Materials required for pedicure

You need to soak your feet for 10-15 minutes in warm water. So a basin or tub is the first important requirement for performing pedicure.

Here are the other materials required for pedicure:
• Warm water
• Epsom salt or bath salt
• Pumice stone
• Small brush
• Clippers
• File
• Lotion
• Cuticle stick

Nail care is an integral part of pedicure. To do that you need to the following materials:
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton balls
• Nail polish
• Base coat for nails
• Top coat for nails

Steps to perform pedicure

Following are the steps for performing pedicure:

1) Soak your feet in warm water for 10-15 minutes. This will soften the calluses.
2) Using the small brush gently buff one foot first and then the other. This will help to remove some dead skin cells.
3) Now its time to massage and exfoliate your foot. Massage with cream using the foot scrub. Pay special attention to the heels and any rough spots.
4) Use pumice stone to eliminate extra rough spots. Dip your feet again after this step.
5) Now remove your feet from water and dry feet with towel. Massage your favorite cream or lotion gently.
6) Using cuticle stick, gently push your cuticles back along the nail.

Taking care of nails is an important step of pedicure. If you want to file your nails, do it before soaking the feet into water, since water makes your nails softer. Also, remove the nail polish using nail polish remover. Once the main steps of pedicure are over, you can apply nail polish again. Apply a base coat of nail polish to fill in the ridges and uneven surfaces. Base coats help to make your nails strong for avoiding breakage. Now select your desired shade of nail polish and apply. If required apply another coat. Apply a crystal clear topcoat to add shine and to protect color from chipping.

Now you are ready to sport your favorite sandal with your soft, and elegant feet with beautiful toes. Whatever the occasion, pedicure always makes you feel great. But you should perform pedicure daily to get the best effect. And now, since you know the easy steps of doing pedicure, you are always smart to move around with your beautiful feet.

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A good face cleanser provides a lot of benefits to people using the items. It helps in gentle removal of dirt and debris, prevents oil secretion in the face, provides a calm and soothing sensation to the skin, eliminates surface bacteria, imparts new and fresh skin texture, and removes excess toxins from the skin. The facial cleansers are made of natural ingredients and provide no side effects. So these cleansers are suitable for any skin type.

The facial cleansers provide quick freshness and softness to your face. This means that you can notice the pleasant changes in your face within a few days after you use the cleansers. If it’s winter, the cleansers stop your facial skin from cracking and if its summer the cleansers prevent your skin from secreting excessive oil. But you have to regularly use the facial cleansers to notice the changes.

Ingredients of face cleansers

A good facial cleanser usually provides good results on all skin for it contains the following natural elements in it:
 Caffeine, Aloe Vera and Sucrose – imparts the anti-irritation quality to the cleanser

 Glycerin – acts as humectants

 Olive fruit and Safflower Seed oils – act as emollients

 Trehalose and Sodium Hyaluronate – moisturizing elements

 Linoleic Acid and Barley Extract – a natural barrier repair complex

These face cleansers gently dissolve away dirt, makeup and debris thereby leaving your skin fresh, soothing, and smooth.

Natural face cleansers

Instead of applying chemical products to your face, you can use natural ingredients that will impart a rich and fresh glow to your face. Natural ingredients include turmeric powder, chickpea powder, cucumber pastes, yogurt mixtures, chamomile and rosemary tops, almond, honey, vitamin A/E and mix them with milk, rosewater, glycerin cleansers and curd to prepare face cleansing pastes. These cleansers are applied twice to thrice a day, and reduce freckles, blemishes, enhance the softness and glow of the face, reduce wrinkles and premature sagging of the skin.

Other advantages of face cleansers

Whether your skin is oily or full of acne, the cleansing cream is unique for all skin types. Whether you have large pores, blackheads, uneven skin, cracking skin or too many wrinkles facial cleansers can cure every type of problem. For people suffering from special cases as mentioned you should use facial cleansers that are rich in ingredients like sodium lauryl, ether sulphate, cocoamidopropyl betaine, hidroviton, sodium citrate, methyl Paraben, polysorbate 20, deionised water, cocamide DEA, propyleneglycol, chamomile extract, EDTA and Fragrances.

