Perfect Skin Care for you: May 2012

My Latest Haul

My new specs and I love the blue-black combo

This is my most expensive haul of the whole life with my own money and I am really excited to share it with you all :) So, do let me know what you think??? And, let the pics do the talking!!!

Flipflops from Oasap.com

Flipflops with a bow @ Perfect Skin Care for you

the bow for the other flipflop came off :(

Hey guys, I wanted to share what I got from Oasap.com recently. So, check out the snaps. Btw, a word about the website, I love the things they have. They have amazing bags, belts, footwear, scarfs, everything!! And, I am not even speaking about the clothes which are just simply gorgeous except some of the things which you can't wear easily in India :)

Hand Sanitizers and their Effectiveness {Skin Care}

Home Remedies for skin dryness {DIY}

I received a comment from Khushboo asking me how to deal with skin dryness and bring a glow to the face and how to make the skin look fresh. Its a huge complicated thing and probably I can write many many posts on that. So, I thought I would start with home remedies for skin dryness.

Child Abuse and SMJ

Are you a difficult customer? {Your Opinion}

Black Pepper to cover Gray Hair {Reader's Tip}

I received this comment which I thought would be particularly helpful for everyone struggling with gray hairs instead of resorting to hair colors.

"I don't have hair loss problem but my hair is dry and has lots of gray hair. I am applying yogurt mixed with black pepper thrice a week started this week. This is helpful to cover grey hair and my hair had become soft and looking darker."

Thanks a lot to the person who has dropped in this comment :)

Do join my giveaway here.

And, read more Reader's Tips here.

Image Courtesy:trendingfashions.com

Do you wash your hands after applying skin products and before doing your hair? {Your Opinion}

I like to keep my hands clean all the time. And, whenever I apply any moisturiser or sunscreen, I like to wash my hands afterwards. That's also a reason why I don't like hand creams because they tend to make my palms sticky. And, also, before doing my hair, I like to wash my hands so that the skin products don't get transferred to my hair and make it greasy or create a product build-up.

How do you manage your skin and hair care routine? Do you do your hair before your skin???

Image Courtesy:lovingyou.com

Natural Homemade Bleach {Reader's Tip}

This was submitted by a reader as a part of my currently going on giveaway. Don't forget to check it out!!! Also, I received a reader's query regarding bleach being harmful or useful to skin. So, hope this tip helps you.

"Take 1 carrot, 1/2 tomato pulp, some coriander, 1/2 lemon juice. puree whole stuff. apply on face, neck even arms for 15 mints. wash off with water."

And, read more Reader's Tips here.

Image Courtesy:colleenanderson.wordpress.com

Vitamin E for glow {Reader's Tips}

This is an amazing tip which I am definitely going to try.

Take a Vitamin E capsule, puncture it, and add to a dollop of your daily cream before applying on your skin. It really gives the skin a glow.

Do join my giveaway here.

And, read more Reader's Tips here.

Image Courtesy:bbc.co.uk

Lemon for acne scars {Reader's Tips}

This was submitted by Amee. She says:

Use lemon juice about 20 min twice or thrice in the week. It helped me a lot to remove the scars which probably cause due to acne and also helps me to even out my complexion.

Do join my giveaway here. And, a note to all those who have entered the giveaway, do not forget to answer the question about what you like and dislike about the blog. Its a mandatory entry and those who do not answer it would be disqualified from the giveaway. If you have by mistake entered no answer and want to edit your answer, you can simply click on the 'edit' option adjacent to the 'DONE' in the rafflecopter form. If you are not able to find it, drop me a note and I shall get back to you.

And, read more Reader's Tips here.

PS: Hey All, I guess I am going to take a break from blogging for like a week or so coz I am really not able to concentrate. So, I shall leave you with Reader's Tips everyday. Hopefully, I should be back by Sunday, if not before. Take Care till then :)

PS 1: I was indulging in some creativity so do you like the changes to the template? Do share the feedback? Ok, yes, I love cartoons a lot :D

Image Courtesy:recipestonourish.blogspot.com

How do you feel when you are down? {Women Stuff}

I feel wretched. Not only my hormones but my emotions start playing up on me too. I feel like crying all the day, I am moody, I feel all drained up as if I have no ounce of energy left in my body. I hate everything and fight unnecessarily. I shout on my parents. Yes, I am a bad daughter :(

Even before I get them, a day or two, I am mentally pretty disturbed. My hormones start going wayward and with it my moods go through so many ups and downs that it takes me around a week to get into proper order. I do not feel inclined to do anything and I get extremely withdrawn from the world itself :D

Update: I watched 'Pyar Ka Panchnama' today and loved it. Its hilarious and emotional at the same time. And, the guys are all cute. If you have missed it, I would really suggest you to go and watch it right away. The full movie is available on youtube. This is the link for the movie and I am embedding a clip which talks about girl temperament when girls are not even PMSing :D Do watch it.

How do you feel?

Fun in SA with Kyra

Me (on phone) : Hey Kyra, great news!!! The trip is on.
Kyra (replies back) : Great!!! Let's go shopping. Make a list of essentials and you know what tops the list, right??? Let's meet at 2.
Me : Seriously??? Not again!! It will be blazing hot.
Kyra : Oh come on, its not as if you are afraid of getting sun-burnt, are you?? Don't forget the protection, obviously.
Me : Yeah, but remember, no outdoors between 10 and 4??
Kyra : Yes, I know but are you gonna sit indoors in SA as well?? And, come on, its shopping for the trip!!

