Are you one of those who constantly rummage through the kitchen for ingredients that may magically transform your hair? If yes, then this article is for you. We often spend too much time and money on expensive hair products, treatments and masks, which may give you desired results but may harm your hair in long-term. What if we tell you that you could get similar results using natural ingredients without any harmful effects? One such ingredient is banana. Mashed banana on your hair might sound a little bizarre, but it can make your hair super soft and silky! You may also mix some other ingredients with banana to make interesting hair masks. So, if you are tired of spending hours in salons and spas and don't want to burn a hole in your pocket, try out the list of banana hair masks that may end all your hair woes. But, before that, here's what makes bananas so great for our hair

Benefits Of Banana For Hair
Bananas are high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fibre and magnesium, but free of sodium and cholesterol. They are almost fat-free, and relatively low in calories-depending on their size. Per 100 grams serving, bananas contain 0.3 gm total fat, zero cholesterol, 1 mg salt, about 360 mg potassium, 2.6 gm dietary fibre, 12 gm sugar and 1.1 gm protein. But, the benefits of bananas are not just limited to health; they are also used for excellent beauty treatments.

Bananas are great for your hair and scalp. They are known to improve manageability and shine of our hair. Moreover, they are known to prevent and control dandruff, and moisturise our scalp. Bananas are rich in potassium, natural oils, carbohydrates and vitamins, which help soften our hair and protect their natural elasticity. While there are many banana hair products available in the market, why to spend on too many store-bought products when you can make your own banana masks at home in your own kitchen.

5 DIY Banana Hair Masks For Dull And Dry Hair

1.Banana And Aloe Vera Hair Mask

Aloe vera is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, which help remove the dead cells that have accumulated on your scalp and promote hair growth. Moreover, aloe vera has proteolytic enzymes, which repair dead skin cells on the scalp and condition your hair, to give you smooth and shiny tresses. This hair mask prevents hair fall and makes your hair strong, shiny, and bouncy.

Ingredients:

2-3 medium-sized bananas
2 aloe vera leaf

How To Make:

1. Extract all the pulp from the aloe vera leaf.

2. Now, transfer the aloe vera pulp and bananas to a grinder.

3. Blend the mixture well until you have a thick paste.

How To Apply

1. Apply the mixture with a help of your hair colour brush.

2. Make sure the mixture gets deep into your roots.

3. Coat your entire scalp and all your hair.

4. Let it sit for 2 hours. Wash your hair with cold water and shampoo it thoroughly.

2. Banana And Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Coconut oil helps nourish our scalp and reduces scalp infections. With high contents of vitamin E, it is excellent for dry and damaged hair. Moreover, the vitamin K content in coconut oil helps reduce dandruff. According to beauty expert, Suparna Tirkha, "Coconut oil massage promotes healthy hair growth and due to its property of preventing moisture loss, massaging this oil into the scalp and hair is known to have amazing results." The combination of banana and coconut provides long-lasting shine.

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon coconut milk

How To Make:

1. Take a bowl and mash both the bananas in it.

2. Now, add the coconut oil and coconut milk, and mix the ingredients till you get a creamy paste.

How To Apply:

1. Section your hair and start applying the mask from the roots to the tips.

2. Put on a shower cap and let it stay for 30 minutes.

3. Wash your hair with water and shampoo it.

3. Banana And Papaya Hair Mask

Papaya is known to nourish the hair shaft and adds volume to the hair. The nutrients in papaya strengthen your hair and prevent hair loss. Here's how the combination of papaya and banana can help.

Ingredients:

2 bananas
1/2 ripe papaya
2 tablespoon honey
How To Make:

1.Chop banana and papaya into tiny pieces and mash them.

2.Now, add honey to the mashed mixture and blend until you get a fine paste.

