08
LIFESTYLE
The People’s Chronicle | www.thepeopleschronicle.in
Imphal, Sunday, April 30, 2017
Green the new norm in cosmetic industry
G
OING GREEN
has become the
new anthem in
the fashion and
lifestyle categories and it’s not just designers
who are promoting it in a big
way through their collections, but cosmetic brands
are also going eco-friendly
with their range. Experts
feel that “evolved high-end
consumers” are helping in
expanding the “natural”
space in the Indian beauty
industry.
According to a report,
India’s retail beauty and
cosmetics industry is likely to
almost treble to $2.68 billion
by 2020 so, it won’t be wrong
to say that every new invention in the industry is setting
a trend.
Rishabh Mariwala, founder
of a luxury bath and body
care brand PureSense, says
that “In the luxury segment,
the high-end consumer is
evolved”.
“This consumer has seen
multiple brands on their
travels abroad where the
market is proliferated with
natural brands. So, the
brands into luxury premium
segment will surely see a
growth in Indian market,”
Mariwala told IANS.
With a change in consumer
lifestyle and healthier
habits, the “natural” space
is continuously expanding
and for Mariwala one of
the main reasons behind
this is “formulations along
with technology is helping
to bridge the gap between
user experience and natural
philosophy”.
The growth in consumer
consciousness concerning
ethical and sustainable issues
in the beauty industry is
driving a socially responsible
response internationally.
Actress Drew Barrymore is
case in point. She launched
her eco-friendly make-up
line Flower Beauty in 2013.
There are many Indian
brands too that do not test on
animals and are promoting
a healthy way of living life.
Soul Tree, The Nature’s Co.,
Soulflower, Aaranyaa, Just
Herbs, Nature’s Essence,
Kama Ayurveda, Biotique
Botanicals, Khadi, SOS
Organics, Sattvik Organics
& Organic Therapie, Forest
Essentials, Lotus Herbals and
Shahnaz Husain are some of
the examples.
“There is an increasing
awareness about protection of
the environment. Therefore,
the popularity of eco-friendly
products will increase in the
days to come.
“Apart from the ‘back to
nature’ trend, there is also
a ‘total well-being’ trend
sweeping the world. People
are more aware about herbal
healing and the harmful
effects of chemicals. They will
opt for eco-friendly products,” Husain told IANS.
The beauty expert also says
that due to the increasing
awareness, it is becoming
easier to convince consumers
about eco-friendly products and brands and this is
the reason why the “market
for eco-friendly products
has been increasing with
consumers displaying a preference for them”.
Aradhika S Mehta, Head
Training of the British
beauty brand The Body
Shop, emphasises that all the
products under the brand
“are created using the finest
ingredients sourced from
the four corners of the globe
which are not tested on
animals and are absolutely
cruelty free”.
Stroll in nature and shake off the summer heat
J
UST “WALK IT OFF”,
is what most people say
to cool others down.
The coming months
will surely hit you with
soaring temperatures. How
about challenging yourself by
hiking or simply traversing a
plantation? To beat the heat,
merge with nature by walking
through a rainforest or in a
stream and then wink back at
the sun.
A relaxing spa therapy or
scrumptious meal easily make it
to the to-do list when you check
into a hotel. How about opting
for nature walks organised by
some of the luxury hotels in the
country?
The Lalit Resort & Spa
in Bekal, nortn Kerala, is
surrounded by picturesque
gardens, organic farms and a
river. The guests are shown the
coral lake, a walk around the
river and more.
They have also tied up for a
plantation trek with Ratnakaran
from Thonikadavu in Kasargod
district, Kerala. Guided by
Ratnakaran, guests can take a
walk through plantation where
they can find coconut, walnut,
cashew, papaya, black pepper
and betel nut trees.
Along with some of God’s
gifts in the form of fruits, you
can even take home a bag and
a hat made on the spot by him
with betel nut tree leaves.
