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Don’t Panic!!! It’s Organic – Insight into Organic Beauty Products

2020-11-03T07:31:00.006-08:00

Sustainability is the locution that can take the world out of the crisis looming around us. Smart consumers are aspiring for green products that are formulated with natural ingredients thereby making us fortunate to use eco-friendly products. Studies show that the market for synthetic cosmetic products is now oscillating with a degree of uncertainty to lose their rank in our priority list. Natural products, botanicals derived from agriculture, food, or beverage can be used in cosmetic products widely. Cosmetics and beauty products not only enhance facial features but plays a major role to ameliorate one’s self-image and confidence. Research says that on average 9 out of 15 women use cosmetic products daily and some of these products may also contain controversial ingredients that may be found to disrupt the hormonal system and increase the risk of cancer. Organic cosmetics and beauty products have improved safety measures over traditional ones which have reduced harmful ingredient exposure risk.

10 Best Organic Products Which You Can Add to Your Shopping Cart:

1) Organic Harvest Anti Tan Mask

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This awesome organic face mask not only removes tough tan from the skin but it provides a deep glow by controlling melanin formation. Its natural ingredients like seaweed jelly, mulberry extract, olive oil, daisy flower extract help to remove dead skin cells and maintain even skin tone. This hydrating face mask is free of any synthetic chemicals and is 100% organic and plant-based.

2) Khadi Natural Hibiscus & Aloe vera Hair Cleanser

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This hair cleanser is an excellent hair formula made with natural ingredients like hibiscus which is rich in amino acids to stimulate hair growth and strengthen your root, green tea to fight dryness of scalp, reetha as an antibacterial agent. It works to enhance scalp blood circulation and repair dead skin cells of the scalp. The presence of aloe vera helps in hair conditioning, prevents itching on the scalp, and reduces dandruff. This product is one of the best of its kind owing to its price range.

3) Azafran organics Daily 3 in 1 Moisturizer

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Organic moisturizer enriched with botanical extracts of five fruits like bilberry, sugarcane, orange, sugar maple, and lemon which stimulates collagen synthesis and boosts skin elasticity. The organic soya butter used is rich in natural vitamin E and helps in skin cell regeneration. Most importantly it also contains titanium oxide which aids in UV-A and UV-B blocking. It leaves skin with a satin silk finish if applied twice daily.

4) Kama Ayurveda Rose Jasmine Bath and Body Oil

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This awesome product is a blend of pure essential oils of rose and jasmine along with organic almond oil, castor oil, and many more. It nourishes the skin with rich vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which reduces acne and restores natural skin glow. It has a gentle sweet fragrance and absorbs very quickly making it a good option as post bathing oil.

5) Ruby's Organic Lipstick

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100 % vegetarian lip organic lip color which comes with the benefits of a lip balm with the residing power and attractive glow of a lipstick. It’s enriched with shea and cocoa butter that hydrates our lips and keeps it baby soft. It is completely devoid of synthetic preservatives and parabens. It is an epitome of beauty wrapped in nature.

6) Biotique βxl Cellular Anti-Age Protection Cream

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Biotique products are 100% organically pure and are made of ingredients cultivated and manufactured in the foothills of the Himalayas. This is an ultra-soothing, anti-wrinkle sun cream effective for broad-spectrum UVA/UVB. It's augmented by the presence of sunflower oil, winter cherry root extract, coconut oil, almond oil, and others. It’s very soothing to our skin and also enhances skin glow.

7) Osea Red Algae Mask

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This magical mask is enriched with top-notch ingredients like Gigartina seaweed, French pink and red clay along with juniper leaf essential oil and tea tree oil. It decongests pores and draws out impurities and oil out of the skin. Most importantly it delivers anti-aging benefits and aids with collagen protection benefits.

8) One Love Organics Botanical E Eye Balm

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It’s a luxurious eye balm to help soothe and plump skin moisture around the eye. Its composition is a blend of Centella asiatica, rooibos oil, sea kelp, pomegranate, and shea butter. It locks skin moisture providing day-long hydration. It helps reduce eye puffiness and dark circles in a week’s treatment. Applying this daily at night helps to remove the appearance of fine lines.

9) Bon Organics Eye Liner and Kajal

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We all want our eyes to be attractively illustrated for an enchanting visual communication. This is a 100% handmade natural and organic eyeliner and kajal which gives an intense finish look with a nourishing effect on the hair follicles in the eye area. It is 100% free of chemicals and artificial color that gives a new leash of life to our eyes.

10) St. Botanica Pure Organic Argan Cold Pressed Organic Oil

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Argan Oil has massaging and healing effects due to its richness in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids components. Besides strengthening damaged and frizzy hair, it can restore brittle nails by applying argan oil daily. This fantastic moisturizing agent delivers keratin to renew healthy skin and its luster. St. Botanica uses pure argan oil imported from Morocco, this oil is pressed from the nuts of Moroccan Argan tree and hence this excellent product acts as a natural emollient for both hair and skin.

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Interesting facts about our skin which we probably don’t know.

