From dark circles to pigmented lips and hair fall, our well- loved beauty expert has great natural remedies

I have very dark circles under my eyes and they make me look old and very tired. I use the most expensive eye creams, but they have not helped. Can you suggest a remedy? — Farzana

When suffering from dark circles, you must check if your diet is healthy and includes a good quantity of fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. Drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water a day is important. After you wake up, have a tall glass of warm water with lemon juice, 1 tsp honey and a pinch of black pepper added to it. This makes a very good detox drink. Also, try cupping your eyes with your warm palms a couple of times a day. Another useful solution would be to use tea bags as eye masks. I am a 17- year- old girl and I am looking for a home remedy for pigmented lips that will work effectively. Can you suggest something that will help me?

— Name withheld Coconut oil is excellent as a skin lightener. Apply this on your lips several times a day to help lighten them.

I am 37 years old, and have dark brown patches on my cheeks. They started appearing when I got pregnant and haven’t gone yet. Can you suggest a home remedy to get rid of them?

— Diya Make a mask by mixing finely puréed potato paste with cornflour and apply a thick layer over your entire face ( especially the patches). Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes and, when dry, scrub off with cold milk followed by cold water. Never use hot water on your skin. Also, avoid being out in the sun if you can — if you do step out, apply sunblock.

I am a 13- year- old girl and I have started experiencing hair fall and severe dandruff. Please give me some home remedies for my hair issues. I also have a lot of whiteheads on my nose and below my lower lip. A quick reply would really help!

— Lalithaa Add two tbsp of yoghurt and 1 tsp of lemon juice to a beaten egg and massage this onto your scalp. After a while, shampoo off. Ensure you always brush your hair before applying this mask. Do this twice a week for best results. It would also help your hair and skin if you could drink nine to 10 glasses of water a day.

Your whiteheads can be tackled by mixing baking soda with a little water. Simply apply this onto the affected areas and allow to dry. When dry, exfoliate your skin. Do this twice a week, and your skin will look great again.

My hair is falling and very thin. I know that coconut milk is extremely nourishing and have been applying this twice a week. I was wondering if you could suggest any other natural treatment for my hair?

— Soha Beat 1 tbsp of aloe vera gel and add 2 tbsps of potato juice to it. Apply this onto your scalp and entire hair and leave on for a few of hours. Rinse with cold water. Shampoo your hair the next day. Do this for four months and you will be sure to see a difference in your hair.