Ever since I watched PINK, I have been thinking about it. This is how powerful the movie is.

PINK is not a movie anymore. It is a revolution. It feels like my own movie. My own voice.

The best thing is that the movie does not give away a direct message but rather simply tells us the reality. The regressive moral standards of the society.

6. Our system thrashes weak people.

(Source: here)

7. Losing virginity makes you a woman of questionable character. 

(Source: here)

8. We still classify women

(Source: here)

9. Many men feel women ask for it.

(Source: here)

10. Independent women confuse men.

(Source: here)

11. What does No mean? It means STOP.

(Source: here)

Feeding kids can be extremely challenging. Especially feeding them fruits and vegetables. Many kids tend to run away from eating healthy, nutritious food that mainly includes raw fruits and veggies. 

One way to feed them is to present their food in an attractive manner. 

I did some searching on internet and have come up with these awesome food art that will lure your kiddo into eating fruits and veggies. 

After seeing this fruit farm on plate, your kids will wish that they actually get to live on one. Made from berries - strawberries and blue berries - the farm looks colorful and gives a staple supply of fruits. Source here.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is the most complicated relationship and more so in Indian context because here in India, marriages are more about family ties than individuals. 

There are several reasons behind this love-hate relationship that two women share with each other. I tried to analyze why daughter-in-law and mother-in-law do not get along well with each other. Though the reasons behind the discord in this relationship go deeper than what I have understood, I believe that the daughter-in-law bears and puts up with much more than her mother-in-law because she leaves her own parents behind and come to live in an entirely new house.

This post is dedicated to all sweet mother-in-laws who care about the wives of their sons. 

1. Do not insult or mock your daughter-in-law in public

She can't cook? She broke the newly bought set of glasses? Or she doesn't getup on time? 

Whatever it is, do not ever make fun of, insult or mock her in front of others. Not even in front of your relatives that you believe are understanding enough. 

Getting insulted in public hurts like hell. 

2. Do not complain about your daughter-in-law to your son in her absence

She is his wife and she is going to be his children's mother. Understand it very well that if you back bite about her to your son, you are being responsible for their unhappy marriage. 

If at all you have to bring something to your son's knowledge, discuss it openly when your daughter-in-law is also present so that she can express her side of the story too! 

3. Do not become 'the other woman' in your daughter-in-law's life

I feel  sorry for writing this but I have seen many mother-in-laws acting like an other woman in their daughter-in-law's life. They become over interfering and always try to push their daughter-in-law behind and try to become the first woman in their son's life. 

Mother-in-law, you need to understand that your son has his own life with his wife. Let them lead it the way they want to. 

4. Do not try to parent your grand children

It is okay that you love them. You should. It is also okay that you try to teach them a good thing or two. You should. 

But do not become their parent even if you baby sit them for the whole day. If your daughter-in-law doesn't approve of any of your habits or dealings with the baby, give it a break. Do not do it. 

Your daughter-in-law is the mother of your grand children. She has every right to decide about them. Do not rob her off this right.

5. Do not EVER bad mouth your daughter-in-law's parents

I see lot of mother-in-laws bad mouthing and criticizing their daughter-in-law's parents. This is totally absurd. 

Just the way your own daughter will never like you being criticized by someone else, your daughter-in-law also hates it when you badmouth about her parents. 

Good or bad, they are her parents and that is all. 

6. Do not treat your daughter-in-law like a maid

It is a pity that the Supreme Court of India had to give out with a ruling regarding this. It explains the bad state of affairs in our country. 

Many mother-in-laws expect their daughter-in-laws to be perfect bahus and do all household chores on time and without any external help, most of the times, like their own mother-in-laws. 

But times have changed and so have the ways in which daughters are being raised. Expecting one woman to finish all household chores all by herself is absolutely ridiculous in today's times when life has become more stressful and chaotic. 

Let her hire a maid. Do not insist that your daughter-in-law only does the household chores. Let her decide what she feels comfortable doing. 

