Ask me anything! Drop in a quick question and I would try my best to help! :-*
Rohini asks: "can pls suggest me the best serum?
i am suffering frm excessive hairfall and partial scalp baldness!
if u can suggest me some effective products that could probably sort my problem out and help in regrowth of my hair apart from the serum!"
Ans: Hi Rohini!
If you are suffering from excessive hairfall leading to baldness, then you must consult some hair expert immediately rather than trying products on your own. Hair Serum is mainly used to tame frizz and detangle hair easily and is not a solution for hairfall. You can try the Dove Intense Repair range or Matrix Biolage which have got better reviews.
Rohini asks: "hey sorry to disturb you once more
can u pls suggest me a good shampoo and a conditioner?
the matrix biolage serum is too good!:) thanks for the suggestion!i dnt trust anyone's advice than you now a days
so pls if u can
right now i am using L'Oreal total repair five shampoo and conditioner"
Ans: Hey I am glad that you sought out my advice :)
I am using L'Oreal total repair five shampoo for last year and I really like it. For conditioner I keep changing them. Since I have dry and frizzy hair, I go for thick consitency conditioners and I really liked the Dove Nourishing Oil conditioner, and the Sunsilk Keratinology one. Click on the links to read my reviews. If you have thin and normal hair then you should continue with the L'Oreal total repair five conditioner if it is not giving much problem. Hope this helps! .
Reader asks: "What camera do you use?"
Ans: I use a Sony DSC W320. It's not the best but it works good enough for me. :)
Deep asks: "i like elle18 lipstick very much.i never use any other lipstick. please try to elle18 much better dnt transfer to other objects & stay for long time like 3 to 5 houurs.that is very good for working women.i want to know elle-18 punjab (Barnala) distributor."
Ans: Hey you can contact Elle 18 at lever.care@unilever.com or visit their website http://www.hul.co.in for the details on distributorship. And if you want to buy products for personal use then you can try local makeup stores or buy them online.
Gopi asks: "I need Patanjali (Baba Ramdev) Products: Aloe Vera Gel but Where to buy Online Or In stores. Please Tell me information?"
Ans: Hello Gopi,
Patanjali products are available only through the Patanjali outlets and their own website. Click on this link to buy online: http://healthservices.divyayoga.com/index.php?cPath=38_48 . However, I am not sure about the reliability about the delivery of the products through online shopping, as I haven't ordered anything from there.
Shivali asks: "how to know whether the products of hindustan unilever limited are original or not?bcoz now a days there is so much duplicacy in cosmetics products"
Ans: Hi Shivali! Your question is quite an important one. As per my knowledge, there is no foolproof procedure to know the authenticity of any product. But one can follow some safety measures.
1) Check out for the original logo of the brand on the product. Match it with the images on the internet.
2) Try out Cosmetic Calculator with your product batch number. However, not all brands are listed here.
3) Buy from authentic dealers/sites based on the feedback of other customers.
Arpita asks: "I have oily, sensitive, acne prone skin which looks nice due to my daily face care routine. But I still could not find the best moisturizer for my skin that won’t break me out. Please suggest on this! Thanks in advance! "
Ans: Hi Arpita! While buying any moisturiser for your skintype, you must keep in mind the following points, it should be Non-comedogenic, Allergy tested, Fragrance-free and Alcohol-free, preferably with UVA/UVB and SPF protection. Neutrogena Oil -Free Moisture SPF 15 moisturiser is quite a raved product for oily, sensitive, acne prone skin,( though I haven't personally used it and can't comment much on it ) but you can give it a try once.
Isha asks: "I have very oily n acne prone skin, plz help me n sugest me sum gud creams n facewash n toner to get rid of pimples. Currently im using Ponds Oil Clear Facewash.
i have vry thin hirs since birth n i wnt to get dense hairs, plzzz help."
Ans: Hi Isha! Products with Tea tree oil (TBS has a tea tree oil range products) have been known to help oily and acne prone skin. If you get occasional pimples, you can try some spot application products, like Garnier Pure Active Pimple Relief Roll On. For thin hair, since you have this problem from birth, it would be best if you consult a derma for this. Hope this helps!
Divya asks: "Hi, my beautician adviced me to undergo a L'oreal Spa treatment for my frizzy hair twice a month. What is you take on that?
I have horrible frizzy hair, dry and prone to breakagae.
