Home Spa: Rose petal mist

The hot and cold water therapy for hair has already been mentioned to increase blood circulation and strengthen hair. The hot and cold therapy for the face is beneficial too.

In a bowl, bring some water to a boil. Remove from fire and put some fresh rose petals in it. Steam your face for 5 minutes with this fragrant water by covering your head with a towel. Now splash cool water on your face. Apply moisturiser.
This simple procedure unclogs the pores, removes impurities and improves blood circulation, thus refreshing and renewing the face. Soothes your senses too!

p.s. Rose water is made at home in a similar way, with rose petals put in hot water and covered with lid till it gets cool. It is strained and filled in a sterlized bottle and refrigerated. But this does not last long.

Make use of ice trays in more interesting ways.........

* Ice trays with lids can be used to keep precious and delicate jewellery pieces like ear-rings, pendants, finger rings, chains etc. in different compartments. Cut and place small square pieces of paper napkin or tissue before putting the items. This way your jewellery will neither get scratched nor mixed and easier to choose as they are placed in different compartments.

*Make tomato puree, pour in ice trays and freeze. Twist and use the pieces in curries when required. Green chillies can also be minced alongwith the tomatoes.

*Similarly store, ginger paste, ginger-garlic paste and onion paste in ice trays in the refrigerator.

*Make cubes of lime juice and use them in a refreshing drink with water, salt, pepper with or without sugar/honey.

*In a small ice tray store orange juice in your freezer and use these cubes on your face for a rejuvenating skin. Orange juice contains Vitamin C, erases spots and marks.

*Simple ice cubes or drops of rose water-mixed ice cubes, rubbed on your face before make up will help the make-up last longer, improves blood circulation and makes skin healthy.

*Boil a few leaves of neem, strain, pour the extract in ice tray and freeze. Rub the cubes gently on pimples/acne. These neem cubes can mixed in bath water/as last rinses for anti-bacterial and refreshing bath in summers and rains.

Moisturize your body in seconds!

Moisturizing your body is very essential especially in winters. You massage your body with oil pre-bath or apply body lotion post bath. But as the winter days are short and you are in a hurry for your routines, add 2-3 drops of olive or almond oil in half or one-fourth bucket of water and finish your bath with it. The oil will form a thin film all over your body thus moisturising and conditioning it. Softly pat dry the body with towel.

In summers, drops of rose-water or eude-cologne can be added to give you a refreshing bath.