Beauty is more than just skin deep. It's an expression of who we are, and it comes in many forms. From the way we style our hair to the makeup we wear, beauty is a personal choice that can help us feel confident and empowered. But what does beauty really mean, and how can we embrace it in our everyday lives? Here are some thoughts on beauty and how to cultivate it in ourselves and others.

Beauty is subjective: What one person finds beautiful, another may not. There's no one-size-fits-all definition of beauty, and that's what makes it so interesting and diverse. Instead of trying to conform to someone else's idea of what's beautiful, focus on what makes you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin.

Beauty is more than skin deep: While makeup and fashion can help enhance our appearance, true beauty comes from within. It's about being kind, compassionate, and confident, and radiating those qualities to others. Take care of your physical health, but also prioritize your mental and emotional well-being.

Within the beauty industry and on social media, there’s so much emphasis on purchasing products. In fact, so much so there’s a name for it — beauty hauls — which basically means showing off one’s shopping spree of recently purchased products.

But products don’t solve all our skin woes. If you’re tapped out with a 15-step skincare routine and still finding yourself at loss, here are other unbottled ways to take care of your skin.

Honey, the sweet kitchen ingredient has always been popular in our elder’s talk for skin softening and moisturizing naturally. On the other hand the papaya enzymes are good for exfoliation, skin renewal and restoration of glow to the skin. The unique papain enzyme in papaya has great potential to remove sun tan and visible scars on skin. 

Introduction

When hair becomes dull, weak, or prone to breakage, it’s often a signal that it’s damaged. Whether caused by heat styling, coloring, environmental stressors, or chemical treatments, damaged hair craves extra care and repair. Store-bought hair masks can be effective, but making your own DIY hair masks for damaged hair gives you control over ingredients, cost, and freshness.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• Why hair gets damaged

• Key ingredients that heal and restore

• Step-by-step instructions for applying masks

• Multiple DIY mask recipes (for different hair conditions)

• How often to use them and best practices

• Trouble-shooting and tips for optimizing results

By the end, you’ll have a toolkit of natural hair masks to bring resiliency and shine back to your strands.

Why Hair Gets Damaged (and What to Repair)

Before diving into masks, it helps to understand what is damaged, and why.

Common Causes of Hair Damage

• Heat styling — flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers raise internal temperature and weaken cuticles

• Chemical treatments — bleaching, coloring, perming, relaxing break chemical bonds

• Overwashing / harsh shampoos — stripping natural oils and weakening structure

• Sun, wind, pollution — free radicals and UV degrade proteins and lipids

• Mechanical stress — brushing aggressively, tight hairstyles, friction from pillowcases

• Hard water / mineral buildup — minerals interfere with moisture absorption

When hair is damaged, its cuticle (outer layer) may be lifted or broken, proteins inside may be depleted, and moisture balance is disrupted. Good DIY masks aim to:

• Seal the cuticle

• Replenish moisture

• Provide protein or lipids

• Strengthen bonds

• Reduce breakage and improve elasticity

What to Look for in DIY Hair Mask Ingredients

Not all kitchen items help equally. Here are categories of beneficial ingredients:

Oils and Butters (Lipids & Emollients)

These help seal the hair shaft and prevent moisture loss. Some commonly used oils:

• Coconut oil — penetrates the hair shaft, helps reduce protein loss 

• Olive oil — moisturizing and mild, often used for ends or mixed with others 

• Avocado oil / mashed avocado — rich in fatty acids and vitamins 

• Almond oil, argan oil, jojoba oil — lighter oils for less greasy feel 

• Butter (mango butter / shea butter / cocoa butter) — heavy but excellent for sealing thick or coarse hair (often used in small proportions)

Humectants & Moisturizers

These draw water into hair:

• Honey — a natural humectant that helps retain moisture 

• Yogurt / curd / Greek yogurt — provides hydration, and mild proteins and acidity to smooth cuticle 

• Aloe vera — calms the scalp and delivers moisture gently 

• Banana / oatmeal / milk / coconut milk — produce moisture, vitamins, and smooth texture in masks 

Proteins & Repairing Agents

Damaged hair often benefits from a protein boost (but not overdone):

• Egg / egg yolk / egg white — contains proteins and vitamins for strengthening 

• Greek yogurt also supplies mild protein 

• Mayonnaise (in some DIY recipes) — mostly egg and oil, sometimes used as a richer protein + lipid mask 

• Rice water / inositol (in some curly hair routines) — helps repair and maintain curl structure 

Extras & Actives

Small additions to boost benefit:

• Lemon juice / apple cider vinegar — slightly acidic, helps close cuticle, but use in moderation (may lighten hair) 

• Essential oils (lavender, peppermint, rosemary, etc.) — for scent and scalp stimulation (must be diluted) 

• Ground cinnamon — sometimes used to stimulate blood flow to scalp 

• Brown sugar — mild exfoliant for scalp when used carefully 

When assembling a mask, balance moisture + emollients + repair—too much protein can make hair brittle; too much oil without moisture can sit on top without penetrating. Always test on a small section first.

Negligence towards children's bodies and health can cause many types of infections and problems. One such problem is head lice. Lice lay eggs in the head and grow by sucking the blood of the head. Along with a headache, lice can cause skin infections and problems like itching. Lice grow very fast and they move easily from one head to another. In this article of MomJunction, we are talking about head lice in children.

Use of Comb to Get Rid of Headlice

Comb the hair from top to bottom with a fine-toothed comb in wet hair, doing this twice a day will gradually remove the lice. This recipe is one of the most common home remedies for hair lice removal.

If there was one thing I could take away from the Kardashian and Jenner sisters, it would be how they contour their lips for a fuller, more luscious appearance. I'm choosing to disregard the fact that they have had a lot of fillers and injections, but I'm sure their makeup artists know certain tricks to line, contour, and highlight lips to make them look better and bigger.