Use facial cleansers for deep cleansing of your skin, exfoliating dead surface cells, fighting against pollution, eliminating skin redness and blotchiness in skin.

Ranging from beauty treatments to healing of physical pains, the spa treatments are simply perfect for all. The different types of massages like aromatherapy massages, Thai and Yoga massages, and other simple massages makes you feel energized for work.

The spas of today use a number of modern equipments like massage recliners; massage tables and chairs, portable massage chairs, chair kneading massager, corporate chair-table massagers and water massage beds that promise you with heavenly comfort.
Following are the treatments and their effects of spa treatments on you:

 Facial massage – rejuvenates the skin of your face and makes you look fresh and attractive at all times.

 Hand massage [Manicure] – this pampering treatment cleans your hands, arms and imparts a perfect shine to your nails.

 Foot massage [Pedicure] – this pampering treatment to your feet makes your feet look perfectly clean, and the nails shining.

 Pregnancy massage – spa treatments during pregnancy improve blood circulation, decrease insomnia, provide flexibility and prepare you for intense labor pains. Post-pregnancy massages reduce stretch marks and keep your body slim.

 Sports massage – it includes compression, cross-fiber friction and pressure point therapy that reduces the risk of injury and muscle pains in sports men.

The spa treatments not only make your skin glow or make you look beautiful but they also prevent anxieties, bronchitis, stresses, insomnia, headaches and asthma. It also relieves chronic problems like depression, joint pains, eczema and intense digestive problems. The exquisite spa treatments prevent fungal infections, acne, high/low blood pressure, epilepsy and broken skin.

Spa treatment benefits with herbal products

Spa treatments can be truly special if you accept massage with herbal products that are applied during inhalations, in baths, directly massaged on your body, with creams and lotions and synergistic treatments like body care, skin care and hair care. The herbal products combine the three basic elements of air, water and fire to provide an Ayurvedic effect. Herbal massage products include raw materials from flowers like roses, ylang-ylang, marjoram, lemon balm, lungwort, mullein flowers, thyme, schisandra berries and valerian roots.

Spa treatments with the help of herbal products prevents kidney stones, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia, hypertensions, obesity and reduces restlessness, facilitates natural sleep, and promotes stress-relieving actions. For women, in addition to the common effects the spa treatments also correct menstrual disorders prevent orgasm difficulties and leucorrhoea.

Visit the spas to experience unique health and feel rejuvenated in mind and spirit all the time.

The main problem of dry skin is lack of moisture and this can be solved by thorough and regular use of moisturizing lotion. Moisturizer increases the water content of the outer layer of your dry skin and gives it a soft and smooth look.

The skin also needs regular stimulation with oil and cream massage. This gives extra protection to the skin.

Avoid using tap water for cleaning your dry skin, for the deposits of tap water may also deposit on dry skin making it drier. Use filtered water to wash your face. You can also use mineral water to freshen your face skin. Avoid using rough cloth, since rough texture can irritate your dry skin.

Highly alkaline soaps and detergents are harmful for dry skins because these contain highly alkaline and drying ingredients. You should use mild, non-detergent, and neutral-pH products for cleaning your skin. After washing, always massage your skin with oil or cream. It is good if you can use baby oil after having bath and nourishing cream before going to bed at night. Be careful about the places where the expression lines are born – apply cream gently on those spots.

Diet recommendation for dry skin

Diet takes a vital part to keep the moisture level of your dry skin balanced. Here is a list of recommended diet for your dry skin.
• Always maintain a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts that can satisfy your requirement of protein, carbohydrate and fat.
• Raw food is better than cooked food. So increase the intake of raw foods. Make sure you are consuming a plenty of yellow and orange vegetables, as these are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your dry skin well hydrated.
• Use unrefined cold-pressed flax seed oil for salad, baked vegetables or other dishes that do not require heating to high temperature. This type of food will keep your dry skin moist. Flax seed contains high amount of Omega-3 fatty acid, which keeps your skin healthy.
• Eat foods rich in sulfur like garlic, onion and eggs. These will keep your dry skin smooth and healthy.
• Avoid foods that kill – fried foods, animal fats and heat-processed vegetable oils. Use cold-pressed oils.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, soft drinks, sugar, chocolate, potato chips, and junk foods.

