Natural and Environment Friendly Ways to Eliminate Gnats

They are annoying, irritating and they hang around your house just to bother you. Can you guess who are they?

No, they are neither your neighbours nor your in-laws.

They are small pesky Gnats. Personally, Gnats are some of very few insects that I hate the most. They are small, very hard to catch and can reproduce like crazy. There are different types of gnats like: 

1. Fungus Gnats 
2. Eye Gnats
3. Buffalo Gnats 
4. Sand Gnats

While Fungus gnats are mostly attracted to moist soils, Eye gnats are attracted to human eye fluids whereas buffalo/sand gnats are mostly attracted to animal blood (Yes, I know its creepy.)

Today, I am going to share some natural ways that can help you to get rid of these pesky gnats:

Effective Physical Control:

This is probably the best and the safest way to get rid of gnats. As you might be knowing that Fungus Gnats thrive on damp or moist soils. So, what you have to do is to create a physical barrier between the soil and the gnats. The best thing for creating this physical barrier is sand.

Gnats cannot break this physical barrier and hence cannot lay more eggs in the soil and hence there life cycle stops. You can cover your soil with a 2 – 3 inch thick layer of soil. In addition to it, in market there is a product called Gnatnix. It does the same job but it is made from recycled crystals.

Anti Gnat Sprays and Lotions:

Vinegar can be used against adult gnats as a spray and it works quite effectively. You just have to make a solution with equal amounts of vinegar and water and then using a spray bottle you can spray this mixture over the infested area.

Apart from this, you could also make a solution by using mixing some essential oils like Lavender oil, Eucalyptus oil, Lemon oil with water and make a gnat repellent. I have also heard that gnats hate the smell of vanilla like mosquitoes so you can also use this to protect you from gnats.

Beneficial Nematodes:

Beneficial nematodes are small microorganisms that are specially designed and genetically altered to specifically feed on gnat larvae and eggs in the soil. These micro organisms do not kill and other useful insects in the soil and are specially designed to selectively consume gnat larvae and eggs.

Once installed it they can protect your garden for as long as 18 – 24 months against gnats.

Apple Cider Vinegar Trap:

This is the most common trap that can be used to trap adult gnats. To make this trap:

•  Take a small deep bowl, and fill it ¼ with apple cider vinegar.
•  Next add few drops of dish soap or vegetable oil.
• To make the trap more effective add 10 – 15 drops of red wine (I actually hate doing this.)

And your gnat trap is ready. You can now set this trap in the infested areas. Gnats will get attracted to the smell of the liquid and will drown in it as its surface tension is greatly reduced by adding dish soap..

Thanks for reading!

Headaches Related with Sinus Infection

The sinus headaches are a particular type of headaches, felt as a dull, throbbing pain. The headache is caused by sinusitis, which is an inflammation of your sinuses (itis in latin means inflammation, so whenever you come across something that ends with an its, that’s what it refers to). The inflammation can have different causes such as: infection, an allergic reaction (are you allergic to something?) or autoimmune issues (autoimmune disease, immuno suppressant medication, etc).

The next question (in case you didn’t already know) is, what are the sinuses? The sinuses are air spaces in the skull (frontal, ethmoidal, maxillary and sphenoid). In case of an infection, the membranes get swollen to such an extent, that the pressure can cause pain (forehead, nose, cheekbones).


Making the right diagnosis & differences between sinus headache and migraines

Like mentioned before, acute sinusitis (viral or bacterial) should not last longer than eight weeks. If it lasts more than that, then you’re dealing with a chronic sinusitis and you should visit your local doctor.

Acute sinusitis diagnosis can be made based on the symptoms mentioned above and confirmed by a CT scan. One of the roles of the sinuses is to drain the mucus, so when sinusitis occurs, the ducts that connect the sinuses to the nose get obstructed. Draining the mucus can come to a halt (or be significantly slowed down), which is why a nasal discharge is to be expected with sinusitis.

