Home Remedy For Dry Hair

Dry hair tends to be thin and rough. It is susceptible to tangles, damage, breakage and split ends. We suggest a few remedies you can try at home for managing dry hair.

The primary aim is to replenish the oil and the moisture in the hair. That is why the emphasis is on the conditioning aspect of hair care. Strong cleansing routines and dry toning exercises and massaging of the scalp promote dryness and flakiness of the scalp.

The use of strong-action shampoo is prohibited for dry hair. Often a generous oil application and massage is recommended before washing the hair. Frequent shampooing is harmful for dry hair.

For the moisture-dry hair, a moisturizer application is required.

Home remedy for dry hair: The Gentle Cleanser
1. Beat an egg in a cup of skimmed milk. When the foam becomes consistent, rub it into the scalp. Leave it on for 5 minutes. Rinse the hair thoroughly with water. Carry out this routine twice a week .
2. Take a cup of coconut milk and add two tablespoons of gram flour or one teaspoon of shikakai. Apply on your scalp and hair and massage gently. Rinse it out after five minutes. Follow this recipe at least once a week.

Another dry hair home remedy: The Protein Conditioner
Beat one tablespoon of castor oil, one tablespoon of glycerin, a teaspoon of cider vinegar and a teaspoon of protein, plus a tablespoon of mild herbal shampoo. Apply it on scalp and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse with clear water.

A Special Massage Oil/Toner
Get a bottle of castor oil or coconut oil. Add a teaspoon of lavender essential oil in it. Heat a little and massage it gently in your scalp at night. Rinse or shampoo it out in the morning. Follow this routine at least twice a week.

Other tips on home based treatment of dry hair
1. First assess whether your scalp and hair are moisture dry or oil-dry.
2. Condition your hair as often as you wash it.
3. Never comb, brush or massage vigorously if the hair is extremely dry.
Before any kind of routine care is followed, be familiar with the needs of your scalp and hair.

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How To Turn Oily Skin Into Healthy Skin

Oily skin can be a headache; it can be embarrassing and physically uncomfortable. You may be wondering what you are doing that causes your skin to be so oily. Oily skin is genetic and was probably a gift from your ancestors adaptation to a hot, humid climate.

Stress and hormones play a part in oily skin as well. Of course, there may be things you are doing that worsen this condition, but rest assured, you did not cause it. However, you can control it. In all honesty having oily skin is actually a blessing in the long run, so control it for now and enjoy these benefits in the future: slower aging process, less discoloration (and freckling), and less burning.

Select cleansers carefully. Traditional care for oily skin tells people to use cleansers that strip the skin. Today, we know that stripping the skin does not help oily skin; rather it creates a vicious cycle because the skin ends up producing more oil to combat the lack of moisture caused by the excessive drying qualities of traditional treatment. Be warned, traditional products are still found on discount store shelves. You need a mild, organic cleanser that will cleanse the debris but not strip the oil.

Use warm water. Using hot water can cause excessive drying, again creating the cycle of oil production that we are trying to balance.

Forget the apple a day, and use a lemon instead. Squeeze the juice from a fresh organic lemon and apply to your face with a cotton ball, letting it sit for 3 minutes before your daily cleansing.

Witch Hazel makes a good astringent. It contains some alcohol, but not enough that it strips the skin. If you don’t care for the witch hazel, look for a mild organic toner. Soaking cotton balls in a mild astringent or witch hazel and carrying them in a sealed, airtight container for use when your skin feels too oily is better for your face than washing too frequently. You may that some mild organic astringents are sold in this form.

Masks: Use mud or clay masks for oil absorbency. Effects of mask treatments are temporary, but you may find that they are worthwhile for those special nights; temporary effects are generally lack oil surface oil and toned skin. Despite marketing hoopla, masks do not deep clean the skin, they simply cleanse away debris from the surface of the skin. If you have sensitive skin, look for masks that are lighter in color (the lighter the better for sensitivity) even though darker clay absorbs oil better. The darker clays can grievously aggravate sensitive skin, which would counteract the purpose of using a mask to temporarily make your skin look its best.