2020-09-13T09:59:00.008-07:00

Our skin is doing a great job for us on a day-to-day basis. From providing an airtight, watertight, and barrier between inner and outer environments, it also regulates body temperature, helps in the production of Vitamin, and also an important organ of sensation. Many of us might don’t know, but the Skin is the largest organ of our body. There are several interesting facts about our skin with which many of us aren’t familiar, yet. So, let's see what we got in our arsenal of secrecy regarding our skin.

Following are the Seven interesting facts about our skin:

1. Skin helps in regulating our body temperature.

2. Dry skin in the winter may not only be uncomfortable but it may be harmful too.

3. Similar to the snakeskin, our skin too renews itself every 28 days.

4. Like our mind, our skin too can respond negatively to the stress.

5. Changes in our skin appearance can portrait our underlined health issues.

6. Our thick skin has a purpose.

7. Using a single product from head to toe would make our skin happier.

1. Skin helps in regulating our body temperature.

Sweating is a function of our body that helps regulate our body temperature. Normal sweating amount per can be as much as a quart of fluid. Although, sweating isn’t just our body’s only way of keeping us cool. Especially when we are warm, our skin helps us to cool down via vasodilation. Vasodilation is defined as the widening of the blood vessels, and occurs when blood vessels just below the surface of the skin dilate, allowing for increased blood flow and heat escape.

In contrast, our skin may also help keep us warm when it’s cold. The process by which it helps us to remain warm is vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction is the opposite process to vasodilation: As our body temperatures drop, blood vessels under our skin narrow to decrease the amount of heat lost from the body through the surface of our skin.

2. Dry skin in the winter may not only be uncomfortable, but it may be harmful too.

In the winter, when the temperature around our surrounding starts to drop, and the harsh cold wind starts to blow, we try to increase our surrounding temperature by various heating system, and this will take away the moisture from our skin. But the worst thing is yet to come, the skin needs to remain like a healthy barrier to prevent infections, but dry skin is basically a cracked, broken barrier through which bacteria and microbes may take the entry and can cause other health issues.

So, it is advisable to keep skin moisturized with the cosmetic products that contain hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and/or ceramides. It is also advised to apply these within the first minute of coming out of the shower when the skin is still moist. This will increase the penetration and lock in the hydration.

3. Similar to the snakeskin, our skin too renew itself in every 28 days.

The thin outer layer of your skin is called Epidermis, which contains the dead skin cells. So, it’s the epidermis that changes on every 28 days, not the whole skin. We can clear these dead cells away to keep our skin looking bright by exfoliating our skin regularly. We can exfoliate in two ways, either using a physical exfoliator, which physically clears dead skin cells and other impurities from our skin or a chemical exfoliator, which uses a mild acid to dissolve these dead cells, choice is ours. We should avoid over-doing as well as avoid using exfoliators having sharp edges. This may cause skin injury in the microscopic level. Exfoliating once a week is recommendable, while twice a week is also preferable in some special cases.

4. Like our mind, our skin too can respond negatively to the stress.

Research says stress can trigger a high level of cortisol and inflammatory molecules called cytokines that spread throughout our body. This results in the rise of an inflammatory marker which will trigger a collagen breaking enzyme, known as metalloproteinases. This enzyme breaks down the collagen which is responsible for the youthful and bouncy elasticity look of our skin. This stress doesn’t need to be a big one, it can be our day to day stresses. We can do several Yoga to get rid of these stresses.

5. Changes in our skin appearance can portrait our underlined health issues.

Stress isn’t solely responsible for the for-triggering responses from our skin, there are other several reasons. These reasons can be small rash, itching, hives, or swelling. Adult acne can occur due to fluctuating hormone levels, which could indicate pregnancy, perimenopause, or menopause, but acne can also indicate a hormonal disorder such as polycystic ovary syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic. Skin disorders can be caused by a number of other reasons such as our age, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, and nutritional deficiencies, and many more. The good news is that change in our skin isn’t always a bigger problem, but it's good to see a doctor on time to check if it’s any serious issue.

6. Our thick skin has a purpose.

Spots on our skin are taken as an inconvenience stuff, but they may have a reason for their existence. The bottoms of your feet and heels may be made up of thicker skin because it has to assist us while walking, this an excellent example of evolution. Areas like the Elbows tend to get thicker over the years because we lean on them, it’s a reactive response from the constant friction. We should use a moisturizer having a chemical peel ingredient like lactic acid which will break down this thick skin.

7. Using a single product from head to toe would make our skin happier.

Nowadays there are varieties of products available at the cosmetic stores, each having a specific role on our skin. Like we will find a specific product which will be recommended to skin having acne only, others will be for dry skin only, another maybe for the oily skin only, and the list goes on. Our skin is doing great work, and we shouldn’t make it complex while caring for it. Many dermatologists suggested to just use a single product, and keep this habit as long as it is working. As for example, just use the cleanser and sunscreen in the morning, while cleansing and moisturizing at night. Creating this habit will give a great result in the long-run.

