Roots to Radiance
Page 10
½ cup aloe vera extract
½ cup virgin coconut oil
Mix these two ingredients together and apply on your belly daily to reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
4. Managing Sagging Skin
Toning your body and treating sagging skin is a part of age reversal. Defying age is one of the constant battles one deals with after reaching a certain age. But the best approach to look at this is to stop fighting and start managing. Getting your skin concerns in control without obsessing too hard is one good, steady method to reaching skin goals over time.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to skin sagging. Smoking, junk food, reduction in production of collagen, and the obvious one—ageing.
Here are a few DIY ideas to manage loose and sagging skin:
Skin Firming Body Water 1
Water
Potassium alum (fitkari)
Let me back this up with the most street-smart technique that’s spotted in the tents of local barbers in our country. They keep blocks of fitkari with them and use it as an aftershave balm. Reason being, it’s antiseptic, it shrinks open pores and also helps repair loose skin.
Just add 2 blocks of potassium alum to a bucketful of water and let it dissolve.
Bathe in that water to tighten your skin.
You can also use half a cup for one cup of water and dissolve it to apply to the areas that have stretch marks, as a skin-tightening mask.
Skin Firming Aloe Oatmeal Mask 2
1 cup aloe vera gel
¼ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons ground oatmeal
2 tablespoons bentonite clay
2 tablespoons cornstarch
10 drops grapefruit oil
The significance of aloe vera, ground ointments (or non-instant oatmeal powder), grapefruit oil and other starches in terms of firming are explained in this book. This mask brings together the best of all firming ingredients in one recipe.
Mix aloe vera gel or extracts with oatmeal, bentonite clay, cornstarch, grapefruit oil and coconut milk.
Mix well and apply to your skin twice or thrice a week for 20 minutes before bathing.
This will keep your skin firm and youthful.
Rajma Rice Body Toning and Depigmenting Mask 3
4–5 tablespoons powdered kidney beans
3 tablespoons powdered rice
¼ cup potato juice
Bagging some packs of rajma and rice at the grocery store for your lunches and dinners? Well, pack a few grams more, as we’ve come to making the most budget-friendly mask ever. Move over, not leaving your house to fix skin concerns, for this mask you probably won’t have to move from one corner of your kitchen to another, because all of these three ingredients are probably kept together.
Potato, kidney beans and rice, sounds like lunch to me! But kidney beans are insanely high on proteins and hence help tone and firm the body. Rice does the same, it tightens skin, regulates blood circulation and boosts cell renewal. Potato juice works on uneven skin tone and fights pigmentation.
Put a handful of kidney beans and rice in the blender to powder it.
Stir in the potato juice and mix well.
Apply on your full body to make it toned, radiant and even.
Use this mask on your body at least thrice a week to achieve best results.
You can even add a few drops of lavender oil, if you want to.
Butt and Breasts Firming Mask 4
7 tablespoons powdered barley
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup egg whites
2 teaspoons honey
I’ve used the king of cereals—barley—for this one! It fights fine lines, loose and wrinkled skin.
People complain about sagging breasts more often than they talk about flat, sagging butts. One of the obvious reasons for it is because we get to see our frontal more often in the mirror than our back. And when we take out that bikini on a vacation is when the appearance of our butt comes to our attention. Don’t know about you, but it happens to me all the time.
Sagging breasts are so common after pregnancy or drastic weight loss. Your skin loses a lot of fat, making them sag, and that sagging is reversed by this mask.
Blend a full cup of barley to make a powder out of it.
Add extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil, egg white and honey to it and mix well.
Apply to areas that you need to firm and leave it on for 30 minutes and rinse.
Pomegranate and Blackthorn Calf and Bikini Lines Firming/Stretch Marks Fading Mask 5
½ cup pomegranate juice
3–4 tablespoons kaolin clay
2 tablespoons blackthorn oil
The antioxidants in pomegranate juice replenish the skin and chase wrinkles away. Blackthorn oil is an unusual oil that tones the skin in miraculous ways. Don’t mistake it for buckthorn oil while buying it online, though. But if you do end up buying buckthorn by mistake, I’ve placed it in another body wash recipe for you.
Kaolin clay (chini mitti) unclogs pores and make skin supple and even, in terms of texture.
Add pomegranate juice to kaolin clay and blackthorn oil.
Mix well to make a paste and apply it to your bikini lines, calves or wherever you wish to shoo away loose skin and stretch marks.
Leave on for 20–30 minutes and rinse.
Multi-Purpose Body-Firming and Hydrating Body Lotion 6
4 tablespoons shea butter
3 tablespoons beeswax
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 tablespoon sandalwood oil
1 tablespoon juniper oil (optional but an amazing ingredient to tighten skin)
1 tablespoon marula oil (optional but an amazing ingredient to tighten skin)
1 teaspoon jasmine essential oil
Melt the shea butter and beeswax in a pan in medium heat.
