Rainy days ahead: How to protect your skin during the monsoons
Monsoon might play a spoilsport for your skin. Know from experts how to keep it moisturised.
Love the pitter patter of the rain against your window panes? The earthy fragrance that the soil emanates, and the rejuvenating sight of freshly washed trees makes the monsoon simply loveable! But, with this season comes a plethora of allergies and infection, and the much dreaded oily, sticky skin that makes you break out.
So, we speak to beauty experts to know how to keep the skin clear and glowing during the rains.
Keep you face toned and squeaky clean
Using a good cleanser and a good scrub to exfoliate your skin is essential as the humidity, grime and dampness results in accumulation of skin cells that cause infections; particularly fungal infections. So, pick up a cleanser containing Montaline C40 and panthenol to help get rid of grime and bacteria from your skin. Also, use a good scrub to keep blackheads and whiteheads at bay. You can make a DIY pack with rose water, oat flakes and lemon juice — keep it on your skin for 15 minutes and rinse off while scrubbing gently. Avoid using excessive makeup and oily lotions, particularly if you’re prone to breakouts as this will lead to acne due to over hydration of sebaceous glands.
Make your own toner
Toning is a must to close the pores, and avoid skin issues.
-You can make an effective toner by mixing cucumber juice with a few drops of rose water.
-You can also freeze rose water, green tea, orange juice and cucumber juice in an ice cube tray, and gently apply these cubes on the face, in the morning and evening.
-To save yourself from a makeup meltdown, gently rub the ice cubes (mentioned in the aforesaid step) before applying makeup.
-Splashing the face with ice-cold water also helps tighten the pores and prevents secretion of oils to an extent.
-Chilled raw milk also makes for an excellent toner.
Feed your skin
The weather may be humid but you can’t completely skip moisturising! Keeping the skin well fed is important, hence moisturising your skin should be embraced as a daily habit.
Instead of oil or cream-based moisturisers and lotions, switch to aloe vera gel mixed with rose water to keep your skin soft.
You can also use a face pack made of aloe vera pulp and chia seeds to hydrate your skin without making it oily. It will help remove dead cells from the skin while ensuring that it’s soft and supple. For this pack: Soak chia seeds overnight and the next morning, mix the seeds with oat flakes. Apply on the skin gently and wash off after 15 minutes while gently massaging with your fingers in a circular motion.
Swear by mud packs
Mud packs are very efficient in banishing sticky skin. Use a clay-based face pack enriched with saffron and sandalwood powder. This will keep your skin free from oiliness and stickiness and also take care of the open pores. Apply the pack for 20 minutes, and wash off with cold water. To brighten your skin, add a few drops of lemon juice to this pack.
Inputs by beauty experts Richa Agarwal and Mallika Gambhir and dermatologist Rajat Kandhari