This was my conversation with my friend Kyra. We both are going off for a vacation this summer in the beautiful city of Johannesburg and are also covering Capetown. But, primarily we shall be spending our time at Suncity, the beautiful resort just two hours away from Johannesburg. The trip got confirmed yesterday when our parents said yes and passports and visa processing was started.So, now, we girls are gonna meet at 2 o' clock to shop for everything!!

Yes, Kyra loves sun and I don't. It gives me headaches. And, now, again I have to slap up a good amount of sunscreen to protect my skin. Gosh!! what life? So, talking about the shopping, we both are obsessed with something called 'sunscreen'. And, since this is South Africa we are talking about with its temperatures from 23 to 30 degrees, we definitely don't want to be sunburnt or miss out the fun on outdoor activities. So, miss anything or not, this is definitely gonna be there in our backpacks.

Me : Hey, so what all are we hoarding on?
Kyra : Not decided on the clothes but some scarfs and stoles and wide-brimmed hats and my favorite Lakme Sun Expert SPF 50...
Me : Not again!!

Lakme should seriously consider hiring Kyra as their brand ambassador, especially for their sun safe range. The way she goes on and on about their sunscreens is just too irritating. No, I don't use Lakme and never have till date, in fact. Oh no, we do have a lot of arguments on my and her choice of sunscreen and several times she has tried converting me to hers!! Well, don't think she has stopped trying coz that's not Kyra!!

Me (in the shop) : I am gonna wear jeans so I don't really need to get any thing. Lets look at some tees.
Kyra : Are you serious? What happened to the skirts and capris???
Me : Nah!! Then, I will have to apply the sunscreen on my legs too. Can't handle that much.
Kyra : I know very well why you don't like it. You don't like the heavy feel, right? Use mine and you won't even feel like you have applied the sunscreen. Lakme is light and doesn't really feel like you have applied anything.
Me : Can you please spare the lec, all time!! I don't wanna use it.
Kyra : Fine! (and *winks*)

And, I know something is going about her brain. After we finish the shopping, I know the what the *wink* was for. She bought two sunscreens.

Me : Why you getting two sunscreens? You bought one just two weeks back!!
Kyra : Huh...yes. I am going on a vacation. What do you think, I might get finished with one half way through our vacation!! And what then? Use your yucky sunscreen?
Me : Really?? I very well think I might be forced into using yours!!
Kyra : Yeah, right!! As if you listen to me.

But, I am pretty sure she is upto something. SA, save me from Kyra *pray*.

This is an entry for The Lakme Diva Blogger Contest.

www.facebook.com/ilovelakme

PS: Hey everyone, if you like the post, please vote for me here.

PS1: Your comments would be highly appreciated. Do let me know if you liked or hated the entry. And, don't forget to enter my giveaway. SA: South Africa.

Image Courtesy: Lakme Facebook Page

Lose weight with these easy tips {Health}

The inspiration to this post is that I am trying to lose out all the extra flab I have put on and I have exactly a month to do that. So, lets get on with the tips :) I have done a post on all these tips individually so I am linking them to the posts directly. Click on the headings to read the post.

These were the simple habits which helps a lot in controlling the excess weight. Apart from that, simple yoga postures which help in weight loss are:

Hopefully, this post will make me again practice all the simple daily habits which I had forsaken in the state of extreme laziness. Also, do let me know how do you like to lose your weight?

Image Courtesy:bestweightlossprogram.freereviews.org

My Mini-giveaway!! [Giveaway Closed]

So, as promised, I had said a couple of days back that I shall be holding a mini-giveaway when the blog fb fans cross 500 so here is the giveaway. This is not a sponsored giveaway and to be frank, its not really a big one either. So, consider it a mini-giveaway and I am sorry if it doesn't come up to your expectations. And, now, over to the Rafflecopter form. If you are reading the post in your mail box, kindly login to the blog to enter the giveaway.

Give the Rafflecopter form a few seconds to load. The first day is like a trial basis for the rafflecopter form to work properly so in case you have issues entering, please drop me a comment below and I shall revert back ASAP. And, thanks a lot guys for entering the giveaway. Your support is highly appreciated :)

Prize: Rs 500 voucher to any of your favorite shopping websites where netbanking is allowed :D

Update: Please follow the Rules
1. You have to subscribe to the email updates. The subscription form is in the right sidebar. Please enter your email id and confirm the email id from the mai you get in your inbox.
2. Leave a blog comment mentioning your favorite beauty tip.
3. Enter the answer for what you like and dislike about PSCfy.

All the entrants should fulfill all the above rules to qualify for the giveaway. If any of the rule is not adhered to, the person would be disqualified without further notice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My current scent {DIY}

Remember the perfume oil DIY series I had done long back?? Yes, I am back with another one on that and today I shall share the current EO blend I am using which is completely flowery and summery and springy all in one. And, I adore it and the best part of this is that its a universal blend which you can customise accordingly later on even if you end up making a lot!!! I did that and now, I am trying out adding spice and musk scents to it. Anyway, lets go with today's blend.