Make sure that your makeup is not oil based; for oily skin, you want to always use water based products. You can find products that camouflage oily skin by absorbing the excess oil, but they do not control oil production, no product can truly control it. To stabilize your oil production, you must concentrate on the above described care and establish a good schedule of skin care.

One product that will absorb oiliness throughout the day is cornstarch based baby powder. A light brushing of this with your makeup application will help camouflage oil during the day, how long depends on the extent of your skins oil production.

Drink your water! Sodas and other caffeinated beverages leech fluid from the body because caffeine is a diuretic. Since oily skin can be worsened by the skin trying to compensate for lack of moisture, keeping plenty of internal fluid is important.

Other than the need to keep well hydrated, studies have not shown any links between food and oily skin. Remember Mom telling you to stay away from chocolate to avoid zits? Well, she was wrong, although it is not her fault. It used to be believed that there was a link; this belief has since been proven wrong.

Learn to care for your oily skin to alleviate your daily irritation, but appreciate it for what it will do for you in the long haul. While other women may be getting (or considering) face lifts, you will be a shining example of aging gracefully.

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Most Body Care Products NOT Tested For Safety – Are Yours Safe?

The majority of shampoos and other body care products do not have their ingredients tested for safety before being used. According to the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors, 1995, the “FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing.” It is unlikely that individual applications of one product are causing immediate harm, however, most of us use many products per day, such as shampoo, conditioner, make-up, skin care like facial cleanser, moisturizers, etc., and all these exposures may add up.

Did you know that pharmaceutical companies have investigated putting drugs into shampoos because the scalp is so thin that it readily absorbs substances that are put on it? Many other personal care products are put on our skin and stay there and are absorbed all day long. Do you ever wonder about their safety?

According to the Environmental Working Group, in the United States, the FDA has banned or restricted nine (9) ingredients out of 1,175 that are used in personal care products. The European Union, in contrast, has banned 450 ingredients for use in cosmetics. Hmm!

Some further food for thought: Cancer rates are now approaching 1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 American women. This is up from 1 in 4 Americans in the 1950s despite huge expenditures on the “War on Cancer.” Dr. Samuel Epstein from the University of Illinois says that cancer rates have gone up about 60% from 1950 to 1998. A lot of us think that these rising cancer rates are at least in part due to our increasing exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, often in small amounts that accumulate in our bodies over time. These come from our food, our air and water, household furnishings and building materials, cleaning products and personal care products.

Commonly Used Chemicals in Personal Care Products That May Be Toxic:

Artificial fragrances are derived in large part from petrochemicals, not flower essences or other herbal products as many imagine. These petrochemicals release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that often cause headaches, skin irritation, nausea and allergies. Some are carcinogenic, contain or release formaldehyde or are toxic to the nervous system. Many artificial fragrances contain phthalates, which are linked to birth defects in the male reproductive system. Phthalates were found in a 2002 study by a coalition of environmental and public health organizations in deodorants, fragrances, body lotions, hair gels, mousses and sprays. Artificial fragrances in general are found in many cosmetic and personal care products.

The family of preservatives known as parabens, which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben, has recently been identified as xenoestrogens which mimic the sex hormone estrogen. They are widely used in shampoos and cosmetics for adults as well as children, even in many so-called “natural” products. However, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo metropolitan Research laboratory of Public Health, Japan, reported that the daily sperm production in lab tests of animals was significantly lower in those receiving a dose of parabens that is “similar to the lower level of acceptable daily intake for parabens in the European Community and in Japan.”

Diethanolamine (DEA) is often used as a foaming agent and emulsifier in shampoos. However, a federal National Toxicology Program completed a study in 1998 that found an association between cancer in lab animals and the topical application of DEA and other DEA-related ingredients. DEA can also lead to the formation of nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens. In response, many manufacturers switched to cocamide MEA. However, the FDA says that cocomide MEA is one “of the most commonly used ingredients that may contain DEA.” Other ingredients that include other types of MEA or TEA may also contain DEA.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG), including PEG-6, PEG-150 and other similar ingredients can be found in shampoos, lotions and other personal care products. However, a report in the International Journal of Toxicology routinely found many impurities in PEG, including ethylene oxide and 1,4-Dioxane. Ethylene oxide increases the risk of uterine, breast and other cancers. 1,4-Dioxane is a suspected human carcinogen. Testing commissioned by the Doctors’ Prescription for Health Living showed that around 50 percent of personal care products with PEG contain significant amounts of 1.4-dioxane. PEG is also found in some “natural” body care products.

