Natural facial for smooth skin

I get lots of blackheads and pimples on my face. I am a teen and have my exams coming up. Is it due to stress? I also feel the pimples are increasing as my body heat is increasing. If I eat cooling foods like cucumber, I catch a cold or get sinus. What is the remedy for this?
- Megna
Make a mint juice; add half-a-teaspoon baking powder and one teaspoon cinnamon powder to it. Apply on face. Leave to dry. When completely dry, wet fingers and gently scrub off mask. This will help loosen the blackheads and also clear the pimples. Have mint tea often to calm and cool the body. Drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water.

I am a 13-year-old girl and have a lot of hair above my lip; my underarms are really dark and dry. Can you please suggest remedies to get rid of these problems. Also, is there any way in which I can have sleek, straight hair without using a straightener; I tried using olive oil but it does not work.
- Name withheld
Take a tablespoon of tomato purée, and add rice powder and oats powder in equal proportion. Apply a thick layer of this paste on your face, concentrating on the upper lip area, and a thin layer on underarms. Leave to dry for 10 minutes. Scrub off upper lip/face mask against hair growth, and rinse off the underarm mask. Do this thrice a week. Armpits will lighten and the fine hair will start clearing gradually. Applying yoghurt in hair makes it manageable and you can style hair straight without using a straightener.

I have very sensitive skin. I can't wear makeup because I always have breakouts. So, I feel very conscious about my face and avoid going out. Also, the area around my eyes, lips and chin are quite dark. I have a very uneven skin tone, large pores and very tired and not-so-smooth skin. If I use a moisturiser, I get pimples in the morning. I have used a lot of creams and face-washes but now use turmeric and green gram. Please tell me how I can have a soft and even skin tone naturally.
- Jade
For your problem of sensitive skin breaking into pimples, pigmentation around your mouth, open pores and your wish to have an even skin tone: avoid the use of gram flour; it is not the right thing for sensitive skin. Also, avoid hot-water showers. Drink at least two litres of water daily. Avoid coffee and chocolates; instead, drink herbal teas and fresh vegetable and fruit juices. Avoid oranges and strawberries; banana, papaya and melon are good for you. Make a mask of oats powder and beaten banana or papaya pulp, and apply on your skin every day. Buy an aloe vera gel (the one which is organic and 99 per cent pure from a pharmacy or nutrition shop), and use it as a moisturiser, thrice daily. Add two drops of tea tree oil to protect skin from breaking out. You can also use it as an overnight treatment. You will see visible improvements soon!

I have been looking for rosemary oil in pharmacies and body care shops, with no success. Can you please tell me which one I should buy and from where? I have been facing the problem of hair loss.     
- Ashok
You will find rosemary oil at pharmacies and nutrition shops, and sometimes at Spinneys, Waitrose and Choithrams supermarkets. To activate hair growth, mix it with almond or coconut oil. Take one tablespoon of any of these oils and add 9 to 12 drops of rosemary oil; massage into scalp and leave overnight. You can even leave it on after shampooing (but reduce the amount of oil so that the scalp is less greasy). If you do this every day, it will help grow your hair. Alternatively, you can get dry rosemary herbs, add to almond oil and let it brew for five days in a dark place. Use the oil for activating hair growth. You can add quarter portion of castor oil if your hair also requires thickness.

(Got a beauty-related query? Write to Rima Soni at wknd@khaleejtimes.com)