Natural Oil Home Remedies For Skin & Hair

This oil is generally used as cooking oil, but did you know mustard oil also does wonders to your face, hair and skin? Charoo Chawla Anand, Director Blliis by Ravissant tells us how...

Mustard oil - An excellent moisturiser

If you have a dry skin or dry patches in your body, getting a mustard oil massage will help moisturise the skin. As a matter of fact, you can do spot massages once in a week to retain the suppleness of the skin.

Mustard oil - Flawless skin

Body massage using mustard oil regularly is said to give a flawless skin as it acts on pigmentation and reduces it. You can gently massage even your face with mustard oil once every week to get the same effect.

Mustard oil - Acts against fungal and yeast infections

If you are prone to get fungal and yeast infections, massaging your body with mustard oil frequently will keep them at bay as it has allyl isothocyanate that acts against these infections.

Mustard oil - Acts as an anti-arthritic and anti-rheumatic medication

It is an excellent remedy for those suffering for arthritis and rheumatic ailments. Massaging the joints and the entire body will reduce the pain and give relief. A warm massage is said to be more effective.

Mustard oil - Enhances blood circulation

Circulation of blood to skin increases when the body one uses mustard oil for massaging. This is more effective when warm oil is used. This is one of the reasons why most of the masseuses use a combination of mustard oil with other such oils while massaging to stimulate the blood flow.

Mustard oil - Cleanses the skin

Mustard oil can be used as an effective skin cleanser. Massaging the body and face with this oil removes dirt and also cleans the clogged pores. However, people having very oily skin in face should not use this frequently.

Mustard oil - Provides relaxation and rejuvenation

The oil when massaged not only relieves pain but also provides relaxation to the stressed and tensed muscles. The skin is nourished and rejuvenated as the blood flow is increased.

Mustard oil - Hair loss prevention

Mustard oil is a proven hair vitaliser. This is commonly used in most Asian countries for massaging the hair. Even popular salons use warm mustard oil to give the hair immediate shine.

It is not an exaggeration to say that mustard oil is THE massaging oil. One more positive aspect of this oil is that it is much cheaper than other oils like olive oil, almond oil etc that are used for massaging.

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McDonald's Soon Offering Sweet Potato Fries

The crispy new option is currently being tested in a few Golden Arches’ locations in Amarillo, Texas. If enough people bite, the offering will likely make a nationwide roll out, confirms a company spokesperson. Currently, the fries are only available in one size—16 ounces, and they cost, on average, $2.49. It’s hard to say if the cost and sizing will remain the same in the months to come, but either way fans couldn’t be more stoked about the news and many have taken to the Twittersphere to express their excitement:

“Anyone else as excited as me? @McDonalds is testing sweet potato fries…#YUM #GetInMyBelly,” tweeted Jackie Jaquez.

“McDonald’s is testing sweet potato fries (If this happens I’m giving up on abs and health)” wrote another fan, Brad Pilon.

Pilon has a point. Recently Mickey D’s has been trying to appeal to health-minded consumers with menu additions like lettuce wrapped burgers but despite its health halo, a sweet potato fry is still a French fry. That means it’s likely high in fat, salt and calories. If you want to give them a try, go for it. But do yourself a favor and consider it what it really is—an indulgent treat.

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Zero Belly Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

This savory pumpkin soup by Chris Jaeckle, who runs the kitchen at NYC’s Ai Fiori in the Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel, is under 200 calories a serving!

Serves: 4

Cook time: 10 minutes

Things You Need

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 raw shrimp heads
• 2 cinnamon sticks, small
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 4 1/2 lbs pumpkin, peeled and diced (about 1 small pumpkin)
• 1 qt water
• 1 qt low-sodium chicken broth
• Sherry vinegar to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• Granulated sugar to taste

