We all go that extra mile to acquire a healthy and glowing skin. How we painstakingly watch out for every cosmetic product available in the market and stash them in our vanity box, half of which we don't even use. With the current wave of natural living, we are slowly drifting away from supermarkets and entering our own kitchens to fish out food items to replace those expensive, chemical-laden skincare products. Of all the items stocked up in our kitchen, it might have never occurred to you to pick up carrot for your skin care regime. Surprised? Well, carrot is another kitchen staple that has proven positive effects on skin!


Of course, we have heard about how good a carrot is for our bodily health, including eyes and hair; but the fact that it is a great skin booster is something unheard of. We have been chomping down on carrots to avail their benefits in various forms - salads, vegetables, juices etc. Now, let's put it to another use and apply it topically to see its magic work on our skin.

Not sure how to really do it? Here are some easy-to-make face packs you can make with carrots:


Facial Mask For Dry Skin

Potassium-rich carrots carve out dryness from the skin by penetrating the layers of our skin. This mask deeply moisturises the skin and makes it glow.
Grate half a carrot and grind it. Add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of milk, and mix it all thoroughly. Apply and keep the pack for at least 15 minutes and wash off with cold water.

Face Pack For Oily Skin

Vitamin A in carrots flush out excessive oil and keeps the skin fresh and free of toxins. To use this face pack all you have to do it to mix one cup of carrot juice with one tablespoon each of curd, gram flour and lemon juice. Apply this mask on face and neck for half an hour and wash with lukewarm water.


Clear Complexion Pack

Combine equal parts of carrot juice, yogurt and egg white. Apply for 15 minutes and wash with lukewarm water. Carrots play a big role in removing dead skin cells, giving rise to a fresh, new layer of skin.



Sun Protection Spray

Beta-carotene and carotenoids contained in carrots protect the skin again UVA rays and also remove sun tan.
Mix carrot juice and rose water in equal parts and fill the mixture in a spray bottle. Spray on face and body to keep the skin hydrated and help it brave the scorching rays of the sun.



Anti-Ageing Solution

Mix the juices of carrots and aloe vera and apply regularly to fight the signs of early ageing. Vitamin C, found in abundance in carrots, promotes collagen production and smoothens out wrinkles.

Carrots are a powerhouse of antioxidants, which keep most of the skin problems and diseases at bay. Welcome this magical vegetable in your skin care routine and say hello to a new, beautiful you. However, don't forget to also consume it through your diet to fully reap all its benefits.

Who wouldn't want a clear and glowing skin? Not only does it enhance self-confidence but also indicates a healthy self. Markets are flooded with products that claim to cure any skin problem but prove to be a nightmare in the long run. Our dependence on these commercial skin products has increased due to our busy schedules, considering we have no time to use home remedies that are more effective than anything else. Ayurveda practices the age old way of using kitchen ingredients and herbs to cure skin ailments.According to Yogi Anoop, Founder at MediYoga, "Ayurveda says that your skin health is dependent on two factors- physical and psychological. The foods that you ingest affect the functioning of the body, which further reflects on the skin. On the other hand, your psychological condition, whether you are happy or sad will show up on your skin."

In order to get a glowing skin, it is important to load up on healthy foods, especially those which directly affect your skin health.

Here are the foods that Yogi Anoop suggests for a glowing skin-

1. Essential fatty acids
Essential fatty acids are fats that help in keeping your brain healthy. These help to control and regulate your psychological functions. Foods with these fatty acids include walnuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, almonds, whole grain foods, et al., which help in keeping your mind calm and stress-free.

2. Alkaline foods
Your body needs to be alkalised, which means to neutralise the acids formed in the body. Alkaline foods help the body to produce its own healthy hormones, which further helps keep your skin healthy. Include foods in your diet like fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and beans, nuts and seeds that are alkaline in nature.

3. Magnesium rich foods
Magnesium is one of the minerals that help your liver function properly. Your liver health reflects on your skin. So, loading up on magnesium rich foods may keep your liver and skin healthy. Include more green leafy vegetables, dark chocolate, figs, banana, seeds, avocado, et al.

Apart from the foods, you can bring kitchen ingredients to your rescue. Ayurvedacharya Dr. Partap Chauhan, Director at Jiva Ayurveda suggests some kitchen ingredients that will help your skin glow.

1. Chamomile Tea and Fuller's Earth (Multani Mitti) Pack
Chamomile helps regenerate skin cells and its anti-bacterial properties will fight off acne causing germs.