Then add almond and all the other oils in that order and mix well.
The cream is ready.
Put it in a jar, let it cool down and close the lid.
You can start using this DIY skin-firming and soothing cream that’ll not only moisturize your skin, but also smell great. Marula and juniper oil are optional, but they’re super effective when it comes to cell renewal and wrinkle-fighting situations.
5. Body Oils
Let’s admit it, hydrating your skin is never a bad idea. Applying cream, oils or serums, feeding your skin with essential nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, anti-ageing components and other rejuvenating oils will only be the smartest way to be prepared for the changes your body will go through. Here are some DIY oil recipes for all skin conditions.
Body Brightening Night Oil 1
¼ cup argan oil
2 teaspoon rose oil
1 teaspoon lavender oil
½ teaspoon lemon oil
½ teaspoon sandalwood oil
½ teaspoon carrot seed oil
½ teaspoon chamomile oil
I have shared with you previously recipes for the rose lip balm and hand cream that you can use, so how could I miss a body oil to match?
If you have essential oils ready, this skin-brightening oil will be child’s play for you.
Argan oil is the carrier oil in this recipe. Pour that into a miniature bottle first, even before you start adding essential oils.
After you have poured argan oil, add the other oils in that order.
Apply to your skin and say goodbye to dryness.
This oil removes dark spots too, so prepare to welcome fresh, glowing skin. Apply to your skin only once at night to wake up smelling like a flower.
This is best used as post-shower night oil.
Skin Tightening Oil 2
¼ cup castor oil
2 teaspoons rosehip oil
1 teaspoon neroli oil
1 teaspoon primrose oil
This oil mixture is very niche. Castor oil is the carrier oil in this recipe. If you own a full set of essential oils, which I
insist you do, just pour castor oil in a bottle and add the other essential oils in that order.
Shake well and apply to your body to tighten your skin and defy signs of ageing.
Oil-in-Sunscreen 3
½ cup olive oil
15 basil leaves
¼ cup beeswax
2 tablespoons shea butter
¼ cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon carrot seed oil
Heat the olive oil. Add the basil leaves to it and stir gently.
After 15–20 minutes, filter the oil and separate it from the leaves.
Now you have a heated, basil-infused olive oil as a base.
Add the beeswax and stir till it dilutes properly.
Then add the coconut oil, shea butter and carrot seed oil.
Store it in a jar and close the lid after you are done.
Shea butter and coconut oil have natural SPF-5, and beeswax is also considered a great sun resistant. Carrot juice fights sun damage and so does the carrot seed oil, as used in this recipe. This is an inexpensive, everyday sunscreen that’ll fight sun damage even when you’re not leaving the house.
6. Discoloured Underarms, Elbows, Knees and Uneven Skin Tone
Dryness, excess exposure to sun and ignoring certain parts of the body while caring for the rest can leave a drastic difference in the colour of the skin in the same area. I’m talking about the colour of your arms being drastically different from the elbows and underarms. And the colour of your thighs being quite brighter than your knees. Relax! It’s in skin’s nature to change shades from part to part.
Here we are going to make certain masks that will even your skin tone, whether it’s light or dark. This is not a lightening treatment—just an attempt to make your skin tone look even, whatever the shade of your skin may be.
Underarms Clearing Mask 1
¼ cup aloe vera extract
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
These are all cleansing and sunburn fighting ingredients.
Add all ingredients together to make a thick paste.
Apply to underarms thrice a week to fight discolouration.
Try to lift your arms and keep that area airy as much as possible to avoid discolouration.
Supple Elbows and Knees Mask 2
1 tablespoon Fuller’s earth clay
1 tablespoon raw milk
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato juice
Fresh lemon peel alone is a good go-to when it comes to practising natural methods for supple skin. But this mask will give it the proper moisturization and clearing agents that your skin needs.
Mix Fuller’s earth clay with raw milk, honey, turmeric, lemon and tomato juice.
Make a paste and use it as an elbow-knee clearing mask, thrice a week to flaunt even-toned legs.
Do follow up with coconut oil after the mask is removed/rinsed.
MASK 3
¼ cup potato juice
4 drops of tea tree oil
A few drops of marula oil (optional)
Add a few drops of tea tree oil to potato juice and apply to dark knees and elbows.
Apply thrice a week and follow up with a moisturizer after the mask is removed.
As explained before, potato juice fights hyperpigmentation like a pro. And tea tree has antibacterial, spot-clearing properties. Marula oil brightens and boosts cell renewal.
7. DIY Body Washes
Body washes, the most basic everyday need! What if I told you—you can not only sort these by flavour but also get to separate it by skin quality—dry, oily, sensitive and so on. Let’s get you to make your own body washes that’ll rock your world and give you the morning boost you need to stay motivated all day.