How To Apply:

1. Apply the hair mask from the root to the tips of your hair.

2. Put on a shower cap and leave it on for half an hour.

3. Wash off the mask with cold water and shampoo your hair.

4. Banana And Milk Hair Mask

The vitamins and proteins in milk, like casein protein, help nourish, strengthen and moisturise our hair follicles. If you have dry and frizzy hair, then milk is a great natural ingredient that you can mix in your hair masks to prevent dryness and dullness.

Ingredients:

1 banana
100 ml milk

How To Make:

1.Cut the banana into small pieces in a bowl.

2.Now, transfer the banana pieces into a blender.

3.Add milk to it and blend the ingredients until you have a thick, creamy paste.

How To Apply:

1. Apply this hair mask from the roots and work your way to the tips of your hair.

2. Leave it on for 30 minutes.

3.Wash your hair thoroughly with water to get rid of the stickiness. Shampoo your hair as usual.

5.Banana And Honey Hair Mask

This hair mask will leave you with silk smooth hair without stripping away any natural oils.

Ingredients:

Half tablespoon honey
1 ripe banana

How To Make:

1.Mash the banana in a bowl until you have a soft and creamy paste.

2.Add the honey to mashed banana and mix it in well.

How To Apply:

1.Part your hair into sections and apply the hair mask from the roots to the tips.

2.Concentrate more on the tips. Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes.

3.Wash it off with lukewarm water and shampoo.

Bid goodbye to those days of dry, rough, and lifeless hair. With the help of these hair masks, you will never have a bad hair day again.

While the use of makeup makes you look your best and also feel good about how yourself, it is equally important to know how much makeup to use and for how long. Understanding this may help you avoid common makeup-related skin problems.

How long can you really have makeup on your face?

Technically, you can wear makeup throughout the day without any problems as long as you do not have sensitive skin. You can use makeup which are specifically formulated for sensitive skin and can wear it all day.

Ideally, if you clean makeup at night after work, it is a good habit as you clean your face and prevent oil and dirt to get accumulated and clog your pores.

Using oil blotting paper also reduces the amount of oil and dirt on your face.

What can you do to avoid the harmful effects of makeup on your skin?

It is important to invest in quality tools and makeup according to your skin type

Clear up heavy make-up (party make-up) with soothing milk or moisturizer

Always wash your face in the evening when you are back and sleep with a clean face

Regularly sanitize your tools. Wash your makeup brushes daily with lukewarm water and softly towel dry with a clean piece of cloth

Could your skin be more clear and smoother than it is? Could your hair be any silkier, stronger and voluminous? All of this without having to spend thousands of rupees are your next-door salon? Yes, absolutely! I come across hundreds of young women looking for desperate solutions to their skin and hair problems and expecting me to wave my magic wand and tackle their issues overnight and transform them. I would love to oblige but the truth is that nature doesn't bloom overnight. The smallest seed of a plant also needs to be planted, nurtured and cared for before it can blossom and show its magnificence. Though we live in a world of "insta" or instant options, some things cannot be played around with.

With the festive season around the corner - Durga Puja, Karvachauth, Diwali and endless parties and festivities that go with it, the skin and hair need to look healthy and stunning. In this article I have conjured up some INSTA recipes (both magical and natural) that are guaranteed to work and give some fabulous results to dead looking skin and hair. So wake up and imbibe these spells into your festive look.

1. For dull, oily and combination skin

Massage the skin with iced yoghurt and sprinkle some sugar along with it. Now take orange halves and scrub gently until the granules melt. Wash the face with iced water and see the difference.

2. For dull, tired and dry skin

Massage the skin with papaya. Then make a scrub by mixing oats and honey along with a little cold milk and scrub the skin. Wash off with ice cold milk and water and pat dry.

3. Suffering from frizzy hair?

Try this simple, quick and easy-to-make spray. Take slices of two lemon and simmer in two cups of water until it reduces to half the amount. Pour the liquid into a spritz bottle and spray on your hair. Not only will there be a wonderful natural sheen but static and fly away hair will be gone!

