Though January spells relief from the scorching sun, the mild chill brings along nagging viruses, and skin and hair problems. Melissa D'costa gets the experts to tell you how to remain healthy and glowing
Though January spells relief from the scorching sun, the mild chill brings along nagging viruses, and skin and hair problems. Melissa D'costa gets the experts to tell you how to remain healthy and glowing
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Pop turmeric and ginger pills to cure congestion
Dr Ravi Kothari Ayurvedic specialist
As winter sets in, most people complain of cold and cough. Among all the symptoms of the ailment, the most common and irritating is a stuffy nose and a sore throat. When there's congestion in the chest and the tonsils are infected or inflamed, your immunity goes down, and that's how you fall ill.
How to cure a sore throat?
>>Take 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of dry ginger, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tsp of ghee, 3 tsp of jaggery. Mix well and make small pills (the size of a jeera goli) and eat them at regular intervals, in spans of one hour. Consume a minimum of seven to eight pills a day till your throat clears.
>>You can also try gargling with warm water, adding 1/4 of turmeric and salt to it. Gargle every two hours.
How to cure a stuffed nose?
>>Take Anu oil (available at any chemist) and warm it up a bit. Lie down on your back, tilt your head higher than your normal body posture and then put two to three drops in each nostril and inhale. When the oil enters your throat, spit it out.
>>Then inhale steam. Take a warm towel and cover your nose, cheeks and forehead with it. All of this will give you relief.
Glycerine cures acne and rosemary oil beats dandruff
Shahnaz Husain Beauty expert
Many people do not realise that their scalp is just like the skin on their body and it needs to be protected. When ignored, especially during winter, many people suffer from dandruff. Seasonal acne is also a common problem, as the winter air dries the skin and increases dead skin cells that clog the pores, which cause skin irritation, leading to acne.
How to deal with seasonal dandruff?
>>Hot oil therapy is very useful to deal with this problem. Heat pure coconut oil, or til (sesame) oil or olive oil. >>Apply the oil on your scalp with cotton wool, rubbing gently to dislodge the flakes. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around your head, like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap three or four times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better. Leave the oil on overnight. Next morning, apply the juice of a lemon on your scalp, and wash your hair after half an hour.u00a0
>>Add five drops of Rosemary essential oil to 50 ml rose water. Shake well and keep in a glass bottle with a tight fitting lid. Apply this on your scalp after shampoo and leave it on.
>>Grind one tablespoon of methi seeds coarsely and soak in two cups of cool water. Leave it overnight. Strain and use the water as a last rinse after shampoo.u00a0
How to cure seasonal acne?
>>Mix one tsp pure glycerine with 100 ml rose water, and keep in a bottle with a tightly-fitted lid. Apply a little of this mixture after cleaning face, or whenever the skin feels dry.
>>For oily and acne-prone skin, mix one teaspoon each of honey and yogurt. Add a little turmeric. Apply this on the face and wash it off with plenty of water after 20 minutes.
Papaya and paraffin wax give a smooth texture to your skin
Dr Rohini Wadhwani Cosmetologist & Medical Director, Skin Essentials
Humidity is low during winter and as a result, skin becomes dry. Usually, cracked skin on heels and feet is caused by excessively dry skin. Walking barefoot and wearing shoes with open backs only worsens the problem.
Quick fix for your skin
>>Add a few drops of lavender or olive oil to your bath water.
>>Moisturise your face and body with a rich moisturising cream.
>>Use homemade packs containing avocado, papaya and banana once a week on your face.
How to cure cracked heels?
>>For dry cracked heels, moisturise the feet, twice a day, once after a bath and then again before bedtime.
>>Wear closed footwear.
>>One can also do a paraffin wax treatment along with their pedicure.
Shahnaz Husain recommends:
>>Before going to bed, soak your feet in warm water for about 20 minutes.u00a0
>>With the help of a pumice stone or a heel scrubber, rub the heels gently, in order to remove the dead cells. >>After washing the feet, massage with cream, rubbing it into the skin.
>>Then bandage the heels with a clean cloth. Wear cotton socks and go to sleep. Repeat this every night for one week. If there is any pain or bleeding from the cracks, consult a doctor.
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