Nirmala Shetty - BEAUTY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS! KITCHEN REMEDIES FOR YOUR SKIN & HAIR

Dr Nirmala Shetty is the founder of Nirmal Herbal, a successful enterprise that promotes healthy and beautiful skin and hair through the use of natural, chemical-free products. After opening a flourishing first centre in Chembur, she now has branches in Bandra, Powai, Mulund and Vile Parle. Dr Shetty served as a beauty consultant at the Hyatt Regency in 2002. She has also officially attended to the Miss India International and Miss India World contestants, and has trained them in the use of natural beauty items. In addition, she has worked closely with former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, and has been the official hair expert on the panel of the I Am She Miss India Universe Pageant. Dr Shettys participation in the serial, Beauty Mantra, with Lisa Ray, which was telecast in USA and the UK, earned wide critical acclaim.

Her articles have appeared in UpperCrust , Style Speak , Femina , The Bombay Times , The Indian Express , and Mid-Day . Dr Shetty has completed a variety of courses in naturopathy and alternative medicine, and is a certified health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, New York, USA. westland ltd 61, Silverline Building, 2nd Floor, Alapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai 600 095 No. 38/10 (New No.5), Raghava Nagar, New Timber Yard Layout, Bengaluru 560 026 93, 1st Floor, Sham Lal Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002 First published by westland ltd 201 First ebook edition: 2014 Copyright Nirmala Shetty 2014 All rights reserved ISBN: 978-93-84030-43-8 Design: seema sethi {design} The contents of this book are for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or beauty regimen. The author and publishers assume no responsibility for injuries suffered while following the guidelines listed in this book.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, circulated, and no reproduction in any form, in whole or in part (except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews) may be made without written permission of the publishers. Contents

Foreword If I had but one principle to live by, it would be to live in accordance with the laws of nature. They are made by God the label reads 'Made in Heaven'. And I love all things heavenly and godly! I have great regard for the cures, treatments and recipes that come from the kitchens of our mothers and grandmothers kitchens that are full of love and natural herbs and spices. And a love that has withstood the test of time and doles out care and cures in rhythm with the wisdom of the cosmos. Even today, I use tips given by my mother and my mother's mother, collected over the years, and carried forward by Renee and Alisah the gen-next mothers-in-line! A little habit cultivated daily goes a long way towards nurturing ourselves.

For instance, brushing and flossing our teeth keeps our original set intact a hundred years hence. I, till date, pamper my skin morning and evening, cleaning, toning, moisturising, come what may. My vision for our world is simple on earth as it is in heaven. All we need are people who believe, and people who act on that belief. Dr Nirmala Shetty is a great example of such a person. I thank her profusely for taking under her wing 70 young women contestants from all 3 pageants of I AM She Miss Universe India.

For teaching them and showing them how to make their hair and skin glow from within the hallmark of real beauty. Open up apply and blossom! Dr Nirmala Shetty is a name I love and trust! The very best to her always. Sushmita Sen Actor and Former Miss Universe

Introduction All of us are born beautiful Mothers across the world have loved their babies and cherished them, nurtured them as the most precious of beings. Yet sadly, such careful fostering can come to naught. As the little child grows, and is exposed to the media, or to harsh peer groups, she starts feeling self-conscious. What if she isnt as fine-looking as her mother claimed she was? What if she does not match societys norms of beauty? Which brings me to a pertinent question: What are these norms? Well, in India, the first median of attractiveness is the fairest possible skin colour.

This is odd, since even a rudimentary study of science and anthropology will tell us that our skin colour is directly linked to the part of the globe we hail from, and the genes we inherit. Furthermore, Nature herself loves colour, all colours; this is obvious when we soak in the diversity around us, observe plants, birds and animals. If we can accept myriad hues in general, why is it hard for us to acknowledge that every human being has a colour that is different? The multiplicity of skin colours, and the beauty of all tones is a concept I wish to emphasise, for I know millions of Indians who would go to absurd lengths to become fair. The fault, to some extent, lies with the society we live in, where potential mothers-in-law will only let their sons marry a fair bride, or bashful grooms insist on wives with wheatish skin. Never mind if the boy himself is dark complexioned or the mother-in-law is a rich dark brown! I have yet to find a matrimonial column that says: Wanted: A bride with healthy skin . Such a pity! The truth is, the dark skinned are fortunate! Those with dusky complexions have more melanin than their fairer counterparts.

This melanin protects them, allows them to withstand the heat of the sun, fight skin disorders, and even combat the ageing process. Fair skinned people on the other hand have a fair share of trouble! They get tanned easily, sunburnt, have pigmentation problems and discoloured skin. Now thats a handful. We need to remember that when people state that black is beautiful, they arent referring merely to clothes, shoes and purses. They are referring to the fortunate men and women who are dusky and gorgeous. A second median of beauty in India and across the world is flawless skin a skin free of acne, blemishes, and dullness.

The quality of skin is linked to ones internal and external health; skin ailments are conditions created by the body itself. Luckily, I have some remedies that I will be discussing with you in the chapters that follow. The third median of beauty is hair. While everyone may yearn for thick tresses, each of us is born with a definite number of hair follicles; this varies from person to person, and determines the thickness of his or her hair. The growth, length, colour, and lustre of our hair depends on the usual suspects the genetic pool, internal and external health, and lifestyle choices. As we see, socially-imposed norms of beauty are flawed, for they fail to acknowledge the diversity and the magnificent multiplicity of the human race.

Ignoring societal expectations, what we can do is ensure that our skin and hair is healthy. It has been my vision to make every skin type glow flawlessly without chemicals, without makeup, and make every type of hair grow lustrously. In both cases, I depend on the things we find in our kitchen. The food we eat to live is the food I use to treat skin and hair. The memories of my grandmothers recipes from the kitchen are brought alive each time I approach an ailment or complaint. Nature is filled with magic in abundance.