My hair has become dry. I also have split ends. What is the remedy?
Twice a week heat pure coconut oil and apply on the hair. Apply on ends too. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times. Use a mild herbal shampoo. Use less shampoo and rinse well with water. After shampoo, apply a creamy conditioner, taking less quantity and massaging it lightly into the hair. Apply on ends too. Leave on for 2 minutes and rinse off with plain water. You can also apply a few drops of a “leave-on” type of conditioner or hair serum. Apply the same way, but do not rinse off.
Q. Is apple cider vinegar good for oily hair/oily scalp? If so, please tell me how to use it?
A. Apple cider vinegar helps to prevent and control dandruff. Yes, it would help oily hair and oily scalp. It helps to restore the normal acid-alkaline (pH) balance of the scalp. If the hair is oily, wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo three or four times a week, using less shampoo and rinsing very well with water. After shampoo, add two tablespoons vinegar to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. Any other normal vinegar, used for cooking purposes, can also be applied. Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yogurt in your daily diet. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and have it first thing in the morning.
Q. My face always looks oily. I was my face 5 times a day. How to brighten my face?
A. After washing your face, apply astringent lotion using cotton wool. Astringent lotion will be available at a cosmetic store. Carry wet tissues or “wet wipes.” They are easily available. Wipe face with it during the day. Wash your face with soap only two or three times a day. But you can rinse with water or wipe with wet tissues several times. Mix multani mitti with rose water and lemon juice into a paste. Apply on the face two or three times a week, avoiding lips and area around eyes. Wash it off when it is dry. Use a facial scrub twice a week. They are easily available. Apply on face and rub gently on the skin with small circular strokes. Wash off with water.
Q. After I wash my hair, it starts to smell in a day or two. Please help.
A. You should wash your hair daily, taking very little shampoo and diluting it with water. Rinse well. After shampoo add the juice of a lemon and half a cup of rose water to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. Once a week, heat olive oil and apply on the scalp using cotton wool and rubbing gently. Leave on overnight. Next morning, add the juice of a lemon on the scalp and wash your hair after 15 minutes. Weekly henna applications will help. Add 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 teaspoons til oil and enough “tea water” to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. Make “Tea water” by boiling used tea leaves again in enough water, cooling and straining the liquid. Apply the henna on the hair and wash off after an hour. Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yogurt in your daily diet. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and have it first thing in the morning.
Q. How to find out my skin type?
A. The feel and look of your skin is a good indicator of your skin type. In dry skins, the pores are small and the skin is fine. Oily skins are prone to blackheads, pimples and acne. When you wake up in the morning, wipe your face with a tissue, before washing or cleansing it. If the tissue is clean, you have a normal to dry skin. If the tissue becomes stained or soiled with grease, you have a normal to oily skin. Use different tissues for different areas, wiping the forehead, nose and chin with one tissue and using another one to wipe the cheeks. This will help to know if you have a combination skin.
Q. I have lines on my neck, which make me look older. How can I get rid of them?
A. Daily apply sesame seed (til) oil before bath and massage it on the neck, from chin downwards. Apply sunscreen before going out in the sun. At night after cleansing, apply nourishing cream on the neck and massage it with a few drops of water. Massage from chin downwards, using both hands and one hand following the other. The pressure should be downwards and not upwards while coming back to the chin. You can also go for a weekly salon massage. Apply a face mask on the neck too.
Shahnaz Husain, pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement, recipient of the Padma Shri award, is the first woman in 105 years to receive the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from ‘Success’, US-based business magazine.