The tulsi plant or holy tulsi has been an intrinsic part of indian history. It runs so deep within the realm of our understanding and profession of hinduism or of an overly eastern way of life, that you use it as a metaphor for sanctity. Most hindu households, both rural and urban, worship this plant. The benefits of this herb have had the support of a huge mass of people who would not have settled for anything other than a scientific approval of their faith; the humor in this statement eludes most proving every bit of truth in it. Indeed, this healthy herb has been found to be helpful in more than a couple of ways and has thus, transcended the limits of domestic and cultural identities.

See for yourself how healthy is tulsi:

A) fight off cancer with tulsi leaves: tulsi plant is widely sought after for its anti-carcinogenic properties. It is also known to counter bacteria and other viral infections. One may even use its leaves as an antibiotic. Regular consumption of its leaves on an empty stomach can rid you of recurrent problems like fever or cough and cold.

B) pamper your skin with a touch of health: tulsi is known to detoxify and cleanse the human body. Most skin disorders arise due to underlying skin infections. These infections are usually the result of toxins. Applying a tulsi pack or drinking herbal teas can therefore be effective.

C) say goodbye to crushing digestive problems: tulsi can build up your immunity against common conditions like diarrhea or dysentery. People suffering from slow bowel movement have also gained from this herb. It propels good digestion.

D) a big threat to mosquito borne diseases: treatment of malaria and dengue incurs thousands. Using tulsi as a preventive herb can be of significant help. Tulsi is also known to cure hepatitis and tuberculosis.

E) bathe in tulsi water to remedy rashes: adding tulsi leaves to your bathing water successfully deals with germs and bacteria. You can easily tackle itchy skin, rashes, and boils with this simple tip.

Tulsi - The Amazing Healthy Herb

Top 10 Everyday Skin Care Hacks

You skin needs just a little care daily. There are some very simple ways in which we can provide that much needed affection and get back radiance and softness. And all this without any extra effort!

Try these everyday regimes for the glow.

1. Adopt Hydration - The first thing your skin needs to stay beautiful is adequate 'hydration,' or what they call in plain terms as plenty of water. So bottoms up to at least two liters of water daily.

2. Avoid Dehydration  - While you are busy hydrating your skin, remember to be careful and not dehydrate by staying out under the harsh sun for longer than 10-15 mins at a stretch. Ditch the caffeine habit (Soda, coffee, tea) as it dehydrates your body on the cellular level, inviting the onset of those dreaded wrinkles early than anticipated. 

3. Apply Lesser Layers - Your skin is your body's largest organ and it needs to breathe. So try and not swathe it under layers of heavy makeup and pore clogging chemical body butters on a regular basis.

4. Give It Fresh Air - To get your skin breathing truly fresh, put on your exercise gear and head outdoors to spend some quality time with Mother Nature at the nearest park or maybe you can take that long pending weekend trip out of the city!

5. Don’t Stress - Do not be stressed all the time unnecessarily. Learning how to manage stress effectively can take away years from your skin. 

6. Exercise - Run. Jump. Dance. Get moving, in short. The more your skin sweats, the better will it look and the elasticity would improve dramatically too. 

7. Get Nutrition - Get in the habit of starting the day with plenty of fruits and a healthy breakfast with the right amount of protein, carbs and essential fats. Fats are required by your skin to lubricate and moisturize from the inside. But make sure you stick to good fats found in olive oil, eggs, yogurt (the ones without any additives or artificial sugars), and whole grain breads etc.

8. Go Smoke-free - Just stop smoking and you would see a dramatic improvement in your skin tone within a few weeks (yes, it takes time to reverse that kind of damage) 

9. Wear Sunscreen - Slather on the sunscreen before you leave the house but make sure it's SPF index must be 30 and above for it to be effective under the harsh Indian sun.

10. Exfoliate & Detox - Scrub-rub-a dub every week. NOT every day though.. Make sure you use organic scrubs made with rice granules or sugar grains instead. Use a natural face mask such as Banana mash or a Tomato-Cucumber-Honey paste every alternate day to detoxify, cleanse and moisturize your face and body. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.


10 Only Skin Care Hacks You Will Ever Need

Allergies are caused by unnatural reactions between your body's immune system and foreign substances, which have gained access into the body. When these substances, known as allergens, enter your body, your immune system produces antibodies, which are responsible for warding off unwanted substances like harmful viruses or diseases and helping in the body's overall resistance.

The main cause of allergy is the uncontrolled reaction between the immune system's antibodies and harmless allergens. Allergic reactions are triggered when antibodies, like histamine, come into contact with particular types of allergens. These may include:

    Certain eatables: Peanuts or sea food
    Medications: Penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics
    Airborne allergens: Pollen, mold, or dust mites
    Insect stings: Bee stings or scorpion stings
    Latex: Latex or other substances, which are responsible for causing allergic skin reactions

Symptoms of allergies depend upon a wide range of factors, which are subjective and vary from person to person and from allergen to allergen. Depending upon the type of allergen involved and the nature of the allergy, symptoms may include any of the following:

    Facial swelling
    Wheezing
    Severe itching
    Swollen or red and watery eyes
    Hives
    Flaky skin which can peel off

These symptoms are common in mild to moderate allergies, such as atopic dermatitis, hay fever, drug or food allergies. There are certain rare cases (say, scorpion stings), however, in which the allergic reaction turns out to be potentially life-threatening. This type of reaction is known as anaphylaxis. Here are its signs and symptoms:

    Nausea and vomiting
    Loss of consciousness
    Skin rashes
    Intense shortness of breath
    Lightheadedness

Homeopathy effectively deals with any sort of allergy by taking into account individualistic symptoms and thus nipping the root cause in the bud. Natrum Mur, Urtica Urens, Sulphur and Natrum Carb, among others, are very effective medicines against allergies. But these must be taken after due discussion with the doctor as they check out the symptoms and then prescribe the medicine basis that.