Ingredients

Bergamot EO
Neroli EO
Ylang Yang EO

Blend

Add 10 drops of Ylang Ylang to a clean dark glass bottle. (base note)
Add 5 drops of Neroli. (middle note)
Add 10 drops of Bergamot. (top note)
Let it stand for a month or two in the dark.
Add 18 drops of the blend to 60 drops of almond/jojoba oil to make the perfume oil. Again, use dark amber-colored bottles.
Let this stand for a week to blend well.
And, your perfume oil is ready :)

My Opinions

Its a beautiful citrusy flowery blend and instantly lifts up my senses and I am absolutely in love with ylang ylang!!! I did make a whole bottle of this blend (around 15ml) and now, I am experimenting with some other scents. Don't make the mistake of making a huge amount of the blend. You really need a drop or two at a time and this lasts way many days and you will get bored by the time the quantity gets over. The whole fun of this DIY is in experimenting :)

Image Courtesy: etsy.com

Instructions to oil your hair {Hair Care}

So, I did talk about the intensive hair growth treatment I am currently on. So, there is particular routine I am supposed to follow (which I'm miserably failing at!!) and that includes a particular way to oil the hair. I just wanted to share it but let me make a disclaimer first: I am not spilling out any beans or secrets. So, lets get on with it. The routine is just a revisit to our old traditions. There is particular way to massage your scalp and that's what the routine incorporates in some ways.

Silver Utensil for Oil

The girl asked me to use either a silver or an aluminium utensil for pouring out the oil before starting to apply it. This is because both of these metals are really beneficial for hair. Now, how much is either of the metal going to affect the hair when simply used as a container is out of my understanding.

Anyway, the girl takes a huge bowl of silver (just like the ones in the dinner sets) and fills it up to half with oil and that's the amount of oil I am supposed to use every time I oil my hair!!! No, I don't use that much coz 90% of the oil is drunk by my pillow and by my skin and clothes. And, of course, the oil is pretty expensive, as well.

Cotton Ball to apply Oil

So, moving on, the next instruction includes the use of a cotton ball instead of fingers to apply hair on the scalp. I guess its coz of the long nails, some might have, which can tear and snag at the hairs. So, using a cotton ball is gentler on the hair. Dip the ball in the oil and rub it on the scalp. Now, while applying the oil on the scalp, run the cotton ball on the hair length as well on the section of hair in your hand to apply oil to the hair strands from root to ends.

Remember to lift the hair to directly apply it on the scalp and results are best if done with small sections of hair. Yes, it does take a very long time. Also, when you are running the cotton ball along the hair strands, it is difficult when done on own and you can actually see the number of hairs falling which is very disheartening.

All the weak hair falls from the scalp when you move the cotton ball along the hair length. That's in a way good as it allows the old hairs to shed and new hairs to grow. And, those old hairs would have fallen in due course, anyway. Now, a very huge con to this method is that a lot of oil gets soaked by the cotton ball as well so I dip only a corner of the ball instead of the entire ball and I finish up my scalp first and then proceed on to oiling the hair lengths.

Head Massage Techniques

After finishing with all the oiling, it is the time to massage your scalp. Scalp massage is the actual action which helps stimulate the hair follicles and helps in hair growth. So, this is the most important step and the more the time you devote doing this, the better the results would be. And, this also helps the oil to reach the hair follicles to nourish them. So, move the scalp instead of the hair whenever you do a massage.

Try to keep the nails short or engage someone with short nails. Otherwise, you can end up scratching your scalp. Try to massage from the ears and proceed to the center of the scalp and similarly from front and back to the center using both of your hands. Always use finger balls. Be a little quick with the movements. After covering the entire scalp, take small sections of the hair and pull them very gently. That helps in hair growth. Also, it gets rid of the weak hair. Cover all the hair this way.

After this is over, take the cotton ball and rub it in circular motion where ever you desire hair growth. Do that for like 3-5 minutes continuously. That helps stimulate the area. By now, your scalp should be feeling warm. Now, all this done, you can see that there is a lot of oil in the bowl left which is supposed to be literally poured on the head. Yes, this is one of the ayurvedic techniques for relaxation and stimulation. Actually, I did mention about this long back in one of my posts. It feels amazing.

So, that's all the hair routine I have been instructed to follow but of course, I don't do all that and I kinda developed my own oiling routine which I shall share with you soon :)

Related Post:
How to massage your scalp?

Image Courtesy: howtomakeyourhairgrowfasterx.com

Lotus Herbals SAFE SUN COLLAGENSHIELD SUNBLOCK SPF 90 PA+++ {Product Review}

Lotus Herbals SAFE SUN COLLAGENSHIELD SUNBLOCK SPF 90 PA+++ Sunscreen Product Review

Price: Rs 595 for 50gms

Ingredients

Pros

- blends easily with my skin

- goes well on the bare skin too

- gives a nice base layer for makeup

- can be finished off with a loose powder dusting and a lipstick

Cons

- expensive!!!

- too high claims from my point of view

- can't apply the required dosage of sunscreen because of the tint

My Experience

I have been using this sunscreen since almost a month. Frankly, doing a review of a sunscreen is a very difficult task for me :( Either I know too much about it or I have an obsessive compulsive disorder. So, let me try to give an impartial review.First of all, I was actually frightened by the claims and the spf. I mean 90 is way too high and actually there is only a marginal protection increase between 30 and 50 and 90.

Anyway, talking about the product, if you need a proper protection, you need to apply proper amount of sunscreen. So, nearly 1/4th to 1/3rd of a tea spoon of sunscreen should be applied daily. Now, since this sunscreen is tinted, that proves to be a huge problem as the tint tends to get patchy and sits on the skin which looks really bad, obviously!!!

And, one more thing I noticed is that my skin gets heated up sometimes to an uncomfortable degree when I am applying the product. That's kinda weird, actually!!! Another con for me was that the sunscreen used to flake off my skin!!! Yes, I tested the sunscreen on bare skin and on skin with moisturiser and there was no pattern to flaking off. And, that was actually very inconvenient.