High Quality Natural Body Care Products

If you are serious about reducing the amount of chemicals you are exposed to on a day to day basis, you need to search out truly natural body care products that are free of the above mentioned chemicals, as well as other toxins and carcinogens. A good place to start is to go to a health food store either online or a physical store, and make sure and read all the ingredients on the labels. Many products that call themselves “natural” contain questionable ingredients that you will be absorbing on a daily basis.

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Is My Makeup The Reason For My Dry Skin?

Dry skin affects a lot of people. They deal with it daily and have to keep to skin routines that work and be able to adapt with different products in the case that one starts to lose its effectiveness.

Dry skin can mean dull skin, usually leading to a tight feeling, itching, flaking. Some people have worse dry skin than others, with itching becoming truly annoying and requiring emollient moisturizers and extra care.

You may find that you become especially vulnerable during winter months when the harsh cold temperatures, drying winds, and low humidity virtually lay waste to your skin.

You may find that there are many reasons why you have dry skin, and among them, the makeup you wear may only be adding to your dry skin problem.

Many forms of makeup are created every day. Liquid eyeliner. Lipstick with a wet shine like lip gloss. Liquid eye shadows. Mascara that takes several steps instead of one little swipe in order to get that long lash look. While many of these may not bother you, the one thing that goes completely all over your face is foundation.

Finding the right foundation for your skin type is a must. Generally you do not have to worry about other types of makeup unless you realize they happen to be doing adverse things to your skin, but usually something like mascara will not be of any bother.

Foundation, on the other hand, is meant to cover your entire face in order to even out skin tone, hide blemishes, and if you have the right foundation, help protect your face from the outside elements that typically damage your skin (though if your foundation has a sunscreen in it, usually it will not be very strong and you will require additional sunscreen for actual sun protection).

Some makeup items may contain talc, which is a known drying ingredient that is occasionally used in cosmetics. Talc may also be referred to as talcum powder, and is created from talc, a mineral that is very commonplace.

If your makeup or foundation contains talc, then you have a problem right there. You will have to replace any items that contain talc, which may also have other negative effects on your skin. Talc has come under fire from some researchers as a cause for certain types of cancer.

However, despite drying your skin, there has been no concrete study done to prove talc is dangerous, and as it has been used safely for years in society, these claims may be unfounded.

Still, talc in your makeup means dry skin for you. Talc is not the only skin drying ingredient your makeup or foundation may contain, so you may want to do some research on the ingredients found in them, specifically in your foundation.

If your foundation claims it is meant for dry skin and your skin is still drying out, it may or may not be your foundation. You must remember that not every cosmetic or product will work for you, even if it is meant for your skin type. Everyone will react differently to a product, so if you notice adverse effects, you may want to look into switching up.

A good way to help your skin stay moisturized even when you plan on wearing makeup is to put on a lightweight moisturizer before adding your foundation and color cosmetics. Doing so will also make it much easier to smooth on your foundation and help to give you extra moisture and protection against drying agents in your immediate environment.

It may seem tedious to go over all your cosmetics to be sure they have the right stuff, but if you want to help save your dry skin, then it is a necessary tactic and something your skin deserves.

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Best Acne Skin Care Treatment

If like many others you are desperate to get your acne treated in order to regain the skin you once had then using an acne skin care treatment is essential to the process. By reading through the tips provided below you should soon be back on the road to have that beautiful skin you had before you suffered from acne.

However it is important that first of all you know what acne is and then you will be able to treat it much better. A person suffers from acne because their sebaceous glands begin to produce too much oil and when combined with dead skin cells a person’s pores will then become blocked. As the pores are blocked they are unable to breathe correctly and then bacteria sets in and so blackheads and whiteheads will begin to erupt on the person’s skin.

