PET bottles , Can bottles be reused ??? Busted the myths

4 Secrets of Water Bottles No One Wants You to Know

We all drink water from plastic bottles, but do you know what dark secrets are under the cap?

 Why we shouldn’t reuse plastic bottles

A plastic bottle can exude dangerous chemicals. Pay attention to the special signs on the bottom: those numbered triangles indicate which kind of plastic was used.

A bottle labeled 1 (PET or PETE) is only safe for a single use. When exposed to oxygen or high temperatures, including sun heat, such a bottle will discharge toxic substances that get into the water.Avoid bottles labeled 3 or 7 (PVC and PC) as they exude toxic chemicals able to penetrate your food and drinks, and lengthy exposure can even result in severe health problems.

Bottles made of polyethylene (2 and 4) and polypropylene (5 and PP) are suitable for multiple uses. They’re relatively safe if you only store cold water in them and regularly disinfect them.

3. Bacteria and basic hygiene breaches

Drinking water from a used plastic bottle is almost the same as licking a toilet seat, a dog’s toy, or even worse scientists say. The amount of bacteria in such bottles often exceeds safety limits. We create the perfect growth conditions ourselves by taking the bottle with dirty hands, not rinsing it thoroughly enough, and keeping warm water in it.

What to do then? Wash bottles regularly with warm soapy water, vinegar, or antibacterial mouthwash.

Even with washing the bottles thoroughly, we may still get food poisoning or even hepatitis A. Research showed that most bacteria live on bottle necks that you can’t wash well enough. Twist caps and sliding caps teem with germs that you swallow along with water. To be on the safe side, use a straw.

2. Where does your water come from?

A lot of companies love to mention on their packaging that the water you buy comes from a picturesque stream. But the truth is a lot of times the water you buy in a bottle is identical to the water you get from your faucet at home!

Actually, you can even see that on the bottle itself, usually in a tiny text that everybody neglects. Companies are obliged to explain that the source of water for them is the main water supply channel. That way the water costs way, way less than what you are paying for it!

1. Not really healthy

Not even mentioning the bacteria hazard, there are common misconceptions about water.

Bottled water companies want to attract the new market of young and sporty people. So they advertise bottled water with different tastes added to it, claiming "it’s healthier for you" than other sugary drinks.

Courtesy : Brightside.

FD vs PPF

Investing in any investment avenue requires some basic know-how on your part – the investor. Simply going by what friends and family says can do more harm than good to your hard-earned money. Thus, it is imperative for you to exercise a certain degree of caution, self-learning, and be responsible for your investments.
This should be the approach even when you are investing in a bank fixed deposit or Public Provident Fund (PPF), the most common instruments suitable for risk-averse investors.
Let us understand these two investment instruments better…

What is a Bank Fixed Deposit?
Bank Fixed Deposits (FDs), also known as term deposits, is the most traditional form of investment in India. You earn a fixed rate of interest on your investment, serving your objective of wealth creation.
There are various types: A bank FD, FD with sweep-in facility, flexi-deposit, special deposits (which come with certain benefits or perks) and so on.
Further, you have the choice to receive interest on your deposit at maturity i.e. cumulative, or non-cumulatively –– either monthly or quarterly for the tenure you choose. A bank fixed deposit of a higher amount will attract a higher interest rate and likewise.
The interest earned on bank FD is taxable as per the provision of the Income-tax Act, 1961; therefore usually tax is deducted at source (TDS).
Here are 10 benefits of a bank FD:

• Today, a FD can be booked/opened online (most banks have this facility) in few minutes
• Offers a higher rate of interest than keeping money in a savings account
• The returns are fixed –– there is no risk as in case of market-linked instruments
• Encourage savings
• Facilitates wealth creation
• You have the flexibility to choose the tenure
• You can hold multiple FDs with multiple banks
• You can avail a loan against the bank FD
• It is a liquid investment (since bank FDs can be prematurely withdrawn)
• Section 80C deduction for investments in Tax Saving Bank Deposits

 You can start with as little as Rs 5,000, while there isn’t a maximum limit. A bank FD can be opened by:

• Resident Individuals
• Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)
• Proprietorship Firms
• Partnership Firms
• Limited companies
• Trust

Even NRIs can open a bank FD.
Make it a point to have a nomination. A nominee is a person who will have legal right after your demise. A nominee can be your legal heir (a family member) or anyone who is not a part of the family. You can nominate by filling in the nomination form and submitting it to the bank. For bank FDs held in joint name, the nomination process needs to be carried out jointly by all the holders. Further, a nomination can be made only in individual capacity and not official capacity, using designations. In most cases, one can nominate only individuals and not organizations, barring for certain Trusts.

