Summers are a time when your skin needs special care. As the mercury rises, the heat, along with pollution, takes a serious toll on your skin. Not only is your skin prone to tanning & peeling, sunrays can also cause premature ageing of the skin. However, a few simple things to take care of your skin can ensure that you are all set to glow through this hot, dusty & dry season too.
Here are our top recommendations for keeping your skin breathing and looking sunshine bright this summer!
Water is your best friend
Summers are not only hot but also sweaty, causing water loss in your body cells. Dehydration can make your skin dry, itchy and scaly. But there is an extremely powerful & handy weapon against the same – water. Water helps you maintain the moisture and also assists in detoxification. So, make sure that you drink 8-10 glasses of water every day. Apart from quenching your thirst, water also helps in flushing out the toxins that accumulate in our body. So, drink lots of water, and treat yourself to other fluids like fruit juices, coconut water, green tea, etc. to keep the body cool and hydrated in summers. Fluids provide natural nourishment to the skin and keep the skin soft, dewy and vibrant. They will not only maintain the moisture balance of the skin and body, but also prevent you from dehydration during summer.
Exfoliation gives you a smoother skin
The heat & dust make pimples a very common problem in summers and a lot of people encounter break-outs. Exfoliation removes dead, dull and old skin and improves hydration from toners and moisturizers. If you use any cream on your skin, the skin needs to be clean allowing the cream to be soaked in through the pores. This needs exfoliation at regular intervals to rid your skin of any accumulated dead skin cells that are forming a layer on your skin and clogging the penetration of the cream or lotion. No matter which kind, or how good, or how much lotion you use, your skin will never glow if you don't exfoliate.
So, develop a regular exfoliation and cleansing routine. Clean your face with water at least 3-4 times a day, and use a scrub once or twice a week. You can do this at home with curd and other ingredients, or go to a clinic and get it down on a regular basis. Exfoliation has another additional benefit – it prepares your face as a better canvas to apply make-up – making you look your very best.
Moisturisers make the skin merry
With the winters gone, most people think the need for moisturisers & lotions is over. The reality is that the extreme heat of summers makes our skin dry and prone to damage, and you need to make up for the moisture loss. But your oily winter lotions won’t help. Pack those away and opt for a non-greasy, water-based moisturizer to keep your skin moisturised and supple without making it look oily.Pick something that’s light and fast absorbing. Fruit-based gels and purees not only make fast absorbers, they also are quite refreshing and, at times, nice smelling, leaving you with a great looking and great smelling body. Just make sure that you apply the moisturiser or gel right after your bath, to seal in the moisture your body just soaked in. And don’t forget to moisturise your skin at night also, as it creates a defensive layer for the skin during sleeping hours and makes the skin glow.
Sunscreen keeps the sun away
Stepping out in the sun without sunscreen is an open invitation to the sun to invade your unprotected skin. Our skin contains a pigment called melanin, which determines our skin colour – the more the melanin, the darker our skin is. Too much exposure in the sun during summers causes more melanin to be produced in our body. A prolonged stay under the direct sun, especially while relaxing on a beach or even while hiking in the mountains, can leave dark, tan marks on any uncovered part of your body, and leave your skin darker by many shades. Additionally, UV rays can be quite harmful for your skin especially in summers.
This is why you need a good sunscreen for prevention against the sunrays, irrespective of your skin-type. Keep your skin protected with a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, and apply it generously at least 30 minutes before you step into the sun, and repeat every couple of hours. If you are going swimming, opt for a waterproof sunscreen, or you will need to apply it again and again as it gets washed off. And don’t try and save on sunscreen by using a few drops, as applying less sunscreen is as good as applying none. You need to apply a teaspoon for the face, and a shot glass for your body, for it to be effective. A good sunscreen is one of your best summer investments for your skin, and can go a long way not only in minimizing tanning and sunburns, but also help delay the onset of brown spots, coarse skin and wrinkles.
