Honey – A natural lip healer

Well you all knew honey was meant to be had for such things as coughs, colds, sugar replacements, etc, but how many of you knew that it provides the perfect remedy to cracked lips (or even heels for that matter!)?

All you have to do is take a lip brush (I’ll write more on the various makeup brushes in another article) and apply a slather of natural honey on your smoochies. Get and use plain honey on your body. There are those with synthetic flavors and preservatives, but the best is to go a la natural.

Applying honey to your lips also gives them a natural sheen, just as a lip gloss would.

If you’re going to take a nap on the ground in a spot where you know there are bitsy bugs and/ or ants, I’d advise you to wait on the honey application. Otherwise though, it’s a healthy, foolproof way to care for your lips.

Some popular brands of honey are: Dabur, BeeMaid, Honeywell, Honey Gold, etc. Dabur Honey was ranked the ‘best buy’ by the CERS (Consumer Education and Research Society) after testing 17 different brands in its in-house laboratory. However, any honey sans the synthetic/ chemicals add-ons will work well.

Use it and love it. See how well it works. Watch those eyes stare at your glowing, healthy lips all day long. Smooooooooch!

Swine flu races across India

No puns intended, but swine flu has literally hogged the spotlight internationally.

On the 2nd of May, 2009, Times of India reported 3 suspected cases. By the 7th of August, 2009, Economic Times reported a dramatic hike of 712 total victims having been infected with the deadly virus.

Just days ago, BBC reported 6 deaths among the swine flu victims in India.

Newshopper.sulekha.com, reported “Since May 16, when the first case was reported in Hyderabad, more than 4,000 people have been tested for influenza A (H1N1) virus. Of these, 840 people have tested positive.”

They also had written of how a swine flu test kit will cost Rupees 5,000 for a regular test, and Rupees 10,000 once the victim is confirmed positive with the flu. Apparently it takes a minimum of six hours for the test to return with positive results.

The Search for a Swine Flu Vaccine - Novartis to the rescue?

Novartis - a leading laboratory - is among those given the crucial task of developing a swine flu vaccine. The trick is, they have to do it speedily and satisfactorily.

There are rumors that up until now, global efforts to make the swine flu vaccion, have proven to make a concoction more dangerous and contagious than the flu virus itself.

A spokesman for the Novartis group says that 'good progress' is being made in developing the vaccine.

Fingers crossed that this time, it may actually help to curb the rampant virus.

Seasonal Handbag Tips

Are you struggling with the monsoon because every time you step out of office for a bit, your handbag gets completely wet along with the things in it? Here's a little trick I use to keep things like my phone dry.

I have a little zip-lock bag in which I put my phone, its charger, the headset, etc. Along with that, I keep a nice looking plastic bag folded and stored neatly in one section of my bag. When it begins to drizzle, I just take out the plastic bag, put my handbag in it, and voila! My things are kept safe from the rain!

Of course, this helps only if your handbag is small enough to be managed in such a way. While I used to carry a bigger bag for summer (to put an extra shirt in, wet wipes, etc), I switched over to a smaller one for the monsoon. For the winter, I may very well go back to a bigger bag so I can carry along a light sweater and/ or a scarf, mittens, etc.

Body Piercing

Are you planning to get a body pierce sometime soon? Here are a few tips to make sure it's been done neatly and is infection-free.

1. Ask around for a referral. Is there someone that has been to one and would recommend their expertise? If not, and you're looking online, check for client reviews. That helps too.

2. Check that the person at the store has got clean hands and groomed nails before you allow them to insert that piercing needle into your skin.

3. Is it a fresh needle? If it's not in a fresh plastic-wrap, chances are, they're not new. You don't want to risk contamination and infection from a simple piercing. This is an important point!

4. Use surgical steel to allow your body the time it needs to adapt to the foreign object inside of it. You may be unknowingly allergic to gold or silver. Some people just are.

5. Keep your pierce clean. It doesn't HAVE TO get infected just because it's new. Keep it clean and avoid the pain and extra medications an infected pierce will bring.

6. Use a salt-water solution to bathe your pierce at least once a day. If you can, twice a day is ideal. This will keep it clean and infection-free.

7. Take extra vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is important with aiding your body in its fight against infection. Take up to 500 mg supplement in your daily diet.

8. Use an antiseptic powder to keep your pierce clean and dry.

9. Do not bandage it up. Piercings need air to dry and heal.

10. Move the ring in your pierce up and down at least twice in a day. This helps the skin around the area to be pliable and elastic, rather than closing up tightly in a scab around the ring inserted.

Piercings aren't hard to take care of. If you are dead-set on getting one, don't mind the pain and the extra care. It takes work, but if you've gotten one, you'll know, it's worth it.

Happy Piercing!