What is a Public Provident Fund?

PPF is a scheme of the Central Government, framed under the PPF Act of 1968. Briefly, PPF is a Government-backed, long-term small savings scheme which was initiated to provide retirement security to self-employed individuals and workers in the unorganized sector.
So, if you are keen on a safe corpus, earning a decent tax-free rate of return, enjoying tax benefit; then PPF is for you. The contributions (i.e. investments) made to the PPF account, earn a tax-free interest and the maturity proceeds too are exempt from income-tax. Hence, it is said that PPF enjoys an E-E-E (Exempt-Exempt- Exempt) status from an Income-tax angle.
The main features of a PPF account are:

Eligibility	Applicant needs to be a Resident Indian
Entry Age	No age is specified (Minor is allowed through guardian)
Interest rate	7.80% p.a. compounded annually*
Tenure	15 financial years (plus the first year of investment) On completion of 15 years, the account can be extended in a block of 5 years
Minimum Investment	Rs 500 p.a.
Maximum Investment	Rs 1,50,000 p.a. (A maximum of 12 deposits allowed in a financial year)
Tax Benefit	Up to Rs 1,50,000 under Section 80C; Interest earned is exempt from tax and so are the maturity proceeds
Can be opened at	Any Post Office and some authorized branches of Banks
Who cannot invest	Hindu Undivided Family (HUF); Non-resident Indians (NRIs); and Person of Foreign Origin
Mode of Payment	Cash / Crossed Cheque / Demand Draft / Pay Order / Online Transfer in favour of the Accounts Officer
Nomination	Nomination facility is available

PPF offers loans against the account which can also help you during occasions such as a wedding in the family, higher education of your children, etc. Above all, it gives you a peace of mind as your money is safe.
Keep in mind, you need to be disciplined to make the most of your PPF investment, and also meet your liquidity needs elsewhere; because under this investment avenue your money is blocked for a good 15 years. Have a long-term investment horizon; it can help you in retirement planning as well.

Herein below are some distinguishing points between a bank FD and PPF:

