Cure from your Kitchen – Part 2

This blog post is Skin and Hair special. These home remedies will save your trips to salons and is easy on pockets.  They can be used for both kids and adults. It’s a wonder how the things needed to keep healthy and beautify lie around us, it’s only how we recognize it and make the best of it. Here are some home remedies, which have been passed on to me by my mother and are all tried and tested ones.

Hair: The health of your hair reflects the health of your body. There are both external factors like dust, pollution etc and internal factors like deficiency of any vitamin, improper diet etc. affects the hair, these are simple and D-I-Y remedies to help you out.

1.     For dry scalp and dandruff: Take one cup of curd and mix one tablespoon of ground fenugreek seeds (methi). Keep this mixture overnight. Apply the mixture on your scalp near the roots of your hair. Using a wide comb brush your hair along so that the mixture spreads all over your hair. For long hair, make sure you apply some of this at your hair ends. This also helps in curing split ends.  Let it dry for 30 mins to 45 mins and then shampoo your hair. You will see the results in one use only but it is better to do this at least for 2-3 months once a week. For young kids just keep it for 10-15 mins and even plain curd is very effective. This also darkens the colour of the hair. Avoid use of oil if you have dandruff.

2.     For scanty hair: Especially for infants who are born with scanty hair, this oil is very useful. You can prepare this easily at home and store it. Adults for enhancing the growth of hair can also use this oil. Take 1 cup of fresh aloe-Vera gel (The gel can be extracted by just peeling the leaves). In a small wok keep 250 ml of coconut oil for heating. Once the oil is hot add in the extracted gel. Lower the flame and let the gel gets completely cooked in the oil till brown fibers of the gel remain. Cool and filter the oil. Use this oil for head massage regularly. In few weeks you will see a difference.

3.     For a bald patch: Sometimes due to injury or some illness we develop a bald patch on our head. This remedy helps in getting hair back in that patch. I am not sure if this works for natural balding in men but you may just try this. Grate one onion and extract the juice by squeezing it. Apply this on the patch and keep it for 30 mins for drying. Shampoo and rinse your hair well. You may apply this all over your scalp also. Onion gives a very good shine to your hair. Repeat this 1-2 times in a week for 2-3 months. (I know you must be thinking that this will smell awful but please try it once, it doesn’t smell after the wash at all).

Skin:  The first sign of stress is often reflected on our skin followed by our genetic combination and the weather that adds on to its woes. A healthy and glowing skin, of course, boosts the confidence to face the world.

1.     For dry skin: People with dry skin tend to develop dry patches or even dry eczema. This remedy is for all kind of dry skin problems and is equally effective and safe for both kids and adults. You would need rose water, glycerin liquid (available at chemist shop) and aloe vera gel (for this you may use pure gel available at some ayurvedic shops or extract it from leaves of aloe vera plant). In a big mixing bowl take 100 ml of rose water, 75 ml of glycerin and 50 ml of aloe vera gel.  Mix well (you may use hand blender for mixing it well) and use this solution like a body lotion. Apply after bath and before sleeping regularly.

2.     For exfoliating the skin: This homemade scrub is perfect for exfoliating the skin and making it smooth and shiny. Take 1 tablespoon of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 2 tablespoon of curd. Mix it well and scrub your face, neck etc well with this mixture for some time. Please note if you have a very dry skin you may replace curd with the fresh milk crème (malai). Use this regularly for scrubbing.

3.     For skin nourishment: Papaya is the magic fruit for skin. Its consumption and application on skin do wonders to your beautiful skin. Just mash small amount of papaya and massage it on your face, neck and hands. Leave it for 10 mins before washing. Use this regularly.

4.     For tanned skin: The overexposure of Sun tans our skin. If you wish to get rid of that unwanted tan then banana is the best thing for it. You just have to mash it and massage it well over the effected areas. In a week time you would see the difference.

Thanks mom for being on phone constantly with me while I was compiling all this. There is so much more from my mom’s kitchen, which we will be sharing in our coming blogs. You may add in your kitchen wonder here in the comment.

Disclaimer: Kindly check for any allergy to the above-mentioned ingredients before trying.