Roots to Radiance

by Nikita Upadhyay

5. Mogra

  Such an intense smell if you just grab and smell this flower. But you can enjoy a faint, understated version of it that will be easy on your head and will keep you energized all day long.

  Zip 10–12 of these little flowers in a mesh bag and leave overnight, and bathe in it next morning.

  You won’t even rely on any other mist after using this one. Imagine smelling like this flower all day long—prepare for a lot of compliments from anybody you talk to or hug during the day!

  10

  Hacks by the Season

  Just when you’ve figured out a way to retain good health despite pollution, stress and the outcome of your eating and sleeping pattern—the weather changed! And without an ounce of guilt, it demanded you to change your creams, your shampoo and even the craving of your taste buds.

  Using the same products and following the same lifestyle pattern has proven to be one of the worst things you could do to your body.

  While seasonal changes and your body’s reaction to them are inevitable, you can change your lifestyle to be the best version of you throughout the year.

  Let’s look at it this way—what’s the fun in following the same pattern throughout the year anyway?

  Our skin and body demand change as per the weather. For example, won’t you just kill for some pakodas when it’s raining outside? Or, given that it’s cold in winters, can you resist having your favourite ice cream? And knowing how bad sodas are, don’t you just not care in summers?

  But let’s face it, you are what you eat and I wouldn’t give you unreal advice to stop living your life and not have junk food—but ensuring a balance and detoxing your skin and system from time to time is the key to reversing damages done by your culinary indulgences.

  Here are some healthy ways to deal with your skin and health throughout the year:

  Winter

  a. Oily Skin

  People with oily skin can take an empty spray container/bottle and fill it with rose water, aloe vera juice and 2 drops of almond oil and spray it to their face—thrice every day. Feel free to carry the bottle along with you in your bag. Following this routine will take off dirt and excess oil, leaving your face adequately moisturized throughout the season.

  b. Dry Skin

  You know how dry skin can start acting up, especially in winters. But overdosing it with too much cream and oil isn’t the solution either. Fix dryness without making your skin get too greasy by pouring some glycerine, rose water, lemon juice and 3 drops of almond oil in a small bottle and let it soak some indirect sunlight for 2–3 days straight.

  Use this solution as a night serum and rinse the next morning to keep your skin glowing and hydrated throughout the snowflakes season.

  c. Combination Skin

  Having combination skin is like being the middle child. You sure have some perks of it, but most of the time, you really can’t decide which side you belong to. Settle the dilemma of at-times-too-oily and at-times-too-dry skin by repeating the same recipe as above without almond oil.

  d. Concoction for winter

  There’s never a bad time to drink carrot, beetroot and spinach juice, but in winters, you can boost your glow and keep health in check by drinking this juice by adding pepper and ginger to them. This juice also helps better your vision and soothes a sore throat.

  During the chills, one should also eat dry fruits such as almonds, walnuts and figs because they have natural oils in them and those oils are needed to regulate parts of the body that crave extra oil in that season.

  Summer

  a. Oily Skin

  Nothing suffers like oily skin in summers. And of course, there’s sunburn and tanning to deal with. As people with oily skin have a higher chance of looking younger for longer (or so a study suggests) they also get their fair share of struggles in their teens.

  Here’s what you can do to restore radiance, hydration and balance in your skin in summers.

  Mix watermelon, cucumber juice and rose water with Fuller’s earth clay and sandalwood powder and apply it to your face for 25–30 mins. Rinse and apply aloe vera gel to remove tan and grab summer and scorching heat by the throat.

  b. Dry Skin

  If you think you can ease it up in summers if you have dry skin, you’re wrong.

  I wish that was the case. But there’s never a good time to let go of discipline.

  Mix split red lentil powder (masoor dal) with peppermint oil and almond oil. Add grinded papaya and banana paste to it and apply to your face. Leave on for over 25 minutes and rinse. Apply some moisturizer and go to sleep to wake up to a smoother skin.

  c. Combination Skin

  If you have combination skin, here’s what you can do to have a good summer.

  Mix watermelon juice, rose water, cucumber juice and Fuller’s earth clay with honey to make a paste. Apply it to your face and leave on for 30 mins. Rinse and moisturize your face.

  d. What to Drink

  Drink watermelon juice first thing every morning.

  Have papaya, cucumber and apple before lunch to ensure you have smoother digestion and a happier gut. These fruits and veggies also have plenty of water in them that’ll keep you from getting dehydrated.

  Add peppermint leaves to your green tea to feel refreshed all day and get your dose of antioxidants on the go.

  Monsoons

  This season is mostly kind to your facial skin, but other parts of the body are more prone to infection, inflammation and rashes.

  So, here’s what you can do to keep your skin happy during the monsoons (for every skin type):

  Put neem leaves, basil leaves and a sliced lemon in a nylon mesh bag and zip it.

  Dip the bag in a bucket full of water and leave it overnight.

  Bathe with the water the next day.

  Neem has purifying properties and basil fights pigmentation, lemon cleanses the skin and prevents body odour. And the ingredients combined help keep inflammation, rashes, boils and redness at bay.

