So, you know green tea as the magic potion that helps you cut calories, but did you know it’s also very effective in skincare and haircare? Intrigued? Read on to explore the care and wellness quotient of this humble beverage.

Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles

Stress, exertion and disturbed sleep pattern are all (unfortunately) visible on your face, especially around the eyes. Even worse, that’s the first thing people notice when they look at you and no matter how good you are at your job, you’ll be judged. That aside, dark circles and puffy eyes can affect a person’s confidence too. But luckily, there’s green tea. Here’s how you can treat puffy eyes.

·         Dip green tea bags in hot water.

·         Take the bags out and place them in the freezer for ten minutes.

·         Relax and enjoy your green tea while the bags are getting cold.

·         Take cold green tea bags out of the freezer, place them on your eyes and relax for 10-15 mins.

·         The puffiness will come down remarkably.

Regular use of green tea bags over your eyes will work on dark circles also over time.

Hair care

Green tea can help with a number of hair concerns including hair loss, dandruff or help with providing added nutrients for healthy hair.

            For treating dandruff

·         Add caffeinated green tea in one cup of boiling water and let it boil for 4-5 minutes.

·         Let it sit until it cools.

·         Add a teaspoon of honey.

·         Wash hair with your regular shampoo or cleanser.

·         Apply the tea-honey mix on to your scalp and message gently.

·         Wear a shower cap and leave the tea-mix for 20-30 minutes.

·         Rinse with cold water.

For treating hair loss

·         Add 4 bags of black tea  to 2 cups of boiling water. Allow it to cool.

·         Wash your hair with your regular shampoo/cleanser.

·         Rinse hair with the brewed tea. Message on to the scalp gently.

·         Wear a shower cap and leave it on for about 30 minutes.

·         Rinse with cold water and apply a deep conditioner.

If you are not sure about the hair rinse, you can also buy haircare products with green tea extracts.

Skin care

Green tea is known for its refreshing and revitalizing properties, which apply to skin as well. Here are some recipes for skin.

            Refreshing face mist

·         Brew a light mix of lemongrass or mint tea  with one teabag in one cup boiling water. Allow it to cool.

·         Mix rose water in equal proportion. Store in a spray bottle.

·         Use it as mist to freshen up your face.

·         If you add 5-7 drops of tea tree oil, it will become an excellent mist for fighting acne.

A girl’s nightmare, acne can be an emotional affliction too. You may be using the best skin products, acne cleansing facewash,  treatment gel, following a proper acne preventing skin care routine and even applying pimple patches, but every now and then your skin keeps breaking out. While these products are created after tons of research, and most are effective in treating acne, but they won’t help prevent it, not by themselves. Preventing acne is not about that one-day treatment, but it is about lifestyle – habits that form into your day to day routine.

Hygiene

·         If you want to do away with acne forever, start with personal hygiene. Change your pillow covers every second day and your sheets at least twice weekly. If for some reason you are not able to change your pillow covers, wrap them in a clean sheet before you sleep.

·         Similarly, take a shower after working out. Do not wear sweaty clothes for long, shower and wash clothes immediately. Don’t keep the clothes for laundry day.

·         Keep your face clean. Don’t keep touch your face, your hands touch different surfaces all the time. You wouldn’t know what has bacteria and what doesn’t.

·         Clean your phone surface with disinfectant antibacterial wipes at least once daily.

Steam

·         Light steam on the face helps open pores up, post which cleaning will be more effective.

·         Do not over heat or over-expose skin to steam.

·         Do it twice or thrice a week.

Hydration

·         You may have heard it hundreds of times already, but that’s because water is the key to good skin. Water naturally cleanses toxins from our system. You must drink at least 2-2.5 liters of water daily.

Sugar

·         Cut down on artificial sugar. If you must, eat fruits, the natural sugars will satisfy your craving, while fiber and nutrients will do you good.

Eat Healthy

·         Cut down on fried, greasy and processed foods.

·         Eat fresh fruits, salads, smoothies and green veggies as much as you can.

Exercise

·         Skin is the reflection of your inner system – healthy body is equal to healthy skin. Exercise keeps your body healthy, metabolism high and blood circulation going. All of these things reflect on your skin, your skin will be flawless and glowing if you take care of your body’s health too.

Healthy habits along with your dermatologist suggested skin remedy can rid you of the persistent acne problem.

You’d be surprised how much goodness those little bottles of aromatic oils can be filled with. From controlling anxiety, boosting secretion of good hormones, relieving blocked sinuses, healing acne to revitalizing skin and so much more, essential oils are almost like magic potions in little bottles.

