Fuschia Natural Soaps Review (Yogurt Delight and Orange Peel)

Fuschia soaps have been my most preferred ones among the exhaustive products that the brand has to offer. I must say they have a widest variety of handmade natural soaps to choose from and every single soap variant is made up of natural ingredients without any harmful chemicals. So, one can safely rely on the quality that these soaps offer without causing any harm to your skin.

I received and used two of the variants of Fuschia soaps last month that is in Yogurt Delight and Orange Peel. 

As I received these soaps, the first thing I noticed was the improved packaging. I had been using Fuschia soaps since years now and I can recall the packaging used to be of handmade colourful paper in older times. The newer version of packaging has got a nice brown cardboard box with a beautifully printed label on it to refer to its variant name and ingredients list. The soap bars inside in box are properly sealed in cellophane sheet to preserve its hygiene and fragrance.

Each of the soap bars is large enough to hold in your hand easily. I prefer rectangular shaped soap bars over round, oval, square ones for they tend not to slip easily due to fine grip (it may be my individual choice).

Both the soap variants have mild yet refreshing fragrance. The fragrance is short-lived and doesn’t last after you step out from shower. But I’m ok with it as I don’t sweat much and have no issues like body odour to fight with ;)

I found the soaps not-so-quick to melt as compared to natural soaps from other brands which easily melt and finish off quite soon. The texture of Fuschia soaps also aids that these do not lose their shape till the end. These soaps make your skin feel clean from the top and moisturized from deep inside. The finest ingredients gone into the formula include many nourishing oils, fruits n vegetable extracts and ofcourse the glycerine base. All this helps to retain skin’s natural oils intact without making the skin dry, itchy or scratchy. This is all I want in my soap bar.

The nutrients and anti-oxidants present in Orange Peel soap are very potent in healing many skin conditions. Using this soap regularly keeps the skin toned and free from acne.

On the other hand, Yogurt Delight soap is rich in antibacterial properties and provides instant glow to your skin by removing dirt, dead skin and all kinds of impurities from deep inside the skin.

Each of the soap bars is priced at Rs. 250 which is worth paying for a cruelty-free, chemical-free product that is must-have for everyday bath and body essential to keep the skin healthy and glowing.

 

Fuschia Sunscreen Matte Gel (SPF 30) Review

Is polluted environment making your skin dull and unappealing? Well no need to worry anymore because Fuschia presents you paraben and phthalate free Sunscreen Matte Gel . The blend of aloe vera, olive oil and licorice extract are perfect to harmonize your skin & protection against sun-induced skin damages. Aloevera and olive oil cure the damage caused by sun rays & can treat sunburns as easily as it can slow down the aging of the skin. SunCat DE acts as a sunscreen agent, anti-oxidant, anti-aging and protective agent. This attractive new sunscreen matte gel gets absorbed in your skin instantly and protects adequately from UVA & UVB rays.

This is what Fuschia Sunscreen Matte Gel claims to do. And here goes my review on this product...

Fuschia Sunscreen Matte Gel comes in a small plastic bottle in white colour. There is black screw cap on bottle with flip opening over the top. The spout enables easy dispense of product. The information like ingredient list, mfg date, shelf life, price etc. is printed on the bottle label.

The texture of the sunscreen is of a moderately thick cream. The term ’gel’ used in the product name sounds misleading to me as the product is not gel-like either in texture or appearance. Despite the consistency, the sunscreen spreads easily on skin and gets absorbed as you massage it into skin with gentle strokes.

The product stands to its claims of ‘matte’ effect. You will notice that the product leaves no shiny, greasy layer on the top surface of your skin after it sinks into skin. It may serve as a great choice for people who struggle picking a suitable product for their oily skin. For people like me whose skin is more on drier side, the product may be bit more drying so a layer of moisturizer underneath will make the feel of sunscreen much comfortable on skin.