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WOMEN ON THE ROCKZ- FIVE FAMOUS ALL-GIRLS ROCK BAND IN THE WORLD

2020-09-04T09:41:00.110-07:00

In times of yore, it was thought that Rock Music was not a woman’s cup of tea. During the early 1930s, some “all-girl” band embarked on setting a brand-new trend in world music. They successfully hit the trail to carve a path for women in pop music. Goldie & the Gingerbreads is supposed to be the first all-female rock band who gained recognition. Since then, many other women rock bands came up to pioneer the tracks of rock-roll with a mixture of jazz and rap metal. Here are 5 women rock bands that are worth mentioning.

The Ronettes

The Ronettes, an American group was one of the oldest all-girl rock band which came up in 1959. Even though it was not commercially acclaimed during that age but successfully left a mark in the hearts of music lovers. The group was founded by two sisters Ronnie Bennett and Estella Bennett together with their cousin Nedra Talley. 1963 was their luckiest year since they were eulogized as a rock band with their first hit “Be My Baby”. With success touching its peaks they gifted the audience with other masterpieces like “Breakin’ Up”, “Walking in the Rain”. The Ronettes were the only girl group who got the opportunity to tour with the Beatles. The band was however disorganized in 1966. News came up that The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Donnas

It is an American all-girl rock band formed in 1993 in Palo Alto, California. It was one of the most commercially successful rock band. When the group was formed the girls were still in 8^th grade at school. Their team members are Brett Anderson, the lead vocalist; Allison Robertson, the guitarist; Maya Ford, the bassist, and Torry Castellano, the drummer. Earlier their group was called Electrocutes under which name they released an album Steal Yar Lunch Money. They released an album named The Donnas while working with producer Darin Raffaelli. They signed with a major company Atlantic in December 2001 and released their first top hit Spend the Night in 2002 with great publicity. The band also got attention from MTV airplay with their biggest radio hit Take It Off. Their songs got featured in video game soundtracks. “Who Invited You” came to be heard in games like Splashdown, True Crime: Streets of LA. Their song Take It Off was even used in Budweiser Commercial and the movie Dodgeball. Their energetic performance got them featured in films like Drive Me Crazy, Jawbreaker. A cover of "Roll On Down The Highway" was seen in the Disney comedy film Herbie: Fully Loaded.

In the Lollapalooza tour in 2003, they played on the main stage. They released the album Bitchin in 2007 which contained their soundtrack Don’t Wait Up For Me. They gave many commercial hits comprising hard rock, pop-punk, garage punk. In 2009 they released “Greatest Hits Volume 16” to celebrate the band’s 16^th year birthday. In 2016, another album Spend the Nights got released but the band was declared to be closed by Brett Anderson in an interview in 2017. Since then many of their fans are still waiting for them to reunite and release their previously recorded songs.

The Aces

The Aces is one of the most recent and crowd-pleasing American pop band from Provo. They have mastered genres like indie pop, new wave, and alternative rock. This is a 4 girls band with members Katie Henderson as guitarist, McKenna Petty as bassist, and sisters Alisa Ramirez (drums) and Cristal Ramirez (lead vocals and guitars). The band was officially formed in 2008 when all of them performed under the name Blue Aces in 2012. However, they gained the adulation of their fans when they signed a contract with Red Bull Records in 2016 and wrote two super-hit songs Volcanic Love and Stuck. The Aces then came up with the band's debut I Don't Like Being Honest, which was released in 2017 followed by their debut single "Stuck" which is known to reach No. 38 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. One of their most acclaimed song, When My Heart Felt Volcanic took the internet by storm as released in 2018. Their achievements bought colors when their band The Aces was announced as the opening act for 5 Seconds of Summer's Meet You There World Tour. A music video of their song “Daydream” was released in March 2020. A huge response came up from their fans amidst this pandemic as their new single My Phone is Killing Me was released under the album Under My Influence on Red Bull Records in June 2020.

Chatmonchy

Chatmonchy is a Japanese girl rock band having 3 members Eriko Hashimoto for guitar and vocals, Akiko Fukuoka for bass and chorus, and Kumiko Takahashi for drums and chorus. Chatmonchy released their first album chatmonchy has come under the Ki/oon Records label. The song "Hana no Yume" became a well-liked radio single from the album. In the following years, they came up with super hits like Koi no Kemuri , Ren'ai Spirits, Miminari which were listed on the Oricon single chart. In 2007, they released the single Daidai (single)|Daidai which was used as the ending theme of the anime series Bleach. Similarly, many of their soundtracks were featured in other animes. The band was blessed to perform at various places including NANO-MUGEN FES.2006 ,ROCK IN JAPAN FES 2006, SUMMER SONIC 2006 OSAKA and MONSTER bash 2006. They released their final album Tanjo in 2018 after which they disbanded in July 2018.

Spice Girls

It is a British pop group consisting of 5 members Melanie Brown (byname as Mel B or "Scary Spice"), Melanie Chisholm (Mel C or "Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice") and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). This group came into existence in 1994. Their first debut single Wannabe was a super hit and gained global success across 37 countries. Their debut album Spice is considered to be the best-selling album by a female group in history. In 1997 they published Girl Power a collection of lyrics and biographical snippets. Spice World, their second album was used in a movie Spice World in 1997. The group won two Brit Awards for Best British Video, "Say You'll Be There" and Best British Single for "Wannabe". In the Billboard Music award 1997, the Spice Girls were blessed to win four awards. They released their final album Forever in 2000 and the disbanded in 2001. However, the group reunited in 2007 with the release of their comeback single “Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)”. Spice Girls also performed at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Top 15 Effective Remedies for Stretch Marks

2020-08-28T05:12:00.006-07:00

Stretch marks appear when the dermal layer of the skin which has strongly interconnected fibers stretch out as our body grows like in case of sudden weight gain or pregnancy. Red stretch marks are easier to remove by treatment rather than white stretch marks which take a long time to fade.

