Middle age has arrived in my life!

My children cheerfully helped me spot signs that I was ’losing it.’

the appearance of

- Silver in the hair
- Lines on the face
- Jiggle in the walk and
- ‘When I was your age’ statements in conversation

the disappearance of

- Hearing
- Eyesight and
- General good sense

If it was really true and I was sliding feet first into middle age, then why was acne, essentially a teenage affliction, taking it’s own sweet time to leave?

I couldn’t do much about the majority of things in that list my children complied, but acne, that old bug-bear, I was ready to tackle; the hunt for the holy grail of smooth blemish free, glowing skin, free of zits and lines was on.

Online research told me I could –

1- Wash my face several times and day, and stop touching it (what??)
2- Stop eating chocolates (they had to be kidding, the dogs!)
3- Use a medicated face pack

Option 3 won hands down!

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I brought home miracle-maker #1

Himalaya herbals – NEEM FACE PACK (for pimple prone skin)

What it promises -

It will clean up clogged pores, prevent recurrence of pimples, improve skin texture, and give it a natural glow.
(Oh yes, this sounded perfect, and if it didn’t work for me, I could always pass it on to my teen!)

Who this is for -

Anybody, young/old/male/female, with bumps and blemishes on their skin, and for anybody who just wants an excuse to take a short nap without being disturbed.

The miracle-workers -

Neem, Turmeric, and Fuller’s Earth (Multani mitti)

The tube –

Attractive white soft squeeze, screw top tube with green highlights. It seems to say – I’m cool, I’m natural, pick me up please. (I picked it up)
It comes in 2 sizes – 75gm and 200gm

What it is -

The dark green goo is thick but not dry. It spreads easily and one medium sized blob is enough for full face coverage and a Ramsay brothers effect.
Try not to laugh or do anything that stretches your skin while the pack’s drying – it can get uncomfortable. (If the clowns in your house -spouse/kids/siblings - choose this moment to put on their comedy act, try a locked door; it works.)
The pack takes between 10 and 15 minutes to dry and washes off easily – no scrubbing required. It also smells pleasant, if somewhat leafy.

What it does -

It is a refreshing treat but does not work miracles or dramatically improve skin texture. It does however make the skin feel taut and soft, and taste bitter – all effects are temporary.
The product does help reduce acne if you are battling out of control sebaceous glands, but if you have the occasional spot, it will probably just keep coming and going as it always has.

The best thing it ever did

I applied this on my sleeping son’s face, held a mirror in front of him, and nudged him awake. Hearing the sound of his screams cancelled the pain of having had to listen to his ‘losing it’ lectures

So is this good for anything other than frightening small children and other animals? Should you buy it?

Sure! No face pack out there can eliminate acne - you will have to see a dermatologist for that. But if you have a mild problem and want to use something that makes you feel you have the situation under control, this is as good as anything else out there - it’s natural, not very expensive, and is high on the feel good factor.


Ps. I called home and asked my mother for a home remedy. ‘Grind some neem leaves into a paste, add a spoonful of multani mitti, throw some turmeric powder in it and apply regularly,’ she advised ’it should work.’

I looked at the back of the neem face pack tube I held in my hand – Ingredients - nimba, panka, haridra, it said, Rs.75.

Different names, same things. Damn!

Purchase Price (INR):	Rs75.00 for 75gm
Your Skin Type:	Sensitive skin
Skin Compatibility:	No Comment
Duration of Use:	Used for 1 - 5 months