It’s true that you cannot change our skin type but you can take good care of it to give it a better look. Dry skin is a problem but following the recommended diet and proper skin care you can avoid uncomfortable situations that you face for dry skin. However, dry skin has one advantage too. You will less likely to have acne than oily skin.

hot waxing and cold waxing. Hot waxing is the common method of waxing performed in salon while cold waxing is preferred by most people at home. However, hot or warm waxing is more effective than cold waxing.

Waxing involves a minimum amount of discomfort. However, following some easy to follow directions and simple tips you can perform this method perfectly. And once you experience the benefits of this hair removing technique, you would perhaps not think of any other means of hair removal but waxing.

Tips while preparing for a wax

Whether you use hot wax or cold wax you must make sure that the hair is atleast 1/8 of an inch for hair to be embedded by the wax. You must also make sure that the skin is clean and thoroughly dry to get the best waxing results. Also ensure that the wax is not over heated, as it might cause a skin burn. The consistency of the wax should be like honey. However, to avoid mess try using disposable cellophane strips rather than the traditional cloth ones.

Tips on applying wax

You should try and test a small area before proceeding with a large one to make sure that there are no allergic reactions. Also make sure to apply the wax in the same direction as that of the hair growth. While removing the wax strip make sure to pull it against the direction parallely and not straight up to the body.

Post wax tips

Applying hand pressure on the waxed area helps in soothing the skin. A lotion or the application of oil on the skin also does well. A lot of people tend to suffer from redness or itchiness just after a wax. Applying an ice pack can be the solution to this problem.

Many a times it happens that the skin appears darker after a wax. One should avoid exposing the waxed area to the sun for a minimum of 24 hours or use a good sun blocker with a high SPF.

Also make sure that you avoid waxing before and during your menstrual cycle, as the skin is much more sensitive during that period than what it is normally.

Avoid waxing sun burned skin as well because it has a tendency to come off. People suffering from diabetes or teenagers prone to acne should also avoid waxing.

If one follows these tips religiously and is also regular with the process, not only does the hair become softer but the growth of hair also lessens considerably.

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How much water do you need to drink?

The requirement of water depends upon daily activity and health condition. Though it is true that composition of water is available in all types of foods, we still need to drink a certain amount of water – plain water. The intake of water also varies with climate. Researches have found that the minimum requirement of water for an adult is 2 liters per day.

Whenever your body requires water you will feel thirsty. Some common symptoms are:

• Getting headache
• Drying mouth
• Getting thirsty
• Feeling weak

Loosing water from normal perspiration is a common phenomenon. Even when we are taking rest, our body needs water for running necessary metabolic functions. Those who are physically very active needs more water than a normal people.

Soft drink cannot be the substitute of water

I cannont stress this enough! Often you find people taking soft drink instead of plain water, whenever they feel thirsty. But soft drinks are not the right substitute of water. These soft drinks contain artificial color, flavors, sugars, calories and even artificial sweeteners. If you really can’t drink a lot of water at least substitute it by something healthy like fruit juices.

Needs of water for good health

Drinking plain water not only reduces our thirst but also keeps us healthy by maintaining metabolic functions. There are several needs of water for good health:

• Drinking water helps people who are worried about their growing calories. Intake of sufficient water each day can reduce their extra calories. These extra calories are responsible for gaining unwanted weight. Drinking plain water helps them to loose weight.
• There is a chance of getting extra calories for people who drink alcohol. Too much intake of alcohol also affects our kidney. It is important to drink sufficient amount of water. This reduces the chance of getting our kidney affected. Also, intake of water removes those extra calories that we gain while drinking alcohol.
• Today asthma is a growing problem for all age groups. Water plays the role of a medicine for people who are suffering from asthma. Drink plenty of water. This not only helps the secretion of mucous from our body but also protect us from respiratory diseases.