  Now that you know what to wash your body with in the rainy season, let’s skip to haircare.

  Even though we feel the minimum need for conditioners in this season, the weather tends to make your hair sticky.

  So here’s a pre-shampoo hair mask that’ll help you fix the stickiness:

  Mix gram flour and curd and create a paste.

  Apply that on your scalp and leave it on for 20 minutes.

  Rinse with a mild shampoo, followed by your favourite conditioner.

  And you’d be wrong if you think I would miss face masks for the season just because I said it’s not as harsh. Here’s what every skin type needs to do in this season:

  a. Oily Skin

  To tone your face, start by taking out leaves from a used green tea bag. Mix them with Fuller’s earth clay, sandalwood powder, rose water and 4 drops of lemon juice.

  Apply the mask on your face and leave it on for 15 minutes.

  Rinse and apply a light serum.

  b. Dry Skin

  Soak red lentils in water and grind.

  Add a few drops of lemon juice, rose water and glycerine/almond oil to it.

  Apply the paste to your face and rinse after 25 minutes.

  This paste will make your skin feel balanced in rainy seasons. Following this procedure before bed will make you wake up with a healthy glow and well-hydrated skin.

  c. Combination Skin

  If you have combination skin, you can just follow the same recipe as for dry skin by adding honey instead of glycerine/almond oil and pink rose petals.

  d. What to Drink

  Boil water and add desi gulab petals, cinnamon powder, basil leaves, mint leaves and hibiscus petals.

  Filter and pour the concoction in a cup, add lemon juice and dip a tea bag in.

  Drink this twice a day to boost metabolism, shield your health from seasonal problems and cleanse your body.

  11

  Peels

  Are you peelin’ it?

  Is there any satisfaction bigger than givin
g a second life to resources? Here I’m not talking about recycling plastic cutlery from your take out (although, that’s a sensible thing to do) but foods!

  The way in fashion an old pair of denims becomes a yoga mat holder if you cut it in half and sew the vertical and horizontal openings, or a skirt becomes a purse if you close the hem and add a sling, there’s always an alternate use for most of the things that we throw in our bins.

  As per a report1 published in The CSR Journal, food worth Rs 50,000 crore that is produced is wasted every year in our country. Alarming, right?

  So, you know you’re not the only one who over-purchases vegetables and fruits that are often left in the fridge, and taken out after they are almost good for nothing, only to be thrown into the trash can.

  So this book is not just about enhancing beauty off your kitchen items, but also cultivating good thoughts, feeling better about yourself, doing your bit to preserve the environment. And these may have been in theory for quite a while, but contributing as little as 10 per cent to the above-mentioned things will change the way you are, and how you feel, react and grow.

  Movies, where a young lead character, who does not know what he is doing with his life, somehow ends up with an orphan infant. Initially he has no clue about what needs to be done but, eventually, he rises to the occasion, becoming a power parent in the process and gaining complete control of their lives. It’s the high we get from watching something being saved, nurtured and moulded into its best potential.

  Another case in point—superhero movies! Everyone loves a hero, but not everyone knows that they’re also inside them. So stop looking and start being. Meaning, don’t waste food, have your sister’s back, process healthy thoughts and watch the beauty of transformation take over.

  After all, taking serious things seriously does not make you uncool—that’s the thought you need to start with.

  This chapter is dedicated to using fruits, vegetables and their peels to help reduce organic wastage and boost your beauty quotient.

  1. Tomato Peel

  Boil tomatoes and separate the peel from them. Like tomato juice helps get rid of tan, tomato peel too is great to treat blemishes.

  2. Potato Peel

  A vegetable that’s a part of nearly every other cuisine ever made is a natural bleaching agent. And since every house has lots of potato peels coming off every day, you can place these peels under your eyes to reduce puffiness and dark circles.

  3. Beetroot Peel

  Who doesn’t want rosy lips? More so if you can get them without using a tint. That’s what beetroot peels are for. Get rosy cheeks and lips by rubbing this peel on your lips and cheeks.

  4. Bitter Gourd

  You might hate eating this, or worse having karele ka juice, but you can massage your skin with its peel to fight dullness.

  5. Yam Peel

  Yam is rich in Vitamin A. Which means it’ll help boost collagen and treat wrinkles, crow’s feet and pigmentation.

  6. Radish Peel

  Having radishes makes your skin glow, but even using the peel on your skin helps fight acne and remove blackheads.

  7. Cucumber Peel

  Relaxation doesn’t come easier than this. Place cucumber peels on your eyes and lie down for a few minutes. The cooling properties of cucumber helps relieve tired eyes.

  8. Lemon Peel

  This has a number of uses. You use the peel not only on your face, but also on your nails, elbows and feet. You can use it as a scrub by massaging it gently on your face. You can whiten your nails by applying the peel on them and keep your elbows supple by cupping them with a half-cut juiced lemon.