Ans: Divya! In last two years, I have done hair spa only once, and my experience wasn't satisfactory enough and spending around Rs.800-Rs.1000 for one seating definitely pinches hard on the pocket in such cases. Even if you go for the Hair Spa (be it from any salon/brand), you have to do it atleast once or twice 'every month', to get some effective results. I would suggest change your haircare routine. A lot of home-made hair care tips are available on the internet today. You can search for tips for each specific problem of your hairtype and apply that. Nobody understands your hair problems better than you, so you need to trial and test what regimen suits you best. Dry, frizzy hair need a lot of conditioning! First choose a shampoo and conditioner that suits your dry, damaged hair. Make sure you shampoo your hair atleast 3 -4 times a week. And conditioner is a must after every wash. Next, there are many hair masks available in the market. Choose one from your fave brand and you can do a hair spa at home on your own once every week. Only thing you have to keep in mind, you need to be regular with this regimen to get the effective results. Get a trim in every three months to keep the dry, split ends at bay. If you use hair stylers, you must invest in a good heat protectant spray/mousse. Save on the bucks for salon spa, and invest in good hair care products.
Alankrita asks: "Hi I want to know which hair oil works best ? And how frequently it should be used?"
Ans: Hi Alankrita! The choice of oil depends on your hair and scalp type (which you haven't mentioned though). Coconut Oil is like an all rounder oil for any kind of hair problems. If you have very dry, damaged hair you can use Olive Oil. Almond Oil can be used to promote hair growth as it contains Vit.E. Castor oil helps in regeneration of new hair. You can use a blend of these oils to get all the benefits. Personally, I believe to oil hair prior to shampooing, like 2 hours before or atmost it should be kept overnight. I would suggest not to go out with oily hair or keep it for days, as oily scalp would attract more dust particles, pollution leading to various hair problems. Hope this helps! :)
Ash asks: "fairandlovely fairness treatment which age we use? my age is15 years can i use fairandlovely fairness treatment?"
Ans: Hi Ash! I don't see a problem of using the fairandlovely fairness treatment cream at 15 years of age, as I myself used to apply the FairNLovely cream at quite a young age and never faced any irritation on skin! But I must warn you, if you are expecting of getting 'fair' with any of these creams, then it would be completely worthless. As no cream can change your actual skintone/color. It might (or might not) help in reducing spots, pigmentation, or tan but it can't alter your actual skintone! Hope this anwers your query!
Rahul Jangra asks: "hey mam jst tell me that how to remove dark circles from the eyes"
Ans: Hi Rahul! Dark circles may occur due to a variety of reasons, from stress, lack of sleep, to toxicity and lack of nutrients in your daily food.
Some home remedies for relief from dark circles and puffy eyes that I got to know from searching through various remedies,
- Make sure to get 6-8 hours of proper sleep.
- Drink a glass of water with a squeezed lemon every morning to flush out the toxins.
- Make sure you have proper Iron supplements in your diet, i.e. food enriched in Iron and other required nutrients.
Alternatively, use some under-eye creams and gels enriched with Vit. E and Vit. C. Aroma Magic Under Eye Gel has got good reviews for being effective on dark circles. But, you have to maintain proper diet and lifestyle to see the effects. Hope this helps! :)
- Keep a spoon in freezer to make it icy cold and apply/keep it on your eyes for 1-2mins to get relief from under eye bags.
- Use cold tea bags to relax your eyes for 15-20 mins, preferably twice a week.
Kinju asks: "Hiii.......Hws Are You???I realy Thank you to share your review which is true and guenin.Your Precious advice I realy thank you for that.......But please advice me in Best kajal which is smugge free & water proof & last for mare ten 8 to 9 hrs in the range of 400.I apply it in lower liner of my eyes n i apply it thick.I Can apply gel linner of maybeline as kajal?????Please to reply as soon as possible.Bcouse i want too buy for my bro's marriage. "
Ans: Hi Kinju ! Thanks for the sweet compliment! :D Maybelline gel liner is waterproof, smudgeproof and stays on for more than 8 hours. I have used it (the swirl gel liner in brown and gold) on lower lashline and waterline too, and it doesn't budge. But if you have sensitive eyes then I won't recommend to use it on waterline. Alternatively, you can try out the Faces Long Wear range, which have some eye popping shades and they don't smudge once they gets settled on the lids.