The sunscreen smells really nice, that’s something sweet and floral which most people would like. The smell is not sharp or overpowering, but cannot be considered mild too. Only people who are extremely sensitive to fragrances may find it strong, else it’s an easy-to-go-with kinda fragrance for most people.

Fuschia Sunscreen Matte Gel is formulated with SPF 30 for UVA and UVB protection which could have been on higher content, but is reasonably enough for sun protection in warmer regions like ours.

Now coming to the affordability of the product, I feel Rs 450 for a 50ml packaging will certainly pinch pockets of many of us (though the brand keeps on offering certain percentage of discount on its products regularly).

To sum up, Fuschia Sunscreen Matte Gel SPF 30 is a decent choice for a quality product that is worth an addition in your beauty kit atleast once and can be repurchased if gels well with your skin type :)

Festive Recipes from Dr. Oetker FunFoods Creative Kitchen

The month of August is packed with multiple festivals, and just as many long weekends. Why not utilize all that free time to whip up some exceptional recipes? Celebrate the festivals with special recipes curated by Chef Gaurav Chadha, In-house Chef, Dr. Oetker India Pvt. Ltd. Have a good time with recipes made of these yummilicious products that Dr. Oetker has to offer this festive season!

Chocolate and Paneer Burfi            

Servings: 4

Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 Minutes

Ingredients:

50 g Cashewnuts, crushed

100 g Paneer, grated

50 ml Full Cream Milk

200 ml Condensed Milk

¼ tsp Cardamom Powder

1 tsp Desi Ghee

3-4 nos. Almonds, chopped

60 g (4 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Chocolate Spread Fudge

Directions:

1.  In a thick bottom pan (slow flame), add cashewnuts, paneer, milk, condensed milk and chocolate fudge. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes or until mixture begins to thick and leaves the side of the pan.

2.  Grease the tray with ghee and spread the burfi mixture evenly. Sprinkle almonds on top of burfi and gently press with hands.

3.    Keep this burfi tray in fridge for 2 hours to set. Once cooled slice burfi into small squares and serve.

Oats and Peanut Ladoo          

                                                     

Servings: 4

Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

100 g Oats

50 g Cashewnuts, chopped

50 g Almonds, crushed

50 g Jaggery Powder

75 g (5 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Peanut Butter Crunchy

50 ml Water

1 tsp Desiccated Coconut Powder

2 tbsp Desi Ghee

Directions:

1.       Heat non-stick pan (slow flame) and dry roast oats for 2-3 minutes. In a blender jar add oats and grind it coarsely. Keep it aside.

2.       In a non-stick pan (medium flame), add cashewnuts, almonds, jaggery powder, peanut butter and water. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or till jaggery melts off.

3.     Add oats, coconut powder and 1 tbsp ghee to above mixture. Stir well and switch off the flame.

4.       Apply remaining ghee in your palms and make small ladoo using above mix. Serve

Note: While making Ladoo make sure that mixture is warm, if the mixture cools, it will be difficult to roll it up.

Kesar and Paneer Burfi            

                                           

Servings: 4

Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 Minutes

Ingredients:

50 g Cashewnuts, crushed

100 g Paneer, grated

50 ml Full Cream Milk

200 ml Condensed Milk

1 tsp Desi Ghee

3-4 nos. Almonds, chopped

60 g (4 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Milk Shake Mix Kesar Pista

Directions:

1.     In a thick bottom pan (slow flame), add cashewnuts, paneer, milk, condensed milk and kesar pista milk shake mix. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes or until mixture begins to thick and leaves the side of the pan.

2.      Grease the tray with ghee and spread the burfi mixture evenly. Sprinkle almonds on top of burfi and gently press with hands.

