8 Worst Hair Shampoos

Be kind to your hair. Avoid these.

Before you fall for promising packaging, see why readers gave these shampoos a thumbs down See shampoos

No. 8: Bumble and bumble Seaweed Shampoo, $16

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.4*

"It does have a funny smell and my hair doesn't feel clean after use."

No. 7: PHYTO PhytoSpecific Optimal Hydration Shampoo, $24

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.3*

"For the cost you can buy another better shampoo; it's just not worth it."

No. 6: Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, $5.99

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.2*

"It was pretty difficult to get enough lather to completely get my hair clean, and I ended up in the shower for way longer than I wanted to be."

Want to see No. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1? Click here.

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Are our eyes ageing faster than our bodies?

Improved standard of living and better medical facilities have certainly made the world a better place to live. Our life span has increased; we are outliving our ancestors and the overall quality of our life has improved significantly since last few decades, but everything’s not hunky-dory. Compared to our ancestors we are enjoying better health - no doubts about it, but we are possibly outliving our eyeballs say the Australian researchers working at The Vision Centre in Australia.

What they are trying to convey is, people who have added many more years to their lives than their ancestors enjoyed are in fact, suffering from deteriorating night vision and even blindness. Team leader Professor Jonathan Stone explains: Each eyeball starts out with some 150 million light- catching photoreceptors at birth - but these begin to die at the rate of several hundred a day, explaining why a person's vision deteriorates over time. Many people retain as many as 100 million or more photoreceptors in each eye when they are in their 80s, but for others their eyesight has by then begun to deteriorate. '. So he and his team are looking for ways of preserving these photoreceptors for as long as possible into late age.

As part of his research, he is looking into how foods rich in antioxidants can help protect eyes against light damage. Acute high oxygen, for instance, he remarks is protective to photoreceptors and tends to make them respond better. Now that bit explains why a regular practice of the breathing exercise Anulom vilom pranayama, that apparently increases oxygen intake while breathing is seen to improve a person’s eyesight. Professor Jonathan Stone further mentions that apart from genetics, the rate at which a person loses their photoreceptors is determined by their amount of life-exposure. So his advice to people over 20’s is to always wear sunglasses when outdoors in bright light.

However, there’s an interesting twist to this theory as another research has also found that children spending two or three hours outside each day halve their chance of developing near-sightedness (myopia). Researchers believe that natural light – sunlight, which can be hundreds of times brighter than indoor light triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine that supposedly prevents the distortion of the eyeball - which causes this condition. So researchers conclude saying that we have to strike a correct balance between more outdoor exposure in youth to prevent myopia (near-sightedness) and in later years try and make greater use of light protection eye gear, in the form of sunglasses or specially formulated contact lenses to prevent age-related degeneration.

See also:

• Keep your eyes in a good condition with these habits
• Eye yoga
• Simhamudra (lion-pose) eye exercise
• Eye care for computer users
• Clay pads for your tired eyes

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Readers' Picks for Best At-Home Hair Color

See which brand beat Clairol and L'Oreal to deliver the most natural results

These boxed wonders do the job so well, you may want to cancel your salon appointment. See the best

15. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Multi-Lights, $7.79

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8*

What you said: "It doesn't smell as strong as ..."

14. Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free, $9.49

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.1*

What you said: "The brassiness is definitely gone from ..."

13. L'Oreal Paris Feria Hair Color, $9.59

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.1*

What you said: "I would prefer [this] over paying ..."

Want to see what's number 1? Click here!

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Spring water that imparts youthfulness

From ancient times water has been called as an ‘elixir of life’ and not without reason. It has been found that drinking water helps. Not only does it cure hosts of diseases but waters from certain springs are believed to have astounding powers ranging from anti-ageing effects to curing several skin diseases. Now when everyone seems to be in pursuit of the eternal fountain of youth, this topic has gained enough relevance and several researches are being conducted to test the potency of these ‘miraculous spring waters’.

A recent research has found that that the pure waters of the Pannanich Wells in north-east Scotland could help hold back the hands of time. Experiments conducted by scientists show that the spring water, bottled and sold as Deeside Water, mops-up dangerous molecules that have been linked to ageing as well as a host of diseases. The water was also found to beat other brands in hydrating the skin, making it appear more youthful and smoothing away wrinkles. If that were not enough, previous studies have credited the water with easing the pain of arthritis and thwarting the growth of cancerous cells. This spring water reportedly found favour with Queen Victoria, a great beauty of her time. The youthful looks of the current Queen is also attributed to this water.

Kabbalah Water-secret of Madonna's looks?

Talking of celebrity fads, Madonna, for instance, has developed a pricey habit of drinking only specially blessed Kabbalah water. Apparently, it costs about $5 per bottle and it is rumoured that Madonna spends $10,000 per month on this water alone; in fact, she ships cartons of it to wherever she is staying. She is 50 but still looks stunning; perhaps Kabbalah water is one of the chief contributors to her gorgeous looks.

See also:

• Drive back pain away by drinking enough water
• Water therapy for insomnia and headache

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Quotes on life

I came across some thought-provoking ‘quotes on life’ that are worth remembering. Just paste them at a conspicuous place at home and reflect on them periodically.

Life is what happens to you while you're working for your future.

Unknown

Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Desire is half of life, indifference is half of death.
- Kahlil Gibran

Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.
-- Leo Buscaglia

You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.
- Joe Lewis

You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be - in baseball and in life.
- Pete Rose

Don't sacrifice your life to work and ideals. The most important things in life are human relations. I found that out too late.
- Katharinde Susannah Prichard Australian Author

There are three ingredients to the good life; learning, earning, and yearning.
- Christopher Morley

Love absolutely everything that ever happens in your life.
- Paul Cantalupo, MD

Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents in asylums, and those in cemeteries.
- Everett McKinley Dirksen

Life is just one damned thing after another.
- Elbert Hubbard

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Pros Spill Their Top 15 Secret Beauty Weapons

They can't make models look hot without these products -- you shouldn't live without them either.

Models are born gorgeous but even they need help from beauty pros to look picture perfect. We got the scoop on the key products their makeup artists and hair stylists can't work without. Make sure these secret weapons are in your beauty stash. See products

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