7. Do not dictate what your daughter-in-law should wear or eat

Finally, do not expect your daughter-in-law to wear and eat as per your convenience and liking. Just because she is married to your son doesn't mean that her life will now revolve around your liking and disliking. 

You don't cook non-veg at home? Fine. Let her dine outside and eat what she wants. 

You never wore sleeveless or shorts or skirts? Nor did your daughters? Fine. You have lived your life the way you wanted to and your daughters are free to live theirs. Do not dictate your terms upon your daughter-in-law. 

Dear mother-in-law, 

Treat your daughter-in-law like a respectable human being and an individual. You can only advise her about few things but you can not expect her to agree to everything that you say. 

She has had a different up-bringing and her parents wanted her to be a different person. Let her be.

READ: 

This One Thing Is Wrong With (Almost) All Indian Moms

How Much I Wish I Had A Mother-In-Law

Here's Why A Good Indian Daughter And A Good Indian Mom Don't Get Along As In-Laws

Dear Indian Parents, Please Stop Doing This To Your Daughters

*I had read this post years ago on a personal blog that does not exist any more. Sharing it here because it is all the more relevant today.*

The nicest thing that anyone ever did for me - other than my husband - was to fill my refrigerator full of diet Coke.

Yes, it was that simple.

I was working day and night on a deal for weeks on end and I had run out of diet Coke at home. At this time, I drank diet Coke in the morning (they hadn’t yet invented diet RockStar) and I’d been waking up for days without a damn diet Coke in my house.

One day I came home and I opened my refrigerator. My refrigerator, wall to wall and top to bottom, was completely packed with cans and cans and cans of diet Coke.

I remember it like it was yesterday. A refrigerator full of diet Coke. I was so touched that I cried.

This happened what must now be close to 10 years ago.

That person knew me. That person knew how to love me.

Someone once told me that there are four primary ways in which people like to be shown love: (1) affirmations; (2) tokens; (3) touch; and (4) acts of service. To most effectively show your love, you need to know how the object of your affection likes to be shown love.

People who need affirmations need to be told how wonderful they are. How smart they are. How beautiful they are and how much you love them.

People who need tokens need gifts - tokens of affection. Flowers. Jewelry. Tickets to the Niners game.

People who need touch need - you guessed it - to be touched. They need to be hugged, to have their arm squeezed when you pass, to not just sit next to you on the couch, but to snuggle with you on the couch.

People who need acts of service need what are essentially favors. They need to have their dry cleaning picked up just so they don’t have to do it. They need you to think about what they need - and give that to them. They need a refrigerator full of diet Coke.

Pretty simple. And, once you actually ask someone which of these makes them feel most loved, its pretty simple to show them that love in a way that they feel loved.

Don’t tell me how great and wonderful and beautiful I am - I’ll wonder what bridge you’re going to try to sell me.

Don’t buy me flowers - I’ll just forget to change the water and they’ll die in a day or two and I’ll feel guilty. Don’t buy me jewelry either. I have jewelry that I like. And that I wear. That I bought myself.

Don’t touch me - ok, touch me - massage my neck, back and shoulders. An act of service more than touching for the sake of touching.

That’s right - don’t do any of these things.

To show me you love me, fill my fridge with diet coke.

I was 8 years old. I remember it specifically. 

I lived with my parents in the university campus in a house that was spacious and had rooms enough that many a times we rented out a room or two to university boys. 

This is how he, the abuser, got the entry to my house. He was 20-22 years old and had rented a room in our house on the terrace and was a student at the university where my father was a professor. He was our distant relative and this made him a regular visitor to our house. I used to call him 'mama' - maternal uncle. 

First time when he caught hold of me was when I was playing hide and seek with my 7 year old brother on the terrace. Innocently he asked if he could join us in our game and more innocently we agreed. After all, in a game of hide and seek, the more the better! 

He was playing with us now and then asked my brother to give him two minutes so that he could find a place to hide along with me. 

My brother went to the other corner of the terrace and this jerk took me inside the bathroom on the terrace and locked it from inside. I assumed he did so to hide both of us.