Yes, lots of cons so let me talk a little about the pros. It really gives a nice tint and is more or less sheer on the skin. But, it does give an even look to the skin. Finishing off this product with a loose powder and a lipstick is a really good idea. The sunscreen does give good protection and I am not the kind who reapplies. I did go out in the sun in the afternoons with this on but no, I didn't tan out considerably.

Ok, another con is that this can't be used as a body sunscreen. One more thing is that I think the tint is too dark and may make the fairer ones look a shade darker than they are. It blends nicely with the skin, though. And, to be frank, I did try to apply the required amount of sunscreen which is an impossibility when it comes to tinted products but yes, I have to use a tissue paper to remove the excess product almost always.

And, it does make my skin look shiny immediately on application. Though, the skin sort of settles down after an hour or so. And, yes, it does make the skin look a little brighter and that stays till the evening. And, this photographs well also. So, can be used as a foundation as well. So, as a sunscreen, my answer is no because its a chemical one and my personal preference is a physical sunscreen but if I have to say something, its a decent enough sunscreen though my preference would still be Neutrogena because of the stability factor.

PS: Product sent by the brand.

Other product reviews from Lotus Herbals:

Lotus Herbals WHITEGLOW Oatmeal and Yogurt Skin Whitening Scrub

Lotus Herbals VanilaSmooth Body Lotion

Do sunscreens prevent tanning? {Reader's Query}

Sunscreens are essentially made to prevent the sun's rays to harm your skin and trigger skin cancer. But, depending on the strength of the sunscreen, it might have tanning prevention abilities.

Physical Sunscreens

Predominantly used physical sunscreen agent, Zinc Oxide, is a broad spectrum sunscreen which protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays (both types). Generally, it helps a lot in preventing tanning. But, there is a loop hole here. The abilities of the sunscreen depends on the strength of its protection. For example, if you are using a spf 15 sunscreen, it filters out 92% (rounded figure) of the sun's rays and still allows 8% to go through. Those 8% of the sun's rays can still harm the skin.

Similarly, when talking about Titanium Dioxide, it filters out all UVB rays but only half of UVA rays which reduces the strength of the sunscreen considerably. In spf 15, 8% of rays are still passing through to the skin and also, UVA rays are separately affecting your skin because the sunscreen can't block them. Also, Titanium Dioxide is responsible for generating free radicals in the body unless it is coated.

Chemical Sunscreens

The major issue with chemical sunscreen is the stability factor. The chemical ingredients breakdown on exposure to sunlight. Yes, that's a contradiction to the function of the product. That's the main reason why a sunscreen has to be reapplied after every two hours. Also, they have a tendency to generate free radicals in the body which can also trigger cancerous reaction within the body.

Also, let me say here that the "Helioplex" of Neutrogena is a stabilising formula (read this post for more details) to prevent the breakdown of the chemical sunscreen ingredients which makes its sunscreens effective on a longer length of time. But, again the strength of sunscreen decides the amount of rays passing through to the skin and they can cause tanning.

Also, a sunscreen which doesn't have PA ratings gives no protection against UVA rays so still your skin is vulnerable to tanning and aging. PA ratings gives protection against the UVA rays and spf gives the protection strength against the UVB rays so a sunscreen needs to have both these factors mentioned for it to be a broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Recommended Sunscreens:

MVO Moisturizing Face Screen
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock

Related Posts:

Do layers of sunscreens help?

Sunscreen and Myths

Dark and Dull Skin in summers

Zinc Oxide vs Titanium Dioxide

Is my sunscreen working?

Surfaces and Radiations

What are UV Radiations?

What Sunscreen should I buy?

Sunscreen Ingredients

Use sunscreen 365 days a year

How much sunscreen do you apply?

Sunscreen: Role in anti-aging Skin Care

PS: Just checked out that Hermes stores are there in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. Btw, any one has idea if there is a Hermes counter / Store in the Dubai airport, those duty free ones???

48craft.com coupon redeemed and other things

I won a giveaway at Ansh's blog and that included a 750 rupees gift coupon to 48craft.com website. So, I got these things. Do let me know if you like them :)

Napkin Ring at Perfect Skin Care for you

Kalamkari scarf at Perfect Skin Care for you

I love the colors in the bag

Also, check out the items which arrived in the mail this week.

Vedic Line BB cream and Avocado scrub at Perfect Skin Care for you

I am so excited to use the BB cream and love the colors!!

Just Herbs face wash and day moisturiser at Perfect Skin Care for you

So, that's all for today. See ya tomorrow :) Have fun on Sunday!!

Some more things about me!!!

Thanks, Ray and Rashmi :) And, check out my answers. Hope you don't get bored.

11 random stuff about me:

I like to live every moment of my life and lately, I have been missing out on that.
I talked to four of my friends tonight :D All of them older ones, long lost types but we have been in constant touch. So, now you know why the post is late :D
I have a til on my right eye. Any one knows the significance???
I love my name, too much actually. Shweta and Swati are confusing names, apparently and many times people call me Shweta and they are on my hit list!!!
I love slings more than anything.
I want a hermes scarf, no matter what their cost.
I don't grow my nails but they always grow in shape, luckily :)
I have not regretted anything in my life till date - bad and good.
This is somewhat personal but the state of being married makes me apprehensive to the core.
I love Agatha Christie. She has taught me some of the very important things in life. Or, rather her books before you get the idea that I am visited by her ghost :D
Some one said that my writing was self-deprecating and witty. Any thoughts or comments??