“People are increasingly
getting interested in such walks
as it’s a good change from the
activities available in the cities.
And with the help of hotels,
nature walks are becoming
popular among people,”
Ratnakaran, whose family also
offers “sadya” -- a traditional
vegetarian feast in Kerala -- to
his guests, told IANS.
Talking about hotels incorporating nature walks in their
itinerary to attract tourists,
Parvinder Singh Bual, General
Manager, Vivanta by Taj Madikeri, Coorg, set in the midst
of a 180-acre rainforest, told
IANS: “The nature walk has been
an intrinsic part of the hotel.
The whole idea is to bring you
closer to nature so, we couldn’t
have done this without including
nature walks.”
“Naturalists have studied
the whole area and they are the
ones who pick up the trails.
Walks vary on the basis of what
the guest likes. It can be birdwatching or stream-walking.”
Abhishek Jain, a naturalist,
has been associated with the
property for a while and also
does customised wildflife trips
for families and companies.
“The first part of the
rainforest walk will take you
through a coffee estate, pepper,
cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg
and other types of spices. There
is a paddy field too. It’s about
three kms and age is no bar. We
have had people as young as a
four-year-old or as old as 80,”
he said.
“Those who want to enjoy
scenic beauty can go for a hike.
That is based on fitness. People
get a sense of it after walking
for five minutes. Based on that,
we take a walk through the
shola forest where the trees are
stunted,” he added.
He suggests hikers to go to
Pushpagiri, which is said to be
second-highest peak of Kodagu,
and sixth highest peak in Karnataka.
If you thought Pune, Maharashtra, was just for buttery
Shrewsbury biscuits, think
again. There are quite a few
nature-inspired experiences that
you can indulge in.
“Be it the city excavation or
the nature trail, activities revolve
around the local surroundings
of the region,” Sachin Didolkar,
Director of Business Development, Conrad Pune, told IANS.
“’Embark on a Spiritual
Sojourn’ at Conrad Pune is a
typical one-day affair that has
the guests exploring the soulful
beauty of mediating at the Osho
Flaunt your sleeves this summer
S
ING SOME SILHOUETTE
TRICKS, you can easily play
around with different types of
sleeves and hide the fuller arms,
say experts. This summer is all
about large bell sleeves, puffy ones or full
lengths.
Tanvi Malik, CEO and Co-Founder at
FabAlley, Ritika Taneja, Director and
Business Head for Fashion at ShopClues
and Style expert at Limeroad, have listed
different styles:
* Cold shoulder sleeves feature a flash of
skin just on the tops of the arms. Apart from
being practical, the style is gorgeous and
is a hot favourite among women looking for
trendy ways to appear slim and stylish.
* Puffy sleeves are named for the way the
sleeves extend out in round puffs around
the upper arms or at the shoulders. They
draw attention to the shoulders and away
from the bottom region and are perfect for
pear-shaped women.
* Bishop sleeve is a large sleeve which is
fuller at the bottom than the top and gathered at the cuff. It gives a bohemian look
to an outfit and is used for dramatic effect.
It looks best on a flowy relaxed outfit like a
shift dress.
* Large bell sleeves: This 1990’s trend is
quite a hit these days, and are roomy too.
While styling such kind of sleeves go full
volume. Pair them with culottes or a ruffled
skirt, or balance the proportions out by
pairing it with skinny jeans or slim trousers.
Go for solids while picking such kind of
sleeves.
* Full length sleeves: Contrary to our
thoughts, these are the most useful sleeves
when it comes to summers. They are the
saviour of your hands from harmful rays
of sun, especially for women who ride a
2-wheeler everyday, or for women with field
jobs. Long sleeves dresses or tops are best
paired with minimal accessories, so it’s a
great idea to go for prints when opting for
them. You can accessorise them with bold
cocktail ring, finishing your sleeve with a
flourish.
* Kaftan sleeves are a summer staple.
Own loads of solid as well as printed kaftan
tops and work them up with your classic
denim shorts.