Inside the bathroom, he came near me, held me by my shoulders and made me lie down on the floor. When I asked him why, he replied, 'let us play our own game.'

I didn't understand at all what he meant by it but I thought maybe it was a part of our game. 

He laid on top of me and started kissing and licking me all over my face and lips. I felt weird but this all happened so suddenly that I didn't know what to do. 

Thankfully, my brother realized we were in the bathroom and he began banging the door, 'I have found you two. Come out. I have caught you.'

The jerk opened the door and we came out. Soon he announced that he didn't want to play any more. He said, 'you guys play, I have to work.'

My brother and I came downstairs immediately as it had got dark outside. 

I didn't mention the incident to anyone. Not even to my parents. But I kept feeling disgusted about it. I thought of confiding in my mom but I didn't because I was scared and I thought my parents wouldn't let me play after knowing of this incident. Moreover, I thought maybe Mama did it by mistake. 

Days passed by and I forgot about that incident. I had come to believe that it all happened as a mistake until it happened once again. 

This time he asked my mom for the day's newspaper. My mom, since she didn't know of anything that had happened, asked me to go upstairs to give the newspaper to him. 

I went upstairs and knocked his door. As soon as he opened it, he dragged me inside and pushed me on his bed. He repeated the same thing again only a little more forcefully and to a step ahead. This time he tried to remove my clothes. 

Since he was on top of me, I couldn't push him away despite my best of efforts. He started touching me all over and kissing me forcefully. I wanted to get away from this situation as fast as I could but under his body, I couldn't even move. 

Suddenly, my mom called my name and he left me go. I immediately got down and wanted to tell my mom about what had happened but this time also I couldn't. As soon as I decided to tell her, mom scolded me for being careless and taking time to deliver a newspaper.

The agony inside my heart remained there only. I couldn't utter a word to mom about it. But this time I had made up my mind - what he did to me wasn't a mistake by any standard. Mama wasn't innocent and what I underwent wasn't pleasant. 

Since then I maintained a safe distance from him but still he found me one unfortunate day! 

His father had visited us along with few guests. All were having dinner while my brother and I were busy with school projects. It was 9:30 pm and I suddenly realized that I needed a 12 inch scale urgently.

Mom was busy in the kitchen, dad was busy with the guests and it was very dark outside so I knew there wasn't a way to get the scale from the market. 

The abuser somehow learnt of our situation and offered to lend his scale which was there in his room. He asked me to come upstairs to take it and I refused saying, 'my brother will bring it.' He replied, 'you need the scale, so you need to come. I won't give to him.'

Poor me, I had no option. I went upstairs but decided to not enter his room. He got the scale but noticed that I wasn't entering his room. Upon seeing my insistence on remaining outside his room, he forcibly pushed me into his room, locked it from inside and threw me on his bed. 

I blamed myself for being foolish to come upstairs. I was in tears as I knew this time neither my brother would come knocking on my door and nor m mom will realize that I was trapped here. 

I asked him to stop but he wasn't any less than a monster. 

I prayed to God to save me from this torture but nothing seemed to help. Suddenly, I felt his hand under my skirt. As he slid his hand inside my skirt, I looked at him angrily. My eyes were burning with anger. He saw my eyes and tried to kiss me and I SLAPPED HIM. 

I vividly remember my emotions and my fury and his expressions at that moment. First he was shocked to see my courage and anger but then he dismissed it as an accident. He thought I had slapped him by mistake. So he held me with a more firm grip and that is when I slapped him again. 

I SLAPPED HIM AGAIN AND HARDER this time. 

The shameless fellow didn't stop even then. Not even after being slapped by a 8 year old! 

I said, 'look here' and he looked towards me. I SLAPPED HIM AGAIN for the third time! He was stunned. He hadn't imagined it from me. 

He asked, 'will you hit me?' and I said, 'Yes, many time if you repeat it.'

I think he had understood it then. He got up. Gave me the scale and let me go. I opened the door, rushed downstairs and went straight to the dining area where everyone was having food. 

