Refreshing Beauty Secrets of Watermelon that Your Skin would Love

Watermelon is the coolest fruit that you can dig into
during the hot summer months, and it is great for your skin as well. It
is rich in vitamins and potassium, with high water and fibre content,
and is low in calories. That is why; it is an amazing fruit for your
skin and body. Whether you like to eat this red, juicy fruit or not, you
can enjoy its amazing benefits, just read on to know how:

Works as a natural toner

To have clean and clear skin, use watermelon toner that will hydrate
your skin while refreshing it. Toner helps to reduce the risks of acne
and other skin blemishes from finding their place on your face.

• Just mix some watermelon juice, and apply that on your cleansed
  face, with the help of a cotton ball. Rinse it off after it dries. You
  can also add some honey to this.


• You can also make a toner by blending one cup watermelon chunks,
  with half an orange and one cup water. Use the strained liquid on your
  face daily. This liquid can be refrigerated for 5 days.


• If you already suffer from acne or blemishes, then make ice cubes
  out of watermelon juice and rose water, and rub it on your face to
  freshen it.

After cleaning the toner off, remember to use a gentle moisturiser on your skin.

Natural way to ditch age marks

Watermelon is rich in vitamin A and C, and anti-ageing agents such as
lycopene. The presence of these antioxidants decreases the occurrence
of wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Best result can be seen by
topical application as well as eating a healthy dose of this wonderful
and juicy fruit.

• Apply watermelon pulp on your skin as a mask, or rub some watermelon juice on your face regularly.


• You can also mix equal quantity of watermelon juice and crushed
  avocado. Keep this pack on your face for 15-20 minutes, before rinsing
  it off with warm water. Both these fruits are a great way to keep your
  skin plump and supple.

Wonderful way to get glowing and healthy skin

Watermelon is blessed with properties that can make your skin look
and feel fresh, firm and healthier. By consuming watermelon you can
flush out toxins from the body, which result in glowing skin.

Here is how you can enjoy its various benefits by adding it to your facial masks and scrubs:

• Apply watermelon pulp all over face and neck for fifteen minutes before washing it off to reveal clean and refreshed skin.


• If you have oily skin, then blend some watermelon pulp with yoghurt
  and use that as a face pack. For those who have dry skin, just replace
  yoghurt with banana.


• For treating sunburn and suntans, prepare a pack of equal portion watermelon and cucumber, and apply that on your face.


• A scrub made of grated watermelon and gram flour leaves you with a glowing skin.

You can also add a few drops of this fruit to your summer beauty face packs to make them even more wonderful and favourable.

Keeps skin hydrated and moisturised

Dry and dull skin is often the result of dehydrated skin. With its
high water content, watermelon is a good option for keeping the skin
hydrated. A well-hydrated body has good collagen production that is
necessary for youthful skin. So, add this juicy red fruit to your daily
diet.

• You can apply a watermelon and honey mask to the face for extra moisturisation, apart from eating it.

Effect on skin pores

The high content of vitamin A in the fruit allows it to decrease the
size of skin pores while also controlling the oil secretions from
sebaceous glands. That is what makes this juicy summer fruit great for
those who have an oily skin.

• Blend some watermelon juice with mint leaves, and freeze this
  mixture in ice trays. Rub these ice cubes on your skin to close open
  skin pores. This is also a great remedy to cleanse your pores of the
  dust and pollution.

Works for exfoliation

The scorching summer heat can prove to be taxing on the skin. The
acids present in water melon work great as an exfoliating agent that
leave your skin radiant. Here is a quick body scrub that will help you
soothe the tired skin instantly while leaving it glowing.

• Blend one cup of watermelon chunks with sugar and add lemon
  juice to it. This can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.
  Use this in your bath to gently exfoliate the skin.

Amazing ingredient for pedicure

Pedicure is necessary not only to ensure that the feet look good but also to relieve them from the stress of tiring days.

• Prepare a mix of half cup watermelon juice, one teaspoon crushed
  almonds and a quarter cup of yoghurt. This can be applied to the feet
  in a circular motion to increase blood circulation, relieve stress and
  exfoliate the skin.

Benefits your hair too

Watermelon is not just wonderful for your skin, but also for your
hair. This fruit, especially its seeds, can make your hair strong, and
also prevent hair falling and breakage. Watermelon seeds are rich in
protein content and essential fatty acids, which can make your hair
lustrous, strong and healthy.

 What’s more? They contain copper which is known to produce melanin, a
pigment that helps your hair to keep their natural colour intact. This
helps to prevent your hair greying woes. Watermelon seed oil provides
moisture to flaky and dry scalp, and treats itchy scalp.

Healthy reasons to add it

Apart from its various beauty benefits for your hair and skin, this
juicy fruit is known for its health benefits. Let us tell you a few
reasons why people who are aiming for weight loss should add this fruit
to their diet:

• Being a low-calorie fruit, it is great for those who wish to lose and maintain weight.