4. For natural hair colour

If you have a brownish tinge in your hair and don't have the time to henna or colour it, then take a few sprigs of rosemary from the kitchen shelf and simmer them in 2 cups of water along with 2 tsp black tea until it reduces to half the quantity. Mix with 1/4cup of shampoo and every time you shampoo, use this mixture. Leave the shampoo in your hair for about 15 minutes and see the difference it makes.

5. For a smooth back

Planning to wear a low back blouse, backless dress or choli, but have no time to go in for a body scrub to show off a smooth back? Here's a quick home remedy. Take 1 cup of sea salt and mix it with half a cup of olive oil. Add 5 drops of sandalwood oil and mix well. Store in a jar and scrub the areas of your body you want to flaunt. Wipe off with a wet towel.

6. Dealing with under eye bags and dark circles

Take used chamomile tea bags and store them in the freezer. Grate half a cucumber and massage around eye area and then lie down with the tea bags on your eyes for 10 minutes.You will find an instant difference in the way your eyes look and feel.

7. Instant face lift

Wash your face with ice water or simply rub and ice cube with a tsp of honey on the face. Beat an egg white until it peaks and brush onto your skin and let dry. You will feel the stretch in the skin. wash face with icy cold water.

8. Tired eyes?

Long hours at work, then shopping and getting things organized for the festive season can be tiring. I would suggest you make this wonderful eye wash which will make you feel refreshed instantly. Take iced spring water in a bowl and add a few drops of rose water, 2-3 drops of honey and immerse one eye into it. You can also open your eye a little and then close it. Throw away the liquid and make the same water for the other eye and repeat the process. After this, splash the eyes with cold mineral water. There maybe slight redness for some time but it will go away soon and your eyes will feel refreshed in minutes.

9. Quick Hair Care

Don't have the time to shampoo and blow dry your hair even though it is oily? Well, sweat not. Sprinkle talcum and amla powder onto your hair brush and overturn the hair over your head and brush from the nape of the neck to the tips .Now throw your hair back and voila you have bouncy oil free hair in minutes!

So these are just a few of my secret 'insta' beauty recipes. Use them and enjoy but never substitute them for a regular skin and hair care regime.

Tea and Indians have an unbreakable bond; we need it every time. While drinking black tea has some health benefits to offer, it is said that applying it on your skin and hair is equally amazing. The anti-oxidant, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties present in tea helps keep your skin healthy and glowing. Green tea and black tea contain caffeine and are super-rich in catechins and polyphenols, two antioxidants that are known to fight acne and ageing. Tea makes for an amazing toner and helps soothe your skin; thanks to the presence of coolant properties. If you are planning to sip a cup of tea anytime soon, add it to your beauty routine, too, to give your skin and hair a boost. Let us look at tea benefits for beauty and hair and a few packs to ensure a glowing you.

Tea Benefits For Beauty and Hair

1. Reduces Puffy Eyes And Removes Dark Circles

The caffeine content in tea helps to shrink blood vessels underneath the skin and further eliminate dark circles around the eye. The tannins in the tea can help reduce puffiness. All you need to do is to wet two tea bags and place them on your eyes. Keep them for about five to ten minutes. Make sure you use them regularly for reduced puffy eyes and lightened dark circles.

2. Soothe Sunburn Or Blemishes Caused By Excessive Sun Exposure

It is the presence of tannic acid in tea that helps your skin get rid of sunburn and blemishes. You will need to brew some tea in a pan. Once the water has cooled down, dip a towel into the tea and place it on the affected area for up to 30 minutes. You can, in fact, apply tea bags directly on your face to reduce redness.

3. Acts As A Toner

If you are out of your toner stock, you can trust tea bags or tea leaves to do your job. The astringent properties of tea make it an amazing toner. It makes the face less-greasy and helps it keep clean. Wipe a tea bag over your face and then wipe it with a clean towel.