Ray's Questions

1. Idea behind the name of the blog?

Well, actually, I wanted to name my blog with the niche words and somehow this struck up. I don't even remember my thinking process now!!!

2. Meaning of my name.

Swati means the first drop of water which falls on the ground, the most awaited one. Or, the dew drop. Or, its a lotus.

3. Why I started the blog?

Boredom, need for something different and love for my hair and a will to share my new-found knowledge.

4. Fashion Idol.

I totally, absolutely adore Angeline Jolie. She is "the perfect" for me :D

5. What's my first cosmetic?

Well, I am confused between cosmetic and beauty product. I think it means makeup so guess it was a Lakme compact.

6. Who got that?

My mum.

7. My Staple product I have been using till date.

Roghan Badam Shirin :)

8. Favorite Sunscreen.

Marie Veronique Organics Moisturising Face Screen

9. Do you consult a dermatologist / dentist regularly?

Err...nope!!! No dermatologist is reliable and dentists are way too busy :D

10. Favorite cosmetic brand.

Ooops..can't think. Thinking...thinking...yeah, I remember, its Nivea and not a cosmetic but a beauty product.

11. Mother's day gift for mom!!

Nothing!!

Rashmi's Questions

1. What is one quality you adore and one you hate in your best friend and/or boyfriend?

I admire the struggles he has been through and still emerged pretty well. And, I hate that he doesn't take out time for living life!! All work and no play.

2. One movie and one song that was,is and will be your favourite always?

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and "Har ghadi" from Kal Ho Na Ho. Also, I love "Confession" from Josh Groban.

3. One product that is always in your vanity?

Baby Wipes.

4. Cheapest and costliest beauty product you own?

Cheapest is nivea lip balm right now. And, costliest is The Body Shop Polynesian Monoi Oil in my stash.

5. Topmost thing in your wishlist right now?

A DSLR or P&S from Canon.

6. Do you any phobias? Which is your biggest one?

Heights. Dead afraid of them!!!

7. One thing you think you are best at?

Being myself.

8. If given choice you could convert into any one person for one day, who'd that be? and why?

I would convert to the person I most admire and live their life and understand life from their perspective.

9. One rule you have broken?? :D

Many actually!!! Listen to what parents say.

10. One thing that is indispensable in your life??

As I said yesterday, specs!!!

Thanks a lot, guys!!! It was fun answering the questions!! They did make me think a lot as well :(

Update: There is this very very beautiful piece of post which I would want all of you to read once. Please!!! I am pretty sure you will like it :) Click here to read it.

Disaster Strikes!!!

You know how you feel when one of the most indispensable parts of you fails??? Ok, not so serious that it goes into physical inability but its my specs. Imagine the horror I felt when I saw a crack in one of the lens!!! Its not a nice thing for a person who wears only specs, has a bad spare which gives headaches and feels like a tonne on the nose and lands you right back into the ancient ages!!! I feel like a grand mom wearing my spare.

Yeah, so, I had to run immediately to the near by specs store and hopefully, he would give back my specs by evening (post writing time - 5:45). So, that was the gloomy part of it but every cloud has a silver lining, right??? I get to buy a new frame, yay!!! Of course, when you are pinching and saving, your money goes down into some expense which is completely unavoidable.

So, the summary of the story - get new specs, don't pinch and scrape, spend!!! And, sorry for no beauty post. I am not feeling inspired. Hopefully, should feel by tomorrow :D Btw, do you have something so indispensable in your life???

Update: I got my specs back in perfect form :D And, I got my first google adsense check. And, my blog's page views crossed 150,000 last month. And, I am just 6 to 500 fb fans!!! I know the stats aren't much to boast about but I am proud of them. So, I wanted to announce that a small giveaway is in the offing when fb fans turn 500. So, guys, like the page below if you haven't yet. And, let me warn you beforehand that it will be a very small giveaway. And, just noticed, this is my 751st post :)

Lactocalamine Deep Cleansing Face Wash {Product Review}

Lactocalamine Skinsurance Deep Cleansing Face Wash for Oily Skin

I know this product has been there in the market since quite long and it wasn't a buy either. I got it free with the lactocalamine bottle. Initially, to be frank, I wasn't interested in using it and was wondering "will I get one with every lactocalamine, yikes!!!" Anyway, let's get on with the review and let's see if I really would mind getting it even for free :)

Price: Rs 65 for 70ml

Ingredients

Pros

- it feels really cool when you wash your face, the best part

Cons

- it has SLES
- doesn't really control oil for long time

My Experience

Lactocalamine Skinsurance Deep Cleansing Face Wash for Oily Skin Product Color

The gel is light purple in color and smells awfully like a bubblegum!!! I don't really like the smell but its not exactly offending. Whenever I apply the face wash, there is an immediate cooling effect like you have applied menthol or something on the face. That's what made me write this review :) Definitely a very useful thing in hot summers :D Right??? It has menthol and raspberry extract too which is pretty interesting.

It does make my skin feel a little dry after the wash but then, it is meant for oily skin and mine is a little quirky kind which oscillates between dry and oily. So, wouldn't really blame the face wash and even then, it doesn't leave my skin stretched or anything. I can easily grab a light moisturiser and I am good to go. But, the biggest thing is that it doesn't help me with the oil on my nose and chin :( They get oily in an hour or two after washing my face.

Have you used this face wash? What do you like or hate about it?