• It is ideal for weight loss diets as it mainly consists of water,
  and is rich in many essential nutrients. The high water content also
  helps it to flush out toxins from the body, thus leaving you feeling
  healthier.


• It is an excellent natural source of instant energy. Since, it
  is rich in vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and electrolytes, it is a
  power packed fruit.


• It is also rich in fibre, which makes it a filling fruit to enjoy as a healthy snack to curb untimely hunger pangs.

After all, a healthy and fit body is another trick to keep your skin healthy, supple and free from problems as well.

Weird Reasons You Cant Sleep: Your Phone, Your Dinner

According to a new study conducted by Michigan
State University, people who use their phones for work-related purposes
after 9 p.m. don't sleep that well and are less productive the following
day.

 You finally have a legitimate reason not to respond to a late-night email from your boss: According to a new study conducted by Michigan State University, people who use their phones for work-related purposes after 9 p.m. don't sleep that well and are less productive the following day.


"We studied work-related phone calls, emails, and text messages because engaging in work before bed doesn't allow people to disengage from their day, unlike more relaxing activities like texting with a friend," lead study author Russell Johnson, an assistant professor of management, tells Yahoo Shine. "We chose to study 9 p.m. because studies show that most people fall asleep anywhere between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m."


Interestingly, when compared to people who engaged in other stimulating activities, such as watching "excessive" amounts of television before bed (two hours of viewing or more), those who used their phones slept the worst. "Smartphones are the most disruptive gadgets because they're portable, so people can place them close by, under the pillow or on the nightstand. And unlike laptops, smartphones beep and light up so they're more distracting and tempting," says Johnson. Another reason not to do a final check of your email before bed: Smartphones emit a blue light that Johnson says is the most stimulating of all colors because it inhibits the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing chemical.
It's not just your phone that's the problem. Check out a few other ways you might be sabotaging your sleep.


You smoked a cigarette: Bad news for people who light up. Smoking before bedtime disrupts sleep patterns, according to a study published in Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. That's because smokers spend more time in "light sleep" mode, not REM sleep, since nicotine triggers the release of stimulating chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Study subjects who smoked before bed also reported feeling less rested the next day. If you can quit, great; if not, at least light up a few hours before bed.

 We're all for falling asleep
the natural way, so we found eight foods that will help you sleep
better. Beyond the list below, look out for foods that include
magnesium, protein, carbohydrates, dairy and tryptophan. Sleep well!

 Oatmeal: Between oatmeal
being warm and mainly consisting of carbohydrates, it's the perfect
before bedtime snack to put you to sleep. Magnesium rich foods promote
sleep, and consuming too little magnesium can make it harder to fall
asleep.

 Bananas: With magnesium and
potassium, bananas help to relax muscles and trigger melatonin
production to help you fall asleep quickly. Bonus point for bananas:
Because they relax muscles, they'll also help with cramps during that
time of the month.

 Fish: Containing vitamin B6,
fish helps to produce melatonin, which helps you sleep. Go for cod or
salmon in particular, but most fish will help you sleep at night.

 Almonds: Because of the high
magnesium, almonds promote sleep and muscle relaxation. Plus, the
protein in almonds stabilizes blood sugar while sleeping, so you're
likely to not only fall asleep more easily, but also to sleep more
soundly.

 Spinach: High in magnesium,
potassium and calcium, which promotes healthy sleep, spinach is a
fabulous leafy green to work into your diet for better sleep patterns.
If you don't particularly care for spinach, go for another leafy green
vegetable like kale.

 Hard Boiled Egg: Packed with
protein, hard boiled eggs with stabilize blood sugar to give you a full
night's sleep without interruption. At the beginning of the week, hard
boil 5 eggs or so and refrigerate so that you can have a bedtime snack
ready for every night of the week.

 Cherries: Though it's better
to drink cherry juice, eating a cup of cherries before bed also helps
to put you to sleep because of the naturally high melatonin index in the
fruit.

 Jasmine Rice: WIth a high
glycemic index, Jasmine rice helps to trigger insulin, so the ratio of
tryptophan to amino acid in the blood is higher, and the tryptophan aids
in sleep. Switch out the white rice at dinner for Jasmine rice instead.

 Your bra is too tight: Some women prefer the support of a bra in bed, but wearing a tight bra that cuts into the rib cage or shoulders can mess up your sleep, according to a Japanese study. Researchers found that tight garments interfere with circadian rhythms (in simple terms, the sleep cycle), resulting in increased body temperature and decreased melatonin levels, two of sleep's worst enemies. 

You ate grilled chicken for dinner: While a protein-rich meal or snack is good for your health, it's actually bad for your sleep, because digesting protein is labor-intensive and often too difficult for the body to pull off during sleep mode. For a peaceful sleep, opt for a starchy carb-rich snack such as cereal or crackers before bed instead. One small Australian study found that carbs spike levels of blood sugar, causing people to fall asleep faster, especially if they've eaten within four hours of bedtime.