The summers are here, temperatures are soaring, and it is crucial that you take good care of your skin. Here are some simple tips to help you:
1. Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am and 4pm. The hottest part of the day during the summer is the most damaging time. Don’t stay out in the sun for long periods of time. Get your exercise and activities done in the morning or evening when it is cooler.
2. Wear protective clothing over your skin. Cover up as much skin as possible, using cotton based fabrics, when it’s really hot and uncomfortable. Choose fabrics that won’t itch, scratch, or overheat you and prefer light colours over dark ones, to keep the heat level down. Some fabrics are impregnated with a colourless UV light absorbing dye which offers excellent protection from the sun, and some of them have UV protection rating.
3. Wear a hat or cap. Cover your face and neck with with a scarf. Your facial skin will benefit enormously from a permanent ring of shade over it in the heat of the sun. Cover your forearms and hands with light weight gloves. Wear sunglasses to protect your sensitive eye skin (and eyes). Eyes are prone to melanomas and cataracts, and the sensitive skin around your eyes is prone to fast ageing.
4. Apply a good quality sunscreen 15-30 minutes, before going out.
5. Dark skin is as vulnerable to sun damage as fair skin and you may not even notice it. So all precautions apply to those with dark skin also. It will protect you from further darkening, wrinkles and saggy skin
6. Give your skin a break from chemicals such as sunscreens and make up once in a while – like on holidays and sundays and when it is cloudy or raining. However it is still advisable to wear your cap and cover clothing as usual because UV rays still penetrate the clouds.
7. If you are taking a break from the heat by swimming be sure to thoroughly rinse skin with fresh water after swimming. This is especially important when you’ve been swimming in chlorinated environments such as swimming pools as the chlorine can dry out your skin and for some people it can even result in an allergic reaction.
8. Avoid spraying perfume directly on your skin. The psoralens in perfume (especially in citrus perfumes) can permanently stain your skin when they react with the sun. During the summertime, it is recommended that you spray your clothes with perfume rather than your skin.
9. Drink plenty of water. Hydrated skin is better skin and it’s easy for skin to become parched during the summer months. Dehydration results in dry skin, frown-lines, spots, a sluggish complexion. Many of the patients say that they “drink 2 litres of water in the morning”. This absolutely does not count as staying hydrated. The water load just goes through the system. Instead drink water frequently throughout the day. Keeping a schedule in your smart phone and drinking water according to the schedule will go a long way in maintain hydration. Part of the water can be replaced with fresh juices, coconut water and barley water. Don’t add sugar to the juices. Tea, coffee and beer do not count as hydration.
10. Eat healthy. A healthy skin comes from eating well and summer is the ideal time to make dietary changes for the better. Cut down on sugar and refined processed foods which create unbalanced blood sugar levels and therefore contribute to premature ageing, and acne. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits in salads, steamed, raw, or as part of a recipe dish. Lots of gourd type vegetables (bottle gourd, ridge gourd, snake gourd, dosakaya) will help you cut calories while maintaining mineral and electolyte levels. a healthy and glowing skin. And include whole grains in your daily diet too, including the ancient grains such as oat and barley. Ragi sankati contrary to popular perception is not very good. Curd and buttermilk are healthy additions to your diet.
No-fat or low-fat diets will cause your skin to dry, wrinkle and age. You need essential fats in your diet to keep your skin moist and supple. The answer is to exclude unhealthy fats (hydrogenated, trans fats, and heat or light damaged fats) from your diet but to keep using healthy fats daily. Nuts and seeds and fresh fish are excellent sources of good fats.
11. Exfoliate. More than the rest of the year, it’s really important to exfoliate your skin in the summer to remove dead skin and improve blood circulation to the face. Choose from any of the cosmetic scrubs available in the market or make one at home.
12. Go for a water-based moisturizer. Don’t make the mistake of skipping the moisturizing routine altogether as its essential for your skin to remain hydrated. However, if you find your regular moisturizer too oily, go for a water-based one.