Tanu asks: "Hello there.. I have dry and frizzy hair and i really have no clue how to handle them so i was thinking to get my hair straightened..should i go for smoothening? Will it be helpful and does it have any side-effects?"
Ans: Hi Tanu! Hair straightening/rebonding isn't a great option to tame dry and frizzy hair. On a long term, this would harm your hair more. Your dry and frizzy hair needs extreme conditioning. Use a thick,creamy conditioner after you shampoo your hair everytime. If possible, use a good hair serum after that. Use a deep conditioning hair mask (either homemade or from any brand based on your hair and scalp type) once a week. You need to be regular with this routine for atleast two-three months to see any effective change.
Debi asks: " i love colouring my hair and i love weird shades like blue, green, purple, etc..Can we find these colours anywhere in calcutta?or online even where i don't have to pay huge shipping charges! "
Ans: Hi Debi! I really don't have much information on unnatural hair colors as I have never used them. Still I searched through the net to get some info for you. I don't think these are easily available in India, much less in Kolkata. (I hope any reader reading this can help me for this question).
Okay, following are some of the brands I came across,
- http://wella.com/en-IN/koleston.aspx You can get these on ebay.
- http://ganga.tradeindia.com/purple-hair-color-250575.html This is from an Indian brand but I don't know where it will be available.
- Directions hair color is a well known foreign brand but available only through online.
Neha asks: "Hi... I have under puffiness...Cud u plz suggest a good under eye cream for this.Ive tried vlcc almond under eye cream which didnt help out at all"
Ans: Hi Neha!
Some home remedies for relief from dark circles and puffy eyes that I got to know from searching through various remedies,
Alternatively, use some under-eye creams and gels enriched with Vit. E and Vit. C. Aroma Magic Under Eye Gel / Basicare Soothing Mini Eye Gel Mask/ Faces Eye Gel Mask has got good reviews for being effective on puffy eyes. Hope this helps!:)
- Keep a spoon in freezer to make it icy cold and apply/keep it on your eyes for 1-2mins to get relief from under eye bags.
- Use cold tea bags to relax your eyes for 15-20 mins, preferably twice a week.
P.S: I haven't used any of these but have heard good reviews. Kindly check for reviews before buying.
Joppy asks: " I would like to purchase your Aloe vera gel product. But I am not getting here locally in Coimbatore. How can I get this product? Can you please help me? "
Patanjali Chikitsalayas
Ans: Patanjali products are available only through the Patanjali outlets and their own website. Click on this link to buy online: http://healthservices.divyayoga.com/index.php?cPath=38_48. However, I am not sure about the reliability about the delivery of the products through online shopping, as I haven't ordered anything from there. Also, there is a store in Coimbatore from where you can buy it (Check out all stores here),
122/ 116, West Venkatswamy Road,
R.S. Puram, Coimbatore - 641002,
Tamilnadu
M. 09363102488, 09894847441
Satish asks: "hi.. i am male amd 22 years old. I have been facing problems with pimples,acne and its scars..I want to try aloe vera gel.i can't plant it. please tell me the best effective and pure brand of aloe vera gel and where i can get it.please reply to my mail as soon as possible.thank you"
Ans: Hi Satish. Some of the readymade aloe vera gels that have got good reviews are, Patanjali aloevera gel, Brihans Green Leaf Pure Aloe Vera Skin Gel, Banjaras Aloe Vera Moisturising Gel . You can get these online or respective outlets.
Nishant asks: "Hi Pooja, I've been following your blog since just recently. Keep up the good work for reviewing products for readers like me. :) About my query.. I'm a 24, M, and have faced hairfall at my left parting some 2 yrs back that the parting got wider at the front a little but not much noticeable. Now again lately I'm facing the same and even more of the front parting looks empty. Hair does fall from the rest of the head too a bit during every wash but this is more noticeable, though I cover it up by keep my bangs in front instead of comb upwards or sideways. I've recently begun using Himalaya Protein Hair Cream overnight (as I've avoided hair oils since long), and Pantene Total Damage Care shampoo & conditioner for wash. Since then I've noticed this issue mostly. Before that I've used free sample of Dove damage therapy for 6 months, which worked fine, but after it got over I thought of trying Pantene due to so many good reviews of being #1 in India and stuff. You got any advice for me in this case? :( Thank you so much. "
Ans: Hi Nishant, thanks for appreciating my little blog :) Hairfall problem occurs due to many reasons: stress, hormonal problems, Trichotillomania (where in a person is habituated to pulling or twisting hair from the scalp), excessive dandruff, lack of proper nutrition. As you said that your problem started after changing your hair care products, it might be because the new products are not suitable for your hairtype, or it might be causing dandruff that is leading to hairfall. Also, change the hair parting style once in a while, else hair gets strained on one side leading to baldness on that area. However, I am no hair expert, so I would suggest you to seek expert/medical advice if you see alarming rate of hairfall or patches of baldness. And lastly I would advice, that you know your hair best, so don't go by a product's claim, rather use what suits you better.