I was panting and my clothes were lose and hanging on my body. The scale was in my hand. 

Looking at me, my dad asked me, 'what happened beta?' Daddy thought I had gone to the market running.

I looked at the abuser's father and said, 'Mama did it.' By that time, my so-called mama had also come downstairs. 

He looked worried. Mom came out of the kitchen. Dad asked me to go inside. I went straight to my project and drew the necessary lines that I needed the scale for. 

I could hear some shouting and loud discussion from behind the closed door. After few minutes, my mom came inside to hug me and check me up. I told her that I was fine and I had slapped him. 

She congratulated me on my courage and by then my work was finished so I threw away the scale. 

All I now remember is that by the next morning that man was gone, forever! 

Today, as I am 21 years old, I feel proud of myself of dealing with it on my own. I wish I had done it the first time it had happened to me. But nevertheless, it is never late to do the right thing. 

I am no more timid or shy. I am determined and confident. Also, now I understand why my name means 'Goddess Durga.' That night, with that devil, I was no less than a young Goddess Durga.

Note: This story is contributed by a regular reader who chooses to remain anonymous.  Please show her your appreciation for the courage and bravery she showed behind the doors at such a tender age. 

***********

Thank you Reader for sending me your story. It is indeed a story of courage and inspiration. We, the moms, need to learn a lot from it. I have certainly taken many lessons from it. 

From today, I promise, I won't question my girl. I will encourage her to confide in me naturally. 

If she takes more time at some place or with some person, I won't blame her or call her careless. I will rather patiently hear what she has to say on her own. 

I will learn and hone for myself while teaching the power of intuition to my child. 

I will not force my young child to be friendly with others. I have come to understand that children have their own intuitive powers as well. My daughter, Pahal, takes her own different times to get close to people. And while I never force her to join a party or dance or mingle with kids, I am NOT GOING TO DO SO even in the future. I will let her open up on her own. 

And last but not the least, I WILL BELIEVE MY CHILD. 

As parents, it is our utmost duty to place our trust in our kids. Our kids will trust us only when we trust them first. I remember how last night itself I asked Pahal if she did some XYZ thing and she confidently replied, 'NO' and I told her that I trust her. I said, 'Pahal, Mumma trusts you. I always trust you.' I think I just need to repeat that more often. 

Parenting is hard in one way but easy in another. It becomes much easier if we just let it uncover on its own. If we do the basics right - teaching them to trust, asking them to open up, blaming them lesser and lesser and confiding in them more and more - parenting becomes the best joy in life.

You may wish to read these two posts that are related to women's safety:

Don't get baffled with the title. This is not a classified ad but the title of an article that I once read in an Indian newspaper many many years ago. 

I think it was Times of India that had published this small piece, a write-up which had the title of 'Accommodation Required'. Also I think I was in 11th or 12th standard so it must have been late 90s.

I loved the article so much that I cut it out from the newspaper and secured it my file where I used to keep all important papers and clippings. The cutting must still be there at my Meerut home. I wish I could share it with you but I do not have access to it right now.

This article talked about how we must keep a small piece of space reserved in our heart for just ourselves. It said that the whole accommodation available in our hearts and mind should not be sold or rented to one single person. I totally loved what it meant. I follow the same principle in my own life. 

Last night, my best friend and I were talking. We talked for more than an hour and we discussed how relieving it is when we do not center all our attention on one single person, be it spouse, parents, kids or anyone else. It is very important to have loved ones in life and to love them truly and whole heartedly but at the same time, it is very important that we keep a check on how dependent we are becoming on them or how dependent they are upon us. 

I had such a phase in my life. In the initial few years of my marriage, I was emotionally tied up with Sanjay in every possible way and that only gave us problems and reasons to fight often. I realized eventually, that the reason for this was my extreme emotional dependence upon him. Obviously, he is a human being, a normal being, so if I keep sky-high expectations of him, it is natural that he would not be able to fulfill all those even if he tries his best. He indeed did very well but I could see that it was unnecessarily stressing our relationship and I was also losing touch with myself. 