Step-by step

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and roast shrimp heads, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove heads from pan and set aside.
3. Add cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Add the mustard seeds and sauté until they begin to pop. Add fennel seeds and cumin seeds until they become aromatic. Then add the coriander seeds.
4. Add the roasted shrimp heads back into the pot with the shallot, garlic and ginger. Sweat these until they become softened.
5. Add the pumpkin and sweat until softened. Add the water and chicken broth.
6. Cook until tender. Press through a china cap or mesh strainer.
7. Season to taste with sherry vinegar, salt and sugar.
8. PER SERVING 196 calories / 4 g fat / 36 g carb / 3 g fiber / 6 g protein

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Microsoft Sees Sales Lumia Smartphones far slump in Q3

Microsoft has sold in the third quarter of this year 5.8 million Lumia smartphones. That made the company announced at the presentation of its results for the third quarter, including a turnover of $ 20.4 billion was 12 percent lower than a year earlier.

In the third quarter of 2014, Microsoft sold another 9.3 million Lumia smartphones in the mobile division which took over from Nokia. In the second quarter there were still 8.4 million. Revenue from handsets fell by 54 percent, partly due to dropping sales of feature phones such as the Asha series for emerging markets.

Microsoft manages not only to improve its position in the market for mobile operating systems and smartphones. Had the company in early 2010 a market share of around 7 percent, after the launch of Windows Phone 7 in the fourth quarter of 2010 and that of Windows Phone 8 in the fourth quarter of 2012 the share in operating systems has never been more far above the three percent come out.

The technology group now draws much hope on the combination of new Lumia smartphones with the new Windows 10 OS for mobile devices. Microsoft has early October its first Windows 10-devices-event presented in New York on Windows 10 new devices: the Lumia 950 and XL 950, two smartphones equipped with displays of inches and 5.7 inches respectively 5.2 it.

Furthermore, the devices feature include PureView cameras with 20 megapixel sensors, triple natural LED flash and 4K video capability. The handsets go on sale in November. A month later, the Lumia 550, a lower-cost 4G smartphone with Windows 10, on the market.

Microsoft introduces the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 and Lumia 550 XL from early December 2015 in the Netherlands. The Lumia 950 is available in black and white at a price of 599 euros while the Lumia 950 XL has a price tag of 699 Euros. The Lumia 550 costs 129 euros.

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Apple Watch Landing In India On November 6

Apple has officially confirmed that the Watch will be available in India starting November 6 - the date is now mentioned on the Cupertino-based company's India website. While the date of availability has been revealed, the tech giant hasn't mentioned the price tag the smartwatch will carry in the country. FYI, local e-commerce website Grabmore.in, which sells products imported from the US and Europe, has been offering the wearable device for a starting price of INR 36,999 (around $570).

The intelligent timepiece, which was announced last September and first went on sale this April, recently received watchOS 2.0.1 update, bringing new emoji characters and fixing a big number of bugs.

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Apple Sued Over iOS 9's WiFi Assist Feature

A Florida-based couple has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the iPhone-maker didn't clearly explain how the WiFi Assist feature in iOS 9 affects cellular data consumption. The couple has accused the company of violating California's Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, as well as of negligent misrepresentation, and is demanding $5 million in damages.

The feature in question allows your iOS device to quickly switch over to cellular data if the Wi-Fi it's currently connected to isn't strong enough. The feature is turned on by default. The couple has alleged that the feature has resulted in higher-than-usual usage of their cellular data plans (although they didn't specify the exact amount), and now want Apple to compensate for the same.

It's worth mentioning that the Cupertino-based company had later updated its website explaining the feature, but the lawsuit alleges that wasn't enough as the damage was already done. "Defendant's above corrective action, however, still downplays the possible data overcharges a user could incur," the suit reads. "Reasonable and average consumers use their iPhones for streaming of music, videos, and running various applications — all of which can use significant data.

Defendant's corrective statement does not disclose any basis for its conclusion that an average consumer would not see much increase in cellular usage." If you aren't already aware, you can turn the feature off by heading to Settings -> Cellular on your device. However, keep in mind that older iOS devices like the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 are out of luck as they do not have this option.

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Amazon boasts 23% increase in sales for Q3 2015

Amazon's financial results for Q3 2015 are in and the company is doing very well, as it's gearing for the holiday shopping season. The company recorded a 23% increase in sales to $25.4 billion compared to $20.6 billion in Q3 2014.