Common Causes of Stretch Marks:

During pregnancy in women.
Rapid gain or loss of weight
Uses of Corticosteroid creams, lotions, and pills.
Due to adrenal gland disorder.

Don’t let stretch marks subdue your confidence any more. Given below are the best possible remedies to win over this stretch marks problem.

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree oil is coming up as an excellent ingredient for skin treatment purposes as it is a good wound healer and is quite effective for reducing stretch marks. Apply 2-3 tablespoon of tea tree oil over the affected area and massage for 5 mins to get absorbed into the skin and leave overnight for better results within a month.

2. Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter

Both of them are used in stretch mark ointments since shea butter is made with a formula rich in natural emollient and cocoa butter acts as an excellent moisturizer by seeping into the dermis layer. Mix ½ a cup of cocoa butter and ¼ of shea butter and heat to melt. Add Vitamin E oil to this mixture and evenly apply the resulting mixture to the affected area. Wash it after1-2 hours, for best results massage on skin and keep overnight.

3. Argan oil

Since Argan oil is Vitamin E enriched, it helps to improve skin elasticity and fades away stretch mark. You just need to massage 1-2 tablespoon of argan oil over the skin and leave it overnight.

4. Black Tea

Black tea being rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants provide an efficacious way of fast removal of stretch marks. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of black tea leaves in warm water and add 1 tablespoon of salt and boil for 2 mins. Cool it down for 15-20 mins and apply over the affected area for 3-4 weeks to start getting visual results.

5. Lemon juice

Its natural bleaching property helps to reduce freckles and heals skin to fade the stretch marks more quickly. Rub the fresh lemon juice on the skin until it gets soaked and let it dry for 10 mins before you rinse it off with lukewarm water.

6. Egg white

Egg white helps to lighten the stretch marks and repair skin since it's rich in amino acids. Separate the egg white from yolks and whip 3 egg whites to soft peak and apply a thick layer over stretch marks and let it dry completely. Then rinse with warm water. Apply these for one month to see results.

7. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has miraculous healing properties and aids in collagen development. It helps to keep skin moist and fastens the fading of stretch marks. Peel off the outer skin of aloe vera leaf and extract the sticky gel from it. Apply it over the affected area and massage for 2 mins and let it air dry. Wash in lukewarm water. You can also use aloe vera gel from the market and mix with 1 tablespoon of Vitamin E and apply the mixture as mentioned above.

8. Apricot Mask

Apricots have exfoliating properties with moisturizing effects on the skin. Apricots are rich vitamin source which helps build collagen and gives elasticity to the skin. It has essential fatty acids that aid in instant skin rejuvenation. It helps in reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Take 2-3 apricots and remove their seeds. Grind them to a fine smooth paste and apply over affected areas and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and repeat the process for a month.

9. Gelatin

Gelatin contains a significant amount of collagen and improves skin elasticity and removes stretch marks. For a natural source of gelatin in diet, you can have chicken or lamb bone broth. Otherwise, you can use gelatin gummy every day.

10. Onions

Onions contain flavonoid and quercetin which helps in skin repair and is effective to reduce stretch marks as well. Chop onion strips and grind them in a blender to get a skin paste. Strain the juice from the paste and apply it over the affected area and keep overnight.

11. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is often used as a skin moisturizer as it increases blood flow to our skin. Since it helps the skin to retain its elasticity due to its increased collagen components, it can be an effective way to reduce stretch marks. Take 1-2 tablespoon of coconut oil and massage it gently over damp skin i.e. affected area for 5-10 minutes and wash it after 1-2 hours or keep overnight for better results.

12. Potato juice

Potato juice has vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which aids in moisturizing skin, tighten skin, and helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Grate the potato into thick slices and rub them over the affected area or extract the juice from potato slice and apply on stretch marks. Let them dry and get absorbed. Wash it off with warm water.

13. White Sugar

White sugar has natural exfoliating property, it penetrates into skin cells and leaves the skin rejuvenated. It stimulates the skin and sheds dead cells.

1-2 tablespoon white sugar is preferred to be mixed with 1-2 tablespoon of almond or coconut oil and then apply on skin. Massage for 5-10 minutes so that they get absorbed on the skin. Then wash off with water.

14. Castor Oil

Castor oil acts as a natural emollient since its rich in ricinoleic acid and helps to smoothen the dried stretch marks slowly and reduce their appearance. Take 1-2 tablespoon of castor oil and massage gently over stretch marks. Leave overnight for better action and wash off the next morning.