Thus, I decided to create a bit of space in my mind and heart for myself and began to give some space to my spouse. 

The moment I did it, things changed drastically and for the better. 

Love does not mean confining your loved one and piling up expectations and standards upon him. Love is letting your loved one free. 

Love is giving some accommodation to him and to you as well. 

Create some accommodation in your heart: Only For Yourself. Have a little nook inside of you that belongs only to you and to no one else. 

Do not let away the whole heart to somebody even if you love with the entirety of your heart and soul. Such kind of love only perishes in the long run.  

Healthy love isn't all about the other. It is as much about you as him. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, please share it. Let's spread the good words around.

There is no alternative to natural beauty and to holistic well being. 

I rely heavily on naturopathic solutions to most of my beauty and health related problems. Be it cleansing of skin or cough or mild fever or dull skin. I prefer scouting for potent ingredients in my own kitchen than to spend thousands on brands that claim to use the same natural ingredients along with preservatives. 

My interest in naturopathy deepened when I moved to Andamans and faced the scarcity of most of the things I was used to using here in mainland. That is when I decided to try my hands at home remedies and this led to extensive reading online and experimenting offline. 

In this guide, I am going to share the tricks, recipes and practices that have helped me immensely in making lesser visits to the doctors and in greatly reducing cosmetics bills. Almost all of my skin care products are home made and straight out of the kitchen with natural ingredients and I can vouch for their effectiveness, ease of use and affordability. 

Honestly, over the last few years I have made a complete switch from market bought face cleansers to home made cleansers. Earlier I had tried different cleansers from many brands but I use only the ones that come from my home. Here are my options:

1. Raw Milk As Face (and make-up) Cleanser

My personal favorite face (and make-up) cleanser is raw milk. I swear by it and I have been religiously using it for more than 10 years. 

You can use any raw milk i.e. packaged milk, carton milk or the milk that your milk man brings. Pour the milk in a pan. Let it settle for 2 minutes. Scrape out the top layer of the milk with a spoon. Apply it on your face and neck. Wipe off with cotton. 

It is just like milk-cream but less greasy and lighter that milk. 

If your skin tends to break out, you can use normal, toned milk i.e. after its cream has been extracted. 

If your skin is extra dry, you can use milk cream i.e. malai as well. 

2. Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)

I use the raw milk in the morning as that is when I get fresh milk at home. But when I need to cleanse my face in the night before going to bed or at a time and place when raw milk is not available, I go with OCM. 

I prefer to use one part of castor oil and two parts of coconut or apricot oil. Simply mix the oils, massage on face. Leave on for a minute or two. Wipe off with a normally wet towel. 

Some people recommend steaming the face or using a hot towel. I have tried both and I have realized that I get the best results when I use a face towel that is wet under normal water. Sometimes, right after wiping off with face towel, I splash warm water on face and pat dry.

You can read more on OCM in detail - Nitty Gritty of  OCM

3. Krya's Natural Face Cleansing Powder

Another product that I love though it is not home made. But I have been using it for over two years now and I simply adore it.

I found Krya after doing some online research and I got in touch with Preethi who is the founder of Krya. She often writes on her FB page and gives honest and detailed information about her products and also enlightens the readers with her Ayurvedic knowledge. This is how I learnt about Krya and decided to try it and I was highly pleased. 

It is a green powder made from organic soap berries and without any chemicals or preservatives.

Unlike other face washes, it does not lather and does not dry your skin. It instead cleanses it so gently that you notice a difference in skin right after one wash. 

I love this powder and I use it everyday. It is also the cleanser I use while traveling. 

I use raw milk and OCM every alternate day but this powder is my daily ritual. It also works like a gentle scrub on the face. A must try. You can buy it here.

Exfoliation is an essential part of skin care. Numerous recipes are available for different types of face and body scrubs but my favorites are these three:

1. Sugar Face Scrub

Brown sugar works best for face scrubs. 

