Summer skin care requires a routine that will keep the skin hydrated, dust and sweat-free, and squeaky-clean to prevent break-outs and pimples. Here’s a super simple Ayurvedic skin care workout right our of the home kitchen to sail through the scorching months.
Cleanse morning and evening – A superb inexpensive ‘do it yourself’ face cleanser, it not only cleanses but gently exfoliates away the dead skin cells when done in the morning and evening,
Blend 1 tablespoon fat-free Greek yoghurt + a pinch of turmeric + one holy basil or “tulsi” leaf. Massage this gently onto your face and neck using upward strokes. Rinse off with cold water. Tone with cotton balls soaked in organic rose water. Follow with an Ayurvedic moisturiser of your choice. For additional benefit, splash your face a couple of times with gentle ice-cold water throughout the day.
Sun protection – It is pivotal for good skin health not only on your face but on any exposed area of the body. An hourly or two hourly application during summers is a sure shot way to ensure your skin is well hydrated whilst keeping premature signs of ageing and pigmentation at bay. Be generous with an Ayurvedic (30 plus) sunscreen of your choice, preferably applied half an hour before heading outdoors.
Exfoliate regularly – Our skin naturally sheds away dead skin cells every 28 days, making way for new cells to birth on the top layers of our skin. Gently sloughing our skin twice or thrice a week helps to keep skin soft, silky and smooth. Polishing away and removing pore-clogging impurities and dead skin cells helps to reduce pigmentation and stave off breakouts. It is crucial for glowing skin. Here’s a simple no sweat ayurvedic-inspired full body scrub recipe that will have your skin glowing and soft in no time.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 4 tablespoons soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Bengal gram flour “besan”
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- Juice of half an orange
- 1 teaspoon rice powder
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or argan oil
- Enough milk or coconut milk to bring this all together into a thick paste
Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl stir up all the ingredients into a thick spreadable paste. Apply on damp skin and scrub in gentle circular motions. Wash and pat dry and snooze your way to gorgeous skin.
Grandma’s advice – Last but not least, is the time tested grandma’s secret summer time formula to help keep summer skin healthy, supple and luminous. My grandma always said, what we eat has a lot to do with how we look and feel. Her blueprint was simple –
a) Heavy and oily foods tend to make the skin oilier and more prone to breakouts. Moreover, they can make us feel slow and sluggish, so eat your rainbow, go light, seasonal and fresh.
b) Avoid sugar-laden sodas and sip away on cooling cucumber water, “aam ka paana” and coconut water.
c) Heavy synthetic clothing can irritate the skin and make us more prone to heat rashes, so favour light colours and cooling cottons.
d) Pack in the siesta – the summer sun sets later, so it is absolutely fine to retire by 11 pm. With the intense heat and humidity, treating yourself to a 30-40 min afternoon nap will not only perk up your energy levels but will also do wonders to regenerate your skin.