15. Olive Oil

Olive oil has antioxidant, linoleic acid, and vitamin E which has moisturizing effects. Its Vitamin K content acts as a stretch mark antidote. It fastens up the healing process and reduces stretch marks. Warm 1-2 tablespoon of virgin olive oil in low flame. Then apply it over the affected area by a gentle massage for 5-10 minutes and leave it overnight for better results.

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7 amazing Face mask for all skin types

2020-08-18T20:58:00.002-07:00

The first facial mask was invented by Madame Rowley in England during the 18th century, it was the first “face glove”, a mask which was beneficial for anyone who wanted to ‘bleach, purify and preserve the complexion’ of the skin in its better version. The effect of a facial mask treatment can be likely revitalizing, rejuvenating or refreshing. A face mask can be a fantastic tool to have in our beauty arsenal, but not all skin care masks are created for the same purpose. Depending on our skin type and needs, different masks work better for different people.

We summarized up the few best face masks to get your skin glowing, no matter what condition it’s currently in. These face masks in this list have active ingredients that are clinically proven to treat the skin conditions in the same way they claimed. We used the science behind these face masks as our main criteria to create this list, which is followed by customer reviews, and convenience of use.

The different types of face mask depending on the skin types are:

Face mask for acne
Face masks for dry skin
Face mask for brighter skin
Face masks for oily skin
Face mask for hyper-pigmentation
Face mask for blackheads
Face mask for sensitive skin

1. Face mask for acne

The Nourishing Honey Mask

We all know that Honey is a natural antibacterial, which makes it a perfect base for acne-fighting masks. Nutritional yeast is also excellent for treating acne as it's rich in vitamin-B that help calm the skin barrier, especially when women are breaking out around their periods.

Procedure:

1. Brew one cup of chamomile tea with two tea bags. Allow the tea to cool completely.

2. Take a tiny bowl and add one tablespoon of raw honey and nutritional yeast, stir together.

3. Chamomile tea is added enough to the bowl so that we can create a thicker paste that's still runny enough to spread across your skin, but it shouldn’t be too watery.

4. Apply a thin layer to your face and let take a rest for 20 minutes.

5. Rinse off and pat dry. Moisturize your skin after rinsing off.

2. Face masks for dry skin

The Cocoa Dream Hydration Mask

There are major three ingredients in this fully edible mask, and they all work together to fix your dry face wonderfully. First ingredient is Avocado, and it is extremely hydrating. Second ingredient is cocoa, and it is an excellent skin-soothing antioxidant. The third and final ingredient is honey, which is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Procedure:

1. Mash one-fourth of an avocado in a 250ml bowl.

2. Add one tablespoon cocoa powder and one tablespoon honey, stir it and mixing well.

3. Clean your skin and apply the mask, leave it for 10 minutes until your face is dry.

4. Wash your face with warm water, then moisturize as per usual.

3. Face mask for brighter skin

The Organic Banana Face Mask

This natural face mask will give your skin such a natural-looking glow, and it's designed to be gentle enough on all skin types. It is also very easy to prepare and ingredients are easily available.

Procedure:

1. Mash half of a banana in a bowl.

2. Add a tablespoon of orange juice and honey each, mix it gently.

3. Now apply the mask to your face and keep the mixture on for 10-15 minutes.

4. Rinse your face with lukewarm water and then moisturize it.

4. Face masks for oily skin

The Breakfast Mask

This breakfast-themed face mask helps mattify oily skin which a generalized problem to women all over the world. Addition of oatmeal and egg yolks helps in soothing and tightening of the skin.

Procedure:

1. Mix one egg yolk, one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of olive oil with half a cup of oatmeal.

2. Stir well, then apply it to your face for half an hour.

3. Rinse it with lukewarm water and then apply moisturizer.

5. Face mask for hyper-pigmentation

Papaya Lightening Mask

This face mask is especially great for those who have hyper-pigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tones. It repairs these skin types naturally and in a very short time duration.

Procedure:

1. Blend together half-cup of mashed papaya and two tablespoons of honey.

2. Apply the mixture gently over your face for 15-20 minutes.

3. Wash it off and moisturize the skin.

6. Face mask for blackheads

Charcoal face mask

Charcoal face masks has been in the news for quite some time now. It is known best for the quickest remedy for blackhead removal. Activated charcoal is a detoxifying agent that helps unclog pores and make skin spotless and smooth. It clears out deep-rooted blackheads and whiteheads.

Procedure:

1. Take a teaspoon of non-flavored gelatin and half a tablespoon of activated charcoal in one bowl and mix.

2. Add some warm water and stir to make a thick paste.

3. Put few drops of tea tree oil into the mixture and mix it thoroughly.

4. Apply a thick layer of the mask on a clean and dry face.

5. Allow it to dry completely for half an hour.

5. Carefully peel off the mask and wipe with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water. Rinse your and face and moisturize it.

7. Face mask for sensitive skin

Matcha Mask

Matcha mask is green tea-based mask. Green tea (matcha) has been proven to have a series of health benefits including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer prevention. It even encourages weight loss. Matcha as an ingredient for facial-skin products contains many anti-inflammatory effects. The green tea and honey combination work wonders in response to inflammation, and it even soothes the most sensitive skin and fights free radicals. And the final result of this mask is the damage repair of the skin.

