Mostly associated with ageing, grey hair can be a natural process and can occur at any age. Medically speaking, everybody has malenocyte in skin and hair, and when these malenocyte are not produced, a person tends to face whitish grey hair. If you are not yet ready for the silver-fox hair look and are looking for inexpensive, non-time consuming hair remedies for grey hair, then you have reached the right place. Today, we will take you through the top home remedies of grey hair, which will help your body in increasing the production of melanin

Did you know that the American Academy of Dermatology has declared August as National Hair Loss Awareness Month? Gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss some lesser known and surprising reasons behind hair loss. According to a recent report by the organization, almost 80 million people across America alone, suffer from some form of hereditary hair loss. However, apart from this, there are many other reasons that might contribute to hair loss. For instance, losing 20-50 strands per day while combing or washing is quite normal, but more than 100 strands per day is a sign of early balding.

Throughout 2012 we brought you hair care and hair treatment tips from experts across the hair health industry. Whether the hair care tips were for humidity, summer heat or winter winds, the common idea behind them all was this: Hair health is a reflection of how healthy or unhealthy your life is. Genetic pre-disposition may cause harmful effects, but healthy living may prevent adverse conditions like alopecia. Taking care of your hair is as important as any other part of the body. While you tend to cover other body parts your hair are subjected to a lot of pollution, dirt and chemicals. Today, we’re summing up all these hair treatment tips and giving you 20 tips for healthy hair.

It is a must to apply sunscreen lotion every day, even in the monsoon. Choose SPF30 and above.
Avoid heavy make-up as it will clog your pores and cause pimples and rashes in this weather.
Go for a cleanser which is not detergent-based as this will help wash away the humid grime without drying your skin and causing any roughness.
Go for a face wash which contains good cleansing properties rather than simply going for a ‘brand’ which might have lured you.
Use ice packs on your face before sleeping at night as this will help in giving you the much needed chilling effect.
Avoid using cream based products on your skin as the monsoon humidity in the air will only leave your skin irritated.
Make sure you wash all your make-up brushes thoroughly and regularly, and chuck out all the old, expired makeup. Stay away from in-store testers as they can be a hub of unknown bacterias and viruses. Also, wash your hands before and after you apply makeup.
A diet rich in greens and fruits such as apples, oranges, lemons along with yogurt and lots of water will go a long way to help your skin remain fresh all day long.

Monsoon Skin Care: It is a must for you to apply sunscreen lotion on a daily basis. This is because you never know when it’ll rain and when it’ll be sunny, so choose a lotion with SPF30 or above. It is a good habit for you to use face scrubs atleast once a day. Go for orange, raw milk or a fruit based scrub.

• Eyebrow pencil hygiene is a must. Always ensure that you clean your eyebrow pencil with a wet tissue before usage in order to get rid of bacterial residue.

• Make sure that you wipe your hands with a soap-based tissue or soap or wet liquid solution before you reach out for your makeup. It is best to keep an extra pack of wet wipes in your handbags so that you are in safe hands even when you have to use makeup on your office desk or a moving car.

• In-store testers might tell you how bad or good a product might look on you, but they can be a hub of bacteria and virus reisdue. However, if you must try the testers make sure you are scraping off the topmost layer of the lifestick with the help of a clean tissue and wipe out the mark from your hand as soon as you are done testing.

• Best is to use disposable applicators whenever possible. Use sponger and Q-tips and trash them as soon as you are done with them.

• This might be the most popular myth of all but never store your makeup products in your bathroom. This is because bathrooms are the dampest places of all and are most likely to contribute to airbone bacteria. Store makeup in your dressing drawer, preferably in air-tight containers to keep them safe from monsoon dampness.

• Make sure that your cosmetics don’t cross the expiry date. For powder profucts, 2 to 3 years are good enough for usage depending upon the date mentioned at the back the product and for liquid products, such as mascara and liquid foundation, a year is good enough for usage. This is because they have liquid bases that tend to easily accumulate bacteria.