In order to clean your face effectively whilst treating acne of any form you should not scrub it but rather gently wash it using a mild anti-bacterial soap or lotion.

Next you need to look at what you are eating and drinking. Many people do not realize this but what they eat and drink seriously affects their acne further. Therefore you should drink lots of fresh water each day. Not only will it help to remove all those unwanted toxins (which make a person’s acne worse) from the body but it is probably the most inexpensive form of acne skin care treatment.

You should also eat vegetables which contain high amounts of Vitamin A and will normally be bright orange or yellow or green in color. By eating plenty of these vegetables such as carrots, sweet corn and broccoli, cabbage etc, it will help you achieve a much better complexion on your skin.

Besides keeping the above points in mind, you should also consult your doctor.
They will be able to prescribe acne skin care treatment medications that you will not be able to find or purchase elsewhere. But as well as using the medication provided by your doctor you should look more closely at your dietary habits and make the necessary changes and do not forget to drink plenty of fresh water also.

By taking these steps in your acne skin care treatment program you should be on the road to seeing the results of your work in the mirror in a very short period of time.

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Natural Makeup Looks: Six Tips for Letting the Natural You Shine Through

Cosmetics can help you put your best face forward. They can emphasize the features that are naturally attractive and that set you apart. But wearing too much makeup (or applying it incorrectly) can have the opposite effect.

Here are six tips to help you use makeup to enhance your features while letting the natural you shine through.

1. When it comes to makeup, less really is more. How do you know if you are wearing too much? That’s a difficult question to answer because makeup is something you wear for yourself, and that means the amount of makeup that’s just right is going to vary from person to person. As a general rule, if you rarely go out without “your face on” because you feel as though you look very different without it, you may be wearing more makeup than you genuinely need to enhance your features.

If you decide that you would like to reduce the amount of makeup that you wear, it’s best to take it slow, especially if you rely on makeup to help you feel more confident and comfortable. Go more lightly on the eyeliner for a week or so, for example, until you get accustomed to the way you look with less eye makeup. Over time, you will likely enjoy seeing more of the natural you shining through.

2. When your body and skin are healthy, you may naturally feel as though you don’t need as much makeup, so the first step in achieving a natural look is to take good care of yourself and your skin. When your skin glows, you may hesitate before you put on any foundation at all, even if you are accustomed to wearing it every day.

To enhance your skin’s natural glow, drink plenty of water, which will help your skin retain moisture and elasticity. Use a good skin care regimen and always use the moisturizers and sunscreen recommended for your skin type on both your face and neck.

3. Experiment with using powder alone, instead of a heavy foundation. You might also want to try one of the mineral foundations on the market today. These foundations provide a more translucent coverage. Many of them do a good job of evening skin tone and hiding the undesirables, but they go on light enough that the look of your natural skin is not masked.

4. During the day, stick to a light eyeliner and neutral shadow. Save the darker colors for evening. The same goes for lips: choose a subtle shade for day wear. Save the darker lipsticks and liners for evening events.

5. Make sure to blend your cheek color and eye color very well. When you take the time to blend the makeup colors, the more obvious lines becomes shadows and highlights, which look much more natural, and which help define the natural contour of your face.

6. It might be fun to stop in at the cosmetics counter at your favorite department store. Many times, you can get a complimentary makeover or makeup lesson. Let the consultant or makeup artist know that you are particularly looking for techniques to accentuate your positive features.

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Eyesential: Fresh Looking Eyes for All!

Computers and media dominate our regular activities today, though there is very less physical exercise involved, there is ample exercise for our eyes, sometimes our eyes shout out their exhaustion by burning. Highly exhausted eyes is also the reason for puffiness and wrinkles around the eyes making you look older than you really are, though you need not panic because there are products like the Eyesential to take care of wrinkles and puffiness, a lot more needs to be done to take care of eyes themselves.

How to take care of eyes?

