Stay cool this summer

Stay cool this summer (Thinkstock Photos/ Getty Images)

Choose summer-appropriate fabrics such as cotton and linen that allow the skin to breathe. Similarly, for sportswear, go for fabrics like dri-fit; they wick moisture away from the skin, allowing it to evaporate quickly to keep you fresh. 

Keep your armpits fresh by keeping a deodorant handy. Remember, antiperspirants should make contact with the skin to be effective. So, hold the bottle six to eight s inches away from the skin and spray to ensure even coverage. Never spray immediately after showering. Wash your feet daily in warm water with a few drops of tea tree oil to keep your feet bacteria free.

Feet have 2,50,000 sweat glands and can produce a lot of sweat. To minimise discomfort, wear cotton socks and leather shoes.

Keep your hair and scalp cool and fresh by washing with an anti-dandruff shampoo that has menthol. Menthol widens blood vessels and helps your body regulate its temperature. Its cools the scalp.

Reduce your caffeine intake as it increases sweat production. Swap tea, coffee and cola for water and fruit juice. Carry a bottle of water wherever you go. Also, increase your in take of fresh fruits and vegetables as they release the water content at a slower and more consistent rate than water - thus avoiding dehydration
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10 Commandments for healthy hair

10 Commandments for healthy hair (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Every woman dreams of thick, silky, lustrous hair. So, if you want to be the envy of all your friends follow our Ten Commandments, for beautiful healthy hair. 

Protect your hair

Yes, protection is one of the best way to keep all your hair troubles at bay. Try to protect your hair from extreme temperature, sun, dirt and pollution. These can be responsible for causing infection on your scalp, which will lead to hair fall, dandruff and other hair problems.

Handle with care

After a shower, make sure you don't brush your hair immediately, as this can cause hair damage. Wet hair is weak and fragile. So, wait until your hair dries up and then gently comb your hair.

Condition your hair

To avoid frizzy hair, make sure you moisturise your hair with a good conditioner. After conditioning your hair, wash it off thoroughly and then allow it to air-dry.

Don't make hair styling a habit

Most hair styling products generate lots of heat, which can damage hair, if you them on a regular basis. Never overuse, your hair styling products, and always use a good hair serum, to minimise damage.

Avoid tying your hair tight

The more you twist and turn your hairband, the more you will be damaging your hair. Instead, of tying your hair all the time, leave it loose or use a headband or a clip.

Cleanse your hair thoroughly

The most important reason for hair fall is dandruff and an itchy scalp. Therefore, maintain optimum cleanliness, if you want to flaunt your hair in public.

Prepare your hair mask

Once a week, treat your hair to a good hair mask, this will give your hair some essential nutrients. Hair masks are easy to prepare. Simply mash a banana, add some egg, mix it and apply it on your hair. Wash it off after 30 minutes.

Eat right food

Besides, treating your hair to a good hair mask and conditioner, you also need to give essential nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat a balanced diet, this will help your hair grow quickly and add lustre and shine.

Oil your hair

Make sure you oil your hair at least once a week. Oiling your hair once a week is very important, as it boosts blood flow to the scalp. You can either use coconut oil or almond oil to get shiny, thick hair.

Brush your hair regularly

Brush your hair, to spread the naturally present oil across the scalp. This will help to add lustre and shine to your hair
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How to banish stomach fat forever

How to banish stomach fat forever (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

For how long are you going to hide that paunch? Let's not run away from the problem and, instead, face it head on! Arnav Sarkar, our Strength and Conditioning coach gives you the weapons to banish stomach fat forever. Read Arnav's tips below to shed those baggy clothes...

Strength train atleast 3 days a week. This will help boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories even at rest.

Ditch the "500 crunches" workouts and do more intense core work with exercises like windmills, Turkish situps, hanging leg raises, etc.

Perform 2-3 HIIT or high intensity interval training workouts a week. These need not and should be long in duration, 10-20 minutes is enough if done correctly.

Get more active. Even if you spend 1 hour a day in the gym on all days of the week, it is still just 7 hours of a total of 168 hours in the week. Try to make the best of the remaining hours by getting more active. Plan playtime with friends/kids, and move a lot more during the day.

Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Less than that and your hormones will always be in a fat storing state, and you will find your dreams of a flat stomach hard to realize.

Meditate, and use other stress reduction strategies that will keep your cortisol levels under control and keep you from gaining abdominal fat and not make you age faster.

Eat more protein, fiber, and healthy fats. This means more lean meats, veggies, and nuts. Eat less junk, refined and sugary foods. These are the worst enemies of a flat stomach, and they are often the cause of many other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.