Procedure:

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of matcha powder / loose tea leaves, one teaspoon of honey, and one teaspoon of jojoba or almond oil in a small bowl.

2. Apply over the face and leave for 15 minutes.

3. Wash off with warm water and moisturize.

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Kalki Subramaniam – The Lionized Trans-activist of India

2020-08-16T08:02:00.013-07:00

She is an illustrious transgender figure who not only came up to be the first transgender entrepreneur in India but also an artist, actor, activist and inspirational speaker. She was completely perplexed at the age of 13 on how she will take this strenuous decision to lead her life in her way. In the beginning she had to face all hurdles and rebuke to win over the odds of life but she ultimately landed up to be a successful admired individual of society. She is the founder of Sahodari Foundation, an organization that contributes to the economic empowerment of transgenders in India through its art and cultural work.

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She initiated Trans/hearts project to reach out to transgenders and offer them free workshop so that they can paint their life-story on the canvas and support their livelihood. She starred as a first transsexual actor in a lead-role in a Tamil film, Narthagi which portrayed the lives of transgenders. Her film career had movies like Kalashnikov- The lone wolf which won best film jury at Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival. Harvard University invited her in 2017 to speak at the Indian Conference about “Transgender empowerment in India”. She also gave her motivational speech at University of California during her US visit.

On women’s day 2015, she was chosen as one of the 12 most inspiring women of the world by Facebook. She also launched the Red Wall Project for transgenders to voice the victims of harassment and violence that remains aloof from reaching the ears of society. She was one of the eminent figure advocating and campaigning for the recognition of legal rights for transgender people and her struggle played a mainstream role in the victory given by The Supreme Court in 2014 coining them as “third gender”.

Being an artist her paintings depict the healing process from anguish, fear that they suffer from. It’s an art that reflects their raw self and passion which lies hidden in their heart trying to find a chance to pop out in light. Her paintings are exhibited and sold for fund raising. “Kuri Aruthean”, is a collection of her poetry in Tamil that acclaimed her as powerful literary contributor. She won best poet award from BornToWin in 2015. She began to gain international acclamation as she was invited as official guest of the United States of America as Human Rights Activist through IVLP and was honoured in the United Nations Office in New York city in 2010. In 2018 she was invited by Ministry of Global Affairs, Canada to participate at Global Conference on lgbt human rights.

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MG motors honoured her as one of ‘the finest changemakers of India’. She was invited by Schwules Museum, Germany in 2018 to present her poetry, art and activism to special audience who gave her a huge applaud. She became International Ambassador for TransAmsterdam organisation in Netherland. She is making every effort to give social acceptance and a dignified life to the underprivileged third-gender people in today’s society. She is continuing to inspire people through her life lessons and skills. She dreams to create a powerful trans-community in India to eliminate oppression and exclusion based on genders. Her pioneering contribution to India’s LGBT community will be inscribed in golden words

The Black Pageant, Zozibini Tunzi

2020-08-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Zozibini Tunzi, a Black woman with afro hair, grew up reading fashion and beauty magazines that did not contain images of women who looked like her. So, when she was crowned Miss South Africa one year ago in 2019, Tunzi felt on top of the world. She helped shift the status quo for the beauty standards by winning the title of Miss Universe 2019.

Born in the South Africa town Tsolo, Tunzi was brought up in a village near her birthplace,Sidwadweni. She has two other sisters as well. After completing school, Tunzi graduated from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a bachelor's degree in public relations and image management in 2018.She had shifted base to Cape Town for her college. In the meantime, Tunzi also worked as an intern in the public relations department of Ogilvy Cape Town.

Zozibini is a South African model and beauty pageant titleholder. Tunzi was previously crowned Miss South Africa 2019. She is the first black woman since Leila Lopes to be crowned Miss Universe 2011, Trinidad's Janelle Commissiong was the first black woman to win the crown in 1977. Believe it or not, she is the third woman from South Africa to win the title. This is South Africa's latest victory after their last win in 2017. The country has produced three Miss Universe till date.

Speaking about it, Tunzi said during the pageant, "I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me with my kind of skin and my kind of hair was never considered to be beautiful. And I think that's time that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."

Apart from her career in modelling, Tunzi is a passionate activist and engaged in the fight against gender-based violence. She has devoted her social media campaign to changing the narrative around gender stereotypes. She is a proud advocate for natural beauty and encourages women to love themselves the way they are.

Gulabi Gang, the Feminist Vigilantism of India

2020-08-13T03:49:00.020-07:00

An all-women vigilante group captures popular imagination by wielding sticks and taking on villains, this popular women’s group is Gulabi Gang (Pink Gang). The women’s group is popularly known as Gulabi or ‘Pink’ Gang because the members wear bright pink saris and wield bamboo sticks.

The Gulabi Gang is an extraordinary women’s movement formed in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi in the Banda District of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. This region is one of the poorest districts in the country and is marked by a deeply patriarchal culture, rigid caste divisions, female illiteracy, domestic violence, child labour, child marriages and dowry demands.

The Gulabi Gang was initially intended to punish oppressive husbands, fathers and brothers, and combat domestic violence and desertion. The members of the gang would accost male offenders and prevail upon them to see reason.