Take few table spoons of brown sugar. Mix a table spoon of olive oil. Add few drops of essential oil and an effective face scrub is ready. 

2. Baking Soda Scrub

Another personal favorite. 

It can be used in multiple ways. When being lazy, I simply mix it up with water or rosewater and exfoliate. Otherwise, I like to add honey to it. 

My preferred way is to add honey to baking soda and then apply it on face. Leave it on for few minutes and wash away. My skin shines after using this combination. 

4. Pumice Stone

Nothing works better than a good pumice stone for body exfoliation. 

I still rely on old age type pumice stone. It can be harsh if used roughly but otherwise it removes dead cells effectively and also cleans the skin from dirt and grime. 

You can try these recipes of scrubs too - 13 simple home made exfoliators

Can there be a better skin toner than rose water? And any better than a home made, pure rose water? 

I absolutely like the way rose water adds a shine and tautness to my face when I need skin toning. 

Last week itself I made a batch of rose water at home and I have been regularly using it in the mid of the day. Making rose water is very simple and easy. 

Pluck the petals of rose flower. Wash them with clean water. Add distilled water to a pan. Add the petals to it. Heat the mixture on low flame or better still, steam it. Turn off the flame when you notice the petals losing their pink color and turning into white. Let the mixture steep for some time. Let it cool and then strain and store.

You will be surprised to see how pure home made rose water is different from market made rose water. 

Here are 5 home made facial toners.

1. Besan Face Mask

My all time favorite face mask for dry skin is this:

Besan (check pea flour) + curd or milk cream + a pinch of turmeric powder 

You can make your own variations by adding honey, lemon drops, rose water, banana, egg white or even coffee. 

The above combination has been used in Indian traditions since ages. This is the mix that is applied to the bride and groom during their wedding preparations and is called haldi ceremony. 

2. Banana Honey FaceMask

The first one is my go-to mask but sometimes I also apply a mix of banana and honey. Depending on the weather I also add lemon drops or curd to it. While the previous mask adds a glow, this one makes skin soft and supple. 

3. Fruit Face Mask

Rub any fruit on your face. Let it stay. Wash off. 

Fruits like mango, orange, strawberry, papaya and avocado work like wonders. You can add curd or honey to the pulp of these fruits and let it sit on the face for few minutes before washing it off.

For other face mask recipes, go to this link - 7 DIY Face Masks

1. Glycerin

By far, the best moisturizing agent out there is glycerin.

This is my favorite body lotion that contains only 3 ingredients: glycerin, rose water, lemon juice

The best thing is that one can play around with its variations and come up with something that suits her skin. 

I use glycerin in two ways:

Glycerin + Rose Water + Lemon Juice + Vit. E oil

I keep the consistency as per my convenience. In winters I add more of glycerin while in summers, I up the amount of rose water. I also squeeze a capsule or two of vit. E to the mix as not only vit. E is excellent moisturizer, it is also an effective preservative. 

This is my staple moisturizing lotion. I also use it as lip balm and this is my FAVORITE LIP PRODUCT. As body lotion. As face lotion and also on elbows and knees to smooth out the skin. 

Glycerin + Olive Oil + Lemon Juice + Vit. E Oil

I prefer to add lemon juice to almost every glycerin recipe because lemon juice helps in reducing its stickiness and of course because lemon juice, rich in vit. C, acts as a natural preservative. But since we are adding Vit. E oil, you can skip lemon juice if you wish. 

Last winters, I extensively used this mix on my face and for the first time, my face didn't show signs of dryness. Otherwise, my skin gets extremely dry and parched during winters especially the skin on my cheeks. 

2. Shea Butter Body Cream

This cream was a super hit. Why shouldn't it be? It worked for more than 24 hours on my skin! It is no less than a miracle for me especially when my skin behaves erratically bad in winters.

You can read the recipe here. 