• Wash your makeup brush and powder puffs on a weekly basis with a mild baby shampoo for best and safe usage. Dry the washed makeup product by using a clean towel.

• Never use your fingers to apply makeup, unless and until a profesional artist does that for you. But, if you must use your fingers, then make sure they’re clean and that you use just the ring finger as it has the lightest stroke.

Stay away from heavy, creamy makeup. If there’s one monsoon makeup mantra you must follow, it should be to stay away from heavy, creamy makeup. You need to pick products that will stay on in humid weather. So, go for a good quality oil-free matte primer, and a light oil-free base. And choose only water-proof kohl & mascara, and water-resistant lipsticks.

Keep the base as light and natural as possible. During the day, use a concealer sparingly to take care of under eye circles, skin blemishes or any discolouration. If you need more coverage, then go for mineralise powder foundation by MAC or Revlon.

Skip the toning-moisturising bit once in a while. But, no matter how badly you want to hit the bed, removing all your makeup – especially during the monsoons – is an absolute must. Why? Because sleeping with your makeup on is not only the best way to suffocate your skin, you could also get rashes, infections and allergies with all the microbes that abound during the monsoons.

Never sleep in your party makeup. Sleeping in your party makeup can age your skin almost 10 times more than normal. Overnight, your skin will absorb all the chemicals from the make up and clog up pores which can cause breakouts & make you prone to other monsoon skin maladies.

Remove your makeup properly. To properly remove makeup, all you need is a good cleanser for your face and a gentle eye makeup remover. Cetaphil is my favourite cleanser. Other good ones are from Marie Kay, Lancome, Oriflame and Mac. For eye makeup removers, go for Clinique, Oriflame, Bodyshop, or Marie Kay. Remember to use a slightly damp cotton wipe so that it doesn’t drag on your skin. You can follow up with Cetaphil cream.

Share makeup tips, but not the makeup products. Make sure you wash all your makeup brushes thoroughly and regularly, and chuck out all the old, expired makeup. Stay away from in-store testers as they can be a hub of unknown bacterias and viruses. Also, wash your hands before and after you apply makeup.

Dazzling Monsoon Make Up Ideas

• Cheeks. For the cheeks, apply a cheek tint like Benetint. This will give you a lovely hint of colour and will hold up longer in humidity.
• Eyes. For the eyes, the colours of the season are blue and purple tones. Use blue coloured pencils around the lashline and apply lots of waterproof mascara.
• Lips. Avoid lip glosses and go in for long-stay lipsticks in bright pinks or corals.
• To ‘fix’ the look, finish off by spraying on a ‘fix it spray’. This is available with several brands like MAC & Body Shop.

Garlic

Garlic, by the virtue of allicin, is an all-in-one food. Garlic is loaded with this antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Functions on all levels to reduce ageing related symptoms – that is good for your skin; cardiac health; even boosts your immune system by providing protection against viruses and bacteria.

Nuts

Nuts are high in fat and are concentrated energy source. However, almonds and walnuts among these are rich in tocopherols (a form of vitamin E) – the antioxidant that reduces the risk of artery blockages, stroke, improving blood circulation, and helping keep each cell intact and healthy.

Further, omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols and tocopherols in these nuts protect against dementia, degenerative eye disorders and inflammation related to ageing.

Berries

Berries get their bright color from anthocyanins, an antioxidant which helps to keep the capillaries healthy, preventing the risks of varicose veins and tumor growth. Flavonoids from berries possess anticancer properties and also improve the vascular endothelial function.

Berries – amla, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, jamun, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries – help in maintaining the energy levels of cells and keep your skin healthy and supple.

Citrus fruits

Increased inflammation in body is associated with several degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases and arthritis. Anti-inflammatory properties of fruits such as oranges, sweet-limes, lemon, and grape fruits; have a significant role to play against degenerative diseases occurring with increasing age.

Flavonoids and polyphenols in citrus fruits can also suppress the formation of new cancers in the body by blocking the pro-carcinogens and reducing their toxicity.