Strain half a cup of chamomile tea (without sugar) and mix it with 3 tea spoons of fuller's earth. Apply this pack twice a week to remove blackheads, deep-lodged dirt and dead skin cells.

2. Sandalwood and Yogurt
Lactobacillus, a good bacterium, does two wonderful things - first, it curdles milk into yogurt and second, it makes your skin shiny.

Take a couple of teaspoons of sandalwood powder, add 3 spoons of fresh yogurt, add a few drops of rose water and your face pack is ready. Keep it on your skin (face, neck and arms) for 15 minutes before bath.

Apart from these, neem or neemba as it is known in Ayurvedic scriptures has been used for centuries; thanks to its various healing properties. Its antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-fungal properties have made it a popular medicine for skin. Use neem as a part of your daily skin care and ensure a healthy skin. You can add it with multani mitti and make a paste of it and apply regularly.

Eat a balanced diet, exercise for at least 30 minutes, use natural ingredients on your skin and you are good to go!

Remember how our mothers used to give us handful of soaked almonds every day before going to school? We know that these crunchy nuts are an excellent source of plant protein, essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and magnesium - all of which are known to improve our overall health. But did you know that almonds could also do wonders to your skin, if applied topically? Yes, that's right! As we know that almonds are packed with vitamin E - they help keep our skin hydrated and further make it soft and supple. Moreover, the presence of antioxidants in almonds keeps our skin wrinkle-free, young and glowing. But if you are still not convinced, then why don't you try these almond face masks and see the results yourself.

Here are some simple and easy DIY almond face masks that you can try this winter to keep your skin youthful and glowing:
1. Almond And Milk Face Mask For Tan Removal
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon almond powder
2 tablespoon raw milk

How to apply:

Take a bowl and mix both the ingredients in it. Mix it well till you get a thick paste-like consistency. Now, wash your face with lukewarm water and apply this mask on your face and neck. Keep this face mask for about 20 minutes. Rinse your face thoroughly with lukewarm water. You may apply this mask on your arms and legs too.

2. Almond, Milk And Grounded Oats Face Mask For Natural Glow
Ingredients:

2 tablespoon almond
1 tablespoon grounded oats
3 tablespoon raw milk

How to apply:

Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients in it. Make sure you have a thick paste without any lumps. Apply this face mask before going to bed. Clean your face with rose water with the help of a cotton ball. Once you are done with that, apply this mask on your face and let it stay there for 20 minutes, or keep it overnight. If you wash your face at night, use lukewarm water and apply your night cream after that.

3. Almond, Turmeric And Gram Flour Face Mask For Instant Glow
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon almond powder
2 tablespoon gram flour
1 tablespoon turmeric

How to apply:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to make a thick pasty-like consistency. You may add a little rose water, if you think your mixture is little dry. Apply the face mask all over your face and keep it for about 15 minutes. Rinse it with normal water.

Note: Some of the almond face masks can be a little messy, especially the almond, milk and grounded oats face mask; therefore, you may rinse the mask off before you sleep. Also, don't forget to check with your doctor for any allergies.

Exfoliation is an important part of skin care regime. With time, skin develops a layer of dead skin with accumulated dirt and oil, which in turn clogs the pores. It also serves as a breeding ground for bacteria that leads to skin problems like blackheads and acne. Scrubbing peels off the outermost layer of the skin unveiling a fresh, glowing skin sans debris. With the recent wave of naturopathy and Ayurveda in the beauty industry, more and more people are substituting chemical-laden over-the-counter products with their natural, homemade counterparts. Moreover, store-bought products are full of sulphates and parabens, which can do more harm than good to the skin. The hero of any scrub is the abrasive grainy substance, which sloughs off dirt and dust from the skin. The same can be achieved with the help of sugar, a common grainy product found in every kitchen. You can try some homemade sugar scrub packs for your regular exfoliation process.


Sugar contains hydroxyl acids and glycolic acid, which are known to have great cleansing properties. Since sugar contains active exfoliating properties, you need to balance it with an emollient to prevent excessive drying up of the skin. Though it should not be much of a concern as the natural sweetener has intrinsic moisturising properties as well!

Why Is Sugar A Good Skin Exfoliator -

-It is a natural humectant, which hydrates the skin by drawing moisture from the air and pumping it into the skin.
-Glycol acid present in it protects the skin against sun damage and delays ageing.
-Being an excellent exfoliator, sugar sweeps of all the dirt and bacteria and promotes skin regeneration.
-It is gentler on skin than other salt scrubs, therefore ideal for sensitive skin as well.
-It fights ingrown hair and prevents them from growing back.
-It can be safely used to cleanse and nourish the whole body including hands and feet, and not just the face.
-Sugar is equally effective on all skin types - oily, dry, combination and sensitive.