As mucus can’t be drained properly, it becomes the perfect place to host bacteria, fungi or viruses to grow. This will lead to other complications, the most common one being infection.

Not all reported sinus headaches are actually produced by sinusitis. It is reported that about 90% of the cases are just migraines. We’ll talk about the differences later, after we’ll walk you through the symptoms.

There are different types of sinusitis: acute, subacute or chronic. Acute sinusitis should be gone in less than 4 weeks, subacute 4-8 weeks, and chronic more than 8 weeks. Distinguishing between them can be a daunting task. However, it seems almost everybody gets at least one time acute sinusitis at one point in their life or another.

What are the symptoms

The first symptom is a dull, constant, possibly throbbing facial pain. The pain can be localized in the maxillary (cheek area), somewhere above the eyes (means the frontal sinus cavity is involved), behind the eyes (the ethmoid sinus has swollen). The pain typically gets worst when you bend over or lie down. It will also start on one side, but after a while, it “travels” to the other as well.

Another symptom is a green nasal discharge. It may contain blood or pus. Don’t worry if it does, it’s normal.

Because of the pressure build up, your inner ear may be affected. The inner ear is responsible for equilibrium, so you may feel dizziness.

Sinusitis can be bacterial or viral (caused by a bacteria or a virus). It can be pretty hard to tell which, but it is said that if it lasts more than 10 days it’s bacterial. One common complication of this condition, is infection.

I mentioned infection, because that leads to the next possible symptoms: fever, chills, muscles pain or swollen lymph nodes (aka swollen glands).

Also, a swollen face due to the inflammation of the sinuses is one of the usual, visible symptoms that might lead you to think it’s more than a migraine.

As the pain is caused by the pressure build up, if you move you make sudden movements or there’s a quick temperature change, the pain will intensify (that happens because these external factors influence pressure, which increases and therefore you feel more pain).

If the maxillary sinuses are involved, you may experience toothache.

As you’ve heard me saying before, sinus headaches and migraines can be pretty hard to differentiate, which is why 90% of the time, the self diagnosis of sinusitis is actually a migraine, and in some cases only a CT scan can be the definitive answer.

The main problem is that migraines can activate trigeminal nerves, which innervate the sinuses, which makes the pain you feel pretty hard to pinpoint accurately. As a side effect, a runny nose can be triggered, which makes it look more like sinusitis. One way you can know for sure it’s sinusitis it’s the thick green nasal discharge. This does not happen when you have a migraine. Migraines usually go away in hours and are localized to one area only. Another way you can guesstimate a sinusitis is the fact that the pain is worst when you bend over (difference of pressure, which triggers more pain).

The chronic sinusitis however, as opposed to the common acute sinusitis, is a much more severe condition that can lead to other serious complications. The diagnosis is based on the symptoms (note: I forgot to mention that the symptoms of chronic and acute sinusitis are the same, so the only viable option to distinguish between the two is duration), CT scan that will confirm an inflammation of the sinuses and analyzing a sample of the discharge (with chronic sinusitis, an infection is almost guaranteed to show up and tests are necessary to determine which type of infection you’re dealing with).

Natural Ingredients that help to lighten skin complexion

Smooth, glowing and fair complexion is the dream of every woman. Human skin complexion has variable tones from black to pinkish white that depends on ethnic background, genes and climate. Skin looks healthy and fair if it is safe from the pimples, red or dark blotches, prickly heat, rashes, black spots, freckles, and swelling. Women use different chemical products and treatments for this purpose that results well initially, but also carry some side effects along with fair skin.

Sometimes these chemical products or cosmetics work effectively to lighten the skin tone, but they harm the skin cells or grow long hair on skin which cannot be corrected. Unlike those treatments, natural remedies are much more effective and reliable with less or zero side effects. Natural tips for fair complexion work slower but their results are long lasting. These natural remedies give you desirable flawless and radiant skin naturally that attracts the attention of everyone toward you with “Wow..!!” attitude.

