How to Get Rid of Foot Odor

Are you suffering from a raging case of stinky feet? Do people wince when you walk by? Do your dogs avoid chewing on your shoes? Here are some suggestions that may help tame that fearsome foot odor.

Step

1. Wash your feet
Wash your feet with soap at least once a day. Use washcloth or scrub to rub between your toes and exfoliate the entire surface of your foot. The idea is to get rid of bacteria and any dead skin cells that bacteria love to feed on.

2. Dry your feet
After bathing, thoroughly dry your feet with clean towel. Tip, use hair dryer to completely dry your feet. Again, don't neglect the space between your toes. Note: Putting shoes on damp feet will accelerate bacteria growth.

3. Apply powder
Apply generous amount of talcum powder on your feet before putting on shoes. This will help to keep your feet dry. Tip, if your feet sweat excessively, apply a thin layer of antiperspirant onto your feet.

4. Wear cotton socks
Wear cotton socks, which helps your feet to sweat less. Moisture, whether it's water or sweat, is what creates a fertile breeding ground for foul-smelling bacteria. Tip, change your socks daily, and never, ever wear a pair of socks more than once without washing them.

5. Rotate your shoes
Wear shoes made of natural materials, and avoid wearing the same pair two days in a row. Be sure that your shoes are dry out completely so that bacteria won't grow.

Tip:

• Wear sandals or open-toe shoes so your feet stay cool and you don't produce as much sweat. If you can't wear sandals, go for leather or canvas shoes, which allow your feet to "breathe". Note, steer clear of rubber and plastic shoes.
• Wash your shoes regularly. Just make sure they dry thoroughly before you put them on.
• Put special cedar soles in your shoes. The cedar wood reduces sweat and odor very effectively. Alternatively, lightly powder shoes and socks with fresh baking soda daily, guaranteed to eliminate the stinkiest foot and shoe odor, and is a simple and economical solution.

6. Soak your feet in tea
At night, steep 2 bags of black tea in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Pour into a plastic tub, add 2 quarts of cool water, and soak your feet for up to 30 minutes. The tannic acid in the tea is said to temporarily inhibit sweat glands. Repeat as often as necessary.

7. Let your feet breathe
Whenever you can, go barefoot and let your feet breathe.

8. Consult a doctor
If odor persists, consult a doctor. There may be a medical reason for your smelly feet.

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How to Thread Your Eyebrows

Tired of clumsily plucking with tweezers or damaging the fragile skin around your eye with wax? The alternative is threading, an extremely old skill that involves using a piece of thread to remove the hair from your eyebrows or elsewhere. While it takes a little practice, all you need to get started is a length of thread!

Things You'll Need
Approximately 14 inches (35cm) of thread
Something to mark the eyebrow with such as powder or pencil (optional)
Eyebrow gel (optional)
Ice (optional)

Steps

1. Gather the materials listed in the Things You'll Need. All you really need is a piece of thread, but you may wish to draw in your desired eyebrow shape with a pencil or numb the area with some ice or cold water.

2. Tie the ends of the thread together so they form a circle. Snip off any extra thread beyond the knot in the thread.

3. Hold the section of the thread with the knot in one hand, and hold the opposite section with your other hand.

4. Twist the hand without the knot five or six times, while holding the other section of the thread tightly (this is to avoid getting the knot in the middle of the thread). You should have an infinity or hourglass shape.

5. Practice opening one hand, while closing the other at the same time. The twisting thread in the middle is what will remove the hair. Practicing the scissor motion will help you later on.

6. Hold your hands so your fingers are facing away from your face, and position them over one eyebrow.

7. Place the triangle of the thread, so that the hair you want to pluck is within the thread. You should be threading against the direction the hair grows, so you should move the point of the triangle opposite the direction the hair grows.

8. Close the hand controlling the triangle around the hair, as you open the other hand. Make sure the thread is still touching the skin, and quickly make the opposite motion (scissors). The hair should be pulled out!

9. Keep practicing at threading. It takes a little practice to be able to do it well.

Video

Tips

• Threading can be used on upper lip hairs as well. Just make sure the skin is taut by pulling your lip into your mouth or sticking your thumb under that area of the skin.
  