Most, if not all, are members of lower castes. Al Jazeera reported that the group has an estimated 400,000 members as of 2014; the Hindustan Times put the figure at 270,000. While there are many men who associate with the ideals of the gang and even help them out in all ways possible, there are no men who are a part of the core gang. Their biggest support, according to Sampat, is by not being obstacles. Every male member of the community who isn’t a hindrance to or who doesn’t stop a woman from being a member of the gang, is in his own way, supporting the gang.

A Bollywood movie ‘Gulaab Gang’ was made based on the stories of this group. Gulaab Gang is a crime drama film directed by Soumik Sen. Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla play the major characters Rajjo and Sumitra Bagrecha respectively. The film is centered around the struggle of women in India, and the title throws light on a gang of members who are activists and vigilantes in the North of India.

From fighting violence against women, preventing child marriages, arranging weddings of couple in love despite local resistance, to ensuring delivery of basic rights for the poorest of poor, the Gulabi Gang's vision is to 'protect the powerless from abuse and fight corruption' has found easy resonance across much of India’s hinterland, blighted by unending reports of sex crimes and gang rapes. It is said that the Gang has stepped into the vacuum left by the state and offers an alternative means of attaining justice.

Fashion Voyage through Centuries

2020-08-05T05:22:00.038-07:00

Women clothing style seems to change more dramatically than world economics. Looking back to the archive of fashion, we can witness the remodeling of fashion and style through space and time.

Mantua as a formal dress in 18^th century

18^th century women wore mantua as formal wear. The mantua was an open-fronted silk or fine wool gown with a train that is folded up through complicated draping accompanied by loose elbow length sleeves in the bodiac. Sack back dress which became popular in the mid of 18^th century was made from panels of silk and it flowed down like a full skirt worn over hoop petticoat. The richly embroidered and beautifully patterned hand-sewn silk gowns depicted the wearer’s wealth. However, their feasible clothes had a close resemblance to men’s jacket and waistcoat version which they were worn during traveling, riding, and outdoor occasion. In the early 18^th century, the hair hung close to head with linen cap but towards the end of the century, the hair was combed over a padded roll or over a frame.

Princess line dress of 19^th century

Progression into the 19^th century launched an S-shaped silhouette dress that disclosed the actual body form with a deeper waistline and tighter fit giving a bell-shaped skirt. Short puffed sleeves and feather quilted petticoats were on fashion. Later half of 19^th century observed another style called the “princess line” dress named after Alexander, the princess of Wales. The style depicted a dress without a waist seam, fitted inside with long and vertical tucks to echo a slim body-conscious look. Another elite group of women almost led a movement in favor of “artistic dress” which were loosely fitted than conventional attire and were rather simple with long puffed sleeves. They were made from fabric with muted colors from natural dye and designed in needlework. Bonnets or hats were worn under raised top knots and in later century hairstyles became smooth with central parting finished with ringlets on either side of the face. A small bun raised on top of the head and puffed out of the face looked quite fashionable.

With the expansion of the fashion industry in 20^th century and technological production of synthetic fibers, there was a constant inflow of new styles to cater the demands of fashionholic women. According to the French couturier Paul Poiret, he had emancipated women from the corset and replaced it with brassiere with his exotic range of alluring designs. He came up with eastern style trousers, hobble skirt, lampshade skirt, and Neo-classical gowns like tunics known as peplos. The changing trend reflected women independence in style statement. As women became free to choose their career and profession, they took up fashion-forward garments with confidence according to their social settings. Starting from slit skirts to shorter skirts with more ankle revealing accompanied by skin-color stockings came into fashion. Colors were heavily influenced by war and women loved military-inspired fashion colors. Mid of 20^th century was the turning point where femininity returned to fashion with a tight waist and high hemlines as timeless looks.

Backless dress and halter neckline popped up in fashion. Designers played with vibrant colors and repeating patterns and came up with fashionable matching bags with dresses. The societal and cultural change was clearly expressed through clothing like A-line dresses that showed off legs and gave ladies extra height. Bell-bottom pants, mini-skirts sprung up like fancy trends. Glam rock and disco trends introduced fashion staples like satin, glitters in make-up. Baggy blazers, jelly shoes, and espadrilles were well-liked.

With the current fashion trends of 21^st century, smock tops with hotpants, skinny or high-waist jeans have popularised. Women like to follow minimalist fashion trends with just casual ripped jeans and t-shirts. Neon leggings, jumpsuits, asymmetric color dress, multi-color sequin mini dress to ruffled sleeves maxi dress has captured the market. In this era since designers have creative liberation, they can come up with indo-western style, fusion wear which beholds the very essence of the charismatic glam world of fashion. It’s a famous saying that what goes out of fashion, always comes back to embrace the countless continuance of eternity.

[Credit: Debanjali Dey, Kolkata]

Katy Perry, the Mom-to-be...