The need of water for good health is not necessary for all. People who are suffering from severe kidney problem or other medical conditions are restricted from drinking water. Therefore, the intake of drinking water depends upon the medical condition of our health. It is always important to drink sufficient amount of water under medical supervision.

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1. Meroxyl rich sunscreen – protect your skin from immature wrinkles.

2. A+ sunscreen – an ultra protection water based sunscreen that should be applied with moisturizer and foundation if you want protection against suntans.

3. Body sunscreen – a long lasting lotion that prevents wrinkles, sagging and suntan in the full body.

4. For dry skin – use sunscreen with SPF 30 that guards skin against aging and skin cancer.

5. For oily skin – if you want oil free skin use noncomedogenic sunscreen with SPF 15 or even higher for better results.

6. Facial sunscreens – the moisturizing day care sunscreen lotions and creams with SPF 15 and 30 are best for any type of facial skin types.

You should apply the sunscreen with SPF 15 at least even if it’s a cloudy day or you are staying inside your home.

Following are the other specifications of using sunscreen lotion:
1. Look for the words “broad spectrum protection” in the labels.

2. Apply more sunscreen when you are in reflective surfaces like water, snow and ice.

Knowing the utility of the best sunscreen lotions use them to achieve maximum comfort and protection from the harmful sunrays.

It may be mentioned that a certain rate of hair fall i.e. loss of a number of hair strands per day is normal. However, when it exceeds a certain limit then it becomes a cause of concern and is considered as a problem.

Causes of hair loss and their remedies

The causes of hair loss may be many. Very often some internal malady may be the root cause. This needs to be ascertained. Bringing into effect the proper preventive treatments can stop hair loss even before it begins by detecting the symptoms. Diseases like lupus or diabetes are a cause for hair loss. The hair loss serves as an early indication of the disease. The hair loss gets treated alongside the treatment of the disease.

Hair loss can also be the side effect of certain medication. When the administration of such medicines producing hair loss is discontinued the hair loss also stops.

Lack of proper nutrition- inadequate intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins etc. may cause hair loss. Ensuring proper nutrition usually checks such hair loss.

As after effect of a major surgery or illness you may lose much hair. However, this loss is considered to be temporary and is associated to the illness or stress borne by the surgical operation carried out. Post pregnancy hair loss is also commonly heard of. This is due to some temporary hormonal changes which soon ceases. Otherwise the help of a doctor is required.

Hormonal imbalances may result in hair loss. The malfunctioning of the thyroid glands may cause hair loss. Attending to the particular type of hormonal problem and adequate treatment provided for it helps overcome the excessive hair loss too.

Treatments of hair loss are carried out as per the nature and correct cause of the problem. A proper diagnosis which may include blood tests and biopsy needs to be done for detecting the problem.

Hair loss arising from some infection of the scalp can be treated as per prescription from a doctor. Medicines are available for retarding or preventing the development of baldness by hair loss. It takes some time to find out the efficacy of such drugs.

It must be borne in mind that there is a hereditary factor too which may be working behind hair loss and baldness. This is also observed to be more prevalent in case of men. This is not easy to counteract.

It may be that no suitable treatment can stop the hair loss and baldness develops. In such cases persons concerned about their personal beauty and aesthetics with regards to their crowning glory may opt for a wig or a hairpiece. New techniques of hair grafting and hair weaving can also be sought resort to.

What is hair dyer?

Hair dyer is a soluble chemical product that is used for staining as well as coloring hair. There are two types of hair dyer available in the market. It is said that hair dyer made of natural ingredients are less hypoallergenic than those, which are made of chemicals. Therefore, think twice before buying a hair dyer from the market.

Lead is a high toxic metallic element and very harmful for human body. In the chemical and paint industry lead is used in the production system. Lead acetate is used in most leading hair dyers. This lead acetate is very harmful for any internal use and that is why ‘Caution’ or ‘Warning’ label is written on the packet of hair dyeing product.

How hair dyers affect your health?

Scalp is the most sensitive part of the human body. Since the base of hair is the scalp, therefore, you may have the risk of allergic reaction. Scalp is a part, where the blood supply of our body is high. Most hair dyers have carcinogenic components and we people, who are using these chemicals for coloring our hair, are at high risk.