• Interest Rates
  At present, the rate of interest on a 1-year bank FDs offered by most banks ranges from 5.00% to 7.00% per annum.
  On the other hand, interest rate on PPF is currently 7.8%. This rate is subject to change/reset every three months based on the 10-year G-Sec yield of the previous quarter. This is intended to keep bank deposits competitive and closely aligned to other Small Savings Schemes (SSS) such as National Savings Certificates (NSCs), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY).
• Maturity or Lock in Period
  There is no lock-in period for bank FDs, except for a Tax Saving Bank FD. The maturity period for a bank FD ranges from 7 days to 10 years.
  But in case of PPF, your money is blocked for the first 5 years and matures only after 15 years. But this instils discipline, particularly if you wish to plan for your golden years by earning a decent rate of return, enjoy tax benefits (deduction and tax free interest), and have a long-term investment horizon.
• Premature Withdrawals
  Most of the banks give you the flexibility to withdraw the money from fixed deposits before maturity. Meaning, you can prematurely withdraw from bank FD in case of any emergency or financial crisis or owing to any other reason, subject to a penalty (0.5% to 1.0% lower interest than the contracted rate) and other terms & conditions, except for a Tax Saving Bank FD that have a strict lock-in. Hence, always make it a point to read the fine-print before you decide to invest.
  On the other hand, in PPF you are eligible to withdraw money any time after the expiry of 5 years from the end of financial year when the initial subscription was made. This is an amount of not more than 50% of the previous financial year’s balance or the 4th financial year, immediately preceeding the year of withdrawal, whichever is less. You cannot make more than a single withdrawal in a financial year. You need to apply with ‘Form C’ for any withdrawals.
• Tax benefit and implications
  Only investments in Tax Saving Bank FD are entitled to deduction under Section 80C of the Income-Tax Act (subject to current maximum permissible deduction of Rs 1,50,000 per annum). For the rest, this tax benefit is not available.
  The interest earned on a bank FD, including the tax saving bank FD, is taxable as per one’s income tax slab on accrual basis. If the interest amount exceeds Rs 10,000 the bank will deduct tax at source (TDS) @ 10%, and if you haven’t provided your PAN then @20%.
  PPF on the other hand enjoys an E-E-E status. Meaning, when you invest/contribute you enjoy a tax deduction under Section 80C of the Income-Tax Act, 1961, then the interest earned is not taxable, plus the amount at maturity too is exempt from tax. This makes PPF a tax efficient investment avenue.
• Loan facility
  Most banks do offer a loan against your fixed deposit. You can avail for a loan upto 80-90% of your fixed deposit amount. The interest charged on such a loan is comparatively lower than for personal (unsecured) loans.
  A loan facility is available on a PPF account too. The first loan can be taken in the 3rd year of opening the account. For example, if the account was opened during the year 2010-11, the first loan can be taken during the year 2012-2013. The loan amount will be restricted to 25% of the balance, including the interest for the year 2010-11 in the account as on 31/3/2011. The loan must be repaid in a maximum of 36 EMIs, i.e. 3 years. You can take a second loan against your PPF account before the end of your 6th financial year, but your second loan can be taken only once your first loan is fully settled.
• PPF or FD: Which Between the Two Should You Invest in?
  Both PPF and FDs both are worthy investment avenues. But, keep in mind your liquidity needs, interest rate scenario, risk profile, investment objective and inflation before investing your hard-earned money.
  FDs offer easy liquidity, which is not available in PPF. But even while investing in a bank FD, take a well-thought out approach and read the terms & conditions carefully before investing. To maximize the tax benefits, PPF is a promising and investment avenue, particularly when planning your retirement.
  By investing in fixed deposit and PPF, you ensure that you have put your money to work with some amount of security. To accelerate the pace of wealth creation process, you can also consider investing in mutual funds to diversify your investments. Always remember to choose your investment avenues wisely. Adopt a need-based approach; invest in various asset classes, whereby the risk can be managed better while you endeavor to achieve the envisioned financial goals.

Bitcoin & Various other ways to buy cryptocurrencies in India

Different ways to buy cryptocurrencies in India

If you are interested in getting hold of cryptocurrencies, despite the risk, here's a look at how to go about it.

 As bitcoin prices skyrocket, it seems like everyone around wants to join the bandwagon, irrespective of the lack of understanding of the instrument and the risks involved. (To know more about pricing rationale, read here.).When a weekly call from your sibling or a coffee conversation with your colleague turns into a bitcoin purchase talk, you know that the interest in bitcoins is increasing. If you are interested in getting hold of cryptocurrencies, here's a look at how to go about it.

How to get there?

According to coinmarketcap.com, there are over 1,000 cryptocurrenices, the most popular of which is bitcoin. “There are four main ways to acquire cryptocurrencies—mining, receiving cryptocurrency as a gift, accepting it in exchange for goods or services you provide and buying from a brokerage platform or an exchange,” said Benson Samuel, chief technology officer and co-founder, Coinsecure.

Bitcoin mining: The bitcoin system runs on a peer-to-peer network and transactions happen directly between users without an intermediary. “Transactions are recorded in the public ledger called blockchain and verified by network nodes, which could be any individuals using a computer system with bitcoin software installed. Once users have made a transfer, the transaction will be broadcast between users and confirmed by the network. Upon verification, it will be recorded in the blockchain, and then the transfer is completed. This record-keeping process is referred to as ‘mining’ and people offering the computing power to do so are called ‘miners’,” wrote David Lee Kuo Chuen, economics professor of fintech, Singapore University of Social Sciences, in his paper Cryptocurrency: A New Investment Opportunity?. 

Since bitcoins are created as an incentive for solving the cryptography puzzle, miners are rewarded with the newly created bitcoins, apart from transaction fees. So, bitcoins are created as an incentive.  

Bitcoin as gift and payment: If you get bitcoins as a gift, you can sell them at any cryptocurrency platform. But sometimes, you can encash only at a particular exchange. To get bitcoin payment, you have to provide a bitcoin address. You will have to open an account and give bitcoin address from where you can then cash out.

