Monsoon will be here soon, but the heat continues relentlessly. The summers and rains are arch enemies of good skin. The blazing sun and humidity make our skin prone to acne, tanning, rashes, and what not.

Here are a few tips and tricks that I have learned over the years from my mother, by reading a lot and by personal experience.

Sun protection:

I cannot stress this enough. Always use sunscreen when stepping out. Even on cloudy days. Choose something that suits your skin type. My favorite is the Neutrogena SPF 50 sun block. Great for normal to oily skin. I do not recommend it for very dry skin though. If possible, avoid the sun between 12 to 4 pm. That is when it is the worst.

Keep it clean:

Cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser twice a day. Not more than that, as the more you strip off the natural oils on your skin, the more it will produce. Carry facial wipes with you while traveling. Dirt and pollution are terrible for the skin! Exfoliate your skin twice a week with a mild exfoliant. I do not like those walnut scrubs that so many companies are selling. Way too harsh for any type of skin. Having said that, they can be great as foot scrubs. Not for your face. For the face, use a mild scrub, or a natural exfoliant like sour milk. Lactic Acid, you see! Other great natural exfoliants are gram flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, yogurt, ground coffee etc. Will do a detailed post on how to make your scrubs and packs at home.

If you don’t like the tan:

There are a couple of things you can use to remove a tan. Potato juice works really well. Shred a raw potato, squeeze the juice, apply the juice for 10-15 mins. Wash off. Yogurt plus gram flour works great too.

Cool it off:

Cucumber juice, rose water or mint are all excellent for cooling your skin after a long day outside. Here is the recipe of a toner I make sometimes: Boil mint leaves in water, strain, bring the water to room temperature, add cucumber juice, pour into a spray bottle and keep in the fridge. Use it any time you want to refresh your skin.

CTM:

Cleansing, toning, moisturizing. Equally important during summer and the rains as it is during any other season.

Lip care:

Lips can become dry, chapped and discolored. Keep your lips exfoliated and use a light lip balm. I had written a post on lip care for winter. Some of the tips are valid even for summer.

Stay hydrated:

I was terrible at following this regime myself. Now I drink enough water. Trying to increase the intake every day. I also drink cold green tea and nimbu pani. I have started avoiding aerated drinks as much as possible.

Eat well:

Load up on fruits and veggies and glow all year round! Also important for strong hair and nails.

During the rains, keep your skin dry :

If your skin is moist for long, it can breed infections. Wear open toed shoes as closed ones will not allow your feet to dry quickly.

Any specific tips you want? Also, any other tips you follow yourself during the summer and monsoon? Do let me know in the comments!

Love and sunshine,

Neha