When you look beautiful, people happily comment with the fire emoji on your Instagram pictures, and yet a real fire would scar your beauty for life. That’s what the sun is, a huge ball of fire in the sky isn’t it? So, heat from that fireball continuously penetrates the atmosphere and strikes our skin throughout the day. Now, with the atmosphere depleted because of pollutants, it is even easier for the most harmful rays of the sun to reach the surface. It is getting hotter with every passing year and the sun seems to be closer than ever. Our skins, however, are becoming more and more sensitive because of a lifestyle agreeing more to an indoor environment, unless you’re an adventurer or a farmer.
Sensitive skin is more susceptible to sunburns and getting tanned. A sunburn can adverse effects on the skin which can result in puffing up of the entire affected area and even skin cancer (melanoma). Summers don’t just bring fiery sun; it is there is the winters too. The humidity and sweat that comes along with the season also has a lot of damaging effects if not taken care of. So, let’s get into our summer skin do what provides it protection;
Wash yourself regularly
Bathing in the summers is certainly a refresher for your skin. The dirt and grime that the sweat attracts can settle into your pores and be a reason for acne, rashes and boils. Keeping your skin clean just requires some cool water and mild soap, or a facewash if you’re rinsing your face. Marylyn Monroe, one of the most beautiful women, used to wash her face five times a day. But given her troubles with dry skin, with a regular skin you can still do at least three washes a day. As for bathing, it is good to wash off all the sweat from your body at least twice a day is great for skin care during summers. Make sure you use a mild soap so that regular use doesn’t turn your skin dry.
Wear sunscreen everyday
Going out in the sun will always have tanned skin as a side-effect. Wearing a sunscreen lotion is necessary to protect your skin from the burning UV rays of the sun. While the regular sunscreen may protect you during the morning, most of us who go out commuting in the harsh midday sun require a sunscreen with SPF levels above 50. Sunscreen in summer will provide the skin with protection against harsh sunburns and tough tan marks. This will let you have the confidence to pull off that beach wear during your vacation mode.
Wear protective clothing
Sunscreen might protect your skin but only for a few hours. While we may forget to replenish the sunscreen layer, adding a covering layer to your clothing can provide impenetrable sun protection. Clothes which have a light colour tone like white, yellow or pinks are soothing as they don’t attract the heat from the sun and keep you cool. So, next time you’re travelling or adventuring out in the day, full sleeves and trousers can reduce your efforts for skin care this summer.
Avoid sun in the peak hours
While avoiding the sun altogether would not be good for mental and physical health, sunbathing in the noon wouldn’t be a great idea for vitamin D. Even if you have been told by the doctor to spend some time in the sun, he certainly didn’t mean laying on the terrace at 12 in the noon. To ensure you don’t get scorched by the sun try to avoid the peak heat during 10-3 o’clock in the day. If you’re on a holiday try to look for indoor recreation during these hours.
While we can’t always protect our skin completely, here are some ways to heal sun damage and tanned skin-
Applying milk
Milk has wonderful healing properties for the skin and has been used in skin treatment rituals across the country. If you’re an Indian born child, milk in the fridge is a staple. Just take a generous amount of chilled milk in a bowl and use a cotton ball to apply it to your face and other areas which have been damaged by the sun. Wash your face once the milk dries off. It is a easy skin care for summer that can be accessed for pennies.
Making a milk and gram flour mask
Milk already has good amounts of vitamins B6 and B12, along with biotin which help heal the skin and reduce inflammation. You can fortify the benefits of milk by mixing some besan (gram flour). Besan has excellent exfoliating properties; it cleanses the skin pores and brightens the skin while reducing inflammation. Just mix a tablespoon of besan with half a cup of milk and apply it on your skin as a mask. Wash off with cool water when the mixture dries.
Exfoliating with oats, lemon and Multani mitti
Oats are good for inflammation both inside and outside the body. When applied on the skin it soothes the skin and locks in hydration. Lemon is another natural skin care ingredient for summer. It has vitamin C and citric acid which act as bleaching agents for the skin to remove tan. Now mixing a bit of fuller’s earth or Multani mitti to the mix will give your skin a cooling and brightening effect. Mix a tablespoon of oats, a tablespoon of Multani mitti with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Use this mixture as a scrub and apply it all over your face in circular motions. You can also scrub it on other areas. Let the mixture stay for about 3 minutes and then rinse off with cool water.
Summers or winters, the sun will always hurt your skin if you are out for more than a few minutes. These summer protection hacks can efficiently reduce sun damage and heal the skin if you’ve already got it. Body parts exposed and regularly rinsed can be saved easily but the tough parts are those that stay hidden and bear the weight of hours and even days of sweat and dirt. Like your underarms and intimate areas. This has a solution too; with Namyaa Haldi Chandan Intimate Wash which is made with the healing and brightening goodness of turmeric and sandalwood powder. Take complete care of your overall skin and battle the summer sun with confidence.