DIY recipe for a body cream that works for more than 24 hours

While these cosmetic products help in smoothing out the skin from outside, we can not underestimate the power of food. What we eat gets reflected on our skin. To know the beauty secrets from a dermatologist, read this post - A Dermatologist's Advice To Glowing Skin

I haven't yet figured out a PERFECT hair problems' solution unlike the way I have learnt the secrets of skin care but in the last few months I have STOPPED USING SLS BASED SHAMPOOS. 

Since May 2016, I have stopped using market bought shampoos and instead have tried my hands at several home based and natural hair treatments.

In the last few months, there has been a tremendous decrease in hair fall. My dandruff has greatly reduced. And overall health of my hair has improved. Here are my alternatives to SLS based shampoos. 

1. Baking Soda and Vinegar Shampoo

We all are aware of the many versatile uses of baking soda. It works as an exfoliator and hence I use it often to clean my scalp. 

I wet my hair in shower. Take baking soda in palm and rub it gently on the scalp with finger tips. This not only gives me a clean and clear scalp but also helps in getting rid of dandruff. 

Other times, I mix it with water to form a paste and then apply it on scalp. Leave it on for few minutes and then rinse normally with water that has vinegar mixed to it. 

Honestly, I do not use baking soda too often on my hair since I think it's coarse texture may make my hair brittle and also because after using baking soda I find my hair dry and a little rough. 

But like I said, I use it clean my scalp. I do not rub it on my hair downwards. Simply rub it on scalp to clean it of any dirt and dandruff. 

After cleaning I rinse my my hair with this mixture - 3 parts water + 1 part vinegar

It works perfectly well for me especially when my hair is not oiled. 

Proudly displaying my dark, shiny hair even though they are hardly visible in this photo

2. Glycerin Based Soap As A Shampoo

My scalp is oily while my hair is dry and this gives me a tough time while washing my mane. 

On days when my hair is not visibly oily, I use a glycerin based soap to clean my hair. In most cases I go with Pears while other times, I use Khadi's essential oil based soaps or natural handmade soaps. 

These soaps remove excess oil from the hair without making it unmanageable. If I find my hair rough and tangled, I sometimes use a market bought conditioner.

3. Krya Zesty Hair Wash

Another Krya product I totally like applying on my hair. It is made from fresh berries and amla and shikakai and is devoid of chemicals like SLS, parabens and synthetic fragrances. It is a green, herbal like powder.

Usage of Krya hair wash may need some time to getting used to it. I find rinsing the most difficult but after seeing the noticeable difference in my hair health, I am not complaining.

Krya's hair wash is the one I use regularly and more frequently. It makes my hair a little rough as compared to market bought products but then that's my hair's fault. My hair is too dry and with time their texture has greatly improved. They aren't that dry anymore. Plus, market based shampoos give temporary shine and short term moisturizer.

Krya's hair wash has helped in reducing my dandruff and making my hair thicker. You MUST try it out.

Oil Based Hair Conditioner

I haven't yet learned a good recipe for natural hair conditioner but most of the times, this works well for me -

After proper rinsing of hair, take two drops of a light hair oil, mostly olive oil or any other oil, mix it with few drops of water and apply it straight on hair. Just like a conditioner, I gently rub the oil mix on my hair down the shoulders.

So far this has helped me in having soft hair but I am still looking for something better to be applied on the head after rinsing.

Natural Hair Masks

There is a plethora of recipes for natural hair masks.

My personal recommendation is - Egg and Vinegar Hair Mask. You can find the full recipe here -

DIY Nourishing Egg And Vinegar Hair Mask

Other than the above, you can try these too!

Coconut Oil Honey Hair Mask

5 DIY Hair Masks

I have lot more information to share here but I think I will do so in different posts to keep this post scan-able.

Note: The above mentioned alternatives and suggestions are based on my personal experiences. I am not a dermatologist and nor I have any professional background in skin care or naturopathy.

But I have read a lot and have personally tested and tried things. I have written a lot on IMBB and those who know me from there, know that I wrote mostly on DIYs and home treatments.

The above suggestions may or may not work for you, although I do hope you try these out and figure out what suits best to your skin and hair.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.