The result of the boost in sales is a positive quarter balance with a $79 million profit. Amazon's success is due to a 28% rise of sales in North America and, according to analysts, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) segment.

AWS is the world's largest public cloud service hosting websites and applications. It brought a revenue of $2.08 billion, which is up 78% from the same period last year. Operating income from AWS is $521 million, up from $98 million from a year ago.

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Facebook For iOS Update Fixes Power Draw Issue

The Facebook app on iOS once again became a cause for concern after users started noticing the app drawing considerably more power and draining the battery. Facebook has now fixed the issue in the latest update, which was pushed out yesterday.

Although Facebook didn't bother pointing out the reason to fix or even acknowledge the issue existed in the update log, Facebook engineering manager Ari Grant wrote in a Facebook post the two reasons causing the battery drain. The first cause is what Facebook calls CPU Spin bug in the network code that kept waking the CPU.

The second one is where the app kept the audio session running in the background after a user watched a video in the app and then closed it. This is usually used by music players to keep the audio running but shouldn't be the case with Facebook. It prevented the app from idling after a while and kept running in the background.

Questions have been raised regarding the legitimacy of Facebook's "bug", as some think Facebook was trying to get around Apple's restriction of allowing apps to run in the background consistently using workarounds and was eventually caught, so had to resort to calling it a bug. Whatever your stance is, the issue has been fixed now.

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Microsoft Yet Again Lays Off 1,000 Employees

Just a few months after laying off a whopping 7,800 people, Microsoft has quietly cut another 1,000 jobs, which is less than 1% of the Redmond, Washington-based company's total global work force. The fresh round of layoffs came after the software giant announced its Q3 2015 earnings, revealing a 54% year-on-year decline in the revenue of its phone business, although the results were better-than-expected overall.

"The job reductions were spread across more than one business area and country and reflect adaptations to business needs," a company spokesman told The New York Times. While the earlier layoffs mostly affected the company's phone's unit, the latest job cuts are said to affect the financial and legal departments, although there is no official confirmation on the same.

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Redesigned Google Play Store Is Now Rolling Out

This new Play Store design has started rolling out, with some people already seeing it on their Android devices. Unfortunately (or not), there's nothing you can do to speed up the process if you haven't got the new paint job already.

The new design isn't part of a new version of the Google Play Store app for Android, instead it's something that gets activated by the search giant server-side. And since Google loves staged rollouts, we assume this too will take at least a few days to reach all Android devices out there. Still, at least from now on we know for sure that it's on the way.

The update comes with two big sections, Apps and Games being one, Entertainment being the other. You'll find movies, TV shows, and books under the Entertainment heading from now on.

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Emily Ratajkowski is a Hat-Wearing for Vogue November

Never one to struggle with shyness, Emily Ratajkowski hams it up in a new feature for the November 2015 issue of Vogue magazine. The “Gone Girl” star wears a variety of new hats for fall, flawlessly blending sexy and cozy into a cornucopia of autumn goodness.

 




























Meanwhile, Emily has also been working on a new feature film with Spencer Boldman called “Cruise.” Per the synopsis, “Set in the 1980s, a young Italian-American from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ falls for a Jewish girl from Long Island.”

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Toni Garrn is “Winter Glamour” Gorgeous for H&M

The big news this week wound up being the Balmain x H&M launch, though the Swedish discount retailer also had another trick up its sleeve. Toni Garrn stars in the new Winter Glamour campaign from H&M, posing in a variety of white, black and grey lingerie with her signature coy vibe.

The Winter Glamour bras and panties are all priced below $34.99 and are available in both separates and form-fitting one-pieces as well.

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CeeLo Green Pops the Question to Shani James

He’s definitely known as a ladies’ man around Tinseltown, though it sounds like CeeLo Green is finally ready to settle down and tie the knot. According to the “Forget You” singer’s rep, Green got engaged to girlfriend Shani James earlier this fall and was spotted having lunch with her on Tuesday (October 20) at Magnolia in West Hollywood.