* Roll-up sleeves have always been in
trend. They are in fact a summer time
classic. Go for urbane checked, striped
or solid shirts with rolled up sleeves and
combine them with your straight fit trousers
and a pair of chic flat sandals.
If you want to wear rolled-up shirts to work,
switch to wedges for footwear. Don’t forget
to accessorize with a classy satchel bag
and a pair of little studs.
How to make your bedroom summer-friendly
G
O FOR SUBTLE
HUES like mint and
lime, declutter and
ditch the heavy
carpets from your
bedroom for a cool summer,
say experts.
Sonam Gupta, Design Head,
Tangerine, a soft furnishing
home decor brand, and Amrit
Borkakoty, Founder, Serenityonline.in, an online home
styling store, suggest how:
* Always opt for 100 per cent
cotton infused soft furnishings
at homes, particularly for the
summer season. This is essential
as these are not just the perfect
sweat absorbents but also soft to
touch and safe for the skin.
* Soft floral design and delicate stripes are the utmost prints
that you can adorn rooms with,
in this season.
* Pack up all the cosy
comforters as well as the
beddings, especially in dark
shades. Remove over printed
sheets and keep them aside, as
they will look completely obsolete and out of fashion.
* Dark and bright colours
trap heat, so therefore must be
avoided completely.
* Keep the linen clean and
long lasting by washing them in
soft detergents every fortnight.
* Double layered curtains in
the lightest of tints must be hung
up. These do not just stop the
sunlight from beaming in but the
gentle colours create a peaceful
ambience.
* Lazy summery afternoons
can be made comfortable and
interesting with an opulent
seating on the bed. Add tube
pillows and cushions in softhued colours to make the look
more interesting and appealing.
* Ditch the heavy carpeting
for your room. Rugs and carpets
will generate unnecessary heat
and this heat will make the
bedroom look more heated.
* Ditch outdated papers,
books and the likes, and remove
the items that don’t belong in
the bedroom.
* Decorate your bedroom
with fresh flowers. Flowers
bring a calm and poised feel to
the eyes.
retreat, indulging in natural
and organic vegetarian meals,
having an open air yoga session
in green forest habitat and finally
mingling with the wildlife -- like
interacting with peacocks and
other fauna,” he added.
At The Oberoi Vanyavilas,
Ranthambhore, a luxury jungle
resort located adjacent to the
Ranthambore National Park,
every nature walk is instructive, as guests explorie and gain
knowledge about the flora and
fauna with a naturalist.
During the walk, the
naturalist takes guests birdwatching, explaining the birds’
behavioural aspects as also the
ir role in the ecosystem. He also
provides important and interesting facts about the local flora.
The naturalist team has
recorded over 70 species of birds
in the hotel, including the exotic
ones like the crested serpent
eagle, Indian spotted eagle,
Indian eagle owl, ultramarine
flycatcher, grey headed canary
flycatcher and Indian paradise
flycatcher.
“It is not only the apex predators that are important, but also
the lesser flora and fauna that
we don’t bother to learn about,”
said Sandesh Guru, Naturalist
-- The Oberoi Vanyavilas,
Ranthambhore.
Women go for
luxury brands
due to social
circle: Study
W
HEN IT
COMES
to buying
high-end
bags, most
of old school shoppers go for
luxury products because of
their social circle, a survey has
revealed.
My Luxury Bargain, a portal for
buying and selling of pre-owned
luxury, conducted a survey to
understand the mindset of the old
school and the new school female
luxury shoppers.
The sample size was 300
women within age group 18 to 45.
The classification was - users from
18 to 32 years were considered
new school and 33 to 45 years old
school, read a statement.
According to the survey, as
many as 63 per cent of old school
shopper buy luxury products
because of their social circle, and 37
per cent new school shopper buys
luxury products because of the feel
good factor. It also showed that 52
per cent of old school shopper said
they will stick to brands like Louis
Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and, while
48 per cent of new school shopper
said they will try new brands like
Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Givenchy
and Balenciaga.