As compared to anytime in the past you will notice that we are using out eyes a lot more. Technology has surely provided us with a lot of things that require eyes only, and this is what makes out eyes work harder. The result is often burning sensation in eyes, tired eyes, water discharge from eyes, prickliness, irritation, etc. There have been certain efforts to reduce the rays venturing into the eyes; however, the risk has not been completely eliminated.

Taking care of your makeup and good looks can be done through Eyesential, but then how to care of eyes themselves? There are a lot of small ways you can ensure that your eyes are getting ample rest and relaxation.

Firstly, you should decide how many hours you want to make your eyes peer at the computer screen, if you work involves many hours in front of the screen, make sure that once you get back from your workplace you give your eyes a rest. This can be done by washing your eyes thoroughly and relaxing your body and eyes by closing eyes and taking some rest for ten minutes. Later too, avoid looking too long at the television, instead you can put on some music for entertainment. If watching television is a must, then ensure, you are giving your eyes a cold massage, this means you are putting some ice on your eyes, this will provide your eyes with a lot of relaxation.

How to ensure clean fresh eyes?

For clean fresh looking eyes, you need cutting out long nights and ensuring sleep that is complete, you should also ensure that you put on proper make up when going out, there are magical products like the Eyesential to take care of cosmetic requirements around your eyes. However, keeping you eyes clean will take away most of the tiredness, for this you need to wash your eyes with very clean water (preferably filtered) twice a day to wash away any dirt that has accumulated in your eyes. Getting rid of puffiness around eyes is simple enough, applications that have been used by celebrities to hide out long nights are quite useful and affordable for us too. There are products like Eyesential that the cosmetics experts bank on for celebrities, which you can try for firmer and prettier eyes.
You should however know that cosmetics products like Eyesential are not for your eyes, in fact these are for make up of skin around your eyes, you need using specialized products for eye care, so that you can get shiny, clean eyes.

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Why Every Woman Must Have At Least One Pair Of Black High Heel Shoes In Their Wardrobe

There are some fashion items that are must haves for everyone. Just like a man needs to have at the very least a pair of black shoes and a pair of brown shoes, every woman needs to own a pair of black high heel shoes. These shoes can be interchanged with so many different elements in your wardrobe that it is essential to have them. Most women I know have numerous pairs of high heel shoes in many different colors that are to be worn with certain out fits but the great thing about black is that it goes with so many different things and they aren’t seasonal either.

Not only can black high heel shoes be worn with evening wear and business suits or dresses but they also go great with a pair of jeans. One of the big benefits of these shoes is that they can be used to bring together a great formal look or even dress up a pair of jeans. Wearing jeans, with a plain white shirt and black high heels is a very sexy look and it is very inexpensive. You can have the entire outfit for under a hundred bucks!

Unlike some fad colors like silver, gold, etc black will never go out of style. With many other shoe styles and colors you will find that they simply go out of style in many cases after only a season. For this reason you can feel comfortable investing more on black high heels because they will never go out of style, therefore you can keep them for years. I wouldn’t recommend spending a lot of money on the fad colors and styles because they may only be in style a few months and then you never wear them again.

It is also highly recommended that you have two or three different pairs. Maybe you want to have a lower and wider heel for work and then a taller stiletto heel for going out. These as I said before look very sexy with a pair of jeans or a short skirt. You also may want a pair that are more open maybe for a more formal look. You also may want to look at different shades and finishes of black that give you different looks. Black is one color that you simply can not be without and needs to be included in every woman’s wardrobe. It doesn’t matter what kind of event you are attending, whether going to work or a night out you just can’t go wrong with black high heels. Get on the internet and you can shop for them without even leaving your house and you will have access to shoes from all over the world.

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Consider Class, Color, and Comfort for Stress-Free Gown Selection

That little black dress will work for almost any affair, but what happens when a woman tires of the same old look? Hunting for a dress or gown for different events can be a nightmare. This can especially be the case when dealing with gowns for a wedding.