Nature has provided us with several amazing things that magically affect the skin health, tone and complexion. By adopting these natural tips, you can get desired results within few days. Check the following tips:

Balanced diet
Pay proper attention to your diet and add healthy and nutritious foods rich in antioxidants to your daily diet plan. Make less use of oily and fatty foods and replace them with use of green salads, fresh fruit and plenty of water and juices. Good diet keeps your ski healthy, young and fair.
Skin cleaning Wash your skin twice a day with a mild soap or face-wash lotion using soft sponge. Sponge cleans your skin cells and rinse off dirt cosmetics and dust from your skin cells softly. It will also be helpful to exfoliate your skin by removing the dead skin of your face. So, neat and clean skin ensures the health and smoothness of your skin.

Drink water
Take proper night sleep and rest, and use plenty of water throughout the day. It puts very effective results on your skin health and complexion. Avoid sunshine and extreme weather conditions.
Milk & Honey paste Make a paste of the following ingredients to apply on face every day. Wait until it dries and rinse off thereafter:
Milk powder – 1 tbsp
Honey – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Almond oil – ½ tbsp

Sandalwood & Rose water paste
Make daily application of the thick paste of Sandalwood and rose water. It keeps your skin cool and brings glowing fairness to your skin that is dream of every lady.

Almond & Rose water paste
Soak almonds in water overnight and make a fine paste by grinding them. Mix this almond paste in rose water and make a thick paste. Apply it on your face and neck daily and wash it after 5 minutes. It does not only remove lines from your skin but also makes your complexion fair naturally.

Gram flour paste
Mix the ingredients mentioned below. Make a thick paste, apply on your face for 15 minutes and then wash with lukewarm water. It is very effective remedy to get skin fairness.
Gram flour – 1 tbsp
Raw milk 2 tsp
Lime juice – 2 to 3 drops

Potato slices
Vegetables also play great role to get skin glow and fairness. Cut potato slices and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Rub these slices on your face, neck, arms and hands. It will clean your skin and make your complexion fair with positive results shortly.

Tomato & Lime juice paste
Grate a tomato, and mix it with lime juice about 3-4 drops. Make a thick paste and apply it on your face for 15 minutes then rinse off with cold water. Regular use of this remedy will bring positive results on your skin tone, and make your complexion fair quickly.

Sandalwood & Turmeric paste
Sandalwood is considered the most effective natural product to enhance the beauty and fairness of skin complexion. It is the natural treatment to all skin problems like rashes, pimples, spots, freckles, and swelling. Mix Sandalwood with Turmeric powder in rose water to make a thick paste, leave it on your face for 15 minutes and rinse off. It is the traditional beauty secret that enhances you skin health and makes your complexion fair up to your desire.

Protect Your Health by Natural Ingredients

Healthy skin is necessary to have younger look therefore there are lots of products that are used to maintain the health of your skin. Although different skin care products are available in the market to keep your skin moisturized but you have to select products with natural ingredients because harsh chemicals can harm your skin. An effective natural lotion can be prepared at home to treat your skin. Natural ingredient products are really useful for adult and tween skin care and these are budget friendly also. These natural remedies are considered as safe and inexpensive therefore are frequently used to improve the health of your skin. You can use herbs, roots and essential oils to treat different skin problems. In order to help you, I am going to share some natural ingredient products to protect your health:

Drink Plenty of Water

If you want naturally fresh skin then you have to drink eight glass of water on regular basis. This will help you to flush out all toxins to improve your skin complexion and to prevent any dehydration. Water is best alternate of soda and other beverages because these can cause acne and other skin problems.

Use Aloe Vera

You can use aloe to moisturize your skin that can be easily found in aloe plants. It is best soothing element to treat sunburn and you can easily find aloe to treat your face and hands.