Buying bitcoins from exchange platfroms: Another way is to buy it on exchange platforms. Bitcoin exchange platforms are like stock exchanges. Some exchanges allow you to buy other cryptocurrencies as well such as ethereum. In India, exchanges such as Coinsecure and Unocoin allow you to buy bitcoins. 

How do you buy? 

To purchase bitcoins you have to first register yourself. Usually, most exchanges have apps which you can download. Once registered, you have to provide your bank details and go through the know-your-customer (KYC) process. Hence, you have to provide details such as PAN and Aadhaar. You will also be asked to give your photograph and provide your signature. Once this process is complete, you can start buying and selling bitcoins. Buying bitcoin is like an e-wallet where you can load money. The difference is that you can convert the currency into cryptocurrencies and for doing it you have to load money through fund transfer channels. For the service that the exchange provides, there is a fee, and also commissions.

Fees and other charges

There is a cost involved in getting bitcoins, whether you mine them or buy from an exchange platform. “Every bitcoin transaction has a mining fee associated with it. To have a faster bitcoin transaction, individuals can add in a larger mining fee to expedite the validation process. In terms of fees to buy and sell bitcoin, each exchange and brokerage has a different fee structure. Our fees range from 0.4% to 0.6%. Some brokerages charge up to 2% in fees for buying and selling bitcoin,” said Samuel.

What you should know

While the sharp rise in bitcoin prices may look attractive, you need to careful while deciding to invest in them. To start with, do a thorough check while choosing the company from where you want to buy. No one wants to put money in something where she may get cheated. In the last couple of years, there have been multiple incidences of fake cryptocurrencies. 

Don’t expose yourself too much to cryptocurrencies if you don’t know much about it. If you are getting bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency in the form of payment, check if the company has a history of making payments in this manner and if your country has an outlet to convert this into fiat currency if required. 

Courtesy : LiveMint

Alert Bitcoin investors! RBI issues another warning, says cryptocurrencies have some risks

Alert Bitcoin investors! RBI issues another warning, says cryptocurrencies have some risks

Bitcoin breached $12000 !!! mark on Wednesday for the first time ever. The virtual currency has soared more than 1,000 percent since the start of the year. Last Wednesday, it was trading at $9,500. Nothing moves so fast in the financial world. So what is fuelling this rapid rise of bitcoin? This is something that has puzzled many bankers and financial analysts. Business magnet Warren Buffett recently called it a 'real bubble'. He is not alone to caution the investors against cryptocurrency. Garrick Hileman, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, earlier said: "What's happening right now has nothing to do with bitcoin's functionality as a currency - this is pure mania that's taken hold." Despite these cautionary words from financial experts, bitcoin continues to rise.

Now, another warning has come for the virtual currency investors. This time from the Reserve Bank of India. The Central Bank on Wednesday issued its third warning, reminding the investors of its earlier concerns. In its first warning issued on December 24, 2013, the RBI said that the creation, trading or usage of Virtual currencies or VCs as a medium for payment are not authorised by any central bank or monetary authority. "No regulatory approvals, registration or authorisation is stated to have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities," it added.

The RBI's next warning came this year on February 1. It reiterated that the Reserve Bank has not given any licence or authorisation to any entities to operate such schemes or deal with bitcoin or any virtual currency. The bank regulator categorically said that any investor or trader dealing with virtual currencies 'will be doing so at their own risk'. Not only this, it went on to explain as to why the RBI feels that the investors could lose their money in cryptocurrency.

The RBI listed out some risks that virtual currency may pose to investors. Here are five

• The RBI says that virtual currency being in digital form are stored in digital-electronic media that are called electronic wallets. Therefore, they are prone to losses arising out of hacking, loss of password, compromise of access credentials, malware attack etc. Since they are not created by or traded through any authorised central registry or agency, the loss of the e-wallet could result in the permanent loss of the VCs held in them.
• Payments by virtual currency take place on a peer-to-peer basis without an authorised central agency which regulates such payments. As such, there is no established framework for recourse to customer problems/disputes/charge backs.
• There is no underlying or backing of any asset for virtual currency. As such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation. Huge volatility in the value of such currency -in this case bitcoin-has been noticed in the recent past. Thus, the users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value.
• So far, cryptocurrencies are being traded on exchange platforms set up in various jurisdictions whose legal status is also unclear. Hence, the traders of virtual currency on such platforms are exposed to legal as well as financial risks.
• It has been reported that usage of digital currencies are largely for illicit and illegal activities. The absence of information of counter-parties in such peer-to-peer anonymous/ pseudonymous systems could subject the users to unintentional breaches of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism laws.