A sugar scrub, if applied at least once a week, brings to the fore a cleaner, radiant and youthful skin. Remember to gently rub the scrub in soft circular motions on the body skin for 2 minutes and wash it off with cold water.
You can make DIY scrub with sugar as the main ingredient and other common products readily available in your kitchen to provide a well-rounded treatment for your skin.

Here are some easy, DIY skin scrub recipes, which can be made in less than 10 minutes and applied anytime in the comfort of your home. Be careful not to get tempted as these scrubs are sweet enough to eat!

Honey, Green Tea And Sugar Scrub

Brew some green tea with leaves and not bags. Add 2 tablespoons of the tea with 2 tablespoons of honey. Then add 4 tablespoons of sugar to the mixture, adding 1 spoon at a time. Mix till you get a thick paste. Honey is naturally anti-bacterial. Apply this scrub 2 times a week to get the glow from honey and freshness from the green tea.

Peppermint And Sugar Scrub

This is a godsend for those suffering from perpetual dry skin. Mix together 3 tablespoons of warm coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and half a tablespoon of Vitamin E oil. Your sweet, minty homemade sugar scrub is ready.

Banana And Sugar Scrub

Banana contains essential vitamins and minerals that are highly beneficial for the skin. This magical scrub can be easily made by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 mashed banana. This paste will make skin softer and suppler with regular application.

Lemon And Sugar Scrub

Pour in the juice of 2 lemons to a mixture of 2 tablespoons of sugar and half cup of olive oil. Relieve your skin from sun damage, tanning and blemishes. This works just as well as a hand scrub for your manicure routine.

Beetroot And Sugar Scrub

This is the ultimate scrub for chapped and discoloured lips. It leaves the skin on lips soft and makes it appear naturally pink. Mix equal parts of beetroot juice and sugar and apply it on your lips. Rub gently for 1-2 minutes and wash it off with water.


Yogurt And Sugar Scrub

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to half cup of fresh yogurt. Yogurt helps in clearing the pores and tightening them.

Oatmeal And Sugar Scrub

Grind half cup of oats and mix the powder with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Oats works well for sensitive and acne-prone skin, fighting the pimple-causing bacteria residing in the skin.

Isn't it great how easy these natural, homemade sugar scrubs are to make?

So, give those long, costly spa sessions in salons a miss! Grab that pack of sugar right away and give your skin an organic treat!

Who doesn't like a healthy and glowing skin? A radiant skin not only makes you look beautiful from outside but from within as well. A lot of care and attention goes into achieving that perfect glow. However, if you happen to have an oily skin type, then you'll have to go an extra mile for getting that glow. Oily skin is more prone to develop various skin-related issues like acne, pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Blackheads can turn out to be quite annoying. A lot of people spend hefty amount of money in salon and beauty products just to get rid of those stubborn blackheads. However, just a few tips and tricks at home could help you get rid of them. Yes, you read that right. When the open pores in the skin get in contact with dirt, it leads to accumulation of dirt particles that eventually lead to formation of blackheads. The most common areas on face that are prone to blackhead formation are nose, cheeks and even chin. Scrubbing your face gently, using few basic kitchen ingredients, could help you move a step ahead in tackling blackhead issues.


Here is a three ingredient face scrub that you can use twice every week to get rid of blackheads:

Things You Need:

- 1 banana (mashed)
- 2 tbsp oats (crushed)
- 1 tbsp honey

Method:

- To begin with, take a bowl and add crushed oats to the bowl.
- Then, add honey along with mashed banana. Mix together all the ingredients and then apply this mix on your face.
- Scrub it in a circular motion and then allow it to stay for 5-7 minutes.
- Once this is done, wash it off using warm water and apply a gentle moisturiser on the skin to close the open pores.

Oats help in exfoliating the dead skin cells and also help in removing the dirt. Other than this, oats have the ability to absorb and remove extra oil from the skin. Honey acts as a moisturising agent and also has antibacterial and anti-microbial properties, whereas, banana helps in retaining the lost moisture in the skin. Banana together with oats doubles the exfoliating power, which is perfect for an oily skin type.

So, the next time you plan to have a pamper sesh, make this homemade scrub a part of your beauty regimen and say bye-bye to blackheads for once and all.