WATERMELON MASQUE for GLOWING SKIN

This is a beauty treatment that utilizes the skin of a watermelon to give your skin a radiant and glowing effect. I have tried this a handful of times and I can tell you that it does work. This summer we got watermelon only a couple of times and I think I did it twice , but I have to say that it was well worth it. It's also a fantastic treat to for skin that has been sunburned.

What you need : The white part of the skin of a watermelon. Cut out white part and grind with grater or mixer. 

Add

1 tbsp of flour 

1tbsp of honey . 

This will make it thick and pasty . On a clean face attach your watermelon pack and wait at least 15 minutes and then wash off. You will have smooth , bright , radiant glowing skin because it provides your skin with moisture. 

TRY IT !!!!

You'll love it and your skin will thank you tooo !!!!

Winter Beauty Tips

1. Try a creamy facial cleanser

Cleansers strip away moisture as part of the job of removing makeup, and dry winter air tends to magnify the problem. Gel cleansers can be very drying, but creamy ones like Dove deep moisture creamy facial cleanser and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser should help.

2. Mask the problem

Use a moisturizing facial mask to replenish moisture lost throughout the day.

3. Look for a humidifier

If your skin feels dry and tight even when you're inside your home, there may not be enough moisture in the air for you. Scan the sale pages for a portable humidifier. Make a note to yourself to clean the filter regularly (if they get yucky they breed bacteria).

4. Turn down the heater

It's a beauty catch 22, but overheating a cold home will worsen dry skin problems, so experiment with different settings on your heater to find the right temperature for both you and your skin.

5. Any device that heats your environment will also steal your moisture

Even electric blankets. If dry skin is driving you crazy, throw another comforter on the bed, and see how you feel after you've left the electric blanket unplugged for a couple nights.

6. Moisturize in the shower

Moisturize throughout the day, but try using body lotion even before you've left the shower, right after rinsing soap or body wash. It will help lock in some extra moisture. Rinse off and pat dry.

7. Watch the shower temp

Hot showers feel great in winter, but they wreak havoc on dry skin. Try a lukewarm shower instead, then pat your skin dry with a towel. Apply moisturizer (again) as soon as you step out of the shower.

8. Use alcohol responsibly

Avoid skin products and hairstyling products high in alcohol. When alcohol evaporates it feels cool and refreshing, but it's also stripping away moisture, so look for alcohol-free products when the air is already dry.

9. Don't blow it

If you're already dealing with dry, brittle hair, resist the urge to reach for the hair dryer. It'll only make things worse. Dry and style your hair with a towel, and if you still use a dryer, time yourself and try to use it a little less.

10. Moisturize meh!

Moisturize throughout the day and don't forget to drink extra water when it's cold and windy. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows may need a little more help, too. I like rich products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil, linoleic acid or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturize hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in moisture.

11. Pucker up

Chapped lips can be a big problem in winter. The air dries out my lips, which makes me lick them, which makes them chap even worse! Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 and preferably one with antiseptic agents to aid in healing. Some lip balm products are made with tea tree oil, which helps heal painful cracks. I also like lip balms with phenol, beeswax, aloe, vitamin E and essential oils.

Forget about your Toothbrush! Try Miswak

Benefits of Miswak (Chewing Stick)

A Miswak or Siwak is probably an alien thing to the western world. But, it's a twig which a majority of people from Muslim countries use daily to brush their teeth. Although it might sound outdated to use twigs from trees for cleaning your teeth, studies conducted on the Miswak prove otherwise. Studies have inferred that Miswak is better than toothpaste for preventing gum disease. It is being known as chewing stick in the western world and is being looked upon as a form of alternative medicine. So, let's analyze this "wonder twig" keeping documented scientific studies as proofs.

Miswak

But first of all, why would anyone think of using a tree twig to clean their teeth? The fact is ancient man did not have the facility of a toothbrush and many cultures have used Miswak for oral hygiene. The use of Miswak is well spread in the Muslim population of the world, and is a common entity in Muslim countries. The reason for common use of Miswak by Muslims can be attributed to religious beliefs. The last messenger of Islam used it frequently and also instructed his followers to do the same and hence the practice continues widely in Muslim countries. There are 70 benefits of Miswak as suggested by Islamic Literature and many of these have been scientifically proven and the rest haven't been studied yet.

You might be wondering what exactly a Miswak is in the first place. The Miswak is obtained from the twigs of the Arak tree (Peelu tree) although a few other trees can also be used to obtain it such as walnut and olive.

A few important benefits of Miswak

• Kills Gum disease causing bacteria.

• Fights plaque effectively.
• Fights against caries.

• Removes Bad breath and odor from mouth.

• Creates a fragrance in the mouth.

• Effectively clean between teeth due to its parallel bristles.

• Increases salivation and hence inhibits dry mouth (Xerostomia)

Scientific Studies on Miswak

Although the 70 supposed benefits of Miswak range widely, the main one we are examining is its effect on oral health. So, let's throw some light on scientific studies conducted on Miswak.

The Wrigley Company made a study on Miswak which was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study found that mints laced with Miswak extract were 20 times more effective in killing bacteria than ordinary mints. A small testimony to this fact is that after half an hour, the mints laced with Miswak extract killed about 60% of the bacteria where as the ordinary mints managed only 3.6%

In the August issue of Journal of Periodontology (2008) appeared a study conducted by Swedish researchers on Miswak. The study apparently found that suspended Miswak pieces in a petridish (medium for culturing bacteria) were able to kill bacteria that cause periodontal disease with out being in physical contact with the bacteria. The researchers suggested that Miswak might be giving antibiotics as gases trying to explain this phenomenon.

A study which compares toothbrushing and using Miswak (Miswak ing!) can be seen on Pubmed (U.S National Library for Medicine Service). The study concluded that Miswak was more effective than toothbrushing in reducing plaque and gingivitis provided it was used correctly. Similar studies found on the same website and elsewhere vouch for the effectiveness of Miswak over toothbrush.

A study conducted by a group of dentists at King Saud University concluded that using Miswak was at least as good as tooth brushing, if not better. There have been plenty of published studies on Miswak and infact entire books published which study its oral and systemic benefits.

Now, with all those studies chucked at you, you couldn't help but wonder why it is so effective. This can be attributed to its strong antibacterial properties. Another important aspect to consider is that its bristles are parallel to the handle rather than perpendicular which means effective cleaning between the teeth. Now, that's one natural toothbrush cum toothpaste cum floss.