How to use tea bags in your beauty regimen

From using tea bags to stop feet from smelling to making a soothing mouthwash, here are some creative ways to use tea in your day-to-day life for: 

Non-puffy eyes: 

Place a warm tea bag on your eyes

Fresh breath: 

Use a mouth wash made with a cup of peppermint tea and two spoons of salt

Shiny hair: 

Use tea like a conditioner by rinsing your hair with unsweetened tea

Non-smelly feet: 

Soak your feet in strong, 20-minute brewed tea

(Contributed by Maithreyi Sairam)

Easy hacks to maintain curly hair

Curly hair is tough to manage. Apart from frizziness, other issues include dryness, tangled hair, split-ends, and many more. Here are a few simple.

No shampoo: 

Also known as the no-poo method, many swear by this. Instead of shampoo, use a conditioner to wash your hair.

Use a t-shirt: 

While drying your hair, switch your towel with a cotton t-shirt. It reduces breakage and frizzy hair.

Use a hairnet: 

For gentle curls, shower with a hairnet on. It cleans the hair while maintaining the hair.

Wash without a wash: 

Between hair washes, you can refresh your curls by just spraying a refresher. Mix equal amounts of leave-in conditioner and water. Spray it all over your hair and put a hairnet on to maintain curls, till your hair dry.

Home remedies to take care of coloured hair

Here are some handy tips

1. First of all, you need to practice proper hair care. Look for sulfate-free shampoos to wash your hair so that your color is protected.

2. Do not wash your hair more than 2-3 times a week so that you can maintain your vibrant tresses!

3. Thirdly, make sure you have a strong conditioner at home. Coloured hair tends to be drier and more damaged, so conditioners with natural proteins will help strengthen the hair shaft and make your hair stronger.

4. Do regular coconut oil massage. The oil helps seal the cuticle, making your hair shinier and healthier!

5. Finally, home hair masks can also be a boon to your manes. Once a week, mix avocado, egg and some olive oil and apply to your hair. Shampoo it off after it dries for absolutely luscious locks!

(Inputs by: Dr Kiran Lohia, MD, Director Lumiere Dermatology)

Smile grooming tips

Follow these tips

• Avoid excessive intake of colored food and beverages like coffee & tea as it stains your teeth
• Red wine also causes discoloration of teeth, so avoid red wine
• Certain fruits have the ability to whiten teeth naturally acting as excellent tooth whiteners, you can try mashing up a strawberry and mixing it with a small amount of baking soda to create your own whitening toothpaste. The acids in the strawberry work to polish and whiten your teeth.
• Quitting cigarettes may be harder than it sounds but will do wonders for your teeth
• You may not want to try this with hot coffee, but sipping iced tea, cola, and fruit juices through a plastic straw will reduce your teeth's exposure to these staining beverages

• Brush twice a day in a circular motion also ensure massaging your gums
• Visit your dentist every 6 months for a check-up
• Use an even bristle toothbrush
• Gargle after every meal with mouthwash or regular water, do not forget to floss your teeth

(Inputs by Image Consultant and Grooming Expert Rukshana Eisa, SmileBar)