Courtesy : businesstoday

Bitcoin price hikes trigger Google searches

Bitcoin saw a big dip in prices this week. According to experts, this plunge came because a set of miners called off a forking that was to happen this week

The interest in bitcoins has increased in line with the spike in its prices. In the last 1 year, price of bitcoin has increased over 800%. Its prices have also been volatile, with a big dip in prices this week itself. According to experts, this plunge came because a set of miners called off a forking that was to happen this week . However, bitcoin prices move up or down for many different reasons. Here’s a look at some of the reasons behind bitcoin price movements.

Supply and demand

Experts say the price of cryptocurrencies is unpredictable and it depends on demand and supply. “Price depends on the demand for buying and selling the cryptocurrency, matched with the supply of the cryptocurrency,” said Benson Samuel, chief technology officer and co-founder, Coinsecure. For example, no more than 21 million bitcoin can be created. “The fact that there are only a fixed number of bitcoin that will ever be created, ensures that there will never be inflation with the currency and that if there is demand and the supply is limited, the price of bitcoin will continue to go up,” said Samuel. Many ask whether the current valuation is hype. “It is difficult to categorize something as hype when bitcoin is not a return-generating asset. Its price is driven by demand, being a limited-supply good,” said Sumanth Neppalli, cryptocurrency and blockchain analyst, Zebpay, an app-enabled bitcoin exchange.

Forking called off

Another forking was expected this week, which was called off. Experts say that the plunge in bitcoin prices was due to the cancellation of an upgrade. “Perhaps frustrated by the cancellation of technology update of the original bitcoin blockchain, which was announced recently, many users are switching to bitcoin cash, which allows for bigger block sizing, giving ample capacity for everybody’s transactions, as opposed to bitcoin’s cap at 1 MB blocks,” said Daniele Bianchi, assistant professor of finance, Warwick Business School, UK. Bianchi is currently researching crypto-currencies. Bitcoin cash is a cryptocurrency that was born from forking in August this year.

Investor sentiments

Unlike in stock market, where you can determine the change in prices due to the change in the fundamentals, in cryptocurrencies it is mainly due to sentiments. “The high volatility of cryptocurrencies is driven mainly by investor sentiment rather than by a change in fundamentals. We are not arguing that there are no fundamentals, rather there has not been any meaningful interpretation using traditional fundamental analysis,” wrote David Lee Kuo Chuen, economics professor of fintech, Singapore University of Social Sciences, in his paper ‘Cryptocurrency: A New Investment Opportunity?’ carried in Journal of Alternative Finance,

Speculation and news

In the past, price movement has happened due to geopolitical issues, breaking news, technology advancements and security breaches too. “Intentional devaluation, coupled with capital controls spurred increasing demand with many Chinese investors looking for sending their money off-shore in a flight-to-safety type of dynamics,” said Bianchi. There is speculative news on the wider adoption of bitcoin, not only as a payment method but also as an investment vehicle, increasing demand, and pushing prices further.

What it means for you

There are no definite reasons yet for bitcoin price movements. Multiple factors determine price fluctuation and it is very volatile. If you are looking to invest in it, the basic rule of investment applies here too—if you don’t understand a product well, stay away from it. If you still want to invest, first educate yourself about the investment instrument and then take the next step.

Courtesy : Livemint .

Replace fluorescent tubelight with LED tubelight

How to replace a fluorescent tube with an ETL approved LED tube in an inductive-ballast-based fixture

Basically, a LED tubelight  is designed to replace a fluorescent tube with a similar size and shape. But in theory, they work in quite different ways. A fluorescent tube must be driven by an inductive ballast or an electronic ballast, while a LED tube do not need these kinds of ballasts. It means that they do not have a same wiring. According to the prototype of a LED tube, it has to rewire the fixture when we want to replace a fluorescent tube with a LED tube tube light. That will be a large cost on it. Fortunately, a LED tube light is able to compatible with an inductive ballast, despite it do not need a ballast.