• You can use this same technique to thread someone else's eyebrows. Have them pull the skin taut around their eyebrows with their hands, so you don't accidentally thread the skin (ouch).
  

Warnings

• Threading can take out a lot of hair very quickly. Be careful that you don't remove a whole section of your eyebrow.
  
• Be careful to thread just the hair. If you accidentally catch the skin it can be rather painful.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Thread Your Eyebrows. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To Make Lady Bug Nail Art

This is cute Lady Bug nail design. Easy to make and it will certainly attract those around you. You only need a few items, and it doesn't take too long to make.

Things You'll Need
Red nail polish
Black nail polish
Top coat (use special top coat for rhinestone)
2 Rhinestones (for the eyes)
Thin Brush
Dotting tool (or toothpicks/bobby pins)

Step

1) Colour nails with red nail polish and wait to dry.

2) Start from the bottom of your nail, apply a small circle with black nail polish. Make sure that the black circle has plenty of room for the rhinestone.

3) Still using the black nail polish, take a thin brush to make a thin straight line at the center of nail.

4) Use your dotting tool to create small dots with the black nail polish.

5) For the rhinestone eyes, put a bit of the Top Coat at the bottom of the rhinestone and gently lay it in. Do the same for the other eye.

6) Tip: Make sure that everything is dry before proceeding to this step, otherwise your design might smudge. 
Apply the top coat on your nails. Make sure you use a special top coat for rhinestone. This is to prevent the rhinestones looking fuzzy or they won't sparkle at all.




Video
The following is the step-by-step video on How To Make Lady Bug Nail Art.

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How To Make Hand and Foot Cream

Dry hands and feet will become smooth and soft overnight if you use this homemade banana hand and foot cream. This is a great recipe for your own use or great gifts for all girls' night in party too.

Ingredients

1 banana

4 tbsp of honey

3 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tbsp of margarine

1/2 tsp of Aloe Vera laxative

Steps

1. Mix the ingredients together until they form a cream. It's much easier if you use a blender, but a fork and a bowl will do. Tip-adjust the ingredients to make it a paste rather than it being gooey!
2. Rub the mixture on your feet and wear heavy socks to bed.
3. Rub the mixture evenly on your hands and wear gloves (even socks on your hands if you don't have gloves) to bed.
4. Remove your gloves and socks in the morning.
5. Wash your hands and feet.

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Homemade Buttermilk Mask For Your Hair

Things You Need:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg yolk
1 cup yogurt
2 tbs honey
A shower cap

Tip:
For long hair, double the recipe.
For best results, use the hair mask twice a month.

Step:
1. Combine buttermilk, egg yolk, yogurt and honey until well mix.

2. Slather mask mixture thoroughly onto damp hair, massage hair gently from roots to ends.

3. Cover hair with shower cap. Making sure the mask penetrates into hair cuticle, use a blow dryer.

4. Leave the mask on until 30 minutes.

5. Rinse hair with warm water. Shampoo and condition as you normally would, then rinse again with cold water for an extra boost of shine.

 6. Blow dry your hair according to style.

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How to Make Panda Nail Art

This cute panda nail design is easy to make and it will instantly brighten up your day. You only need a few items, and it doesn't take too long to master.

Things You'll Need
Base coat
Dotting tool (2 sizes) (or toothpicks/bobby pins)
White nail polish
Black nail polish
Cotton buds
Nail polish remover
Top coat

Steps

1) Take out your supplies. You don't want to be searching for nail polish with wet nails! To complete this design, see the list or required supplies under "Things You'll Need".

2) Start with a base coat to protect your nails. This will keep your nails shiny and helps the polish to stay on longer.

3) Apply a large circle on the top half of your nails with the white nail polish. Don't worry about messing up - you can clean it with some nail polish remover.

Tip: Be careful to ensure that that the circle dries thoroughly before moving on to the rest of the steps.

4) Use your dotting tool to create two ears with the black nail polish.

5) Add the eyes at the lower half of the large white circle with the black nail polish. Add the nose right beneath the eyes.

6) After the eyes have dried, add two smaller circles with the white nail polish.

