What is the first image that comes to your mind when you hear the word ice? Most probably, the snow-laden valley of Kashmir or a few melting cubes in a glass on a hot summer day. However, there are a whole lot alternative uses for ice that one can explore. Take a look at some of the unusual and surprising uses for ice cubes.

Makeup rescue:
If you are going out and you don’t have time to put on makeup then ice can be your 'saving grace'. Ice gives your skin a fresh dewy feel that would make your skin look radiant even without any makeup on. Apply an ice cube, wrapped in a soft cloth or tissue, before you put on your makeup, to your it last longer.

Get rid of tan:
Ice provide a very cooling and soothing feeling when applied on skin. Ice helps in cooling off sunburn, all you have to do is apply some cubes on the affected area. This is an effective home remedy to get rid of the tanning.

Rest your eyes:
Tired after a long day at work or have been staring at the computer screen for long; then try this trick for the sake of your eyes. Take some ice, wrap it in a soft cloth and rub it over your eyes. This will not only sooth your stress, but will also remove puffiness from eyes. This trick will make you feel relaxed and refreshed

Painless plucking:
Practically, all women go through the periodic painful procedure of having their eyebrows plucked. Rubbing an ice cube across the eyebrow line makes the region temporarily numb, thus reducing the agony of plucking. Repeat the procedure after plucking eyebrows as it helps in preventing redness.

Take care of acne:
Applying ice on the acne not only has a soothing effect on skin but also helps to close swollen pores and prevent bacteria from entering your skin. Take ice in a washed cloth and rub it over scars for 10 minutes every day, this will help tighten pores and reduce inflammation.

Chewing gum remover:
Even though one is too ashamed to admit it, but it is a very generic accident of finding a chewing gum stuck on your hair or clothes. Ice happens to be a lifesaver in such situations as it hardens the gum, which you can easily scrape off, without causing much damage to the surface.

Tried tons of serums and masks, but still can't seem to rid your complexion of blemishes or dry skin? The trick may not be what you are putting on your skin, but in your body. There is a correlation between what you eat and how your skin looks. We spoke with Kimberly Snyder, a celebrity nutritionist (she's worked with Drew Barrymore and Kerry Washington) and the author of the just released book, The Beauty Detox Foods, about what foods we should be incorporating in our diets for a brighter, healthier looking complexion.

Pears
Pears are packed full of nutrients that promote a healthy glow - copper, potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins C, E, B and K. "Although pears have a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity, which neutralizes aging free radicals quite efficiently, most of pears' antioxidants are contained in the skin," says Snyder. So if you plan on adding pears to your anti-aging regimen, she recommends going organic so that you can eat the skins without the pesticides.

Cabbage
"It is not commonly known that cabbages actually contain about 11 percent more vitamin C than oranges by weight, and vitamin C is the super anti-aging nutrient that helps heal damaged tissues and minimize deep lines," Snyder says. Another plus - the vegetable is packed with vitamin A, which is helpful in smoothing fine lines.

I love me some natural beauty…partially because I'm a little lazy, partially because I like to save money, but mostly because natural beauty works amazingly well. Also, if you're a busy mom (or just a busy woman in general!), then it's likely you don't have a ton of time for spa days. But that's no matter, because you probably already have a ton of the needed ingredients for having your own at-home spa day right in your kitchen! Click through for 7 kitchen beauty staples!

Oatmeal can be used for quite a few beauty purposes. If you've got an issue with acne, just cook up a bit, let it cool and apply to the affected area to reduce inflammation. You can also bathe in the stuff or use it as a base for scrub. To whip up the scrub, just add the following: 3/4 cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup ground oatmeal + 1/4 cup honey + 3/4 cup olive oil. Then scrub away!

Eggs make a great hair moisturizer, so if you're locks have been lacking a little luster lately (holy alliteration Batman!), just apply eggs. Crack a few (2-3 depending on the length of your hair - I would use three for my long hair) and then whisk them up. Apply to the entire length of your hair. Let it dry and then shower and rinse the egg off with cold water. Presto! Shiny hair!

Lemon is awesome and can be added to quite a few concoctions to create masks and the like, but here are a few of it's "straight" uses... 1) Rub it on age spots every night for a couple of weeks - rinse in the morning and you'll start to see your spots lighten, 2) Doing the above on areas of your skin with blackheads will get rid of them, 3) Rub is on rough patches of skin, like elbows and knees to soften and brighten skin.

Is your skin suffering from the blahs? Does it look dull, dehydrated, or worse, scaly like a reptile? Here are some tips to bring back that fresh, youthful glow.

Eat a nutritious diet. You are what you eat, and sooner or later, subsisting on junk will take its toll on your skin.

Did you know that overindulging in sweets dulls skin and brings on the wrinkles? Eek! Try to stay away from carbonated drinks and processed food, and cut down on your salt and sugar intake. Eat more vitamin-, antioxidant-, and fiber-rich food for skin to glow from within.

Aside from your favorite vitamin-infused beauty products, you can get your daily dose of skin-brightening vitamins from drinking a glass of fresh fruit juice a day--Vitamin C-rich orange juice, antioxidant-rich apple juice, and the natural astringent quality of warm lemon juice are great for clarifying the skin.

Endorphins, baby. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to sluggish circulation, and ultimately, dull skin. So no matter how busy you are (or how tempting that couch is), try to move your butt at least thrice a week to get your heart pumping and sweat out all those nasty toxins.

The trick to keeping to a regular fitness routine is to pick an activity you enjoy, whether it's badminton, Zumba, yoga, or a daily walk around the neighborhood. Aside from looking healthier, you'll feel great, radiant, and energetic, too!