  9. Kiwi Peel

  Apply kiwi peel to your face to cleanse and keep acne at bay. Kiwi is rich in Vitamin C and is great for rejuvenating the skin and keeping excess oil out of the picture.

  10. Orange Peel

  This peel can be used to fight blackheads and acne. You can dry it and use it as a body, hand and foot scrub. When paired with milk, curd or cream, it can also help get rid of tan.

  11. Pomegranate Peel

  Using this peel can help prevent wrinkles, acne and some other common skin issues. But drying the peel and grinding to make a powder out of it can be a natural sunscreen if some honey and tomato juice is mixed with that powder.

  12. Avocado Peel

  It’s a freaky goldmine of antioxidants. Not that apple and kiwi aren’t, but using avocado peel on your face acts as a natural sunscreen. And since it has good fat, which is good for your face, it helps moisturize your face as well.

  13. Apricot Peel

  We’ve all bought apricot scrubs at some point, only because this fruit is capable of solving most of our skin problems. Apricot peel heals irritated skin, helps fight ageing and boosts skin radiance.

  14. Banana Peel

  Stop throwing away ripe bananas. The peel (along with the ripe fruit) helps smoothen the skin. The peel also helps reduce redness, fine lines and the appearance of acne scars.

  15. Papaya Peel

  Papaya peel helps prevent sagging skin, lightens skin tone and moisturizes it. A special enzyme, papain, found in papaya skin soothes sunburnt skin and helps generate cell renewal.

  12

  Roots

  If this book is named Roots to Radiance, it is mandatory not to miss the topic of roots itself. But apart from roots meaning base, it also refers to the strength that it has, the power to hold trees upright and make them stand strong. It is the truest example of how having goodness and power within is one’s ultimate strength.

  Using the power of roots that keeps the nature upright can fulfil a whole lot of wellness and skincare needs. It grows trees that have leaves, stems, herbs, fruits, flowers and all the possible answers to cure our everyday problems only if we’re curious enough to find them.

  A lot of vegetables that we use in cooking are actually roots . . . for example, carrot, radish, ginger, turmeric, etc., and a lot of juices we drink are from stems, example sugarcane.

  All roots are great for your hair! Why? Because what roots do is make plants grow, and the similar philosophy applies to the roots of your hair. Applying these roots to your scalp in the following ways will treat balding, and it’s just one of the many benefits.

  In other chapters, I have discussed using most of these ingredients in recipes for good hair and skin. Here I’m going to list the medicinal value and benefits of those roots, stems and leaves and how to use them to sustain good health and peace.

  Bonus: They’re all already in your house! If they aren’t, start buying or growing them right away!

  1. Ginger

  This root is as good for your skin, as it is for your hair, health and food. Adding a kick to your food since forever, ginger has inflammatory, anti-ageing capabilities, which also contribute to cellulite fading, scar healing and other problems that mean a great deal to you. It definitely makes it to the list of the most inexpensive options to address your health concerns.

  Improve skin tone and elasticity by applying the juice on the areas that suffer from pigmentation and scarring, every day to improve skin health in weeks.

  Mix coconut oil, ginger juice and lemon juice and apply to cellulites to make them fade faster.

  Nourishing the scalp to boost hair growth. Slice a ginger root into pieces and put in a blender. Once blended, extract the juice and mix 2 teaspoons olive oil with it and apply to bald spots on your scalp to promote new growth. Ginger feeds your follicles and fights free radicals.

  2. Turmeric

  Turmeric is a member of the ginger family. If you look up images of khadi haldi on the Internet, you’ll see that it even looks like a younger, premature version of ginger. It’s a fabulous antiseptic and antibacterial that can sterilize acne, burns and wounds. It is an active ingredient when it comes to fighting zits, cough, arthritis and various kinds of cancer. With its anti-inflammatory capabilities, it can treat redness and rashes in a jiffy.

  Add 2 teaspoons of powdered turmeric to boiling water,
mix well and wait for it to cool down. Apply that water to rashes or eczema to treat it fast.

  Mix raw milk, raw honey, ginger and turmeric juice together and apply it to scalp to reverse premature balding.

  Mix extra virgin coconut oil, one teaspoon powdered turmeric and extracts of a Vitamin E capsule to make a crack healing mask for heels.

  Mix turmeric and milk to create a thick paste and apply it to your toenails as an antibacterial.

  3. Sweet Potato

  Shakarkandi is a very popular street food in India. Apart from being delicious and healthy, it is equally good for your skin. Inexpensive, efficient, easy-to-make, there’s nothing I don’t like about sweet potato. Just like regular potato that grows underground, sweet potato is no different. Dusty pink and the size of half a banana, the endless benefits of this root are no reflection on its size and appearance.

  Slicing and applying its juice on your face minimizes pigmentation.

  We talk a lot about polycystic ovaries but not enough about fibrocystic breasts. These are lumps in your breasts that can lead to cancer. Boiling sweet potatoes in water and then adding lemon and rock salt to it before consumption is an anti-ageing ritual that also reduces the formation of lumps and keeps you younger. Don’t throw away the water though.