“Rain on the green grass,
Rain on the trees,
Rain on the rooftops,
But not a drop on me!”
This monsoon reminded me of this nursery rhyme and made me laugh!
Love or hate the rains... there is no way anyone can say, “Not a drop on me!”
For those who love the rains it’s been a heck of a pouring joyful week. And for those who don’t really have congenialfeelings for the rains... well they must be sopping wet and sopping angry!
No matter the raincoats, the umbrella, the metros or even your luxurious A/C cars... you get wet. And at times drenchingwet!
And love or no love for the rains... many who get wet, eventually get skin trouble!
Itching, dry skin, rashes? Did I remind you of last monsoon?
How would you like to know that you could actually reduce or even alleviate your skin troubles this monsoon?Like the idea?
Here are a few tips you could try to keep your skin troubles at bay:
1. DRY SKIN
Despite the season being a wet season the skin tends to get dry. Every time the rain hits your skin, it washes off the NATURAL MOISTURIZING FACTOR (NMF) off of your skin. The skin seems fine as long as it’s wet, but as soon you dry yourself or enter an AC room the dreaded itch starts and the next you know you have transformed into a mangy dog.
TIPS TO PREVENT DRY SKIN
a. Try to apply a nice layer of coconut oil (NOT almond or olive or mustard) 10 to 15 minutes before you take a bath.
b. A hot water shower after a getting wet in the mucky rain water is all that one dreams of isn’t it? But that is where the skin NMF again goes for a toss. The hot water tends to wash off this factor. So, not only apply coconut oil before abath but make sure you are using ‘lukewarm’ water and not hot water to clean yourself.
c. The type of soaps and body washes you use also make a big difference. The more they lather the more they leave your skin dry. In addition, loofah is a skin’s worst enemy. Even normal skin tends to get hurt after using a loofah, so imagine what happens to dry skin. So avoid using them. Using a ‘Sulphate free Soap’ or even a ‘Syndet’ where the pH of the soaps are same as the skin helps in maintaining that essential layer of moisturizing and helps keep the skin supple.
d. Another important and basic rule is to DAB THE WATER off your body... NOT WIPE IT. Therubbing action scrapes off the healthy skin layer along with the NMF. And we need that layer of skin and NMF!!
e. The battle will now be won for most of you but to add to the positive effects make a habit of applying a good moisturizer after you have stepped out of the shower and once even before going to bed. This reinforces the moisture in the skin and prevents it from getting dry too quickly.
2. ITCHING AND A RASH
A lot of people (especially the office goers) develop either fungal (ringworm/candidiasis) infections oreven miliaria (prickly heat) in this season. This happens almost always because of wet clothes and increasedhumidity. People start getting itching on the back and neck (miliaria) and in the groins (fungal infections). Some tend to get fungal infections in the web spaces (candidiasis) because of wearing wet and soaked shoes. Once anyonedevelops a rash or an itch a visit to a dermatologist becomes inevitable. But that can be prevented. Here is how:
TIPS TO PREVENT ITCHING AND RASH:
a. Use a rain coat instead of an umbrella. That keeps your clothes dry than an umbrella would.
b. Despite all efforts you will still get wet. Make sure that you are carrying an extra pair of clothes as well as undergarments or keep them in your office. Change your clothes the moment you reach office. This will not only prevent a skin problem but will also protect you from catching a cold.
c. Keep extra shoes and socks in your office. You anyway can’t wear you expensive leather shoes in the rains... so wear your boots or floaters to office and change there! That will prevent the infections of the feet (fungal and bacterial). In addition, your feet won’t end up smelling like rotten eggs!
3. FACE CARE
Like the body, the face also bears the brunt of being constantly wet. Here are some basic tips that you could follow and see if they help:
a. Do not constantly wash your face with clean water just because it got wet by the rain water. The more you wash it, the more it gets dry (in dry skinned individuals) and oily (in oily skinned individuals).
b. If your face does get wet, then DAB the water with your handkerchief or a tissue paper. Do not wipe the water.
c. Diligently DON’T USE WET WIPES! The alcohol content in them further denudes your skin of the NMF and thus leads to severe rashes.
d. Unlike the moisturizer that you would use for the body (a thicker one), use a lighter, non-comedogenic moisturizing lotion (not cream) for the face. For all those lovely ladies who wear makeup, make sure your skin is moisturized before you have applied your foundation.
e. Using a sunscreen isn't a bad option either (especially for those with dry skin). Even though there is no direct sunlight, the UV rays do pass through the clouds.
So, try making these simple changes in your basic skin care routine! You should be able to see a difference. And those who don’t, then off you go to the dermatologist.
I personally love this season. It’s green everywhere, the temperatures are cooler and I feel people seem more happy.... contagiously happy!
I can’t help but quote Bob Marley here, “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”