Tip: Make sure that everything is dry before proceeding to the next step, otherwise your design might smudge.

7) Apply the top coat after the eyes and nose are completely dry. This will protect your nails and the design from chipping. See the introduction image for the final design.

Video

This video shows how to create the panda nails explained in the article.

Tips
If you don't have nail dotters, you can use toothpicks or bobby pins.

Warnings
Always replace lids of nail polish and nail polish remover after use to prevent accidental spilling.

Check the contents of your nail polish at the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. Some nail polishes contain toxic ingredients.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Panda Nail Art. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How to Keep Feet Clean

How can you keep your feet fresh and lovely? Cut down on odour and other unpleasantries by following these steps.

Steps

1. Be clean. Bathe your feet every day. Just letting the shower water splash on them isn't good enough. Lather them thoroughly with soap and scrub them with a loofah. Make sure to clean the entire part of your foot, not just your toes.
2. Be sure to dry your feet completely when you're done. Don't forget to dry between the toes, and be sure to get the yellow/black toe jam. Leftover moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria, which causes odour.
3. Wear the right socks. Cotton, bamboo, some wools, and special knits made for athletes will absorb sweat and allow your feet to breathe. Put on a fresh pair if they get damp.
4. Make sure your shoes aren't too tight. If they are, your feet might sweat more than normal. Find a comfortable size, and ask a shop assistant for help if you're unsure.
5. Switch shoes. Wearing the same shoes every day can make them smellier. Let them dry out for a couple of days before wearing them again. There are many sprays and anti-odor tools around to use on your shoes, so try and pick up one of those if you want your shoes smelling clean.
6. Kill those germs. Consider using a disinfectant spray to kill bacteria in your shoes. Wash your feet with antibacterial soap. Setting shoes out in the sun also may help. Before bed, soak a white washcloth in undiluted Hydrogen Peroxide and wrap each foot with it, including between the toes and around and under the toe nails. Do not rinse. Air dry and sleep barefoot.
7. Wash shoes or insoles. Some insoles or shoes, especially sneakers, may be washable. Be sure to dry them completely before wearing them.
8. Stay in bare feet at home. Let your feet air out by letting them spend some time in the open air, especially at night.
9. Keep your toenails trimmed and clean. Use a nail brush. Toenails are hiding places for bacteria.

Tips

• Bacteria are to blame. In the right conditions, bacteria will feast on your feet. These bacteria eat dead skin cells and oils from your skin. Their colonies will grow and start getting rid of waste in the form of organic acids. It's those organic acids that smell bad. And for 10% to 15% of people, the smell is really bad. Why? Because their feet are extra sweaty and become home to bacteria called Micrococcus sedentarius (say: my-kroh-kah-kus seh-den-tair-ee-us). These bacteria produce more than just stinky organic acids - they also produce stuff called volatile sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds usually are powerful and awful smelling. If you've ever smelled a rotten egg (Hydrogen sulfide), you know what volatile sulfur compounds smell like.
• For most people, foot odor can be controlled. The worst part about having stinky feet is that it's embarrassing. If you're worried about this, just keep your shoes on when you're in social situations, like when you're at school or riding in a car. At home, keep your feet clean and go barefoot so they get some air. If your feet are clean and dry, those bacteria will have to find their lunch somewhere else!
• If all else fails, see a doctor, your foot odor may be a more serious problem.
• Wash your feet every day, they are the most dirty part of your body and the least you can do to stop the odor is to wash them with soap and water. Also, make sure you scrub them either with a loofah or washcloth to get rid of dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells.

Warnings
Avoid shoes and socks made of plastic or petroleum-based materials (like Lycra). Plastic and some human-made materials don't let your feet breathe, and can cause relatively healthy feet to smell unhealthy.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Keep Feet Clean. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To Look Good Like Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria, an American actress, encourages women to eat healthy to look good. Last year, she divorced her former husband, following allegations that he had texting a family friend inappropriate messages for many months. However, this setback did not discourage her instead she is more determined to move on with her life. This 36 years old star has successfully release her new cookbook titled, Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family & Friends.