3.       Keep this burfi tray in fridge for 2 hours to set. Once cooled slice burfi into small squares and serve.

  

Tri-Colour Sandwich Bread Pakora 

Servings: 2

Level: Intermediate

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

3 slices White Bread

60 g (3 tbsp) Gram Flour

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt

50 ml Water

100 ml Vegetable Oil
½ tsp Caraway Seeds

30 g (2 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Veg Mayonnaise Tandoori

30 g (2 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Veg Mayonnaise Mint

30 g (2 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Veg Mayonnaise Original

Directions:

1.       On a bread slice spread 2 tbsp Tandoori mayonnaise and club it with another bread slice.

2.       Spread Mint mayonnaise on top of second layer of bread slice and club with another bread slice. Keep it aside

3.       For Bread pakora batter- In a bowl add Veg mayonnaise, caraway seeds, gram flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and water. Mix well forming a thick batter

4.       Apply batter on above sandwich from all sides.

5.       Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry bread pakora until it is cooked and crispy from all sides. Cut sandwich into 2 pieces and serve hot.

  

Gulab Kheer                    

Servings: 4Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time:  25 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 Litre, Full Cream Milk

100 g Rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes

100 g Sugar

1 tsp Green Cardamon Powder

8-10 nos. Cashewnuts, chopped
5 nos. Almonds, chopped

60 g (4 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Milk Shake Mix Rose

Directions:

1         Bring milk to boil in a large saucepan.

2        Add rice, sugar, cardamom powder, cashewnuts and rose milk shake mix. Simmer over low heat until the mixture thickens and the rice is cooked completely.

3      Pour the mixture into serving bowls. Refrigerate it for 2 hours, garnish it with almonds and serve.

Disclaimer: The recipes are sourced from http://www.oetker.in

Working Moms – Challenges and Solutions

Motherhood has always been the most celebrated feeling for all the women around the world. There is certainly a glory that this title brings along, but there are unfavourable challenges that are specific to 'working moms'. I still remember how dicey the situation had become when I had to decide whether to continue or sacrifice my job after my child was born. I knew if I had to resume my work, it would demands more on my effort, time, energy and resources to 'balance' work and family life. But I take pride to assert that I faced the situation and had been able to succeed.

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So based my experience, I'm sharing helpful tips on how working moms can deal with this dilemma and make their life easier without having to sacrifice their career or family-

1.) Raising Kids in Nuclear Family:
In good old times, when multigenerational or joint families were the norm of society, the elderly family members used to take care of children in the house in the absence of parents. But over the past years with increasing number of only two-parent families, the mothers are expected to take a career break and be around children to for their physical growth and mental development.
You can always enroll your school-going child to a certified day-care centre that ensures providing safe and healthy environment for him after school hours. For a younger baby, a trustworthy in-house babysitter may take care of baby while the mommy works.

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2.) Tackling Sick Children
As an extension to nuclear family concerns, most working moms feel alarmed of the possibility of their children getting sick (I really do). Because the responsibility of taking care for sick children usually falls on the mother. The situation to settle on either an inflexible professional schedule or a parental obligation brings the victim to a meltdown mode.

The best game plan to pull through this tricky situation is to prevent child’s illness. It’s customary for many parents to ignore initial warning sign of an upcoming illness and hope it won’t last. But if you’re aware of usual symptoms or causes of your child’s sickness, make a prior arrangement to nip the problem in the bud. My child is a mosquito magnet – so I use repellents like liquid vaporiser inside my home but my biggest worry is when he is outdoors – be it school or evening playtime especially because dengue mosquitoes bite in the daytime. I’ve now resorted to the protection of Good knight Fabric Roll-On to avoid exposure to icky mosquitoes. Just following a simple regime of applying four dots of all-natural product on my child’s clothes whenever he steps out for school or play has rescued me from panicky time.

It also makes a difference to make minor lifestyle changes including diet, clothing, outing time etc when it’s the time of year when it’s more probable for your child to fall ill. On a motherly note, try co-ordinating with an understanding colleague and do tell yourself “this is just life in the moment, let me spend the day with apple of my eye”.

