots should be boiled in water and this water should be massaged over the scalp with the finger tips every night, for fast cure.

* The use of fresh lime juice is very useful remedy for the treatment of dandruff. Take one lime, and take out its juice in a small utensil. Now you may apply this juice over your hair will help of your fore finger and middle finger. This remedy will not only help to remove dandruff out of your hair, but will also help to make your hair glowing

* Rinse your hair with neem juice; it's an excellent cleanser.

* Mix two tablespoons of cosmetic vinegar and six tablespoons hot water. Dab with cotton into the scalp, parting the hair with a comb. Preferably, apply it at bedtime and tie a scarf over the head to avoid staining the bedclothes. Next morning wash the hair with a shampoo. After the hair is thoroughly rinsed, pour over as a last rinse, a mixture of 3 tablespoons of cosmetic vinegar and a cup of hot water.

* Hot oil therapy is another method to cure dandruff. Massage hot oil into the scalp at bedtime. Next morning, an hour before the bath, rub lemon juice mixed with cosmetic vinegar into the scalp with cotton wool. Give the hair a good wash with egg shampoo. As a last rinse, use the juice of one lemon in a cup of hot water. Continue this treatment once or twice a week for three months.

Dandruff Cure tips for dandruff removal and proper hair care:

* A clean scalp is the only way to beat dandruff. Washing the hair and scalp frequently with a good dandruff shampoo can help get rid of the most stubborn dandruff, given some time.

* Dandruff shampoos can be either Clinical or Herbal. The former kind of anti-dandruff shampoos consist of special chemical formulation that fights and controls dandruff growth

* The Herbal variety of anti-dandruff shampoos are equally popular and are gentler on the scalp, therefore gaining ground among users.

* Daily head baths are a preventive step that suppresses bacteria build-up and chances of dandruff. The only precaution to be taken while using anti-dandruff shampoos for daily head rinsing is that they can cause persons with excessively dry scalp to develop eczema from over shampooing.

* For stubborn dandruff that refuses to go away, consulting a qualified dermatologist and following instructions for medication and medicated shampoo-use may be the last recourse.

* Warm 4-5 tablespoons full of wheat germ oil, olive oil or coconut oil. Massage well into the scalp. Wrap a warm towel around your head. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse your hair thoroughly with water, to which lemon juice has been added. Massage well as you rinse. This is the most commonly known cure for dandruff.

* Another major cause of dandruff is stress. Opting for ways to release tension and indulging in short term leisure pursuits one enjoys-be it meditation or daily walking- can work to minimize stress and lower possibilities for dandruff growth.

Homemade Dandruff Remedies:

* Soak two tablespoonfuls of Fenugreek seeds overnight in water. In the morning the softened seeds are ground into fine paste and applied on the scalp, left on for 1/2 hr

* Infuse 2 tbsp. of fresh or dried rosemary and sage in 1 gallon of water for 24 hours. Use daily as a hair rinse.

* Your diet must consists of fruits, raw salads( cabbage, tomato, cucumber, radish, carrot etc.) , minerals, vitamins( especially vitamin A), green leafy vegetables, and raw foods

* Mix the olive oil with the almond oil. Leave it on about 5 minutes after it starts to burn. Rinse well to clear dandruff. Massage your hair with warm coconut oil and apply the juice of two lemons, leave the oil on for about 2 hours. Shampoo with a mild shampoo. Repeat 2-3 times a week.

* Crush a tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in about 5 tablespoons of warm coconut or olive oil. It would be better to boil them in the oil. Cool the mixture and apply generously all over the scalp. Leave it on for two hours. Rinse and wash off. This will helps to get rid of dandruff.

* Dettol: Taking bath with a few drops of dettol added to the water helps in checking the infection.

TIPS ON DRESSING FOR A SLIMMER SHAPE

Here are some tips to dress like your ten pounds lighter!

If you are carrying around some extra weight from the holidays, you don’t have to cover it up with baggy sweaters and sweats. It’s easy to dress to look ten pounds slimmer while you are in the process of taking off those extra pounds. First, you should wear darker colors such as black, gray and navy blue. You can also wear pantyhose or body shapers under you’re clothes to keep yourself tucked in tight. Chose fabrics that aren’t clingy and avoid bulky looking materials. You should also draw attention to you’re best feature, for instance if you have nice legs, show them off in a mid length skirt. Also, you can wear scarves or earring’s to draw attention away from you’re body and to you’re face. Chose clothing that doesn’t have large patterns or buttons on them as they tend to make you look larger, and also try adding shoulder pads to make you’re waist appear smaller and to allow you’re clothes to hang better.