Drink more water, atleast 2 liters a day is a bare minimum. Less than that and your body will not be able to burn fat most efficiently.

These are some of the best tips you can get to lose abdominal fat and flaunt a flat stomach. Want it? Then lose it and flaunt it
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Best emergency braid styles to try

Try various braid styles - best emergency hairstyle (Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images)

Braids can be a saviour as an emergency hairstyle when you're unable to wash your locks. From a French braid fringe to snake braid, you can experiment with different types of the hairdo.

Here's a list of braid styles, reportsfemalefirst.co.uk:

French braid fringe: Create a side parting and, taking the front section from the bigger side, make a plait. Secure it with a thin elastic band or add a flower to hide the elastic.

Front cascading braid: Create a side parting and start braiding directing the hair towards the face as if achieving a braided fringe. To make a neat braid, make sure you have three hair bundles of equal volume.

Snake braid: Create a side parting and part your hair into three sections. Braid as normal, but take more hair from the top with each twist. Control the shape of the braid by taking looser sections of the hair from the top so the braid goes down on the slight angle.

When you reach the opposite side of your head drop the braid down and turn to start braiding to create the second part of the snake. It will almost go like a soft zigzag. Once you finish plaiting, secure your braid using an elastic band or bobby pins.

Beauty products for oily skin

Beauty products for oily skin (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Women with oily skin often have to take care when it comes to picking beauty products.

Here are a few tips to help you pick out beauty products for oily skin.

- Pick moisturisers which are non-comedogenic - these do not cause pimples.

- Use gels or lotions instead of creams as the latter will make your skin look greasier.

- Look for face washes with salicylic acid. This cuts through the excess oil and gets rid of blackheads.

- Always remember to apply sunscreen and make sure that the sunscreen is oil free.

How to curl hair with a straightener

How to curl hair with a straightener

Have you had your hair curled with a flat iron at the salon, only to have it fall flat by the time you get home? Now, you can recreate this look yourself by following some simple steps: 
Make sure your hair is brushed through.
If you have a heat-protecting serum at home, place a small amount of it on your palm and apply to your hair, working from root to tip. This will help prevent heat from damaging the hair.
Clip up the top layers of your hair, and begin with the bottom. Remove a small section of hair that has been clipped up. Place the lower part of the sectioned hair between the plates, twist it over one of the plates, and close the straightener.
Slowly pull your hair through the straightener until all of it has passed between the two hot plates. The slower you pull, the more defined the curl will be.
Wrap the curled hair around your finger to help define the curl. After pulling your finger out of the curled hair, use a hair spray on the curls, so that the curl lasts.

Face scrub: The unsung hero of skincare

Face wash and moisturiser may be a vital part of your skincare regimen, but some thing that is often neglected is a face scrub or an exfoliator. 

Apart from removing dead skin cells that form on the surface of your skin, it does a lot to keep the skin looking and feeling healthy.

1. REMOVES DIRT: Whether it's grime from a long day's work or sweat from a gym session, exfoliating your skin will give it a deeper clean, prepping it for the next step which is applying the moisturiser. A face scrub is a must for your gym bag.
2. TREATS AGING SKIN: When you hit your thirties, the natural skin regeneration process slows down. A face scrub lends a helping hand here by mimicking skin rejuvenation to boost aging complexion, giving the skin a new lease of life.
3. PREVENTS SPOTS: One of the biggest reasons for spot-prone skin is build up of sebum (a naturally occurring oil in the skin), which causes clogged pores. To avoid this, use a face scrub twice a week - you'll see your spots and blemishes disappear.
4. GIVES YOU FLAKE-FREE SKIN: A lot of people who have dry skin often complain of flakes as they are difficult to control. The solution lies in exfoliation. Gently rub the face with a face scrub for a fresh complexion which when hydrated with a good moisturiser, can remain absolutely flake-free.

5. IMPROVES YOUR SHAVE: An exfoliator not only cleans your skin prior to shaving, but also removes dead skin cells that clog up your razor, thus improving razor glide. Moreover, it also prevents and removes ingrown hair.
FOAMING TIP: Since face scrubs don't generate a lot of foam, you can mix a small amount of scrub with a little face wash to create your own version of a 2-in-1 exfoliator

IDEAL WAY TO EXFOLIATE: Apply face scrub in the same way as face wash.
Start with wetting your skin with warm water before applying a small amount of scrub to your fingertips. Apply the product to your whole face in circular motions.
Pay special attention to areas of concern (T-section, area to be shaved). Rinse off to achieve smoother skin.

CAUTION! Stick to using a face scrub no more than two or three times a week. Overuse can result in your skin being stripped of the natural oils it needs to retain elasticity, thus overdrying your skin.