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3.) Running Late of Schedule
Nothing adds to the stress of mommy if something doesn't go as planned in the beginning of the day. The uncertainty of the morning routine puts you in situation where unanticipated problems arise and leave you frustrated and dejected.
Preparing ahead of time is the key. Carefully look over the next day's to-do list a night prior and divide the schedule. It's better to decide priorities of the day and delegate few chores to your spouse. Marking important dates on calendar or setting a reminder on your smart device will let you start your day on calm note without missing any relevant event especially when it's related to your child's school.

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4.) Professional Competence
Despite the claims of companies to offer compatible work conditions for females, many mothers are not given key roles and are looked down upon if they demand for flexible working hours for themselves. It induces a feeling of lower self-esteem and low confidence in most women.
Do not be hesitant to forward a written plan to your company's HR team requesting them to adjust your schedule in a way that you may complete the required weekly working hours in a flexible manner. It will reinforce faith of employer for you if you may present the company with a substitute/alternate to compensate your responsibilities in case of emergency.

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5.) Mommy Guilt
Women have a right to have a career the way men do and they should be proud that they are capable of multitasking. But if you've chosen your career over your family or child, the creepy feeling of being away from your child may strike you any time. There can be infinite reasons for a mommy to feel guilty for not being a 'perfect' parent. At times, these feelings are subject to societal idealisation of motherhood.
Pause before you react. Give yourself a moment before you curse yourself of the worst guilt-inducing moments. Think of your contribution in fulfilling your child's needs by going to work. Find practical solution that may spare you some time to make good memories with family and children. Lastly, remind yourself that feeling guilty is actually a sign that you truly care for your child.

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6.) Communication Gap with Partner/Family
Living your choices amidst everyday chaos severely affects relationship between the couple and the implications of the situation might be to different extent. Many a times, marital relationship is strained due to lack of time or excessive fatigue, especially when both partners have long working hours or when the male partner poses a hands-off approach in sharing household responsibilities.
To tackle this very important yet less-acknowledged issue, both the partners must agree to consciously make an effort to get closer to each other despite an exhaustive schedule. It takes only a few moments every day to focus on keeping your marriage happy.

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There are many more obligations, work commitments and family matters than ever before that every working mom is juggling with. It might be hard to maintained sanity with life continually getting busier, but I'm sure these simple tips would help mighty mommy increase the harmony in her home..

Happy Parenting!!

1m Intimate Cream Wash 3.5 Review

While all women might be concerned about their vaginal health, not many of them will be knowing importance of using a dedicated product formulated exclusively for making your lady-part smell better and remain problem-free.

I've used a number of women hygiene products in past years and found those effective too. Currently, I'm using 1m Intimate Cream Wash 3.5 manufactured by Ozone Ayurvedics and have got all good things to say about it just after a use of 8-10 days (usually I test and try any product for 20+ days to make up my opinion).

1m intimate Cream Wash 3.5 is specially formulated to protect feminine intimate (vulvo-vaginal) area from dryness, itching, irritation, soreness, burning sensation and unpleasant odour during reproductive years in the age of 15 to 44 years. The product helps in maintaining a natural pH level of 3.5 in the intimate area and restores healthy intimate micro-flora consisting of good bacteria.

1m Intimate Cream Wash is packed in a soft tube packaging. The 100gm tube packaging is light-weight, has tightly-enclosed flip cap and leak-proof material; hence can easily stick in your travel-kit. Every important information about ingredients, price, usage directions is neatly printed on tube alongwith a pH scale indicating the product applicability.

1m Intimate Wash is a thick, velvet smooth cream bearing pleasant fragrance that helps to maintain the intimate area's natural acidic balance. What made me love this product is that unlike most intimate washes, it is not a soap-based cream. You may apply it on your dry or wet intimate skin, which means even if you forget to carry it with you while bathing, it can be applied afterwards. 