Allergies: Causes, Symptoms and How Homeopathy Deals With It Efectively

Between a woman dressed in a satin dress and another dressed in cotton, who do you think was more comfortable? The lady dressed in cotton ofcourse! It isn't the length of the dress that dictates this answer but the breathability of the fabric.

Breathability can be defined as the fabric's ability to allow air and moisture to pass through it. This is determined by the composition of fibers and how tightly they are woven together. Wearing breathable fabric helps your skin breathe by allowing sweat to evaporate rather than block skin pores. This also helps regulate your body's temperature. So, when you go shopping for your summer wardrobe, look out for these fabrics.

1 Cotton
Cotton is a natural fiber hat can be found in a number of varieties. However, not all of them are breathable. For your skin to breathe, avoid cotton blends and stick to 100% cotton fabric. Seersucker and madras cotton are great for summer. Cotton clothes are ideal for dry summers as well as humid conditions.

2 Linen
The light weight nature of linen makes it an extremely breathable fabric. This natural fiber also absorbs moisture very well.

3 Light Silk
Silk is often termed as a winter material but light silks are ideal for any weather. Silk is highly absorbent and dries quickly thus allowing your skin to breathe. It also has natural climate regulating properties that allow it to stay cool in summers and warm in winters. Silk is also the most hypoallergenic fabric available.

4 Chambray
Chambray is a breathable alternative to denims. While heavy weight chambray has a rugged appeal, light weight chambray can have a casual as well as dressy appeal.

On that note, here are a few fabrics to avoid

1 Nylon
Nylon is a completely synthetic material with low absorption and a water repellant nature. Thus not only will it not allow sweat to evaporate, it will trap your sweat within your clothes. This is both uncomfortable and unhealthy.

2 Polyester and Polyester blends
Like nylon, polyester is water repellent and thus allows perspiration to between your clothes and your skin causing the garment to stick to the body. Don't assume a polyester cotton blend to be any better as even a 40% synthetic presence can keep the fabric from absorbing sweat.

3 Viscose or Rayon
Both these fabrics are often passed off as cotton. However they do not have the absorption or breathability nature of cotton. While it will not trap heat like nylon and polyester, rayon also repels water thus leading to a perspiration build up.

4 Satin
Satin is produced by weaving nylon and polyester together and hence is synthetic and does not allow the skin to breathe. Also satin is thick and heavy.

Which kind of clothing lets your skin breathe?

Almost everyone experiences a skin infection at some point of time or the other. A skin infection can be defined as any change to the skin that affects its look, colour or texture. It may or may not be accompanied by pain and itchiness. While some skin infections clear up on their own, others need medication. Homeopathy is a holistic form of treatment that addresses the root cause of the infection instead of only the symptoms presented. Thus it cures the disease instead of merely subduing the symptoms. Additionally, homeopathic medication has negligible side effects. Here are a few homeopathic remedies that can be used to treat skin infections.

1. Rhus toxicodendron: this can be used to treat cases of eczema where the skin is covered in small blisters. It can also soothe the itchiness, pain and swelling that accompanies this rash. Such rashes are aggravated by cold and damp weather and can turn into herpes or uriticaria is left untreated.

2. Graphites: graphites can be used to treat a number of skin infections. It is most commonly used for dry or itchy skin, cracked corners of the mouth or eyes, blisters on the scalp and hair that breaks easily. It can also be used to treat eruptions between fingers and at joint bends.

3. Pulsatilla: pulsatilla is used primarily to treat acne and nettle rash. It can also be used to treat rashes that accompany menstruation in women and rashes due to indigestion or uterine problems.

4. Sepia: sepia is a useful homeopathic medicine for herpes and psoriasis. It can also be used to treat eczema on the hands and dry, chapped skin.

5. Arsenicum: any skin problem that results in the thickening of skin along with itchiness and a burning sensation can be treated with arnicum. Some such skin ailments are chronic uriticaria, psoriasis and chronic eczema. This homeopathic medicine is also used to treat pimples and nettle rash.

6. Sulpher: sulpher is a very good way to treat acne, psoriasis and eczema. It is best known for its centrifugal properties that bring symptoms up to the surface of the skin. Sulpher can also be used to treat rough skin and burning sensations caused by aggravated washing.

7. Thuja: thuja is the most effective way of treating warts and ensures that they do not recur. Its antibacterial properties make it also useful in treatments of acne, black heads, age spots, scaly skin, freckles and carbuncles.

Treating Skin Problems in Homeopathy

Why Papaya is the God of Perfect Skin

Use a particular face wash and your face is free of all dead cells. it's not so simple. To dissolve the dead cells, the protein in the cells must be broken down. The only effective ingredients to do the job are AHAs or Alpha Hydroxy Acids. This is why many skin exfoliating products contain AHAs. 


Papain, which is found in Papaya has similar properties. Papaya is a safe and natural, plant-based alternative to chemical exfoliants. To remove dead cells, gently massage papaya pulp on your face for about 5-7 minutes. Rinse your face alternatively with warm and cold water.  Remember not to overdo it though! Papaya is an acidic fruit, so don’t let the mask sit on your face for too long as it might cause dryness and skin irritation.




Do You Know: Why Papaya is the God of Perfect Skin?

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