Rainy season is one season that is loved by all. But when it approaches, it shows its effects on skin and hair.  Skin tends to lose its moisture and luster while the hair tends to become frizzy.  The combination of oil and sweat makes the condition even worse. In rainy season, it is essential to have clean scalp as humidity and oil may cause infections.

Acne and Pimples, one of the major skin problems in rainy season.  Keep your skin dry and if your acne condition is severe, seeking the help of a qualified dermatologist would be the best option.

From yahoo.com:

Some advice from experts on how to look your best during the rainy season.

It is a hot sultry and uncomfortably humid afternoon, but model Anchor Kumar looks cool as a cucumber. In the city for a fashion show, the model from Chandigarh seemed to be hardly affected by the sticky weather. When one asks Kumar how she manages to defy the humidity and prevent it from messing up her makeup, she confides, “The right foundation can work wonders.” “It’s important to understand your skin type and then decide on the make-up. I prefer using loose powder instead of a creamy foundation,” says Kumar who uses Clinique products. “Pores tend to get blocked in this weather. Cleansing and toning should be a part of everyday routine,” says the model that prefers to stick to a light foundation, no heavy eye-makeup and a liberal use of lip gloss.

Backstage before a fashion show, we also got ruling Miss India Menisci Magma, who boasts a dusky and flawless complexion, to dish out her tips for the monsoon. “No matter what, never sleep with your make-up on. It can be disastrous,” she says. She insists that she is blessed with a good skin and follows the cleansing, toning, moistening regime. “I prefer using a matte foundation when the humidity levels are so high,” she adds. Bare Minerals and MAC products are worth a try, according to her.

While there are umpteen branded creams and concoctions that promise skincare, many stick to natural or home-made remedies when it comes to skincare during the monsoon. “Nothing beats fresh fruit pulp smeared on your face,” says model Alexia Rout. If you have an acne issue, she recommends pressing garlic paste on it for 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Monsoon can be tricky if you wear make-up daily, like the city’s pretty television anchor Jasper. “Add to it the constant glare of harsh lights in the studio,” she adds. “To keep my skin stress-free, I use a fresh fruit face pack twice a week. Also I make sure I remove all make-up at night,” she adds.

According to Vijay Vera, who runs the salon B: Hair in Sector 46, make-up in the monsoon season should be restricted to using a light foundation, a pale colored blush-on and no mascara? “One should not neglect the use of water-based moisturizers to fight oily skin, acne and water loss due to perspiration and sweating,” he says.

According to city-based beauty expert Salochna Ahuja, who runs a chain of salons in the tricity, “Acne and pimples tend to erupt in this season. So keep your skin dry,” she says, before mentioning a quick scrub recipe for all types of skin. “Just mix half a teaspoon of rice flour with one teaspoon sandalwood powder, a teaspoon of rose water and one teaspoon of grated cucumber. Apply and rinse when dry,” she signs off.

I hope these tips would make your rainy season fabulous. Don’t forget to wear a warm, genuine smile. This would not only brighten your day but others’ as well.

Public health service of Auckland has backed courts to have the power of putting dairy owners and other retailers for 6 months if they sell tobacco without approval.

Tariana Turia, the Health Minister, has revived the proposal to ban tobacco advertisements in virtually all shops, and the Ministry of Health is considering submissions from the public and interested groups.

From NZHerald.co.nz:

“In Scotland, the offence of selling tobacco without being registered has a penalty of a fine of up to £20,000 [$43,640] or six months in jail,” the service says in its submission to the ministry.

“This sends a clear message that tobacco is not an ordinary commodity and the ability to sell it should be seen as a privilege and not a right.”

The maximum penalties now in the Smoke-free Environments Act are fines of $50,000; jail terms are not mentioned.

Service spokesman Dr Andrew Lindsay said last night that smoking was such a serious matter, causing more than 4000 deaths a year, that it warranted tough new controls, such as jail sentences.

Tobacco retailers must now display a “smoking kills” sign at points of sale and visible tobacco displays are not generally permitted within 1m of confectionery and other children’s products. Tobacco displays are mostly limited to 100 packets and 40 cartons.

Roger Bull, Chairman of The Association of Convenience Stores, has renewed opposition to a display ban.

Funding cutbacks are severely hurting the battle against AIDS in Africa, as per an international medical aid group.

Mit Philips, a health policy analyst for Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors without Borders, said that medical doctors are shying away from patients in South Africa.

From google.com:

Mit Philips, a health policy analyst for Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, says doctors are turning away patients in South Africa. Kenyans fear clinics will run out of money. Health policy makers in Mozambique and Uganda say the can’t afford to follow international standards for starting treatment.

Philips spoke Thursday, when the medical aid group released the results of its study of AIDS treatment in eight African countries.

She said that funding cuts will prevent people from accessing treatment and will threaten the progress made since the introduction of AIDS drugs.

It can be easily concluded that the fight against AIDS can be successful only if people access treatment and funding cutbacks must be avoided for this very reason.

It is often believed that obesity increases the risks of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other forms of illness, but a recent finding has suggested that obesity may not effect an individual’s health until after age 40.

This finding was disclosed after comparing medications taken by normal weight, overweight, and obese Americans (8,880 men and 9,071 women) ages 25 to 70 and participating in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988-1994 and 2003-2006.

From NYtimes.com:

While obese people of all ages took slightly more medications than those of normal weight, the differences were mainly among adults 40 and older, according to the study, published in the International Journal of Obesity.

For example, 28.7 percent of obese men and 25.2 percent of normal weight men ages 25 to 39 took medications. But among those 40 to 54, 60 percent of obese men were on medication, compared with 39.3 percent of men of average weight.

The differences in medications taken by normal weight adults and those considered merely overweight were small at all ages, the researchers found.

Brant Jarrett, a graduate student who was the study’s lead author, said one message from the paper was that body mass index that is often considered as the formula for assessing weight status is imperfect when it comes to measuring accurately in terms of risk factors or current health.