According to the safety requirement, most of ETL approved LED tubes set their input at the two pins of one end-cap, like our LED tubelight oval do. With a LED shorter, these ETL approved LED tubes can be able to replace fluorescent tubes in inductive-ballast-based fixtures without rewiring.

In this section, we introduce instructions to replace a fluorescent tube with an ETL approved LED tube light in an inductive-ballast-based fixture.

Warning

The replacement must be done by a professional electrician.Risk of fire - Users must determine wether the LED tube light is suitable for the fixture or not. Any mis-uses may cause abnormal risk, like a fire hazard.Risk of electric shock - Be care to risk of electric shock during replacement, because the input rating of LED tube lights are usually 100~240Vac. Keep the power off when you need to touch any parts of the LED tube light.

Tools you may need

Safety gogglesSafety glovesScrewdrivers

Preparation

Read the installation guide before replacement.Put on safety goggles and gloves for protection purpose.Make sure the fluorescent tube you are going to replace works in an inductive-ballast-based fixture. A simple method to identify the type of ballast is to check if there is a starter in the wiring of the fixture. If there is a starter, it probably be an inductive-ballast-based fixture. Otherwise, it probably be an electronic-ballast-based one, in that case, do not follow the instructions below. The following wiring diagram helps to understand how a fluorescent tube connects to input power in a fixture.

Instructions

1Switch off power and make sure there is no risk of electric shock.
2Remove applicable diffuser or cover and fluorescent tube from the fixture.

3Replace the starter with the affiliated LED shorter.

4Install the LED tube light, and the correct wiring diagram in the fixture will be:

5Switch on power to ensure the success of replacement.

6If the LED tube light does not work, switch off power and inspect the wiring of the fixture carefully. Call for technical support if necessary.

10 Signs You May Have Cancer

As a rule, cancer is hard to detect in its early stages. The dreaded C-word is also difficult to diagnose in the beginning. In fact, this life-threatening disease is usually only diagnosed when it reaches incurable stages. However, if you pay attention to your body, it’s now easier than ever to identify this lethal disease before it’s too late.

Listed here are the 10 most common side effects of cancer in its early stages. If you or someone you love are experiencing one or more of them, it may be worth having the area checked out.

A Lump Beneath Your Skin

You can easily detect lumps regularly by examining your body. Performing self-exams of breasts, testicles, armpits, throat, abdomen, and other soft tissues is a great way to distinguish any unusual changes in your body. Get comfortable with touching these areas on a regular basis to detect early signs of cancer before lumps develop into larger tumors.

Changes In Bowel Movements

Anything that seems different from your usual stool – blood or pain during defecation, fairer or darker stool color, mucus, constipation, or diarrhea – that lasts for more than two days should be a reason to worry. These signs are often the first symptoms of colorectal cancer.

Loss of Appetite or Trouble Swallowing

Any disorder or discomfort that significantly disrupts your digestive process is a cause for concern.

White Spots on Your Tongue or in Your Mouth

Whitish spots or bumps in your mouth and throat require immediate medical attention.

Bleeding

Unexplained bleeding that cannot be accounted for other than a woman’s menstrual cycle should be immediately examined. Blood from your nipples, the uterus, or any other unusual bodily excretions should be checked by the doctor.

Coughing

A cancer may be growing inside your lungs, esophagus, throat and even stomach if you are experiencing persistent coughing that is not a result of flu, cold, or any other respiratory illness.

Wounds that Don’t Heal

If you have a minor cut or another small injury that is taking a long time to heal, it is a sign that a tumor may be growing in your body. Your immune system stops functioning properly when it’s trying to fight off cancer. You should visit a doctor immediately!

Voice Changes

Cancer of the larynx can cause your voice to change pitch and tone.

Changes in Urination

Changes in the strength of your urine flow, color, smell, presence of foam, or especially noticeable blood should be a reason for concern.

Itchy Skin

Your immune system treats cancer like bacteria. Your white blood cells get mobilized attempting to destroy it. This is why blood flow increases in the area of a cancerous growth. Such areas may feel warm, appear red, change color, feel tight and itchy