While there’s so much you can do with essential oils, this article focuses on hair care. Here’s how essential oils can be used for soft, lustrous mane.

Hair Growth

·       Peppermint oil has a cooling sensation, which when applied on scalp, stimulates blood circulation thereby promoting hair growth. You can either buy hair oil that has peppermint oil in it or mix it in a base oil like coconut oil, jojoba or shea butter oil. 

Treating Dry Damaged hair

·        Pollution, underlying medical condition, chemical treatments etc. can dry up your hair’s natural moisture and elasticity making it rough, dry and brittle. Ylang-ylang oil helps boost sebum production making hair stronger and improving its texture. To apply ylang-ylang oil on your hair, mix a couple of drops in two tablespoons of base oil like coconut oil, gently message it into the scalp and wrap up in a warm towel. Leave it sitting in the warm towel for over 30 minutes, and then wash. 

·        Another great oil for treating damage is lemongrass oil. With antifungal and antibacterial properties, lemongrass oil is very efficient in treating dry, flaky and itchy scalp, alongside working on the strength of your hair. 

Removing Excess Oil

·        Some people have excess sebum secretion which can often make hair greasy, clog hair follicles and reduce hair growth. Excess build-up can also make scalp itchy or even develop dandruff. Teatree oil  is an excellent scalp cleanser. Mix a few drops (5-6) of tea tree essential oil in a carrier oil like olive, almond or coconut oil, message on to the scalp and wrap a warm towel. Wash after 15-20 minutes.

Treating Dull and Frizzy Hair

·        Filled with the goodness of the basil plant, sweet basil oil is excellent for providing natural moisture and shine to hair. Use regularly to get rid of frizz permanently.

Love those heels but hate the way they make your feet feel? You’re not alone. Women across the world continue to wear high heels, even if hurts. Imagine what would dressing up for a party be like without those gorgeous stilettoes.

While we can’t do away with our heels, we can, although, train the pretty demons. Game? Read on.

1.      Always wear the right size. A little too tight or even slightly loose and you can end up with serious pain or even an accident. Either ways, even if you manage to avoid the accident, you’ll be walking very awkwardly. Wearing heels is about grace, so buy something only if it fits. Always try on the shoe, and get the one that hugs your foot perfectly fine.

2.       

Stick a layer of non-slip grip pads underneath the soles.

3.      If you are not habitual to wearing heels, take small steps.

4.      If you are wearing closed toes, put inserts to provide some cushioning. You can also use invisible socks or silicon straps.

5.      Never wear new shoes while going out. Wear thick socks and walk around them in the house for a couple of days. Put shoes in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer for a while or stuff it with plastic bags containing ice. Once the shoes are seasoned for your feet, wear them out.

6.      While this may sound a little cliché, it’s actually smart to time your heels, for instance choose comfort for the commute and just before you enter the venue, quickly switch.

7.       This one’s pretty common, but it works like magic. Tape your third and fourth toes together. This will reduce the pressure on the balls of your feet, making even your most torturous shoes less painful.

8.      Although we all do it already while we walk, but just in case you are doing it differently, practice walking heel first, heel then toe. Practice, it works.

9.      Don’t take off your heels in the middle of the day. The minute you take your heels off, chances are that your feet will swell up. Putting your feet back in the shoes will become even more difficult and painful.

10.  Always keep adhesive bandages in your purse. The minute your shoe starts hurting, stick the bandage, don’t wait for the blister to get bad. This will prevent the blister going deeper and provide immediate relief.

Whether you are a seasoned shopper, impulse buyer, deal hunter or the casual window shopper, the one thing that you’d be attracted to, irrespective of your shopping personality, is additional savings. Everybody likes a buck or two saved, and quite honestly, it’s not rocket science either.

Here’s your secret to becoming a wise shopper, and you’re welcome!

1.      Advertised sales may not offer you the cheapest deals. Checkout other sites or stores before you buy.

2.      Buy staples in bulk. Don’t wait for the stock at home to get over. Pick up when you get a good deal.

3.      You can form a shopping group who can combine their shopping lists together and buy in bulk. This can especially work for back-to-school shopping.

4.      Almost all stores have a sale season or sale-cycle. Keep a tab on your favorite stores, and you’ll know when’s a good time to shop.

5.      Don’t dwell in self-pity while you are shopping. Buy something because you need it and not because ‘you deserve it’.

6.      While some stores have created their brand around being the ‘cheapest’, this may not be true for all products, all the time. Do compare prices, it takes fraction of a minute to check out other stores if you are shopping online.