Hair dyers made of natural ingredients may cause allergic reactions too. It is found that women have sensitive skin than men and women use hair dyer more frequently them men. You may even get terrific allergic reaction by using hair dyers that are using less natural ingredients. It is always safe to apply any hair dyer under medical supervision.

Use hair dyer with great care

While dyeing your hair it is important to take some necessary safety measures. You can follow them even when you are applying dyer on your hair at home.
• It is better to apply hair dyer for a few minutes. The time that is necessary to leave your hair with dyer is sufficient to dye your hair. If you leave your hair with dyer, longer than the necessary time period then you may get some skin problems.
• Don’t forget to wear gloves while applying dyer on the hair. This will protect the skin of your hands.
• After applying hair dyer it is important to wash your hair with water. Gently move your fingers on the scalp and remove dyers from there.
• Hair dyers are made of chemicals. If you mix different hair dyers then there may exist the possibility of chemical reaction. So, it is not a good idea to mix different hair dyers at the same time.
• Finally, all the packets of hair dyers carry ‘Caution’ label and the directions of applying dyer on the hair. Try to follow the directions very carefully and it is better if you apply these hair dyers under medical supervision. This will lower the risk of allergic reactions.

Dyeing your hair may cause Cancer

Researches and studies are going on regarding this issue and the outcome is quite interesting. Some health professionals are saying that frequent use of hair dyers may increase the risk of having cancer. Not only the person who is applying hair dyer on his/her hair, but hair professionals or hair stylists are also at the risk.

According to the research work, it is found that the risk of having cancer is more among hair professionals than normal people. Scientists are also researching on the issue of correlation between use of hair dyer and getting breast cancer. Due to high exposure of chemicals, female hair stylists/professionals are getting affected by breast cancer.

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Here are some general tips on sun tanning:
• Start with 5-10 minutes sessions, twice a day, and gradually increase the time.
• Avoid tanning when the sun is at its maximum strength – between 11 am to 2:30 pm.
• Apply sunscreen on your skin before you start tanning. Do not apply lotion or cream after burning a bit.

Choose your soap carefully

Clean your skin completely before tanning and for that select your soap carefully. Chemical soaps like bars or fragrant soaps can make you clean but also make your skin dry since using these chemical soaps dehydrates your skin. Use a good, gentle but effective soap like liquid soap, for it is less harsh on your skin but clean your skin effectively.

Exfoliate before you tan

To get the best results of tan, exfoliate prior to exposure. Try to remove as many dead skin cells as possible before tanning. But don’t forget to moisturize after exfoliate.

Shave prior to exposure

If you require shaving, do it before you tan because shaving acts will leave your skin fresh and smooth. The effect of tan will be best if you shave skin prior. It is also recommended that you do the shaving a few hours before tanning so that the skin gets a chance to recover.

Use sunscreen lotion and moisturizer

Using sunscreen lotion is important for tanning, as it protects your skin from direct effect of ultraviolet ray. A good moisturizer is also required for your skin for a tan. However, you have to use a high-quality sunscreen lotion and moisturizer to prevent skin damage. The lotion should also be free of fragrances and be hypoallergenically tested to ensure that you have minimum risk of being allergic to it.

Lotions, loaded with moisturizing agents can also keep your skin soft and hydrated. Many of the lotions contain bronzers that help to darken your tan.

Have a shower after tanning

Having a bath or shower after tanning is the best way to remove oils and lotions from your skin. It also helps in removing any perspiration or salts that are usually deposited on your skin. However, the shower should not be too hot and make sure you apply a good moisturizer after toweling dry.

The cardinal rule of tanning is never burn yourself. Sunburn is the enemy associated with permanent skin damage. So never burn yourself intentionally. There is a false assumption that sunburn will fade eventually into tans. But this is not correct. Sunburn is the damage on your tanned skin.

Do not tan everyday. Allow a minimum of 24 hours to pass before tanning again – indoors or outdoors. This will repair minor damage of your skin and to create melanin and a tan.

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