Skin-tervention. Have you been abusing your skin lately? Piling on the makeup, experimenting on too many products, exposing it to harsh weather elements, using formulations for a different skin type, forgetting to wash your face before you sleep? Bad girl!

Never ever go to bed without taking the daily grime and makeup off—your skin needs to breathe, or it might retaliate with a sprinkling of zits in the morning. It's also important to use only quality products that are formulated for your skin type so you don't irritate and disrupt the balance of your skin.

We all put on makeup—a little lipstick every morning, concealer to hide some blemish, and sometimes the works to make us look more presentable for work or some get-together—so imagine the dismay when the makeup product you just spent your hard-earned cash on makes you break out in a rash or severe acne. Not only has the makeup wrought havoc on your skin, it'll also mean pricey visits to the dermatologist for treatment. Read on these skin 911 tips from skin experts on how to deal with nasty makeup-related break outs.

Stop, look and listen (to your skin)

If you experience a sudden break out, dermatologist Dr. Liberty Sumilang advises to stop using the makeup, stat. Make sure though that the true culprit of your break out is indeed the makeup. "There are a lot of other skin products routinely used like cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreen, etc. that could either contribute to or cause the break out," she adds.

Dr. Dianalyn Lorenzo at Skinhealth recommends giving skin a seven-day breather from all products, because certain ingredients in your regular skin care regimen could cause further irritation, even if your skin is already used to them. "Use a mild soap or cleanser to clean face and slowly re-introduce your regularly used products to help skin recover faster," she says.

Wipe the slate clean

For sudden break outs, Dr. Sumilang recommends seeing a dermatologist before trying to zap zits yourself. A dermatologist will be able to recommend which products or treatments will help clear your skin faster. Make sure to stock up on mild, fragrance-free cleansers and moisturizers to occasionally give your skin a break. Avoid exfoliating though; this won't slough off the acne-affected parts and may irritate your skin more.

Heal now, white later

If you're on a skin-brightening regimen, make sure to cease any whitening products until your break out has subsided, as some whitening products have ingredients that can irritate sensitized skin. You can resume your whitening program once your skin has cleared, you'll need it then to help even out your skin and banish dark spots from the acne scars.

Yes, it's possible to eat certain foods and boost your longevity. Often labeled "super foods," these foods have the ability to not only strengthen the immune system, but to also fight disease, and lower body fat and cholesterol.

All of these health benefits can help you live a longer, healthier, and happier life.

Some super foods contain substances called antioxidants and phytochemicals, which work together to fight disease and promote a long life.

A majority of these foods work best when they're combined with a well-balanced diet.

Common Super Foods For Boosting Longevity

Certain types of fish, particularly fatty cuts of fish, contain healthy fats that help lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. These foods may also reduce depression. Salmon, trout, and mackerel are among the top choices. These fish contain valuable omega-3 fatty acids.

Tomatoes
are valuable because they contain lycopene, which helps fight free radicals. Free radicals can damage the skin and vital organs. Lycopene also helps stimulate the immune system; some studies show it might prevent the progression of certain degenerative diseases, and protect against prostate cancer.

When it comes to

broccoli, your mother had it right. Broccoli could be considered the number one super food; many experts agree that if you can eat just one vegetable, these green guys are your best bet. Broccoli contains large amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and fiber, and can help prevent bone loss, fight disease, reduce your risk of heart disease, and even boost your immune system.

Stop doing so many crunches
Most people think that to achieve a flat, toned stomach you need to do a thousand crunches every morning before work, but that’s just not true. The surprising secret is that doing lots of ab specific exercises will only help you tone that area on a short-term basis, if at all.
To get the flat stomach you want, you have to work your entire core, building up its strength and flexibility. Doing exercises like Pilates or stability ball work will help you do this. Working your core is the key to achieving a flat stomach because it works all of the muscles in your stomach area, such as the rectus abdominis, your internal and external obliques and your transversus abdominis.

Stock up on whole grains
A study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered a surprising secret for a flatter stomach. The study gave participants a healthy diet to eat, consisting of fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, meat and fish. However, they gave one set of participants wholegrain foods to eat and the other set of participants refined grain foods.

Losing weight is not just about reducing food intake and cutting things out of your diet. There are a few food stuffs you can add to your diet which can help with and potentially speed up weight loss.

Diet food 1: Grapefruit

We've all heard of the grapefruit diet but you don't have to live on a diet of grapefruit alone to lose weight. It's been found that that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day can help you drop the pounds. The magic ingredient is the fruit's phytochemicals and their effect of reducing insulin levels which stimulates your body to convert calories into energy rather than storing as flabby fat.

Diet food 2: Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a super spice when it comes to boosting your wellbeing as it has many health-giving properties. In terms of weight loss, it's all to do with controlling those post-meal insulin spikes, which is what make you feel hungry. And you don't need to get much of the stuff to get the benefits; studies have shown that just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day can lower the blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. To up your cinnamon intake either sprinkle it on to your breakfast cereal, or maybe mix it into your morning latte.

Diet food 3: Chili peppers

Adding a bit of heat to your diet can give you a weight-loss boost. Studies show that having a spicy start to your morning, i.e. eating chilies as a part of your breakfast can make you opt for a smaller lunch. Apparently it's down to capsaicin which is found in chilies and red peppers that has appetite suppressing properties. Granted — chilies aren't the easiest of items to face as your morning meal but how about as a part of a spicy egg-white omelette or stirred into scrambled eggs for a spicy weight loss kick.