These are some of the secrets that she believes to good health:

• Eat good food, but warns you can have too much of a good thing
• Exercise
• Eat healthy
• Eat lots of vegetables
• Discipline

During her interview with Cover Media, she honestly admit that an abundance of vegetables is essential in any meal, something that she experienced growing up in Texas.

“I grew up on a farm; we had to cook and use ingredients like eggs from the chicken. The vegetables that we grew made things healthier,” she added.

Eva Longoria is someone that should be admired from both women and men for her fighting spirit and determination.

Source: Sg News Yahoo 

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How To Eat Your Way To Better Skin

If you want a flawless complexion, what you put into your mouth is as important as what you put on your face.

You Will Need

• Wild fish
• Walnuts
• Peanut butter
• Water
• Multivitamins
• Biotin supplements
• Cooked tomatoes

Step 1: Eat more fish

Eat more cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, and tuna. They’re all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whose anti-inflammatory properties keep wrinkles at bay.

Tip: Make sure the fish is wild, not farm-raised.

Step 2: Snack on walnuts
Snack on walnuts, which are also an excellent source of omega-3’s.

Step 3: Have a PB&J

Have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—just make sure the bread is whole wheat and the jelly is added sparingly. Peanut butter is a rich source of omega-6 fatty acids, which come in a close second to omega-3’s when it comes to protecting skin from aging. Avocadoes are good source of omega-6, too.

Make sure to eat some “good” fats every day. Too little fat leads to dry, flaky skin.

Step 4: Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated—and keep skin smooth—by drinking lots of water and cutting back on dehydrating beverages containing caffeine and alcohol. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

Step 5: Take vitamins

Take a daily multivitamin, which will ensure that your skin is getting enough Vitamin K and zinc; both help your skin cells repair themselves. And take a biotin supplement; many women who take it to strengthen their nails and hair say it improves the texture of their skin, too.

Step 6: Eat less sugar
Studies show sugar causes sagging and wrinkling by attaching itself to the collagen and elastin in skin, causing it to become brittle and break. Sugar also causes dark, under-eye circles.
Choose green apples over red. They release smaller amounts of sugar.

Step 7: Go easy on the dairy
Go easy on the dairy. Some evidence suggests that a dairy-free diet can help eliminate acne.

Step 8: Cook some tomatoes
Cook a big pot of tomato sauce. Cooked tomatoes release lycopene and other antioxidants that prevent skin damage.

 

How To Eat Your Way To Better Skin on Howcast

Credit: Howcast

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How To Get Great Skin Like a Celebrity

Not everyone in Hollywood owes their nice complexion to a dermatologist. Here are some homespun beauty secrets you can steal.

You Will Need

• Sugar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Liquid vitamin C
• Washcloths
• Bag Balm
• Honey
• Petroleum jelly
• Un-petroleum jelly (optional)

Step 1

Exfoliate your skin with a mixture of sugar and extra virgin olive oil. That’s how Christie Brinkley stays so youthful; it’s like giving yourself a mini microdermabrasion.

Tip: Jessical Biel adds sugar to her regular cleanser when she wants to slough away dead skin.


Step 2
Nourish your skin the way Nicky Hilton does: Massage vitamin C into your face. You can buy it in liquid form in health food stores.


Step 3
Keep your washcloths in the fridge so they’re nice and cold when you use them; supermodel Rachel Hunter has said she learned this trick in Japan. It reduces redness and swelling, makes pores appear smaller, gets rid of puffy eyes, and gives your complexion a healthy pink glow.


Step 4
Moisturize like Shania Twain: She finds there’s nothing like Bag Balm – an ointment made to soften a cow’s udder for milking – to make her complexion silky.


Step 5
Smooth your skin with honey: TV host and former model Padma Lakshmi washes her face, then slathers on the sticky stuff in the shower. She swears it acts as a smoothening agent. Catherine Zeta-Jones uses honey for the same reason.

Step 6
Remove your makeup with petroleum jelly; that’s how Jennifer Lopez cleans and moisturizes her face at the same time. For an environmentally friendly option, look for plant-based un-petroleum jelly.

Note: Sixty-one percent of women polled would most want to swap hair, makeup, and accessory tips with Jennifer Aniston.