Other products from Lactocalamine:

Always have a bottle of calamine lotion

Complain to Google for removing duplicate posts

A few days back I complained that some guys duplicated my articles. Here's a further update on that issue. Google released its Penguin (I sooooo love Penguins with their cute walk and small wings :D) update recently on April 24th. Somehow, I missed that news entirely. And, a lot many changes were done on the SEO and page ranking stuff. I know that doesn't interest you as a reader but wait, let me explain that in simple words.

Duplicate content is something google is taking very very seriously and it can very well hamper the page rank of the original blogs as well. So, if you every find any of the posts of your favourite blogger, please please and please report to them at once. It really would save us a lot of trouble and heart burn.

For bloggers - if you find a post of your copied anywhere, you can simply go to this link and lodge a complaint. Its all legal, as well. They ask for the original and the duplicate URL's. And, then, they check and if your complaint is legitimate, they delete the duplicate page. And, yes, I checked it. They replied to me within 12 hours so that's fast service as well :)

PS: Another thing here is that if you ever find anyone copy pasting your work, please contact the person first of all and ask them to remove the content. This method of reporting to google should be done as the most drastic measure. Many people copy paste your work without really knowing how it will affect anyone. This is in respect to the copy pasting done on genuine blogs and not spammy websites / blogs.

PS 1: Totally unrelated but if you find a medium size tee with a penguin on it, please buy it immediately and courier it to me :D I shall pay for it!!!

Image Courtesy: webmarketingpros.com

Products which helped my hair {Hair Care}

my hair diary april 2012 at Perfect Skin Care for you

I wanted to do this post long back after the one on home remedies for hair growth but somehow forgot. I would definitely recommend all the products I list down under here:

Biotique Musk Root: helped combat my hair fall last year in January and really nourished my hair. You can read the entire review here.

Lush Caca Noir: Well, technically, this is just a hair coloring agent and nothing else. But, it improved my hair texture and made it so soft and shiny. I love it and I wanna lay my hands asap on Caca Maroon. It wasn't a first love and my first review was almost that all money spent on it went into drain. But, the second review which I did after using the noir again after a spell of 3 months almost was what made me a fan of this product. Read about the Caca Noir here.

Biotique Mountain Ebony: This is one of the really un-talked product of Biotique but I love it to bits and it wasn't an instant love either. I took my own sweet time to analyze it and use it and decide on it. I bought it in December 2010 and used it sometimes and left it. Later, again started using it after a spell of almost 6 months and used it daily in fact. Read about it here.

Update

Rogan Badam Shirin: I really forgot to put about it. Padmaja asked me about hair oils and this is my one go to hair oil and the best ever which has actually shown me results on a long term basis. Read about it here.

All the products mentioned above are tried and tested on a long term. I shall keep on adding if I find something equally good in the subsequent future :)

Mother's Day, really???

Ok, not hurting any one's feelings, I really don't get the idea of having various days!!! And, remembering them is like too much. Though, we need not coz the whole world is literally drumming that fact into my head with all the ongoing offers and sales and etc. I feel like its Christmas all over again!!

So, it happens that I didn't ring up at home since morn and in the evening, when I did, my mom was like, "Some people have no gratitude and attitude :D". And, I was like, "Yeah, I know its Mother's day but honestly, you don't want me to wish you. Do you wish me on Children's day or Daughter's day???". And, then, my dad says, "Everyday is a daughter's day for us because we think about you non-stop". And, I was like "yeah, right!!!".

My mom never showers any love on me (she isn't the hugging kinds) but she definitely expects the same from me :D Mommies can be mean. Anyway, did you do anything special for your mom today?

PS: I did frying for the first time in my life today and obviously, burnt my hand. Ouch!! The oil fell just near my knuckle :( Thankfully, I have Lavender EO so dropped two drops of it on my hand. Oh in case you are wndering, using EO nude on the skin??? Lavender is one of the safest EO's which can be used clean on the skin :)

Image Courtesy: store.craftsbyveronica.com

Rose Water with EO twist {DIY}

I did a post recently on how I use essential oils. In that, I had mentioned about a DIY toner which I am currently using. So, let's check out the recipe for it. Again, the heart and soul of the toner is use of EO's.

yes, it went milky when I added the EO's

Ingredients

100 ml rose water (I used Patanjali Rose Water)
10 drops ylang ylang
10 drops lavender
5 drops neroli
7 drops frankincense
7 drops patchouli

Method: Mix all of them store in a spray bottle. Shake before using.

How to use?

I use 10 sprays at a time and mostly I use it at night. I collect the product in my palm and then apply it to the face. Then, I nicely slap my face :D Ok, pat the face gently so that the toner is absorbed well. And, voila, I am done!! It moisturises my skin so well and my skin looks really dewy. A perfect one for the hot summers when I hate applying moisturiser to my face coz I feel hot and also, my skin gets oily by morning. But, with this, my skin remains just dewy, glowy and plumped in the morning. And, I am so loving this. Btw, it smells really amazing!!!

What do you think?

How to report for blog posts plagiarism?

So, yesterday in the evening, I came to know about a site which was copying my articles, thanks to Bhumika, Tapaswini and Dipti :) I don't want to link to the spammy website so linking to the fb discussion here: http://www.facebook.com/bhumikanewlove/posts/449804748378868. I checked out the website and there was no contact info and their twitter and fb links were not working. So, I was a little clueless as to what should I do.

So, Google becomes God at such times :) I found out this very nice blog post on reporting plagiarism. I checked out the website which was copying my articles was hosted on wordpress so I went to the wordpress spam report link and submitted the report but the report was not exactly submitted as they did not recognise the website as wordpress one. But, it did give me a complete information on who the website belonged to, the hosting service and the e-mail address of the owner.