Another good tip is to use accessories such as hand bags and earring’s that match your size. If you are rather large and u have a little tiny purse, it is going to make you seem larger in comparison. The same goes for small women, because if you are tiny and have an extra large purse, you are going to look emaciated beside it. Also, if you are carrying around some extra weight, you don’t have to avoid sleeveless shirts, especially evening wear that you can wear with a shawl or dressy jacket to cover up your arms. Finally, don’t wear baggy clothes, they will not make you look slimmer. Your best bet would be to wear clothes that suggest at your curves without being too revealing. This will make you look your best.

TIPS TO MAKE , APPLY MEHNDI & MEHNDI DESIGNS

Tips For Making Henna Paste:

The ingredients and techniques for making Mehndi paste are not much intricate and very simple but care is required in making the right concentration. Follow the steps suggested below and enjoy your days of henna (henna is the another name of Mehndi).

Steps for making good henna paste:

1. Primarily, you must have good henna powder to work with. New henna powder generally appears green, while old henna is much more muted and may appear slightly brown. Get a small amount of henna powder. Avoid black hennas and herbal hennas. Do not use hennas that are intended for hair. You will know good Mehandi powder when you use it. First, it will have a very stringy texture when you mix it, even in plain water. As an earmark try lifting a spoon of paste; it should come off the spoon smoothly and in a thin string, like molasses or honey. Good henna also tends not to stick to the sides of your mixing container. It is viscous and smooth. Good henna will stain your skin a light orange within minutes of application.

Make sure that your henna is filtered well. It should not contain any twigs or fibers, which commonly emerge in grades of henna that are intended for the hair. You can use sifting devices, which can be nylon cloth fixed to a sewing hoop, an industrial-grade sieve, a tea strainer, or a nylon stocking stretched over a mixing bowl. If you choose not to sift your powder before mixing, straining it through a nylon stocking will give you the same effects that sifting would, in addition to removing any lumps you attain in paste.

Ingredients for making henna:

* Lemon Juice - Henna only releases its dye immediately while using citric-based lemon juice.

* Aromatic essential Oil - The most commonly used essential oil in henna art is eucalyptus oil. Often henna companies sell "Mehndi" oils or "nilgiri" oils, which are combinations of various essential oils.

Tips To Apply Mehndi:

It's advisable to use a cone made of rolled plastic, parallel to a cake beautifying tube, with a tiny hole at the end. The benefit of such an application device is that you can attain amazingly fine lines, and getting used to a cone is much easier than using Jacquard-brand bottles, which may tire your hands. Generally, one cone can be used to decorate up to ten less-elaborately designed hands; for very detailed work a cone will cover two hands.

Mehndi also comes ready-made in tubes; these containers provide an easy technique of Mehndi application, but often henna in these forms will lack a smooth consistency, and most professional artists avoid ready-made pastes because it is impossible to differentiate components added in the paste.

Procedures to make a mehndi cone:

To make the plastic cone, I cut a rectangle and rigid plastic paper. Roll the cone by recognizing the tip region with a position just about one inch from the long end of the four-sided figure. Roll this into a cone and adjust the width of the tip. The entire procedure takes practice, and hence don't give up. Following this, take a piece of glue tape and, placing it at the tip of the cone, fix the tape downwards of the cone. Now, pack the paste mehndi cone. Take a spatula and pick up a mehndi to drop drop the mehndi paste into the cone. Depending upon the volume of your cone, fill up the cone until it is about half filled. Now close the cone with care and put the adhesive tape on it. Now your mehndi cone is ready for your designs.

MEHNDI DESIGNS:

Tips For Improving Your Complexion...

Lime or lemon juice, turmeric, honey, etc are natural bleach. They remove tan and make your skin fairer. (Note that lemon juice is more effective than lime juice for getting fair complexion). Cucumber juice can be applied on dry as well as oily skin to get fair complexion. To make cucumber juice, grate (kaddukash) cucumber (with skin) and squeeze it. Only 1/2 to 1 teaspoon is sufficient for a single application. Drink 10 glasses of water daily. It will help in getting rid off any dark circles under your eyes

Try the following pastes, mixtures or scrubs. If done daily, you will see a difference in about 10 days. These fair complexion remedies are also good for small babies.

All the mixtures, pastes and scrubs should be prepared freshly as they do not keep for a long time.

* Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon juice and honey on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.

* Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off. If your skin is dry, use honey and lemon juice.

* First scrub your face with cucumber slices and then apply cucumber juice (with skin on cucumber) to your face, leave it there overnight and wash in the morning.

*Apply a gram flour (besan) and turmeric (haldi) paste on face and neck. After sometime when it dries, scrub it off gently. This would gradually reduce body hair over a period of time.

* For 15 days, apply a paste of gram flour (besan), milk (2 teaspoon) and lime juice(3-4 drops) on face and neck for 15 minutes and wash with water. You complexion should improve. Repeat every 2 weeks.

*Apply yogurt to the face.

*Apply grated white radish or its juice for fairer complexion.