7.      Largest pack price may not be the cheapest. Compare unit prices.

8.      Play the devil’s advocate while shopping. If you are tempted to buy something not on the list, think of reasons why you shouldn’t buy it, rather than giving yourself reasons why you should buy it.

9.      There’s always a discount. don’t be afraid to ask.

10.  Shop for gifts for special occasions and Holidays all year round, whenever you find the cheapest deal.

11.  Sign up for newsletters and promotional emails from your favorite stores. This way you can keep yourself updated of the latest offers.

12.  Try used or refurbished when you can. The beauty is that while with quality you can hardly tell the difference, the price difference will overwhelm you.

13.  If you are shopping online, avoid buying on the weekends. Weekdays are usually cheaper.

14.  Use your credit card for shopping. In case of return, credit cards get refunded faster than debit cards.

15.  Check your receipt. Many times, the price mentioned on the product may not be the same as what the teller scans. Sometimes stores do it on purpose and sometimes it’s an honest mistake. Either ways, you end up paying more. So, you must always cross check your receipt against each item you paid for.

16.  Be alert of the item placement. Stores usually place essentials high up, far back or down below. The items that are at eye level are mostly the ones that you generally don’t need but may end up buying because the thing tempts you.

17.  If you are shopping in the mall, try and connect to the store’s wi-fi as you enter it. As you connect with their wi-fi, you can get special discounts or deals from the specific store.

18.  When shopping online, leave items in your cart. This can activate some algorithms and you might be offered a deal or additional discount on your selection.

19.  Do check the return policy before you make the purchase.

20.  Download GeoQpons app or log on to www.geoqpons.com to get latest deals, discounts and coupons.

While those pretty faces in beauty product ads and their tempting marketing might be able to convince you to buy the product, what they don’t tell you is the real secret behind the that amazing hair or flawless skin. Interestingly these beauty secrets are so basic that you’d be surprised that something so simple can make a difference. But if you inculcate these as habits in your daily routine, you will see the magic work.

Leave your face alone

Most of us so used to touching our faces that we don’t even realize it. But if you consciously count it, you’d be surprised at how much you do it. Your hands are toughing surfaces all the time, and every time you touch your face, you transfer a load of germs and bacteria, which then translates into pimples, acne, blackheads etc.

Never pick pimples or blackheads 

If you are a pimple picker, you need to stop immediately. Picking pimples can lead to pigmentation. Use pimple stickers instead. If your skin is prone to acne, use a cleanser and moisturizer that is especially made to soothe and rejuvenate acne-prone skin.

Practice cleanliness 

You probably know how much bacteria your makeup brushes can harbor, but did you also know that your hand-towel and pillow can be breeding grounds for bacteria too? And according to a study conducted by scientists at the University of Arizona, your hand-held phone is ten times filthier than a toilet seat. So, every time you get your face close to something, think how clean it is. Wash your hand-towels every alternate day, and your pillow covers at least one a week. Use sanitizing wipes  or UV sanitizing box to rid your phone of all the dirt and filth.

Use a SPF based moisturizer all year round 

Whether you see the sun or not, its radiation affects your skin irrespective of the season. Using a SPF moisturizer that suits your skin can help curb the damage done to your skin on a daily basis. It can also slow down the process of skin aging, making your skin younger.

Treat your neck the same way you treat your face

The skin on your neck needs to be taken care of the same way you pamper your face. Use the same creams and lotions that you use on your face. Neck can often show signs of aging way earlier than the face, so it actually needs to be taken care of even more.

Stay hydrated

While all of us know it, but most don’t practice it as consistently. Drinking water should be a habit, and the easiest way to form this habit is by keeping a reusable water bottle in your purse or carry-along bag. This habit will help the environment by doing away with disposable plastic bottles, while it keeps you hydrated through the day. If you are still forgetting to drink water, you can download a water reminder app on your smart phone which will remind you to have water in regular intervals.

Use an old t-shirt to dry your hair

Drying hair with towel after a hair-wash  can make your hair dry and frizzy. Use either an old t-shirt or a microfiber towel to gently wrap your hair in.

Condition your lashes   

You can use castor oil  to make your lashes thick and long naturally, or use an eyelash serum to condition your lashes.

Exercise daily

Remember, beautiful flowing hair or flawless, glowing skin, or beautiful nails, how your features look on the outside reflects your health on the inside. Exercising daily flushes out your toxins, keeps muscles activated and rejuvenates your body on the whole. Additionally, exercise also releases happy hormones that help keep your mood fresh and body healthy.

You can now buy all your beauty products and beyond with having to pay retail. Check out the latest deals and discounts offered by your favorite store and get amazing savings. Download the GeoQpons app now.