Wondering if a vaginal wash can be left on skin without rinsing??? Well! the answer is Yes! this is a water soluble cream formulated with natural ingredients like Lactic Acid, Sea Buckthorn Oil and Tea Tree Oil and is safe to remain on skin. Honestly, I was skeptical to use it as  leave-in product, but it didn't disappoint me. 

Using this product on daily basis effectively catches odor-causing microorganisms and prevents foul-smelling odor. The women of any age group may use it, especially to perfectly balance out vaginal pH of 3.5 - 4.5 that generally is disturbed during menstruation. The females who complaint of itching, swelling and foul-smelling discharge may totally rely on this product since it is not harsh like usual soaps or cleansers. 

I'm glad that I found an expert, revolutionary and budget-friendly (costs only Rs 138 and easily available for online purchase at Amazon, Flipkart etc) hygiene wash that leaves me feeling fresh all day long and restores perfect health of women's intimate area. 

MamaEarth Body Crème for Stretch Marks & Scars - Product Review

The phase of maternity is the most satisfying and memorable time in life of a woman. One of the common complaint that women may have in this phase is to see their body struggling to keep up the uneven growth of skin all over. When skin is stretched to its limit, stretch marks start showing up and may get deeper with time. Not only pregnancy is the only cause of stretch marks, these marks may appear if your body weight fluctuates too much. To find an effective treatment with natural and organic ingredients is pure bliss.

MamaEarth body crème for stretch marks & scars is one of the impressive products in the line that does wonders to fade away these undesirable marks.

This cream is a rich blend of exclusive emollients namely Shea Butter, Cocoa butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Wheatgerm Oil. Isn't the list long enough? Well! these ingredients directly impact to strengthen and rebuild the skin barrier while keeping the skin supple for longer.

It is a thick cream that smells really soothing. It'll be really a relief to women who feel nauseatic due to offensive medicinal smell during maternity. The product works equally good on marks at stomach area, thighs, upper arms, breasts or buttocks. Being on heavier consistency, it would need rubbing little more for proper absorption. The skin may feel lightly greasy for a second but is not intolerable. It takes few moments to sink in.

The product starts fading the color of the shallow/recent marks gradually while smoothing out the skin texture if followed an AM/PM routine religiously over a period of few weeks. But for marks existing since long, it would take around 8-12 weeks to blend away the marks and make those least noticable.

Other plant based ingredients like Cucumber Extract and Papaya Extract detoxify the skin that is an additional perk. Plant based Palmitoyl Tripeptides help to improve skin’s elasticity and make it non-itchy. All this comes for a reasonable price tag of INR 500 to own a big jar of 100 ml.

The product is not just free of parabens, mineral oil, artificial colors and dyes, but is backed by MadeSafe certification provided after clinical researches. To sum up, MamaEarth Body Crème is a recommended pick for women who are hunting for a preventive or curative stretch mark cream plus want to shop responsibly within budget. 

Fuschia Herbal Fusion Natural Shampoo Review

A shampoo that promises to deliver chemical-free, gentle care to my hair deserves a testing for sure. Fuschia by Vkare launched a herbal shampoo some time back that claims to clean your hair while addressing issues like hair fall.

Product Claims:
Fuschia Herbal Fusion Shampoo has been enriched with 9 Ayurvedic herbs to take care of your Hair. It is a rejuvenating therapy for dull and dry hair as it brings back the natural shine and strengthens the root thus reducing Hair fall issues too. It is a SLS, SLES, Parabens & Phthalates free shampoo. This formulation has been developed to combat problems of hair loss. It makes sure it to provide adequate hair nutrition while cleansing the scalp and conditions it with natural follicle stimulation and prevents thinning of hair and baldness. It does suit all hair types, be it Oily, Dry or Normal. Shine & Volume is maintained in both Men & Women.