Ms. James wore a massive engagement ring on her ring finger, making it terribly obvious that she’s betrothed to CeeLo. Stay linked to the GossipCenter for further updates on CeeLo and Shani’s engagement!

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Karlie Kloss Is a Kate Spade Stunner for Holiday 2015

She’s one of the most-in-demand models in the industry and Karlie Kloss proves her worth in the Holiday 2015 campaign from Kate Spade. The leggy poser, who recently enrolled in college at NYU, looks gorgeous alongside Derek Blasberg as photographer Emma Summerton captures moments in taxi cabs and studios alike.

And while Karlie’s gig is to make the Spade handbags look amazing, it’s hard not to be distracted by her bold and beautiful presence.

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Evangeline Lilly Gives Birth to Baby #2!

Things are even cuter in the world of Evangeline Lilly, as she just welcomed her second child with partner Norman Kali. The “Ant-Man” actress showed up on the beach in Hawaii on Wednesday (October 22) and she certainly had already given birth.

Evangeline and Norman are already mom and dad to Kahekili, their four-year-old son who put Lilly through a grueling 30-hour labor. Evangeline previously told “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” "Eight hours of pushing, that’s the part that men don’t understand. Women go, ‘Oh, dear, oh, dear God, eight hours of pushing?’ And the men are like, ‘Okay, eight hours of pushing.’

After about five hours of pushing, my midwife and my birthing assistant said, ‘You know, we have a few suggestions.’ And I was like, 'Really? After five hours of pushing you have a few suggestions? You couldn’t have told me five minutes in?'"

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Chris Rock Slammed For Joking About Lamar Odom

He’s never been one to hold his tongue, and Chris Rock marveled at the fact that Lamar Odom somehow turned a drug-fueled sex romp at a whorehouse into a marriage-saving moment. The “Grown Ups” star, who was announced as the host of the 2016 Oscars earlier this week, posted a message via Twitter that said, “Here’s to Lamar Odom on being the first guy in history to have coke and hookers save his marriage,” adding, “Stay strong Lamar.” Chris was referring to the fact that Odom and his estranged wife Khloe Kardashian decided not to get divorced after all.

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Before long, a slew of Twitter users began firing back at Rock with comments like, “this tweet truly disappointed me,” “Way too soon for this,” “@chrisrock too soon man,” and, “Shame on you, Rock.”

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5 Ways You Can Prevent Hurting Your Joints

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Secondhand Smoke Ruining Your Kid's Teeth

Smokers, you may want to kick that habit as a recent study has linked exposure to secondhand smoke to increased risk of tooth decay in young children. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they support extending public health and clinical interventions to reduce secondhand smoke, the researchers noted.

The level of dental caries in deciduous (baby) teeth in developed countries remains high - 20.5 percent in children ages 2 to 5 years in the US and 25 percent in children aged 3 years in Japan. Researchers based in Japan set out to investigate smoking during pregnancy and exposure to household smoke in infants at four months of age as risk factors for caries in deciduous teeth.

Compared with having no smoker in the family, exposure to tobacco smoke at 4 months of age was associated with an approximately twofold increased risk of caries. The risk of caries was also increased among those exposed to household smoking, by 1.5-fold, whereas the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy was not statistically significant.

This is an observational study so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, stress the authors and results may have been influenced by other unmeasured factors.

The study is published in The BMJ.

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5 Great Health Foods

Your diet is sure to get a healthy boost with these five health foods which are your best bets for eating well because they meet at least three of the following criteria -

They are excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients They are high in phytonutrients and antioxidant compounds, such as vitamins A and E and beta carotene They may help reduce risk of heart disease and other health conditions They are easily available

1. Wheat Germ

It is that part of the grain that's responsible for the development and growth of the new plant sprout and although it is only a small part, the germ contains many nutrients. An excellent source of thiamin and a good source of folate, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, wheat germ also contains protein, fiber and some fat. You can sprinkle it on your hot or cold cereal.