Take Healthy Diet

Be careful about your diet because your eating habits can affect the health of your skin.  Try to include fruits and vegetables in your diet because these food items are full of water that will keep your skin moisturized. Vitamins and fibers in fruits and vegetables will keep your skin healthy.

Use Cucumber

Cucumber is a perfect choice for those who want to remove dark circles and puffiness of eyes. This is a well known natural remedy to get healthy looking skin. It is very easy to do such as lie flat on your back and place one slice on each eyelid at least for ten minutes. This treatment will reduce the puffiness of your eyes and you will feel very refreshing.

Peach Skin Can be Good for You

Skin of peach is another best remedy to get a better complexion. Get skin of peach and gently rub the inside part of the skin on your whole face at least for five minutes. It will moisture your skin for at least one hour and will increase your skin glow. In order to get better results, it will be good to use this before going to bed and then wash your face in the morning.

Best Face Mask

Do not buy any artificial face mask because it contains heavy chemicals that can affect the health of your skin. You can prepare a natural face mask with the help of cabbage and heavy cream. Following is the procedure to prepare a face mask:

Take 1 cup of pureed cabbage and mix it with 1/4th heavy cream. Stir both ingredients thoroughly to have a smooth mixture. Apply this mixture on your face and let it work for almost 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes, wash your face with warm water. It will improve your complexion and moisturize your face.

Do Body Tattoos Help you to Express Yourselves?

What greater way to express yourself in the hippest means possible than with body art and tattoos? Of all the modes of trendy body decorations, tattooing is probably one of the most common. The knack of tattooing has been around since the olden times. Its purposes then ranged from self-expression to body decoration to protection of self from bad spirits and bring in good tidings. In present periods, purposes for having tattoos are not that varied. Cross tattoos, for instance, may function as a religious tattoo or it may just be a design the person opt to decorate himself with.

Lasting tattoo designs vary according to tradition, religious affiliations, gender, or personal tastes and selections. Dragon tattoos are more usual among Asians because Western culture don't worship the dragon symbol as much as Asians do. Nevertheless, Westerners now seem to be thankful for dragon motifs, and it's fast becoming one of the more in demand tattoo art. Fairies as well as flower tattoo decorations, on the other hand, are in general selected by females as well as the effeminate rather than men. Yet numerous tattoo ideas transcend sex. Flower tattoos, tribal, sun and star tattoos are only a couple of the countless tattoo designs that is so popular among girls and boys alike.

Various tattoos have different symbolism for a variety of people. Religious tattoo designs such as the famous Celtic cross tattoos, praying hands, doves, as well as other sacred signs and icons are simply among the few. Sun tattoos together with other forms may also have religious significance depending on what the person believes in. A number will opt to have signs representing something about their ideology, while some may select to have words and phrases scribbled in ancient text with meanings that transcend body ornamentation.

Some tattoo designs possess a deeper, more complex meaning. A couple of tattoos are meant to bring in good luck, ward off bad spirits, or something that has an association with the person's cultural and family background. Irish tattoo designs such as four-leaf clovers, the Celtic cross, shamrock, etc., are related with luck as well as great fortune; while tribal forms such as the more common tribal sun tattoos might be a traditional thing. Dolphin tattoo , another ultimate favorite, while they can be recognized as a Celtic design, are also considered a Chinese yin-yang sign representing harmony as well as balance. 

However, the art of tattooing are not merely for the religious individuals or those who value their culture, beliefs, as well as family history. Fashion and pop culture are the existing reasons behind the present popularity of body tattooing. Mystical tattoos, flower tattoos, animal as well as tribal tattoos to name a few are somewhat common today. They may not imply anything to the individual but they certainly are striking accessories which, at the same time, showcase their preference in fashion and their nature to the others. A sophisticated design such a tiny bunny on the shoulder or the elaborate design found at the lower back can tell a lot. Tattooing is one of the best forms of self-expression; it also connotes liberty.