Lip balms give your lips a lovely lift
An unwelcome gift of summers is chapped and dry lips, which not only give a poor look to your smile, but can even bleed at times, causing you pain & misery. The reason behind this is that the lips are thinner than the normal skin on our body, and cannot withstand the extreme harshness of weathers easily. They are extra-sensitive and need special care in summer months. To keep your lips protected and give them a perky look, you will need to pamper them with a gloss or lip balm having an SPF of 15. You can also use a scrub to soften your lips before applying lip balm or lip colour. This will ensure that your lips have a lusciousness that makes you look lip-smacking beautiful.
Say hello to Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a natural skin care potion of the highest order, and it comes to our rescue against many skin issues faced in any weather, even more so in summers, when it turns into a soothing balm, quickly cooling off your skin after a long day in the sun. Aloe Vera contains antioxidants that protect your skin from damage, and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It penetrates deep into the skin, moisturising it, calming it and nourishing it intensely. Aloe Vera plant is naturally available, and can be easily grown in a planter at home. It grows easily, quickly, and without much care. So, bring home an Aloe Vera plant, and just pluck a fresh leaf (it’s quite thick and has lots of Aloe Vera gel – at least a 100 ml tube worth of it in a single leaf), and scoop the gel from the leaf and apply it directly to your skin. Alternatively, you can pick any Aloe Vera product available in the market, and say hello to a softer, shinier and nicely-breathing skin.
Bathe often to make your skin and soul feel fresh
Our body is a complex piece of machinery that needs to be serviced well across all seasons. And overall hygiene can go a long way in keeping protected against the weather elements. When it comes to tackling the heat in summers, a simple cold water bath is probably the most refreshing things that you can have, which also has a great soothing effect on your skin.
Having a bath has multiple benefits – it not only keeps your body and skin fresh, it also helps combat summer lethargy brought on by the heat, dust and sweat. Swimmers – who go our regularly to swimming pools – end up tanning quickly because of the high Chlorine content in the water. They need to take a shower after every trip to the pool to get the chlorine off their body. In any case, if you have a bath twice a day during summers, it multiplies the cooling and skin nourishing effect manifold.
Neem provides natural protection
The benefits of Neem for skin care are quite numerous and really amazing. It’s truly a wonderful blessing from God. Each part of the Neem tree contains useful compounds that are a blessing for the skin. The leaves, seed, bark, blossom and fruit all contain elements that help protect the skin from potential threats in the environment. Those who are prone to prickly heat can benefit immensely from a water bucket filled with Neem leaves. Neem is also has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that naturally protect the tree from bacteria, bugs, and other microbes that eat up the tree and infest it for its fruit. It is the Neem’s these very cocktail of properties that can prove to be a boon for your skin. Neem’s active compounds work to help disinfect any area of broken skin, and thus allow the natural healing process to close up the wound. Neem oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, that further facilitate wound healing. Neem’s gentleness and effectiveness make it a perfect companion for daily skin care needs, and it is very effective for acne, psoriasis and eczema treatments.
Eat healthy for a glowing skin
What we eat defines how we look most often, and it shows on our face. Oily food and snacks leave an oily skin and salty products can have a dehydrating effect on the body, severely impacting your skin moisture and texture. We need to increase the intake of raw or boiled food in summers, to keep our body cool and our skin hydrated. So, include as many fruits and veggies in your meals as possible – go for all kinds of fruit & vegetable salads, natural juices and smoothies.
Include green vegetables as they help to improve the immune system and decreases stress level in the body, which can adversely affect your skin texture and tone. Hard core non-vegetarians need to control their meat intake as meat is not only difficult to digest, it also raises the body temperature, which can result in ugly pimples. Include high water content fruits in your diet like cucumber, oranges and lettuce which will give you nutrients and anti-oxidants. The melon family fruits have a lot of variety and they are both good in taste and extremely high in water content. So, make them – especially watermelon – a part of your everyday staple diet during summers.
Prepare your skin to combat the summer easily and effectively Sometimes it is the simplest of things that we do that can make us look as radiant as the sun. So, use the above tips this summer to not only protect your skin & face but also look your stunning best.
If you have any skin related issues that may need special care, you should consult your dermatologist and find out the best skin care treatment solutions that are available for your skin type. Your dermatologist will examine you and give you the best possible advice & treatment for your skin.