Calming Moringa Mint Body Wash 1
½ cup liquid castile soap
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons glycerine
4 tablespoons spearmint or peppermint oil
3 tablespoons lavender oil
2 tablespoons moringa oil
1 teaspoon hemp oil (optional)
This body wash is safe for people who have sensitive and acne-prone skin. Hemp oil is great for skin that suffers from rosacea and frequent redness. Moringa, lavender and peppermint/spearmint are all cooling agents that’ll pamper your skin while you take a bath.
Mix all ingredients in a cup, in the same order, and store in a pump bottle. Your daily body wash is ready.
Honey Chamomile Hydrating Body Wash 2
½ cup liquid castile soap
½ cup raw honey
3 tablespoons chamomile oil
2 tablespoons Vitamin E oil
If you have dull and dry skin, change that with the goodness of honey and chamomile present in this body wash recipe. This body wash cleanses body without making it dry.
Mix all ingredients in a cup, in the same order, and store in a pump bottle.
Excess Oil Removing Tea Tree Eucalyptus Body Wash 3
½ cup original coconut milk
½ cup liquid castile soap
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
2 teaspoons glycerine
2 teaspoon drops tea tree essential oil
1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil
If you have oily skin, you can remove excess oils and dirt by the effects of eucalyptus and tea tree oils in this recipe.
Mix the coconut milk and castile soap, then add the other ingredients and mix well.
Store in a pump bottle and use regularly.
8. DIY Loofah
When giving away body wash recipes, one can’t not think of adding a natural loofah. I have such a faint memory of my mom filling a bucket with heated water and adding shampoo and almond oil to it. And the loofah was unbelievable when I used to watch the level of cleaning and exfoliating it did.
All you need to get a natural bath sponge/loofah is dried ridge gourd. Yes, our good old turai. This vegetable still hangs strong in its tree even when it’s dried. All you have to do is pluck it and remove the peel, and your loofah is ready. The dried ridge is your bathing sponge! Just dip it in hot water for half an hour to make sure it becomes soft before use. And then start using it every day with your body wash to exfoliate your skin while bathing with the most natural ingredients.
Don’t love yourself for your potential . . . that’s in future. Love yourself for what you are now and today. While having a vision for your upcoming self is great, your body, soul, and heart need love and appreciation today, starting now!
7
Hands and Feet
By the power vested in you by the universe, have the courage to take big steps without doubting yourself. Have a firm hand when it comes to your beliefs, and put your foot down not just to make a point but also to flaunt how gorgeous they are.
Try not to freak out when I tell you this, but hands are the #1 body part that shows signs of ageing.
Here’s a short horror story: While you’re busy keeping your face flawless, and your hair luscious, your hands felt ignored, they aged, and suddenly there’s not much you can do about it.
Moral: Better safe than sorry!
There’s a reason why Grace Kelly1 was strict and particular about keeping her hands hydrated and moisturized, says beauty expert Peter Lamas, who’s worked with her on many projects. ‘When I asked her why, she replied, “A woman’s age shows on her hand much quicker than anywhere else”,’ he added.
But wait, she wasn’t the only royal who was obsessed with keeping her hands beautiful. Queen Victoria also has something in common with her. She was said to perfume her hand gloves with rose oil. Now that’s one way to make your handshake more memorable.
Your struggle to keep your hands looking beautiful doesn’t end at getting rid of the leftover dyes when you remove a dark nail polish, but also at making nails look shiny even when you have no nail paints on.
The trick is to add a DIY TLC
for your hands and feet to your bi-weekly routine that’ll help you defy ageing in the long run. And the benefits of hand and feet care are not just restricted to superficial beauty; this procedure can even help you relax, improve your blood circulation, not to mention that it’s also got the hygiene part of the equation covered.
When you were a child you were instructed by your elders to keep your nails clean. They even tried to scare you by saying that having long nails could poison your food.
And under their supervision, you followed those rules until you became a grown-up, and began to care about health a lot less and about style a lot more. Which is when nail extensions came into the picture.
Your hands and feet collect the maximum dirt from your surroundings.
That also makes it clear that they are the most active and busy parts of your body. So, now would be time the time to stop neglecting them. You even end up touching your face very often with those very hands.
Start with moisturizing your cuticles regularly, scrubbing your hands regularly and applying sunscreen on them every single day. Here are some ways to make your own scrubs, salves and oils that are fit for the fabulous treatments your hands and feet deserve.
Do wash your hands and feet and clean the nail areas with a baby toothbrush before applying these oils, masks and scrubs.
1. Hand and Foot Scrubs
SCRUB 1: Sea Salt + Sugar + Glycerine
Sea salt alone is an efficient enough scrub, but adding a few drops of almond oil, white or brown sugar with glycerine and lemon makes for a wholesome remedy for hydrating rough, dull hand skin.