So, I contacted the owner and told him about this. And, fortunately (as of now), the owner is nice, he replied immediately and said he would delete the articles. I will paste a snippet of the conversation as well.

Me: I am the owner of the blog 'Perfect Skin Care for you'. I recently came across your website today and noticed that you had copied many of my recent articles. I request you to remove those articles from the website. And, kindly do not paste any of my articles without prior permission.

Owner of the website: will do. It was an autoblog someone set up for me a while back. I'll delete them in due course. Give me some time.

Me: Kindly delete all my articles in at most a week. Btw, I didn't know that websites copy articles automatically from blogs!!! Do tell me sometime how it works.

Owner of the website: Well, its simple. There are many wordpress plugins they utilise. It automatically searches the internet for related material to the website and automatically posts it.

This was like a reality check for me that not only robot scripts are written to automate plagiarism but such plugins are freely available in wordpress. So, if you find any website (and not a blog) copying your content, you can be assured that its the robot scripts running. So, what steps you should take:

Contact the author of the blog / website through Contact Us page. Most of the times, it wouldn't be available because they are spam blogs and websites.
Check which platform is it hosted on. And, contact the spam reporting team of the platform. You will find this information in the blog post I referred to above.
If its a website with a proper domain name (which it will be most of the time), go to http://whois.domaintools.com/ and paste the website link in the search bar given there. It will display all the information about the website including the owner name, the e-mail address with which it was created and even the hosting server of the website.
Now, your work gets easier. Email the owner of the website. If you get no response within a week, I would suggest you to contact the hosting servers regarding the plagiarism issue.

And, when I was writing this post, Padmaja posted another link. So, off to another mission!!! Adios, folks till tomorrow. And, readers of all blogs, please contact the blogger if you find their duplicate posts anywhere online. It would really help all of us.

Image Courtesy: theinstitute.ieee.org

Pain in thighs {Your Opinion}

These days I feel like a 60 year old lady. Of course, dad always likes to call me "20 years old buddhi" :D [That was sometime back!!! Of course, I have aged and I am not getting any younger :(] I don't know why but since 2-3 days, I have this pain in the back muscles of my thighs and almost a constant headache in the back of my head (not the forehead). I really don't want to take medicines but seems like my headache won't leave me without a pill.

Have you gone through any similar state before? Any ideas?

Eyebrow Waxing - anyone? {Your Opinion}

Today, me and my friend were talking about threading and eyebrows and as you might already be aware, I have never got my eyebrows done till date. The only reason is because I can't bear the pain. Waxing itself is too much for me but at least its over in a single-go. So, a long time back, I found out that in US and almost all other countries, eyebrows are waxed and not threaded.

I tried to find out in Hyderabad but it seems that the parlour and salon people are pretty much clueless about it!!! They have no idea that eyebrows get waxed too. Instead, they looked at me as if I'm off my hinges :D Anyway, so I wanted to ask if you have had any experience with eyebrow waxing? Do you know of any place in Hyderabad where eyebrows are waxed?

Of course, I do know that its a dangerous proposition so one has to go to experienced and reliable people. Imagine coming off with waxed eyebrows!!! **horror** But, my friend told me that its pretty much less painful than threading and gives a good shape to the eyebrows when compared to threading. And, yes, even upper lips are waxed. That's I guess available in all salons.

Would you like to get the eyebrows waxed?

Image Courtesy: wellnesswa.com.au

How do I use Essential Oils? {DIY}

When I had posted my haul last week, many of the requests were on how to use the essential oils. The answer to that is that I use EO's practically in everything. So, let me just share some of my tips.

Skin Care

I use couple of drops of EO's if I make my own scrubs any time. For example, today I made one - yogurt + besan after long long time and I used 10drops of ginger and 10 drops of Bergamot. But, that's actually a lot. Limit it to 10 at max.
I am using Fig and Honey moisturiser currently. So, I added a couple of EO's to it. I have around 150ml bottle of the moisturiser left so I could add up to 3ml of EO's (that's 60 drops of EO's). The math is done here. I added Patchaouli, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Rosemary, Cedarwood, Frankinscence in equal drops (10 each). And, that's a lot, trust me. You can see a layer of oil over the moisturiser when you add. So, don't go overboard!!!
I add at most 10 drops of any EO to my bath sometimes if I want to relax. I have used Lavender, Neroli and Ylang Ylang till now.
I have made a toner using the EO's. I will post the recipe soon.

Hair Care

Let's start with the hair oil. I have added ginger, cinnamon bark, rosemary to my hair oils as they help in hair growth.
Moving on, the next product is shampoo. I had added 20 drops of Rosemary EO to my Dove Shampoo and now, I have added 20 drops of Rosemary and 20 drops of Ylang Ylang to my Pantene shampoo.
Similarly, I added essential oils to my Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment and L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Masque. Though, I haven't used them since I have added the EO's coz of the treatment.
Also, check out my DIY aloevera scalp gel for hair growth which is entirely based on the efficacy of the essential oils.

So, those are some of the tips on how to use essential oils in day to day life. And, of course, my perfume oils too. So, how do you use the EO's or plan to use them??

My Hair Dairies - April 2012

My hair in April - Perfect Skin Care for you

What I did in April?

