Derma Cool

By GAYATRI PAGDI

It’s summer again -- the pitta season, according to ayurveda. We need to adjust our lifestyle in such a way that we steer clear of frenzied “overheating” of our metabolism.

Here are a few natural tips to deal effectively with the hot weather and also keep the beauty of our skin in the pink of health.

Sesame Or Neem

Sesame or neem oils act as excellent sunscreens. Sesame oil, besides being rich in vitamin E, phosphorous and calcium, lightens blemishes; it has a sunscreen effect of SPF4. It doesn’t leave stains. Neem oil too is excellent as a sunscreen. It is especially useful for sunburns.

Orange peel extracts and papaya pulp act as a sun shield and make the skin appear soft and fresh, instead of sweaty and sticky, as it tends to be in summer.

Photo Courtesy: www.skincareblog.org

Do you spend a lot of time out in the sun? No problem. Just add a few drops of rose or sandalwood essence to cold bath water, pat it dry lightly and then apply coconut oil. This is great for your skin in summer.

Aloe vera gel, crushed cucumber, or cold buttermilk, are also effective remedies for your sun-burnt skin.

When It Pricks

The problem of prickly heat, or heat rashes, is fairly common during summer. They are aggravated, if one has no option, but to be out in the sun day-in and day-out. Not many of us, especially those who live and work in metro-cities, have the luxury to escape the sun, heat and humidity.

In case of a heat rash, a paste of one tsp sandalwood powder along with a pinch of camphor and some buttermilk [the quantity may vary according to how watery you would like your paste to be] could be applied to the body, a few minutes before a cold water bath. It heals and soothes the rash almost instantly.

In case of prickly heat, combine equal parts of pea flower, sandalwood and coriander powder, along with a pinch of nutmeg with rosewater. Apply it to the affected area, or the entire body, and let it stay for a few minutes. Rinse with cold water. Your will feel refreshed and energised. One could pat sandalwood powder too.

Say Cumin

One could also add a touch of gloss to one’s summer care routine by soaking one tsp of cumin powder along with one tsp of coriander seeds in water, overnight, and drinking the strained liquid, in the morning.

Well, well, well. If making a paste seems too tedious, or time-consuming, merely dusting sandalwood powder could help too. However, your sandalwood powder needs to be genuine. At times, prickly heat powders that are available in the market, though labelled as sandalwood powders, can cause rash and boils.

For those of us who are not particularly beauty-conscious, or bothered about a good skin care routine, it wouldn’t hurt to draw attention to the fact that climatic changes are known to have unmistakable effects on our skin. As most of us know, the hot, humid months of summer increase pitta. The dosha too accumulates, and slowly expands in every individual. A pitta build-up is the first step in the direction of illness.

How effectively we deal with the dosha, according to seasonal cycles, and with natural remedies, influence and enhance our journey to good skin care and optimal health.