Praj asks: "hello, my question is,I have acne on my back.can you suggest any products or home remedy for that which are available in India."
Ans: Back acne can be treated with same home remedies as for facial acne.
Hope this helps in some way!
- You can use a mixture of sandalwood+rose water and keep it till it dries (you can keep it overnight for the back acne) and then wash off with warm or normal water.
- Also, you can apply lemon juice (diluted with water if you have sensitive skin) with cotton pad on the acne on your back. Keep it for 15 minutes and then wash it off with warm or normal water. Don't go out in the sun right after applying this mixture.
- Aloe vera gel is also said to be effective for back acne.
Isha asks: "Im thinkin of buying Jumpsuit, bt since im bottom heavy im confused whether i shud wear jumpsuits n wt prints n color will suit me? Wt kind of footwear shud be woren under jumpsuits? Will wedges or platform heels go as i dnt wear pumps and stilletoes. Plzz help me, as im desperate to wear a jumpsuit. Thnx in advance. "
Ans: Hi Isha! Jumpsuits and playsuits are in trend this season. Since you are bottom heavy, you must go for jumpsuits that flares out, instead of that gets tapered down.If you want to get light colors then go for polka dot/small flowery prints, else get solid dark colors. V shaped neckline would suit your body type better.
Oh and I almost forgot to add, wear wedges or flats. It would be more comfy and in balance with the fun, chic look of the jumpsuit.
Hope this helps and do share what you bought. :)
Paro asks: "My 13year old daughter has started using fair&lovely advanced multi vitamin cream and facewash but somebody just told her its harmful and causes skin cancer please relate what the fact is?"
Ans: Hi Paro! Ingredients and chemicals in a product are harmful when they are present in larger quantities than permissible. I doubt a brand like fair&lovely could surpass through tests if it contained such toxic ingredients that would cause cancer. I have been a user of fair&lovely since my childhood days and didn't face any kind of problems due to it. I would suggest you to be cautious about the ingredients list in the new version. You can google up each item and know their permissible limit.
Isha asks: "Hiieee Pooja, I wnt to buy eyeshadows for smokey eyes, plzzz tell me wich eyeshadow colors i shu buy, coz i hve seen green color also being used fr smokey luk bt i didnt like dt luk, tel me d bst shadow colors for smokey luk. Thanx, bye tc"
Ans: Hi Isha! Welcome back! :) Smokey eyes can be created with various shades. To make it subtle you can use a darker and a lighter shade from the same color range. You can also use black and any other shade depending on your outfit color, to get the full blown smokey eyes. You would also need a matte dark brown to blend in all the colors.
Deep asks: "suggest something for underarms cleanliness, i always get them waxed, bt have started getting patches lately, i had heavy arms bt now they r better cz of regular excercise, still the patches on underarms are same, i tried bleach also bt didnt help much. Suggest something to get the natural skin tone. "
Ans: Hi Deep! Frequent waxing leads to patches in the underarm area and it's very hard to get rid of it. I used to get dark patches on my elbows and I used to do this - rub sugar with half a slice of lemon on that area till it melted, followed by massaging some coconut oil. It did work but takes some time to show results. You can try the same for your underarm patches and I hope it works for you.
Yesh asks: " Hello, How are you? I want to know the review of L'Oreal Paris UV Perfect SPF 30 Moisture Fresh. Right now I’m using kaya spf15 cream and I don’t think it’s doing any good to my face. Also, Right now I'm using matrix biolage ultra hydrating shampoo and conditioner. I feel shampoo does the trick but conditioner isn't. So, I wanted to ask you is it alright if I use the same shampoo (Matrix) but change conditioner to sunsilk expert protection (based on your reviews)? Thanks "
Ans: Hi Yesh! I am fine, thank you. I haven't tried the L'Oreal Paris UV Perfect SPF 30 Moisture Fresh, so I am not sure about it. For hair, yes of course you can try different brands of shampoo and conditioner if the same range doesn't suit you. I would suggest the Sunsilk Keratinology range, in case you want to try Sunsilk.