According to 57 per cent of old
school shoppers price of the bag
has to be justified by the size of the
bag and the brand name whereas
43 per cent of new school shopper
buys what they like without
any justification. As many as 68
per cent of old school shoppers
preferred to shop abroad and 32
per cent of new school shoppers
shops through reputed foreign as
well as domestic website
When it comes to accessories
by high-end brands, 28 per cent of
old school shoppers said that they
will not buy luxury designer accessories but 72 per cent of new school
shoppers were willing to buy them
and use them in an innovative way.
“The Enrich Not Exploit
Commitment is The Body
Shop’s new global CSR
strategy that underpins all
aspects of brand’s operation.
Under each of The Commitment’s three pillars: enrich
our people, enrich our products and enrich our planet,”
she told IANS.
She also feels that cosmetic
brands have started making
people believe that they’re
worth a product that is
environmentally friendly,
fashionable and accessible.
“Eco-friendly beautification is the safest and most
responsible way of using
cosmetics and it has the
potential of going a long way
in forthcoming years. Lately,
we have been seeing an
increase in cosmetic products
that are eco-friendly to cater
to this desire along with real
efforts involved by the loyal
consumers,” said Mehta.
For these experts, the
space of eco-friendly products in the current market has
grown very much in the last
few years and will without a
doubt become the ‘norm’ in
the beauty market within the
next four to five years.
Yoga may reduce symptoms
of menstrual disorders
I
F YOU THOUGHT
switching to diet soda
can help you avoid the
ill effects associated
with sugary soft drinks,
think again! Researchers have
found that while drinking
sugary beverages frequently
may lead to poorer memory,
daily intake of diet soda may
increase the risk of stroke and
dementia.
Practicing yoga may
enhance mood and reduce
pain in women affected by
menstrual distress associated
with physical and psychological symptoms, says a study.
For the study, the
researchers carried out a
systematic review of the
published literature on
yoga practice and common
menstrual disorders.
Enhanced mood, reduced
pain, increased wellbeing,
and a heightened relaxation
response were among the
improved outcomes reported
by women who participated in
a yoga intervention, according
to the findings published in
the Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine.
Jennifer Oates of King’s
College London assessed the
evidence from 15 published
studies on the effects of yoga
practice on problems such as
amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea,
dysmenorrhea, premenstrual
syndrome, and premenstrual
dysphoric disorder.
A range of yoga interventions were used. Some studies
used a combination of Asana,
Pranayama, and other yogic
relaxation or meditation techniques.
All of the studies evaluated
reported a beneficial effect and
reduced symptoms.
“All included studies
reported some change in
their outcome measures,
suggesting reduced symptoms
of menstrual distress following
a yoga intervention,” the study
said.
Get celebrity skincare
secrets to beat the heat
W
ITH
SUMMER
come a host
of skin care
problems.
From acne to rashes, oily skin
to breakouts, it is nothing short
of a nightmare so it is very
important to beat the heat by
altering not only your wardrobe,
but also your skin care routine,
says experts.
Celebrity makeup artist
Namrata Soni and Dermatologist and Aesthetic Physician
Rashmi Shetty, share celebrity
skincare secrets to help you look
like your favourite Bollywood
diva and survive this summer in
a breeze * Exfoliate your body after
a shower: A common mistake
which people tend to make is
to exfoliate before a shower.
Cleaning up the dead cells
before a shower is likely to cause
more irritation and itching on
the skin as in that point of time
your skin is dry.
It is advisable to moisturise
your skin with an oil before a
shower and exfoliate it after the
shower. Exfoliating your skin
after a shower will help remove
the dead skin effortlessly.
However, make sure that you
use a good scrub which is appropriate for your skin. You can
also use a soft towel to remove
the dead skin.
