Make your own face scrub at home

I am a 15-year-old student with following problems: (1) I have pimple marks on my face. (2) I want to get rid of black- and whiteheads (but don't want to use cinnamon powder). (3) With winter coming up, my lips and skin are getting dry.
- Name withheld
Take aloe vera gel, add a few drops of lemon juice and massage on skin; leave on overnight; this will help reduce marks and pimples. Never pinch your skin to extract the blackheads and whiteheads: steam face, and follow with a gentle scrub using oats powder and rose water. This scrub will loosen the blackheads. For dry lips, apply a thin film of coconut cream every night; this will help soften the skin.
I am a regular reader of your column. Please suggest home remedies for the following problems. My 11-year-old daughter has underarm hair, and dark knees and elbows. And she also has head lice. My daughter's skin used to be really fair but, suddenly, it is darkening day by day, even though she rarely goes out in the sun.
- Nivriti
Coconut milk has both moisturising and skin lightening properties. Apply this daily on your daughter's skin, including on elbows and knees. After 30 minutes, take a little sugar and, with wet hands, scrub her knees and elbows gently; scrub her face too. Underarm hair is natural with puberty. Waxing underarms is best because it not only removes the hair, it also cleanses the skin.
I am 12, and a huge fan of your beauty tips. I have stunted hair growth, thin hair and dark skin (tanned; my natural skin colour tone is fair). Can you please help?
- Name withheld
Thank you, my 12-year-old fan! Hope your mum can help you make a thick mask of almond powder mixed with coconut milk; apply on scalp, hair and skin. After 30 to 40 minutes, get into shower and scrub the scalp thoroughly; follow with face and body rinse. Do this treatment twice or thrice a week for hair, but daily for face. When going out in the sun, please use sun protection, minimum SPF 30.

My wife and I are regular followers of your beauty tips. I am a 37-year-old male with thinning hair; there's a bald patch on my crown area but there is sufficient growth on hairline. I drink at least 2 litres of water daily, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and there is no history of baldness in my family. Before moving to the UAE, I had thick hair. Kindly suggest some home remedies.
- Name withheld
Please rub onion juice on the entire scalp. It needs to be there for at least half-an-hour to help stimulate circulation and activate hair growth. Always wrap a scarf after you apply the onion juice for the treatment to remain in place and for it to work. I am sure you will be able to arrest hair fall, and new hair will also grow - but you need to do this regularly, and have patience.

I am a 16-year-old girl. I have dark circles around my eyes, which is making my whole face to look dark. I have hair on my upper lip, and would like a natural remedy for that. Also, I'd like to have a natural remedy for removal of hair on my legs. Thanks in advance.
- Ish
Dark circles are due to either poor diet, lack of sleep, inadequate water intake or too much time spent on watching television or working on computer - so, first, identify and correct this problem. Do eye exercises that will help improve circulation and lighten dark circles: clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation is an easy exercise and can be done anywhere; blinking is also an easy and effective exercise. Resting damp tea bags on the eyes helps stimulate circulation and lighten dark circles. Make a paste of almond powder, and mix with coconut milk; apply this creamy mask on the area, and gently rinse off with cold water when dry. Hair on legs can be removed by waxing. For upper lips, apply a paste made of aloe vera gel and a little sticky rice; when it dries, gently scrub against hair growth.
(Got a beauty-related query? Write to Rima Soni at wknd@khaleejtimes.com)

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