Things I learned from 2017

 13 lessons 2017 taught me!!!

2018 is just around the corner. A year can bring huge changes in yourself, your surrounding, your mental state and a lot of things. 2017 has been a year full of learning and experience. So I thought to share few of my learning with all of you in 2017.

Our parents are always right :

Ok! not always but most of the times.... I’d always been skeptical about the decisions that my parents or my family took for me but as I look back…. Damn! They were right!

 Self-confidence :

If you ask me what kind of a person I was a year back, I would say under-confident, quiet dependent, shy and very scared of most of the things. I would never leave my comfort zone. But now as you can tell how much confidence I have built up because if not, I would not have been sitting here putting myself to the world and typing about my thoughts.

Everything happens for a reason :

As cliché as it might sound, everything actually happens for a reason and most of the times, for a GOOD reason. I was into many things back in 2017 and most of the things did not happen. But later on, I realized the ‘good reasons’ because of which the works were not being able to complete.

Patience is key : 

I cannot stress more on this thing because patience has worked really well in my case. I was a very short-tempered person who would get frustrated even with small things. Now I have become a more patient person and more happy too! J

  Never forget to be grateful : 

To be honest I was never satisfied with the things I had. I always wanted more which is (in a way) good in order to make your life better and work towards living a life of your choice. But that being said, we should definitely not forget what we are provided with because unless we don’t lose what we have, we do not realize its value.

  Self-care is important : 

I don’t think I should say much about this because who doesn’t love to be treated as a special being. One of the major learning was self-care. It is so important to care for yourself both mentally and physically. Physically, because your body is the temple of your soul and mentally, because you do not want to live your life with unnecessary baggage on your shoulders.

Forgive people but never forget : 

Now this one is important. Everybody makes mistakes and if they take charge of what they do then you should definitely forgive them. But you do not necessarily have to forget what that person did to you so that you become more aware while dealing with that person in future.

Self-acceptance : 

It is as important as self-care. This is another lesson 2017 taught me. If YOU do not love yourself, then who will?

Never give up : 

As I talked about things that I wanted to happen in 2017 but did not happen, I still have not given up on those things. I’m continuously moving forward to make those things work for me.

Read more….and more : 

Yes! It is as important as any other thing. The more you sow the seed of knowledge the better results you reap. I try to read at least for 15 minutes a day and trust me I am a more satisfied person now.

Small things matter : 

There are so many small details that we often tend to forget in order to look at the bigger picture. Of course the bigger picture matters, but along with the attention given to our smallest happiness of our lives.

Help others : 

As a social work student, I have taken this term “serving others” as a purpose of my life. I am not talking about going broke in the name of charity (do it when you want to) but helping others in everyday life makes you a better person.

Your family is everything : 

We all know this, no matter how huge mistakes we do in our lives, our family will always forgive us and accept us (but that doesn’t mean I’ve committed a crime). Family is always important and 2017 made me realize this.

2017……you were special to me and I guess it was special to all of you as well because good things gave us experience and bad things gave us knowledge. So let’s welcome the year we are willing to make more prosperous, happy and full of experience.

THANK YOU 2017!!!!!! J

How to take care of your skin in winters

We all love winters but our skin surely does not as it has to deal with a lot of problems during the season.

We talked about winter hair care in our previous post. Now it’s time for your SKIN to glow. Winters can be really hard on your skin. They tend to make your skin dry which is NOT GOOD AT ALL. So if you want to know about how you can take care of your skin and manage to glow in winters read along….


Water temperature : First things first, I know in winters we don’t want to even touch cold water but the sad part is hot water can make your skin even dryer. Start off by washing your face with lukewarm water but still rinse your face with cold water after you wash it. This way, your skin does not get dry and the cold water helps to close your pores.

The correct face wash : Use a mild face wash in winters and avoid foaming face wash. As per my experience, foaming face wash takes out all the oils from your face making it dryer. We NEED some good oils on our face especially in winters. So go for a face wash which is not very thick in consistency.

Toning your face : Toning is really important for your skin. It helps your skin to get rid of all those extra dirt and grime. While the store-bought toners might contain alcohol in them (which is not good for winters) you can still use rosewater as a natural toner.

 Moisturizing : Now comes the most important part- MOISTURIZING. As important as it gets, moisturizing your face is the crucial part of your skin care. One mistake that I had done in my life with skin care was underestimating the importance of moisturizer. I’ve always had dry skin and during my teens I would neglect any moisturizing creams. Later on, I had to compensate.

No matter what type of your skin is- oily, dry, normal, you still need to use moisturizer according to your skin type.

 Hydrate from within : In winters, we tend to lose hydration from our skin, hair, lips and overall body. So we need to compensate the loss by consuming adequate liquid. It is really important to keep yourself hydrated from within.

 Face mask :

Yogurt- It is really good for your skin as it has lactic acid in it…. It helps to make your skin smooth and supple.

Honey- Honey is another lighting agent which works wonders for your skin. It helps to moisturize  your skin making it softer.

Neem – Neem is very good for both your skin and hair. As it has anti-bacterial  properties, it helps your skin to get rid of any bacteria or skin problems. Mix neem powder with rosewater and make a paste. Apply it all over your face and wash it after 10-15 minutes.