2020-08-03T06:45:00.001-07:00

While Katy Perry has clearly kept mum about her pregnancy to date, her epic surprise reveal seems to have well and truly opened the pregnancy detail floodgates. And, the singer is now unable to keep her excitement (or any detail around her soon-to-be-born baby, really) a secret any longer.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are expecting their first child together. The mom-to-be says that she and Orlando's relationship is strong as they have bonded over "mysticism, conspiracies, aliens" and that she admires her husband-to-be's dedication to "be more spiritually evolved".

The California Gurls hitmaker also admitted that she was finding it hard knowing how to handle her cravings while in quarantine. "Everyone talks about cravings when you're pregnant and for me, I think about cravings but I also think about 'do I want to risk my life getting that craving' so it's all like really intense thoughts that are supposed to be light and bright and you're like arghh. You know, there's so many levels of uncertainty and it's really a one day at a time type of thing."

Despite being pregnant and in lockdown, Katy has been keeping busy with work as a judge on American Idol. On Sunday night, she was full of praise for Samantha Diaz, aka Just Sam, as she was crowned the winner of the show.

Perry's exact due date is not public knowledge but is expected within the next few weeks, so it's unclear what's likely to arrive first – her baby or her album.

Ukulele to Billboard Magazine, Grace VanderWaal

2020-08-03T00:05:00.004-07:00

Grace VanderWaal was born on January 15, 2004, in Kansas and is now from Suffern, New York. She lives with her mother Tina, her father David, her older sister (also her best friend) by three years Olivia.

She started singing at the age of three. She bought her first Ukulele with her birthday money from her 11th birthday and a few months later, she began to write songs. Her ukulele is the same size, but Grace VanderWaal has grown up plenty since she first appeared on TV as a 12-year-old “America’s Got Talent” champion in 2016. She was the winner of the competition, claiming the $1,000,000 prize and the headlining of a show in Las Vegas.

Now, after releasing music, touring the nation, and modeling, the singer/songwriter has a new role as the titular star of the Disney movie “Stargirl”. Offscreen, VanderWaal, now 16, is recording a follow-up to her 2019 EP, “Letters, Vol. 1.”

She won the 2017 Radio Disney Music Award for Best New Artist and a Teen Choice Award has been named to Billboard magazine's 21 Under 21 list of fast-rising young music stars in four consecutive years (2016–2019), received the 2017 Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, and is the youngest person ever included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 Music List.

Trivia

Grace is the first child act, and the first female to win since Bianca Ryan in Season 1.
At 12 years of age when she won, Grace was the 2nd youngest act to win America's Got Talent.
She is the first singing act to win since Season 6.
She is the second consecutive Golden Buzzer act to win after Paul Zerdin, but she is the first winner to have received the Golden Buzzer in the auditions by one of the main judges.
Grace was the first singing act to win AGT that performed original songs.
The YouTube video of her audition is the most viewed in America's Got Talent history with over 100 million views. Her audition video was one of the top five trending YouTube videos of 2016.
Grace was signed to IMG Models, the first AGT winner to make the transition to modeling.
She made her film debut in Stargirl, which was released on Disney+ in 2020.

A Mom with a Mission

2020-07-31T08:56:00.009-07:00

Dr. Fatu M. Forna is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist in Lithonia, Georgia and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area. She has been in practice for 11-20 years. Dr. Forna is passionate about improving the health of women, children, and families around the world. Every year Fatu and her husband, who is also a medical doctor, raise funds at their home in Atlanta and travel to Sierra Leone with medical supplies and offer free medical services. She is a global gynecologist, reproductive health coach, and international expert on reproductive and maternal health issues, and the author of the book - From your doctor to you.

She was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, a country with very limited medical resources, where many women die during childbirth. She knew from her young age that she wanted to be an Ob/Gyn so that she could provide care to women of all ages. Chasing her dream, she moved to the U.S. in her early age and went to college at Florida A&M University, medical school at Duke University, and completed residency training at Emory University. She was at the CDC for four years after residency, where she was able to travel to many countries, working on decreasing the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their children. She is passionate about improving the reproductive health of women and girls around the world. She spent a few years working with the World Health Organization (WHO) on reducing maternal mortality and currently serve as an advisor to WHO on maternal mortality reduction.

She is the author of a book for teenage girls and has developed a curriculum to teach girls and young women to protect their reproductive health. She also founded a non-profit organization to improve the health of women and children in Sierra Leone called The Mama-Pikin Foundation, with her husband, who is a pediatrician. The core public health intervention of Mama-Pikin Foundations are:

Providing a delivery bucket to every woman who delivers a baby at their supported clinics. Each bucket contains a sheet of plastic to provide a clean surface area for delivery, a Lappa (cloth) to wrap the baby, and soap. Each kit costs $5 and they have distributed over 5000 buckets so far. The buckets have been very successful in decreasing maternal and neonatal infections, and in providing an incentive for women to come to the clinics to deliver.
Providing nutrition support for pregnant women in birth waiting homes.
Providing support for Community Health Officers to promote delivery in clinics, breastfeeding, and identification of sick and at-risk pregnant women and children.

Dr. Forna is a passionate advocate for the reproductive health of young women. Even though she was born in a developing country like Sierra Leone, she dreamt big and achieved it by her continuous effort and dedication. She is the mother of four children and still delivering her services to the society which itself is very inspiring to the rest of the women of the world.