Regarding the use of Rosemary EO for three months since January, I have not really got any evidence but I do believe that it has really helped my hair texture and probably helped in hair growth too.
I did add ginger and cinnamon EO to my hair oil this month.But, had to discontinue using it since I started on with a treatment.
I gave myself a hair cut to get rid of the split ends. I did cut off a good amount of length and my hair is again back to the shoulder level :( but, then, I had to get rid of splits too.
Went on a hair treatment which I mentioned couple of days back.

Products Used

Shampoo - Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo + Kamini's Keshika Herbal Shampoo
Treatment - Kamini's Keshika Herbal Hair Tonic
Conditioner - Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment + L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Hair Masque + Kamini's Keshika Milk Tonic
Hair Oil - Biotique Flame of the Forest + Kamini's Keshika Herbal Hair Oil
Hair Mask - Egg + Kamini's Keshika Multi-Herb Mix

Second Week Results of the Hair Treatment

Hair definitely seems to be more shiny.
In fact, the hair coloring job which I wasn't pretty satisfied with, is showing well now. Though, I am definitely not loving the color :( I really want to use Lush Caca Maroon!!! I have a gut feeling I will soon do that :D

Aloevera Scalp Gel for Hair Growth {DIY}

This is my first DIY which includes essential oils and are the heart and soul of this DIY after the perfume oil DIY.

Ingredients

Aloevera Gel
Rosemary EO
Lavender EO
Cinnamon Bark EO
Ginger EO

Essential Oils for Hair Growth - Rosemary, Cinnamon, Ginger, Lavender

Method

I used the Rustic Art aloevera gel for this recipe. I would not recommend fresh aloevera gel because of two reasons - first, preservation issues and second, you are not sure of how much quantity you have and how many drops of EO should be added. Thus, its better to use the commercially available aloevera gel. Take 100gms of the product and remember my guidelines to using EO's.

In skin or hair care, you should use only 1-2% concentration of EO's and do not exceed as it can actually be allergic and harmful. So, for 100gms of aloevera gel, we can add 2 gms of EO and we use the equivalence of 1ml = 1gm though that's strictly not true. So, according to the 2% concentration, we can add 2ml of EO's. 1ml has 20 drops so 40 drops of EO per 100ml/gm of any product.

Add 10 drops of each essential oil to the aloevera gel. Mix it and leave in a dark place for 24 hours. Rosemary takes care of dandruff, Cinnamon and Ginger stimulate hair follicles and increase blood circulation and Lavender is conditioning for the hair besides helping in hair growth. Do not use more than 3-4 EO's per DIY as too many EO's might interact negatively with each other and can make the product extremely potent as well.

Results

Apply this gel on your scalp right after you finish with your entire hair wash and shower. Do not apply it when you hair is dripping. Wait the hair to get dry a bit and then apply to the scalp so that it doesn't cause breakage. There are two advantages - your scalp is clean so the product gets absorbed quickly and without any fear of trapping dust and since the base of the product is aloevera, it moisturizes the scalp nicely and prevents itching, flaky scalp and other scalp problems.

I made this DIY before I left for Delhi and have used it just once. Now that I am on a hair treatment, I am not using anything except the products prescribed. That's mainly to test the efficacy and worth of those products. But, I can vouch for one thing that this scalp gel does help in hair growth. Why? Remember the ginger tonic I mentioned?

We are using ginger essential oil in this recipe and when I had applied this gel, it had tingled my scalp and gave me the feeling of warmth more than that ginger tonic does. Don't worry regarding the tingling. Its just coz of ginger. Even if you apply ginger juice or onion juice, the scalp tingles a bit and also makes the scalp warm meaning the blood circulation has increased. And, the gel doesn't make the hair heavy or greasy or anything. In fact, it keeps the scalp moisturised and the hair around the roots soft. It can be applied daily as well.

And, I am really hoping that you will give it a try :)

Sunscreen Regulations in India {Sunscreen}

Oh, I know you are bored by my posts on sunscreen. But, yes, I am obsessed. Did you know applying sunscreen can even help you with the pores problem? Yes!!! So, next time check out a good sunscreen :) And, now, a little about Indian regulations on sunscreen.

In India, sunscreen is considered a cosmetic and there is no maximum SPF rating. India has different registration lead times for sunscreens depending on if the product is made locally (3 months), or for import (9 months). India requires the manufacturer to release the full product formulation, including the quantitative formula with declaration and disclosure of functions of ingredients. All label text must be disclosed during the registration process along with the product specs, manufacturing process, chemical and microbiological testing methods and any data supporting product claims. India requires the manufacture to run a minimum of 2 pilot batches before registering a sunscreen. India requires specific stability testing requirements to show shelf life of the sunscreen. Testing may be done using accelerated methods of exposure to extreme heat. However, any data that is accelerated also needs to be confirmed by real time testing, so the process takes longer than the 3 or 9 months since the real time data (for up to a 3 year shelf life) needs to be available to register. (Source)

I have always wanted to know how sunscreens are regulated in India. This bit of information has definitely calmed down some of my apprehensions in the sunscreen products. But, of course, there should be a maximum spf rating otherwise who knows, tomorrow, products will come with sfp 150. Just Imagine!!! (just like Bebo says in Jab We Met).

Read more posts on sunscreen:

Do layers of sunscreens help?

Sunscreen and Myths

Dark and Dull Skin in summers

Zinc Oxide vs Titanium Dioxide

Is my sunscreen working?

Surfaces and Radiations

What are UV Radiations?

What Sunscreen should I buy?

Sunscreen Ingredients

Use sunscreen 365 days a year

How much sunscreen do you apply?

Sunscreen: Role in anti-aging Skin Care

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