2. Sweet Potatoes

With their deep orange-yellow color, sweet potatoes are high in the antioxidant beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in your body. It helps slowing down the aging process and reduce the risk of some cancers. In addition to being an excellent source of vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber, vitamin B-6 and potassium. And like all vegetables, they're fat-free and relatively low in calories with one-half of a large sweet potato having just 81 calories.

3. Spinach

High in vitamins A and C and folate, it's also a good source of magnesium. The plant compounds in spinach may boost your immune system while the carotenoids found in spinach — beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are protective against age-related vision diseases, such as macular degeneration and night blindness, as well as heart disease and certain cancers.

4. Beans

Small red beans and dark red kidney beans, both are a good source of iron, phosphorus and potassium. They're also an excellent low-fat source of protein and dietary fiber with red beans also containing phyto-nutrients.

5. Almonds

Packed with nutrients — fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium, one serving (about seven almonds) has more calcium than any other type of nut — 22 milligrams. This one serving also provides almost 15 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E. Almonds are also good for your heart since most of the fat in almonds being monounsaturated fat, which is a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

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Beauty Tips: Treatments That Rejuvenate Your Eyes

Skin care professionals in the city are offering a range of treatments that can help rejuvenate the skin around your eyes. Here are a few of them...

Hydrate Skin Under Eyes And Treat Pigmentation

Dark circles under your eyes can be treated with creams, provided they are used diligently. Dermatologists can recommend products that suit your skin best. Senior cosmetic dermatologist Dr Akanksha Shah says, "Some under-eye creams work by treating pigmentation around the eyes making them look less tired whereas some work to just hydrate the skin around the eyes making it more youthful. There are certain under-eye creams with retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and other anti aging molecules that work on reducing fine lines around the eyes."

Rejuvenate The Peri-orbital Area

The vampire treatment is a popular one not just for your face but for your eye area as well. This procedure stimulates skin cells around the eyes to form new collagen and rejuvenates the peri-orbital skin by its anti-aging effects.Cosmetologist Dr Jamuna Pai explains, "The vampire treatment is about taking your own blood and then using a centrifuge to separate platelets. The platelet rich plasma or PRP and hyaluronic acid, which is a natural component of our skin, is injected into the skin around the eyes to revive it."

Stimulate Collagen Formation

Derma-rollers are micro-needles that are rolled over the skin to stimulate col lagen formation. Mild derma-rollers are used along with the PRP treatment for best results. Gel peel to lighten skin around eyes There are some specially made peels, which are mild, yet effective and can be used for delicate areas like the skin around your eyes. These exfoliate and ighten the skin and treat tired looking eyes that have dark circles.

Get Rid Of Puffiness Or Under Eye Hol-lowness

Fillers are injectable sterile gels made of hyaluronic acid. Dr Shah says, "Fillers are injected into facial areas with static wrinkles and folds and for adding volume and contour to the face.People with under-eye hollowness or under-eye puffiness who always tend to look tired are the best candidates for fillers. Fillers take about only 20 minutes to perform and they last for eight months to a year, depending on the filler injected. This procedure has a down time of seven to 10 days due to possibility of temporary injection-site redness, swelling and bruising."

Smoothen Crow's Feet

Lines formed on the outer corner of your eyes when you smile are crow's feet. These dynamic wrinkles can be dealt with by microinjecting botulinum toxin into the muscles around eyes, that contract and lead to wrinkle lines. This procedure when combined with brow lift can lead to a youthful look. Botox takes one week for full results to show and lasts for four to six months.

Tightening Skin Around Your Eyes

Radio-frequency tightening can be specially used to tighten the skin around the eyes as well especially for the ones with sagging lids, under-eye bags and puffiness. Dr Shah explains, "It uses radiofrequency to cause thermal effects on the tissue and eventually leads to tightening and new collagen formation.Improvement in lid lag, peri-orbital wrinkles sa well as a brow lift can be achieved with radio-frequency tightening.

Two to six sessions are recommended 15-20 days apart depending on the age of the patient. It is painless and all one feels is heat while the treatment is on. It has no downtime and one has mild redness of the skin for few hours after the procedure.

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