4. Can Act As A Scrubber

If you have been discarding your tea bags away, you are losing out on an excellent scrub. Take a used tea bag and let it dry properly. Now, cut it open and use it like a scrub and wash it off. Moisturise well after you have washed your face. Your skin will feel smooth and soft; thanks to the presence of antioxidants in the tea leaves that will give your skin that perfect glow.

5. Soaks Up Extra Oil

Jasmine tea comes packed with lot of oils that are beneficial for the skin. It has anti-microbial properties and is great for soaking up the excess oil. Brew some jasmine tea, let it cool and apply to acne-prone, oily skin. It combats with pimple-causing bacteria and further helps maintain skin's pH level.

6. Skin Soother

If you are looking to soothe your skin from excessive irritation and inflammation, then chamomile tea is your go-to elixir. It helps relax tense and irritated tissues. In fact, it can be used for alleviating itchy rashes or dry, flaky patches of redness on the skin. Apply the tea bag on your face regularly to reap the maximum benefits.

7. Face Cleanser

White tea, which is a less processed tea, has more antioxidants than green tea may have. It helps purify and enrich the skin; thanks to the nutrients it contains. Brew some white tea and separate the leaves from the actual brew. Now, blend the damp tea leaves in a blender in order to create a thick paste. Let the paste cool; apply the mask and see you skin glowing!

8. Amazing Fix For Your Chapped Lips

Green tea is said to alleviate the sting of dry and chapped lips. All you need to do is to apply a green tea bag that is soaked in warm water over your lips. This will help relieve the burning sensation and further hydrate the lips like never before.

9. Makes For A Great Hair Rinse

Black tea makes for an amazing cleanser for hair. In order to stop your tresses from shedding, brew some black tea and let the concoction cool. Spray it into your hair so that it cleanses your scalp, making your hair look lustrous.

10. Acts As A Wonderful Hair Colour

If you are thinking colouring your hair black, then try adding black tea to henna and see the difference. It helps make the colour more intense. Black tea does make an excellent temporary hair dye for those with grey hair.

Everything you eat has an impact not only on your inner health, but also on your outer being as well. What you put on your plate is even more important than what you put on your skin. If you've been loading up on junk food lately, then there are high chances of you facing its consequences as well; in the form of acne breakouts, puffy eyes etc. So in order to avoid the same, here are some minor changes you can make in your daily diet:

Acne- Isn't it infuriating when you have a party to attend the next morning but there's that little acne bump on your face the night before? And you think why this acne won't ever leave you alone? Well, your eating habits may have drawn them towards you. Yes, you read that right! Foods that are high in iodine content may trigger acne. If you're having frequent breakouts, evaluate your diet for iodine-rich foods.

Early Signs Of Ageing- Ageing is a natural process. You sure cannot reverse it but can slow it down. The quicker you eat your food, the fewer nutrients your body absorbs. The proper chewing, tasting, and swallowing of food can cause greater nutrient absorption by your digestive system.
Skin ages when it's deprived of essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals. If you're not absorbing enough of these nutrients, your skin is most likely to reflect it all.

Dry Skin- Dry, flaky, and cracked skin can turn out to be quite annoying. If you're experiencing dry, flaky skin on a regular basis, then you probably need to be drinking more water, or at least eating more hydrating foods like cucumber, lettuce and watermelon. Our diet plays a major role in keeping our skin hydrated and radiant.

Puffy Face- When it comes to looking fresh, there's usually one thing that can end up standing in your way - puffiness. A puffy face could possibly mean that your body lacks good fats. Essential fatty acids, such as those from seeds and oils protect against skin inflammation.

Stretch Marks- Stretch marks are formed due to the tearing of the middle layer of the skin called the dermis. The scars happen more often (and more severely) when you have less zinc in your diet. When it comes to repairing and healing of tissues, zinc plays a crucial role.

So make these little changes in your diet and feel rejuvenated.