Summer means heat, lots of sweating, dryness, skin problems like tan, sun burns, pimples, heat rashes, blemishes and much more. With the blazing sun of the summer months, you need to know how to look after the skin properly and look fresh and vibrant. 

Just using a good sunscreen is not enough for your skin in summer. You need to take proper care of your skin and hair too. 

Here are some simple remedies for you to have a glowing and supple skin even in summer.

1. Cool Off 


Carry a face mist with you, so you can mist your face and body while out in hot sun. 

I am sharing a great Homemade Cooling Cucumber Mist recipe :

  • Puree a peeled cucumber until it is smooth. 
  • Strain this mixture through your cheesecloth into a clean bowl, and make sure to squeeze that cloth to get all the liquid out of it.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of mint juice, 1/2 cup of rosewater, and stir well to make sure it’s all blended together, then pour the liquid into a spray bottle. 
  • If you find that it’s a bit too viscous, you can add more rosewater or a bit of distilled water to dilute it.

This is a wonderfully cooling and soothing mist on sunburns, dry weather ravaged skin, or during a menopausal hot flash.

2. Do away with Dry Skin 


Use a gentle scrub on dry skin to exfoliate, before you bathe. Pay special attention to knees and elbows. Finish with a rich body cream or oil within three minutes of toweling off.

A Very effective Home made Exfoliating Coffee Body Scrub 

  • Mix 1/4 cup sugar sugar with 1/2cup finely ground coffee beans, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil,and 1/2 teaspoon (about 20 drops) eucalyptus essential oil. Turn it to a paste. You can add a tablespoon of sea salt and extra virgin olive oil too. 
  • The firming effect of caffeine,nourishing sesame oil and purifying eucalyptus oil work magic with your skin. 
  • Use this mixture to scrub your entire body. 
  • Scrub away gently for 10 to 15 seconds until you feel your skin has turned soft and silky. 
  • Rinse it off with lukewarm water. Make sure you use a body wash to experience the softness of your skin. 

Once done, apply a moisturizer of your choice to retain the moisture. 

3. Eat Your SPF - literally!


Oral intake of vitamins C and Vitamin A can limit potential for sunburn. A salad with vitamin C rich citrus, berries, tomato, and vitamin E rich nuts is an ideal SPF meal. 

  • A mixed fruit treat of mango, strawberries, papaya is an amazing reward for your skin. 
  • Mango is rich in betacarotene, a natural sunscreen given to us by nature in this season. It also fights against skin ageing, regenerates skin cells and restores the elasticity of skin. 
  • Papaya is also a rich source of Vitamin A with a great sun protective action.

4. Ease the Eyes 


The summer elements can be particularly harsh on the fragile skin around the eyes. 

Apply sunscreen around the eyes too. You can use homemade packs to soothe your eyes. Use glares to protect your eyes.

A very soothing Homemade Cucumber Mint Eye Mask

  • Blend a cucumber (it is ok to leave the skin on) and 5-6 mint leaves. 
  • Add a small amount of water to thin the cucumber’s juice. 
  • Dip cotton pads in the juice and gently squeeze them to get rid of excess juice with your palm. 
  • Place the cotton pads flat and separated in a clear zip-lock bag and freeze them until they are iced. 

At the end of a tiring hectic day, just take two cotton pads out of the bag, place them over your eyes for around 20-25 minutes and relax.

5. Protect your pout 


The sun’s rays are very drying on the delicate lip tissue. 

To keep your lips luscious and hydrated, apply a richly textured lip balm with a minimum SPF of 15 and reapply regularly, when outdoors. Apply little coconut oil or ghee on lips at night to prevent them from chapping. 

The following Homemade lip pack will be well appreciated by your lips.

  • Apply a mashed ripe banana in a teaspoon of sour cream and leave on to soothe your chapped lips.

6. Take a cool shower


Hot showers after sun exposure further dry the skin. A cool shower after excess sweating helps keep the skin unblocked, and decreases acne breakouts.

7. Hydrate your Skin


Skin is the largest organ and needs to be kept hydrated all the time. 8 to 12 glasses of water helps to soothe the skin and keeps it supple. 

8. Protect your Skin from the Sun 


Use a good sunscreen with correct SPF properly and repeat as frequently as required. My health feed titled 'Know your Sunscreens' gives a detailed insight about the sunscreens.

9. Timed Travel 


Sun rays are the harshest in noon. Try to avoid direct sun exposure between 11 am and 4 pm as much as possible.