* Use sunscreen before
stepping out in the sun: The
sunscreen is your best friend this
season. While having a healthy
tan looks good, too much sun
can harm the skin. Constant
exposure to sun for a very long
time can damage your skin.
Pick a sunscreen which has a
minimum SPF of 30 and apply
it a good 20 minutes before you
leave your house.
In the long run, the sunscreen
also helps in reducing spots
and delays the appearance of
wrinkles and fine lines. Similarly,
make sure that after sun care
is taken care of, you need to
wash your face with cold water
and moisturise it with a calm
moisturiser.
* Hydrate your body with
moisturiser: In cities that face
dry, scorching heat, the moisture
present in the skin tends to get
sucked out. Hence, it is necessary
to constantly keep hydrating
the body with a moisturiser,
preferably moisturising milk
than a cream as it spreads easily
on your body and is non-sticky.
Also, make sure that you use
a moisturiser on slightly damp
skin, as it glides easily and covers
a larger portion of your body.
Use a scented moisturiser only
if it suits your skin or else it
may cause skin irritation. Even
in cities with aq high level of
humidity, the constant sweating
can cause irritation and body
odour. A good moisturiser works
there well too.
* Moisturise your skin
before shaving: Summers
mean shorts, skirts and sleeveless
dresses for days together. It’s
best to stay away from harmful
creams and painful waxing as
they can damage your skin
and cause rashes if you have a
sensitive skin. Also, why cover
yourself in this heat for 15 days
until your next waxing session?
Switch to shaving as it is the
safest method of hair removal
and is also recommended by
dermatologists.
Use a razor that has skin
conditioning ingredients like
Gillette Venus Breeze, which
comes with in-built body butters
and glycerin that will help keep
your skin moisturised before and
after the shave.
* Wait at least 24 hours
before hitting the beach or
pool: The newly shaved area
will be sensitive to the sun, salt
and chlorine. It is better to wait
before taking a dive to avoid
itchiness, burning and irritation.
Also, apply sunscreen before
and as soon as it gets washed
off, after a swim to avoid
unnecessary tanning.
* Gorge on berries and fresh
fruits: Summers in India mean
seeing heaps and heaps of the
king of fruits, mango, everywhere along with a plethora of
berries. The skin reflects what
you eat so feast yourself on
the summer produce. They are
rich and high on vitamins and
increase the release of antioxidants giving you the perfect
glowing skin.
Take a walk, stay smart
I
N ADDITION to benefitting your
heart and muscles, a regular walk
also contributes to keeping your brain
healthy, new research suggests.
The foot’s impact during walking
sends pressure waves through the arteries
that significantly modify and can increase the
supply of blood to the brain, according to the
study presented at the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2017 in Chicago.
In the study, the researchers from New
Mexico Highlands University used non-invasive ultrasound to measure hemispheric
cerebral blood flow or CBF to both sides of
the brain of 12 healthy young adults during
standing upright, rest and steady walking
(one metre/second).
The researchers found that though there is
lighter foot impact associated with walking
compared with running, walking still
produces large pressure waves in the body
that significantly increase blood flow to the
brain.
While the effects of walking on CBF were
less dramatic than those caused by running,
they were greater than the effects seen during
cycling, which involves no foot impact at all.
“New data now strongly suggest that brain
blood flow is very dynamic and depends
directly on cyclic aortic pressures that
interact with retrograde pressure pulses from
foot impacts,” the researchers wrote.
“There is a continuum of hemodynamic
effects on human brain blood flow within
pedalling, walking and running. Speculatively, these activities may optimise brain
perfusion, function, and overall sense of
wellbeing during exercise,” the researchers
said.
In a separate study published last year
in the journal Open Science, a team of
researchers from Australia and South Africa
showed that the evolution of human intelligence was not simply related to the size of the
brain -- but rather linked more closely to the
supply of blood to the brain.
To allow our brain to be intelligent, it must
be constantly fed oxygen and nutrients from
the blood, the researchers said.