Don't let the grey clouds spoil your skin and hair. Enjoy the monsoon by altering your beauty regimen just a little bit...
For fresh, glowing skin
Oily skin becomes even more oily and dull, due to sweat and oil secretions. Sweat on the skin further attracts dirt and pollutants from the atmosphere. So, people with oily or combination skin have a tough time during the monsoon.
Deep pore cleansing with a facial scrub is essential to keep the pores free of hardened oil. Use a facial scrub twice a week. Apply it on the face and rub gently on the skin, in circular motion. Then, rinse off with plain water. For homemade facial scrub, mix rice flour or ground almonds d pr with curd. Add dry and powdered lemon or orange peels to the mix. For acne and sensitive skin, avoid scrubs.
Wash your face several times a day with plain water. Night-time cleansing is a must, to remove all the impurities that have accumulated on the skin during the day.
A floral skin tonic or freshener is a boon in humid weather. Rose water is a natural toner. Mix it with cucumber juice for oily skin. Dip some cotton wool pads in the toner and use them to wipe your face. It refreshes the skin and tightens the pores. Tip: Always keep skin tonic or rose water in the fridge.
Keep oily products like heavy nourishing creams at bay. For dry skin, a light, liquid moisturiser serves the purpose. It keeps the skin moisturised plus works as a base for make-up. Carry cooling, moist tissues when you are out during the day. And use compact powder only after you wipe off all the dirt with these tissues. They instantly refresh the skin.
From your kitchen
For blackheads: In humid weather, the skin is more prone to blackheads and eruptions. Mix oatmeal with egg white and apply only on the blackhead-prone areas. Wash it off once it dries. Apply twice a week.
For rash and pimples: If acne, rash and pimples bother you, wash the face with a medicated soap or cleanser twice a day, morning and night. Buy an astringent lotion and mix it with rose water; both in equal quantities. Dip cotton wool pads in this mix and wipe your face several times a day. Apply sandalwood paste on eruptions.
For excessively oily skin: If your skin is very oily, mix multani mitti with rose water and make a smooth paste. Apply daily on the face. Wash off once it dries.
For non-sticky, silky hair
During the rainy season, your tresses become limp soon after shampooing and lose their shine, body and bounce. Moreover, they also tend to swell. This is because the salt in your sweat, along with environmental grime, makes your hair rough and robs it of lustre and body.
Shampoo your hair more frequently during the monsoon, especially if you have oily hair. There is no harm in opting for a hair wash daily, provided you use a mild herbal shampoo. Rinse your hair well to get rid of the soapy residue. Even short, layered hairstyles require frequent shampooing to maintain body and style.
Avoid rich conditioners, unless you have extremely dry hair.
BDST: 1439 HRS, JULY-02, 2014