Fuschia Herbal Infusion Shampoo comes in a tiny, see-through plastic bottle with a screw cap over it. There are stickers on either sides with details like product name, quantity, ingredients, price etc. Considering the size of the bottle, it's easy to carry around. But I expected an inner lid with a hole under the screw cap that could have controlled the quantity of excess product coming out accidently.

The shampoo has runny consistency, somewhat thinner than usual shampoos I've used. It lathers lightly, but does its job of cleaning your scalp and hair effcetively. For longer hair like mine, I need bit extra quantity so as to thoroughly remove all build up. I found the shampoo really mild, so people who wash their hair every morning would love to use it as their everyday hair cleanser.

The shampoo claims to be formulated with infusion of 9 herbs, but it couldn't find the names of all the herbs in ingredients list. The shampoo works well for all hair types without stripping your hair of its natural oils, rather lends your hair the healthy shine that it needs. I didn't notice a change in hair growth rate after using almost half the quantity; but the blend of amla, lemon, shikakai, brahmi extracts with many essential oils helps fighting with dandruff, hair fall, itchy scalp with prolonged use. The shampoo leaves a refreshing fragrance behind after you rinse your hair.

The Fuschia Herbal Fusion Shampoo is priced at Rs. 450 for 100 ml bottle which would pinch your pocket for sure. But the ones who are looking for a SLS, SLES, Parabens & Phthalates free shampoo may give it a shot.

Wonders of Epsom Salt ft. Mama Earth

Known since long for as an effective remedy for many problems, I used Epsom Salt after so many years. I remember my mom using those tiny, colourless crystals for various purposes. I frankly don't remember whether she ever used it in any recipes or consumption, but it was extensively used topically.

I got a pack of Epsom Salt from MamaEarth and as soon as I unpacked the product, I was joyous for a moment of revival of old times :) Been a few days now that I've tested it in different ways and no wonder that it works amazing.

Before I share how did it help me, have a look at the beautiful colour that the brand has given to these otherwise colourless granules.
The MamaEarth Epsom Salt is of lavender colour since natural food colour extracted from brinjal has been used as colourant.I loved its soothing lavender scent owing to infusion of Lavender Essential Oil used as an ingredient. It's texture is similar to table salt.

This salt can be massaged directly on facial skin by mixing a few drops of any of your favourite essential oil for easy deep-pore cleansing. It doesn't hurt or itch the sensitive skin and dissolve quickly as you start rubbing.

Carry the epsom salt to washroom and lightly massage it into wet skin on any part of your body after a shower. Give yourself a rinse with warm or cold water depending on season and it'll make you feel the difference on your skin that would get softer after a mild exfoliation. I personally felt the need of applying a body lotion for moisturization (but that depends on skin type).

If you're the one who frequntly experience feeling of restlessness or anxiety like me, take a bath in warm/cold water with a handful of epsom salt dissolved in water. As the salt gets absorbed through the skin, it enchances body’s levels of magnesium and sulfate. As a result, stress is relieved and body is relaxed. Another positive effects of magnesium sulfate ranges from relief from muscle tension, minor body pain, inflammation and cramps.

The best one is to either soak your tired feet in warm water mixed with epsom salt or directly scrub the salt on damp skin of feet. I bet its the best feeling to touch sole of your feet that don't ache plus they are odourfree. An epsom salt foot soak also aids in curing toenail fungus.

I remember my mom making a tiny potli (cloth pouch), putting some epsom salt in it, lightly heating the pouch on a hot tawa and then using it to place on a aching part of the body to alleviate the pain. It's the replication of the massage therapy that many spa treatements are based upon. I seriously enjoy the rejuvenating effect of this therapy.

There can be many more therapeutic uses of this product. I've explored many remedies that say a lot about goodness of epsom salt for hair as well. But to be honest, I need to put together little more courage to try the product on my hair ;) If I get to dare this testing, will update my experience in this post itself :)
Price: 300/- for 200 gms pack

Hope you found these tips useful...