How To Get Great Skin Like a Celebrity on Howcast

Credit: Howcast

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Face Up To Yoghurt

Skin Food

As yoghurt has antifungal and antibacterial qualities, it has been used for skincare for the longest time. When you have a big tub of yoghurt sitting in your fridge, why not use some on your face? It's very rare, but in case you are allergic to the active cultures or lactic acid and feel a stinging feeling, wash it off immediately!

Cool Skin

The next time you return from a day out in the sun, sooth your sunburned skin with plain yoghurt. The coolness will help rehydrate your burnt skin and reduce blistering and peeling. Apply, leave on until it feels warm and rinse off.

Moisturising and Anti-aging
Yoghurt contains lactic acid which softens skin, reduce wrinkles and hydrates. Spread over face and neck (even arms and legs) and rinse off with warm water after 15 minutes. Use your usual moisturizer to lock in the yoghurt moisture boost.

For dry skin on the face and other areas (elbows or legs), add grated carrots or a tablespoon of dry oatmeal and honey to the yoghurt. Blend thoroughly, apply and leave on skin for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water. The oatmeal is especially good for sensitive skin.

Brightening and Balancing
For oily skin, make a mask 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice added to plain yoghurt. The lemon will exfoliate dead cells, clear clogged pores.

Related Tools / Resources:
The Book Of Yogurt
Euro Cuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker
Korres Natural Products Mask, Velvety Moisturizing, Yoghurt Cream
Bath & Body Works True Blue Morocco Honey Date Body Yoghurt
The Skin Care Answer Book

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Protect Your Skin From The Sun

By using moisturizers on a regular basis, you can help keep your skin soft and supple as you age.

When you are going to be in the sun, it is particularly important to protect yourself and your children from harmful sun rays. If you use a sunscreen or sunblock with a moisturizer, you are doubly protecting yourself against UVA/ UVB rays.

UVB rays cause your skin to burn faster and therefore you can see immediate skin damage.

UVA rays penetrate deeper to the skin to the deeper layer so you won't actually see sunburn but can cause long term damage. The rays exposure can cause signs of aging and can lead to skin cancer.

Sunblock and sunscreen have similar properties but both are entirely different. Both are important in caring of the skin, sunblock is opaque and is stronger than sunscreen since it is able to block a majority of the UVA/UVB rays and radiation from the sun, thus not having to be reapplied several times a day. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are two of the important ingredients in sunblock.

Sunscreen is more transparent once applied to the skin and also has the ability to protect against UVA/UVB rays as well, although the sunscreen's ingredients have the ability to break down at a faster rate once exposed to sunlight, and some of the radiation is able to penetrate to the skin. In order for sunscreen to be more effective you'll have to consistently reapply at least every two hours, and use a higher SPF (Sun Protection Factor).

Here are some recommendations to safeguard against sun's powerful rays:

• Make sure you use a moisturizing sunblock or sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 which has protection against UVA/ UVB rays . Even on cloudy days, 80% of ultraviolet rays from the sun get through to you.
• Wear a hat to keep your scalp, neck and ears sheltered from the sun.
• Wear sunglasses with UV protection.
• Whether you are playing, working, exercising, or just outdoors, always apply a moisturising sunblock liberally every 2 hours.
• The sun's rays are the strongest and most damaging between 10am and 4pm. Try to stay out of the sun or apply adequate sun protection during these hours.
• Keep babies younger than 5 months out of the sun. For babies and young children than 6 months, try to minimise exposure and make sure they are wearing a moisturising sunblock with a SPF of at least 15.

Watch the following How To Choose A Sunscreen video.

How To Choose a Sunscreen on Howcast

Related Tools / Resources

The Skin Care Answer Book

Coppertone Sport SPF 30 Continuous Spray Clear Twin Pack, 6-Ounce Cans
Banana Boat Sunscreen Ultramist Sport With High Uva, SPF 15, 6-Ounces (Pack of 3)
Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Spray, SPF 70, 5-Ounce Cans (Pack of 3)
Banana Boat UltraMist Baby Tear Free Continuous Spray Sunblock, SPF 50 - 8 Oz

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