             Related: 9 things you should never do to your skin

Along with your face, your other body parts also get dry. In that case do not forget to keep applying body lotion and lip balm every now and then(whenever it gets dry). So with these tips, take a bit of extra care of yourself in this winter. Have fun! :)

15 tips to grow your hair long

15 Tips to grow your hair longer and faster!

Had a big chop and regretting???? Or the parlour lady just ruined your hair?? Or you just want that extra-long hair??? We talked about the ways how you can take care of your hair in winters. Now if you are wondering how to grow out your hair really long and that too fast read till the end.

1.     Oil your hair before washing it. It helps to restore the moisture and provide your hair with essential nutrients. Coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil can do great.                                                     
2.     Use a shampoo without sulphates or harsh chemicals in it. It will prevent your hair from stripping off its natural oils.                                                                                                                                                                                          
3.       Use a good quality conditioner with extra ingredients like oils.                                                           
4.       Go for a hair mask once a week. You can use avocado hair mask, banana hair mask or anything that hydrates your hair.                                                                                                      
5.        Eat enough biotin (nuts,) as it ensures hair growth.                                                                       
6.        Drink plenty of water.                                                                                                                   
7.        Get your hair trimmed in every two months. But not more than half an inch.                              
8.       Get rid of those split ends as they can reach out to your lengths and eventually damage them. Damaged hair breaks off easily and cannot retain length.                                                      
9.       Stay away from any hot tools. No straighteners, curlers anything. If you have to, then use a heat protectant.                                                                                                                           
10.        Eat healthy. What you put inside your body, your hair takes them too.                                     
11.       Get a nice scalp massage to promote blood circulation in your scalp. Massage your scalp for at least five minutes a day.                                                                                                         
12.             Do not stress about your hair as it can lead to hair fall.                                                              
13.        Sleep with protective hairstyles like braids, bun to make sure that your hair is not tangled after you wake up.                                                                                                                                   
14.       Use a serum or heat protectant before exposing your hair to the sun because just like the way your skin needs a protection from sun, your hair needs it too.                                                     
15.      Brush your hair at least twice a day but not more. This way the blood circulation in your scalp keeps going.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I hope these tips really help you get your desired hair length. Do share the results. All the best :)    

                     beautyandthebenefit.blogspot.com/2017/12/winter-hair-care.html

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Winter hair care

This winter take extra care of your mane!!!!!

A lot of beautiful images and vibes come to our mind when we hear the word 'winter'. It can be really tempting to watch your favorite shows cuddling in the blanket along….with a cup of coffee. But winter season can be really harsh on your skin, hair and your overall body. So I've come up with some of the best tips that will surely help your locks to maintain its moisture. Lets get started!!!

So the first thing we will start off with is the pre-shampoo routine :

1.       Oiling

I cannot stress more on this fact that how much oiling is important especially in the winter season. Our scalp and hair tend to lose their moisture because of the dry weather and end up looking dull. Oiling helps to restore the moisture of your hair helping it to look its best. There are various oils that you can use according to your preference but I personally would suggest coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, almond oil, mustard oil and so on (the list is very long).

  You can also use few drops of essential oils like lavender oil, rosemary oil mixing with other carrier oils. 

2.       Hair mask

Just like oiling, hair mask is also equally important in winters. They not just reduce the frizz on your hair but also the ingredients promote hair growth giving your hair the shine and nutrients it needs.

Some of the hair masks you can try are:

·         Avocado hair mask: mash some avocado pulp and mix with some coconut oil and almond oil. Apply it to your scalp and hair. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and wash your hair with a mild shampoo. 

       ·      Banana hair mask: mash a banana,  add some milk, some oil of your choice and apply it all over your hair. After 30 minutes, wash your hair with shampoo. Trust me you will not even need conditioner!

·         Yogurt: Yoghurt can be wonderful if you have frizzy hair. It helps to make your hair smooth and shiny. If you are struggling with dandruff, then squeeze some lemon into it and apply onto your scalp. After 20 minutes, wash your hair with a mild shampoo.

note* Avoid shampoo with sulfates in it. They tend to dry out your hair even more.

3.   After washing your hair, you need to take care of your hair just like you did before washing it. Use a serum or leave-in conditioner on the ends of your hair. A great tip is that you can use argan oil on your damp  (not dripping wet) ends. That way you will minimize the chance of getting split ends. An oil-in-cream can also work wonders while fighting against the frizz.

4.       Eating healthy 

        

        This is as important as any other tips. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. So make sure to eat food rich in protein, biotin (almonds, walnuts etc). Include vegetables and fruits into your diet.

5.       Hydrate yourself

       I know it’s winter and you don’t even want to touch cold things. But you have to! Just like your lips get chapped due to the lack of moisture and you put on some glossy lip balms you need to compensate the lack of hydration with enough water. You can drink warm water but make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!

6.       Hairstyles

       Imagine wearing a nice sweater and you have your hair flying all around your sweater(of course due to static) does it look nice? No! so a very good idea would be protective hairstyles. You can go for braids or bun.


Related:  15 tips to grow hair long and fast

Well, these are the things you can do to keep those frizz away and make your hair look its best. :)