In today's highly toxic world, all too often, we find ourselves getting adversely affected in small ways. Chemical pollution ravages us in various manners. Our skin especially, seems to pay the biggest of prices, as it constantly exposed to all elements. A little self-medication at home will prevent many a visit to the doctor, the dermatologist and the medical store.

Our kitchens house a multitude of ingredients which, when used well, help undo the damages and tend to our skin with a gentle nurturing effect. Such regular care will help combat small but irritating problems and leave our skin healthy and rejuvenated.

Probably the toxins in the air that settle on our skin do the worst damage. These need to be cleansed out daily. Since the days of Queen Cleopatra, milk has been acknowledged as the best of skin cleansers. Dip some cotton into some warm milk and apply it on your face with gentle upward strokes. Your skin will get clean and supple in no time at all.

Sometimes too much oil not only produces a dark gleam but also opens up skin pores. This results in pimples, acne and other skin disruptions. Rubbing a slice of cold lime on our skin will help close the pores and do away with various skin problems. A paste of neem, tulasi (basil) and turmeric, applied over the affected areas regularly, gently cures skin problems. It leaves your skin smooth and glowing.

Lime however should not be used on faces with dry skin. Lime will only make it dry further. This would leave the skin unhealthy and prone to rapid ageing.

Dead cells can be scrubbed off with a tight mixture of flour and milk. Just remember that all strokes should run upward and outward. Downward strokes on facial skin will only hasten the ageing process and would defeat the purpose altogether.

Dermatologists around the world frown on bleaches being used on skin. They believe that it does more harm than good in the long run. But milk and honey mixed in minuscule amounts and applied on the skin would serve the purpose just as well and win your doctor's approval as well.