Natural Facial Scrub Recipes for Glowing Skin

Homemade facial scrub can help to get rid of acne and blackheads. It helps to keep your face clean and smooth. 

Facial scrub removes the dead skin cells and oil that clogs up the pores. It is well known that acne is the result of oils produced by the subcutaneous glands clogging up the pores. Facial scrub helps to remove acne and blackheads. It is necessary to use the right kind of scrub that suits your skin type. Use facial scrub once a week. Using it more frequently will make the skin dry and dull. It might even damage your skin, if it is sensitive.

Apply the scrub to your face and neck with a gentle massage. Don’t rub it too hard. Avoid it from getting into the eyes. Wash it off after 15-20 minutes. Remove all traces of the scrub from your face. Pat your face gently with a towel.

There are several recipes to make facial scrub at home. They can be made from natural ingredients and are safe. They will not cause any damage to the skin, like the scrubs available in the market which contain chemical ingredients.

Here are a few recipes for natural facial scrubs

Baking Soda Face Scrub

Mix a tbsp of baking soda with warm water to make a paste. Apply the paste to your face and neck. Rub the face gently with your fingers in a circular motion. Then wash your face with warm water to remove all traces of the paste and pat it dry with a towel. 

Honey

   Source: Wikimedia Commons: Emmanuel Boutet

Honey and Sugar Scrub

Honey is an excellent moisturizer. Take cup of sugar, in a bowl.  Add 4 tbsp of honey and ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix it well. Apply it to your face and neck gently. Wash it off after 15 minutes. It will not only exfoliate your skin, but will also nourish it. This scrub should not be used on sensitive skin.


Corn Meal Facial Scrub

Corn meal makes an excellent facial scrub. Take 5 tbsp of corn meal in a bowl. Squeeze some lemon juice and make a paste. Apply this to your face and neck area with a gentle massage. Wash your face with warm water after 15 minutes and pat it dry with a towel. This can also be used for sensitive skin.

Banana Facial Scrub

Take a ripe banana in a bowl. Mash it well with a fork. Add honey and lemon juice and mix it well to make a fine paste. Apply it your face and neck. Wash it off with warm water after 15 minutes and pat it dry with a towel. Banana facial scrub can be used for sensitive skin.

Regular facial scrub or exfoliation is essential to keep your facial skin clean and free from acne and blackheads. It will help to keep your skin young and healthy. 

What are the Health Benefits of Plain Yogurt?

Plain yogurt provides excellent nutrition and health benefits. Its nutrition facts include its high content of calcium and proteins. It aids digestion and boosts immunity.

Yogurt is a very popular food across the world. It can be eaten as a snack or with your meals. It is a highly nutritious food packed with calcium. Plain yogurt is prepared by adding bacterial culture to the warm milk and incubating it for a few hours. It is highly delicious as a snack. It can also be mixed with fruits to increase its taste and nutritional value. The bacterial culture in yogurt helps the body to absorb the nutrients better. 

Photo by Sifu Renka Under Creative Commons Licence

Yogurt for Digestion   

 Some people cannot drink milk because they have lactose intolerance or a protein allergy. The culturing of milk makes yogurt easier to digest. 

Yogurt and Calcium

Yogurt is one of the best available sources of natural calcium. 250 ml of milk contains about 500 mg of calcium. An adult requires about a gram of calcium every day. Yogurt can also increase the absorption of calcium by the body. Culturing milk breaks down sugar lactose into glucose and galactose. They can be digested easily.

Protein and Yogurt

Protein is essential for muscle growth, digestion and creation of antibodies. Cultures present in yogurt help the body to absorb protein. 

Colon 

Yogurt can help to promote colon health according to the pediatrician Dr. Sears. Yogurt contains lactobacteria, the bacterial culture to promote the health of colon. They lower the chances any colon disease. Calcium present in yogurt does not allow excess growth of cells on the colon lining.  It reduces the chances of colon cancer.

Yogurt and Immunity 

Yogurt helps to boost the overall immunity of the body. Gastro intestinal tract contains friendly bacteria.  Probiotic yogurt helps to multiply these bacteria. This helps to boost the immune system and ward off diseases. 

Yogurt and Yeast Infection

Eating yogurt can boost the population of friendly bacteria inside the body. These bacteria can help to destroy yeast and get rid of the vaginal yeast infection. Yeast is a kind of fungus. Friendly bacteria in the body destroy this fungus.

Yogurt for Skin Care

Lactic acid present in yogurt is good for skin care. It helps to prevent dry skin and facial wrinkles. Yogurt can also be used as face mask. It helps to remove dead skin clogging the pores. Just apply plain yogurt to the face and wash it off after 30 minutes.

With its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties yogurt can help to get rid of acne. It can also help to get of acne scars as it contains zinc. 

Plain yogurt is a very good remedy for sunburn. It is also a very good remedy for age spots and skin discoloration.

These are some of the health benefits of plain yogurt

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedies

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedies 
                                                                                                                 Apple cider vinegar(ACV) is made by crushing apples and extracting the juice. The juice is fermented by adding yeast and sugar. Apple juice turns into alcohol during the first stage of fermentation. Fermentation continues further and vinegar is obtained. It contains a substance called pectin which has disease fighting properties. It also contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It is an excellent preservative of food products. There are several apple cider vinegar remedies.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Blood Pressure

It contains potassium which helps to reduce blood pressure. Mix ACV with some oil and add it to salads instead of salad dressing. It is also a blood thinner. Two tsp of ACV can be added to water to taken before meals every day to reduce blood pressure. It has a strong acidic taste. A physician has to be consulted before starting on ACV. 

Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

ACV has been used to aid weight loss for hundreds of years. It increases the rate of metabolism and helps to burn fat faster. It is also said to reduce cholesterol levels. Add two tsp of ACV to half liter of water and keep drinking it right through the day.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Detoxification

ACV is used for the detoxification of liver and blood purification. It helps the body to get rid of the toxins effectively. It aids digestion. Add 2-3 tsp of ACV to water and take it before meals.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Cholesterol

ACV benefits include the reduction of cholesterol in the blood. It has water soluble fiber pectin, which helps to absorb cholesterol and fat in the body. It is then excreted.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair Growth

It is an excellent remedy for thinning hair. It is full of nutrients that promote hair growth. It removes the dead skin cells that block the hair follicles. It is also a very good remedy for dandruff. Add half a cup of ACV to an equal quantity of water. Apply it to your hair after shampooing. Rub it in gently. Wash it off after 15 minutes.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Healthy Skin

It is an antiseptic which destroys viruses, bacteria and yeast, when it is applied to the skin. Excessive oil in the skin is absorbed by ACV. It helps to remove acne and blackheads. It makes the skin soft and smooth.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Sore Throat

ACV gargle is a very useful remedy for sore throat. Mix it with equal quantity of water and gargle once every two hours. But make sure that you rinse your mouth with water after gargling to prevent the deposit of acid on the teeth.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Acne

Drinking ACV regularly will help to reduce acne. You can apply ACV directly to the affected skin. Acne will start to reduce after several applications and vanish.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Acid Reflux

It is a very good remedy for acid reflux. Add one tsp of ACV to a glass of water and drink it thrice a day. It will get rid of all the discomfort and uneasiness. 

These are some of the important apple cider vinegar remedies

Uses of Neem Plant

Neem plant has several uses. Both neem oil and leaves have medicinal properties  

Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree. A majority of the Ayurvedic remedies contain neem oil. It is being used for its insecticidal and medicinal properties for thousands of years in India. It also has wide ranging uses in medicine and cosmetics.

Neem  Plant

            Source: Wikimedia Commons:  Thamizhpparithi Maari                          

Chicken pox and Warts

Neem leaves are used in the treatment of chicken pox and warts. It is made into a paste and directly applied to the skin. Water soaked with neem leaves is used for bathing. 

Tooth Paste 

In the earlier days neem twigs were used as tooth brush in India. Now neem toothpaste is available in the market. It is very useful in combating tooth decay. 

Fertilizer and Pesticide

The residual cake that remains after extracting oil from the seeds is used as a fertilizer and pesticide. It is an excellent organic fertilizer. It is also a very good insecticide. 

Neem Oil

Neem oil is used to prevent hair loss

  

It is also good for the scalp. 

It is used as a moisturizer. 

It is an excellent antiseptic. 

When applied to insect and bug bites it helps to reduce the pain. 

It has a very strong odor and used as a mosquito repellent

It is used in the manufacture of soaps and shampoos.

Ointments containing neem oil are used for lice, scabies, ring worm and athletes foot. 

A combination of hair oil with neem oil is very good for the hair as it kills bacteria. It also helps to get rid of dandruff and is good for itchy scalp

It is used to cure scalp infections.

Neem Leaves

Eating raw neem leaves is good for diabetes. Fresh neem leaf paste is used in the treatment of acne. 

Neem leaf soap has anti fungal and anti parasitic properties. It is also good for treating acne. Neem leaves are boiled in water. Then the water is cooled and applied on acne. 

Capsules made from leaf extract are helpful in purifying blood. 

Neem leaf paste is used as face mask to cure pimples and acne

Dried neem leaf powder helps to keep the insects away from cupboards and bookshelves. 

Neem leaf is used as a natural eczema remedy. Its anti fungal and anti bacterial properties keep the bacteria from entering the skin.

These are some of the uses of neem plant

Yogurt Health Benefits

Yogurt provides a wide range of health benefits. It is beneficial for the skin and aids digestion. it also helps to bring down blood pressure.

Yogurt is produced by the fermentation of milk. It is an excellent nutrient. It is called a probiotic, which means that it contains bacteria which are beneficial to health. The sour taste of the yogurt is due to conversion of lactose into lactic acid by bacteria during fermentation.

Yogurt  for Digestion

Yogurt made from cow's milk is one of the easiest foods to digest as it contains the digestive enzyme, lactase. It is more easily digestible than milk. It also helps to prevent stomach ulcers and colon cancer. It also aids in the reduction of weight. It creates sour conditions in the stomach which destroy other bacteria like the coli bacteria. So it helps in the prevention of diarrhea.It also acts a colon cleanser. 

Some people have problems in digesting lactose. The live bacteria contained in yogurt, aids the digestion of lactose. Fat free yogurt is one of the best health foods available. It can be blended with fruits for taste. Banana, berries, peaches are some of the fruits which can blend very well with yogurt. They can either be mixed in a blender or mixed with yogurt in a bowl and eaten.

Yogurt can fight cancer of the stomach. It can act as a mouth freshener as it can kill the microbes that cause foul smelling mouth. It can reduce the cholesterol content in the blood, as it absorbs cholesterol in the small intestine. Thus it can help prevent coronary heart disease.

Yogurt contains calcium in good quantities which prevents osteoporosis. Calcium also helps in developing and maintaining strong teeth and gums. 

Yogurt Benefits for Skin

Yogurt is a very good moisturizer. application of yogurt 2-3 times a week to your face will make your skin soft, smooth and hydrated. 

Application of yogurt to your face will provide relief from sunburn

As yogurt has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, it helps to get rid of acne.

Yogurt helps to dissolve the dead cells from from the skin pores and tighten the skin. it slows down the formation of wrinkles and lines.

Studies have shown that it can add years to your life. It can also prevent vaginal infection. Yogurt helps to improve your immune system and helps the prevention of diseases. Daily consumption of yogurt can prevent any kind of infection.