Whether you’re a bride looking for right attire for your bridesmaids, or you’re planning to attend a different kind of formal, the attire chosen is a very big deal. Brides, however, carry the additional onus of having to make a lot of people happy at once while also worrying about their friends’ checkbooks, too! This is, of course, not to mention the bride and groom’s own personal wishes for wedding day appearances.

Brides on the hunt for great bridesmaids gowns can help themselves out a lot by considering these things before picking out gowns that will make everyone unhappy:

* Remember it is your day, but others are involved, too. Don’t make a final decision without getting a little feedback.

* Consider your colors. If the colors you’ve chosen are guaranteed to make all your friends look awful, you might want to reconsider. Good colors are those that make you happy, but also enhance their looks, or at least don’t look awful on them. Your sister might acquiesce to wear her least favorite color for the big day, but your friends might not be friends much longer if you force them to wear pea green chiffon.

* Take bridesmaids’ appearances under advisement. If your entire wedding party would look drop dead gorgeous in strapless, tea length gowns, good for you. If that’s not the case, do consider clothing styles that are at the very least flattering. It might be your big day, but you don’t want to see your friends and relatives uncomfortable and embarrassed.

* Plan for reuse. One of the best ways to make everyone happy is to choose gowns that are stylish, beautiful and offer a chance for reuse. Overly frilly, unusual colors that make bridesmaids look like the top of wedding cakes can’t be worn again – usually. But, gowns that are tasteful and avoid wacky color combinations and unusual and uncomfortable materials most likely can.

Whether you’re shopping for your own wedding or just looking for a formal gown for another special occasion, the key is to find clothing that will suit the event and also personal styles, too. Going to a formal dressed in something that’s uncomfortable, unflattering or just down right ugly won’t put a big smile on a woman’s face. Dressing smart and elegant, however, will. Smart and elegant doesn’t have to mean outrageously expensive either.

Shop around and take the time to consider everyone involved. If you’re just shopping for you, pick out dresses or gowns that flatter your appearance and make you feel “beautiful” while wearing them. If you look good, you’ll feel better, which will reflect in the entire ensemble.

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Tips for Playing Cooking Games

There are a few tips to get the most out of your time spent playing a cooking game. The games may vary greatly in their objectives and styles, but they will offer match up in a few places. They will all basically come down to staying organized and planning ahead. If you watch your actions you will be able to earn the big points and get the upgrade you want.

The first tip is to pay attention for any combos that you can rack up. The best way to easily make points in these games is to try and get a good line of combos. Just about every game will give you a bonus for doing the same action several times in a row. If you are asked to make spaghetti for two people then you should make the two dishes at the same time. For example, you’d add the pasta to both and then add the sauce to both. This should count as two separate combos for you.

The second tip actually ties up with the first. Remember that you don’t have to rush too much for your customers. It is better to take multiple orders at once and benefit from the various combo bonuses that can be won. One or two might drop a little in happiness but a near perfect meal will usually boost their satisfaction back up to the top tier. Remember, you rarely gain anything for the people being happy the whole time. You gain the points for the people being happy when they leave. It’s okay to let them get a little angry as long as you plan to make it up to them.

The third tip is that you take the time to learn the orders. Specific orders will usually follow a predictable path. In fact, most customers have one or two favorite orders. By making little mental notes about these things you’ll be able to better prepare yourself for coming problems. Like I said at the beginning, preparations and organization will make or break your success in a cooking game.

Finally, you have to try and not panic over your mistakes. Just about everyone is going to mess up on a level in a cooking game. You may mess up an order or overcook something. The only thing you can do is start over and fix it. You may not get an expert score for the level but that’s not the end of the world. Just try to manage your mistakes and move on. Getting yourself worked up over one failure will only lead to more problems in the long run. This goes for the solution to your problem as well. If you mess up a meal then you can’t break your whole routine to fix it. Just act like it’s a new order and add it to the next batch. If you drop everything to recook the order you’ll probably burn everything else too.

Cooking games shouldn’t be terribly complex if you are just going for the basic success, but you will need to follow these basic ideas if you really want to succeed and get all the upgrades you can. This should make your gaming a bit more enjoyable.

Source: http://sunflower1204.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/tips-for-playing-cooking-games/

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