10. Spritz your Scalp 


Long locks offer some shade from the sun, but the sensitive skin along your hairline and parting still get bombarded with harmful UVA and UVB rays. Use a sunscreen spray along the scalp line. It's harder for creams to be absorbed there, and you can still get a sun burn.

11. Sip in your Antioxidants


Antioxidants are the key for summer, and there are tons of ways to work them into your routine.  

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring phenol found in the skin of red grapes can decrease redness from acute sunburns. It has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect, helps strengthen your skin's outer layer. Water melons are loaded with antioxidants and are rich in water content.

12. Supercharge your Skin


Cantaloupe (our kharabooja) is the melon of choice for beautiful summer skin. The sweet delicious fruit is rich in antioxidants and delivers a unique hydration to the skin, resulting in a radiant complexion.  It can actually boost your SPF by several factors 

13. Love your Legs 


The trick to great summer legs is to alter the way light reflects off the skin's surface. Exfoliate first, scrub and apply a good moisturiser. Always use a sunscreen.

14. Wear a Wide Brim 


A plain cap won't protect your face from sun coming at an angle. Opt for a hat with a brim for full protection. 

15. Keep Blemishes at Bay 


During the warmest months, blemishes, acne can occur in embarrassing locations. 

Select your sunscreen wisely. Sleep with a clear face. It is highly necessary to put off all your makeup at night, because it can seriously damage your skin. You can use a cleanser to remove all the makeup perfectly. 

16. Save your skin


Sunny days makes your skin pigment uneven, consequently the skin that gets extra exposure to sun becomes dark and patchy. Once patches set in, it’s very hard to remove them. So apply some soothing creams over your skin daily or apply cold compresses whenever you come back home. Do not miss out on your sunscreen. 

17. Feed Your Face


The best tool for an even summer skin tone is probably already in your fridge. Cut a large strawberry in half, swipe it across your face in small circles, leave it on for about two minutes, then rinse off. This will also brighten sun and age spots over time.

18. Pamper your hands and feet


The thin skin on your hands and feet wrinkles and pigments easily, so be sure to use sunblock daily. 

Exfoliate frequently and apply moisturiser at night.

The following Homemade Scrub for hand and feet will help to keep them soft and supple.

  • Mix well one tablespoon of coconut oil, 1/4th cup of sea salt and 1/4th cup of fine sugar (brown or white). 
  • Add the juice of a lime and mix again in a blender for about 30 seconds. 
  • Store in an airtight container and use within a week.

19. Light is nice


A lot of sunscreen is heavy and oily. These can contribute to breakouts and shine during the summer months. You can switch over to a water based or gel based sunscreen. Also wherever and whenever possible use a cap or cover your face with a kerchief or dupatta.

20. Battle Breakouts 


Reduce bumps caused by summer heat and humidity with an at home antiseptic anti acne mask once a week. 

  • Make a paste of rose petals and basil leaves. 
  • Add pinch of turmeric and 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour. 
  • Make a smooth paste of these ingredients. And apply to your face. 
  • Wash it off with cold water after it dries. 

This pack works well for acne prone skin. This pack also brightens up your skin and makes it soft and supple.

21. Bounce back from sunburn 


The traditional indian chaas, lassi is amazingly soothing to your sun scorched skin.

The lactic acid in curd is calming and soothing for the skin. 

Leave it on for 30 minutes as a mask before taking a cool shower and pat dry. 

Freeze aloevera gel in ice trays. You can use the compresses if you get sun burnt. 

22. Beat the Itch


Bug bites can itch and look unsightly for weeks after they become inflamed. 

If you happen to get a sting, apply cold compresses, apply chilled aloe vera gel twice daily until itching resolves.

Avoid scratching. 

Apply kojic acid containing creams twice a day to fade off any residual marks.

23. Be Gentle


During warmer months we tend to produce more oil and this means some people use overly aggressive skincare products.  You can use a mildly foaming cleanser to eliminate excess oil but not totally strip your skin. If your skin feels tight after cleansing, the cleanser is too aggressive.

24. Mellow your yellow !


Many of us opt for gels or long-lasting chemical nail varnishes to keep chlorine and salt water from chipping away at polish. Unfortunately, these chemical-laden lacquers also leave your nails with a yellow stain. 

Soak your nails for ten minutes in a mixture of four parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide. Use a buffer and lightly massage almond or jojoba oil into your nails and nail bed to get them back to their healthy, natural hue. 

25. Pamper your Crowning Glory!


In the hot summer days, we need to wash hair almost daily, because they become tacky sooner. Use a mild or natural shampoo that does not contains chemicals. Also, avoid using heavy conditioners because it could make hair look sticky in summer.

Hope you have a great summer !

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Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!