Manage your food intake rather than allow foods to manage you! We Indians are famously addicted to sweets and our susceptibility to diabetes is ahead of any other race in the world. The urge to put something sweet in our mouth may have something to do with the tradition of having desserts at the end of each meal. But frankly, you need to work on it, if your diet is not well-balanced. Craving for certain foods at times is not necessarily a bad thing, but a constant urge can mean that there is a problem—perhaps an imbalance in the body

New research shows that worrying and a high-pressure lifestyle can damage your dermis. Here are strategies to restore your smooth, even glow. Stress is not for the faint of heart—nor thin of skin. You know at some gut level (like when you catch the reflection of your furrowed brow in a window) that stress doesn’t help your appearance. Now science is detailing the myriad ways the stress hormone cortisol literally gets under your skin, leading to dryness and other signs of ageing (including, yes, those lovely worry lines). Most practising dermats said they noticed a correlation between skin problems and stress.

When economic times turn tough, it may seem that beauty indulgences should be the first things to go. But just because your budget calls for some belt tightening, that’s no reason not to look better than ever. the trick is to bolster your beauty routine by making no- or low-cost moves that deliver maximum impact. From hiding dark circles to boosting hair’s shine, here are experts’ top tips for trimming costs — and a few years, to boot! Pump up hair’s volume Switch to mousse: It costs the same as other styling products, but because it contains resins that lightly

Tanning results from sun exposure. Here are some home remedies to clear up your skin tone. Tan-removal Mask: Mix cucumber and ripe papaya pulp with 1 tsp curd, 1 tsp honey, 4 tsp oatmeal and 1 tsp lemon juice. Apply on the face and neck, twice a week, and wash off after half an hour. Arms and Legs: Mix gram flour (besan) with curd, lemon juice and a little turmeric into a paste. Wash off after 30 minutes. Apply thrice a week. Hands: Take 2 Tbsp sunflower oil and 3 Tbsp coarse sugar. Mix into a paste. Rub it on

Remember when you were a teen and you wore make-up to look older? Now that you are, make-up can make you look younger—instantly! Try a new approach to achieve a fresh and youthful look. Here’s how to use make-up as a weapon against ageing! Go light In my experience as a make-up artist I have always observed that light foundations or cream-to-powder formulation work better for mature skin. Why? They don’t settle in the lines and cover the imperfections. Foundations with added SPF and moisturisers are also suitable, as are those with added luminescence. Revlon Skinlights and YSL Radiant Touch

Make it a habit to follow a routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising to take care of oily skin. The following recipes will control oiliness of the face. Cleanser: Mix cold milk with the juice of a lemon in a small bowl. Dip cotton wool pads in it and wipe the skin. Deep pore cleanser Mix oatmeal with ripe papaya pulp and a bit of yogurt. Apply on the face. After 15 minutes, massage your face gently making circular motions with your finger tips. Then wash off the paste with water. Skin toner: Take rose water and cucumber juice in

Avoid grilled food as far as possible. Too much of grilled stuff, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, is not good for your heart. Using a longevity calculator I was surprised to see the question: how many times a week do you eat char-grilled meat? But I quickly realised the relevance. We generally want to be sure that food is cooked enough to destroy any harmful bacteria. However meats, poultry, and fish that are char-grilled, especially when fat drips and causes flame flairs, have compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) which are known carcinogens in laboratory animals, and have been implicated in human cancers.

It is very easy to go wrong with make-up-don’t we know that! But it’s even easier to fix it (thank goodness!). Here are some really neat tricks to get it right while on the job. 1 Wrong foundation colour Why: Wearing foundation that’s too dark or light will accentuate lines, wrinkles, and other flaws. Fix it: To find your shade, sample 3 shades of foundation in natural light. Apply a small amount on your cheekbones and jaw line. Choose the one that blends perfectly with your natural skin tone. 2 Cakey foundation Why: It can make your face look unnatural

Age is best stopped in its tracks by taking preventive measures from the right age-ideally the mid-to-late 20s. Eating healthy food- vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, protein- drinking at least a litre of water daily, exercising for 30 minutes, 5 days a week and following good skincare practices. However, despite our best intentions we slip up and the result is premature ageing-lines, wrinkles, age spots etc. It’s in such scenarios that anti-ageing procedures and tools come in handy. Lasers are a popular anti-ageing tool that give satisfactory results. What is Laser? It is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated

Sensitive skin is probably the most misused phrase and the most over diagnosed skin condition. Every other person believes their skin is sensitive. The reality is that skin is hardier than we think and only a very small percentage of people have sensitive skin. Your skin is sensitive if it: ● Turns red very easily. ● Reacts to almost all products including moisturisers. ● Sunburns easily. ● Gets reactive to insect bites. ● Reacts quickly to both heat and cold. ● Constantly looks red and blotchy. Care for Sensitive skin The most important preventive is to minimise the use of