Harpreet asks: "Hi...i am suffering from hair loss.Please suugest something...i have dry and long hair "
Ans: Hi Harpreet ! Hairfall problem occurs due to many reasons: stress, hormonal problems, Trichotillomania (where in a person is habituated to pulling or twisting hair from the scalp), excessive dandruff, lack of proper nutrition or it might be because the products you are using are not suitable for your hairtype, or it might be causing dandruff that is leading to hairfall. You need to identify the cause for your hairfall problem and treat the same. I would suggest you to seek expert/medical advice if you see alarming rate of hairfall or patches of baldness.
Chaku asks: "can u suggest some gud cream or simpl home remedis to lightn skin tone....my face is veryy tan but body hav nice light color...so i cant wear short dresz...my skin has got 2 shadz..i wana gt gud colur on ma face too..any sugtionz?????
:) "
Ans: Hi! Try out these simple home remedies for removing tan. If you have oily skin, make a mixture of turmeric powder and lemon juice (make sure you don't take heaps of lemon as it is acidic and might burn skin.) Else, if your skin is normal to dry, try yogurt with turmeric. You can also try aloe vera gel/tomato pulp/papaya pulp which are known to help in removing tan. You would need to follow up these home remedies 2-3 times a week. Tan tends to go away in 3-4weeks time on its own and it would go away faster with the help of these remedies. If you just want a glowing skin tone, try the yogurt + turmeric mask + saffron combination. Also, I am going to review a skin lightening mask soon. So keep an eye on this space ;)
Niru asks: "Recently I moved to a very cold place and due to winter my lips got charred.. but i started licking the lips and skin around the skin cause it gets dry during winter.. so the skin around my lips became very dark.. please suggest how to resume back to my normal skin color around my lips?"
Ans: Hi Niru! This occurs due to dry patches formed due to cold weather, that is aggravated due to your licking problem. Follow these 3 simple steps to get rid of these patches, apply lipbalm, and keep it handy to reapply whenever you feel any dryness around the lips area, and don't lick it off. Next, apply and massage lightly almond/olive oil on your lips and surrounding mouth area before going to sleep at night. Thirdly, drink at least 7 to 8 glasses of water every day to avoid dry skin conditions.
Yuthika asks: " Where can I buy lashem measurable difference lash gel in mumbai? "
Ans: Hi Yuthika! It's not available locally in India. You need to buy it from their website, http://www.lashem.com/product.php?id_product=2
Safna asks: " Do you recommend oiling? What substitute would you recommend for people who are not in favour of oiling? Do you recommend the use of Kérastase - Elixir Ultime, Moroccan Oil or Dove Elixir? Which is the best and why? Is it better than regular oiling?? "
Ans: Hi Safna! That's an interesting question. Coz, I for one is not fond of oiling hair frequently. Maybe once in a week or two weeks. But, then dry scalp/dry hair requires moisturisation like dry skin. So its better to oil hair twice every week. And make sure if you oil your hair, then do not go out without shampooing as it attracts more dust, resulting in entangling of hair and hairfall. Keep it for an hour or two before shampooing or at most overnight, which is enough time to get all the nourishment from the hair oil. Out of all the three, I would recommend Argan Oil which is an oil, or you can go for a concoction of all other natural hair oils like coconut, castor, almond, olive, each of which adds health to hair.
Anju asks: " Tell me how I use total repair 5 conditioner is it leave in conditioner or need rinse after application"
Ans: Hi Anju! You need to rinse off the conditioner after keeping it on for 2-3 mins, after shampooing your hair.
Ranj asks: " Hi, I started to follow your blog from quite a while, its very informative. I am sufferring from trichotillomania from the age of 10 probably. Now i m turning 29, i just want to get this cured. This puts me to tooo much of frustration as to why this behaviour :( .I donot want to take anti depressants. I wanna get it cured naturally Please Advice. Thanks"
Ans: Hi Ranj! Thanks for writing in. Trichotillomania is mainly related with stress. Don't get frustrated, as this conditions is quite prevalent among adults. All you need is a therapist who can diagnose your problem or the root cause and help you to overcome this situation. For more information, you can visit this site: www.trich.org/
