We generally categorise skin regime for summer skin care, winter skin care and monsoon skin care. The transient period as the winter season progresses into the warm summer months is overlooked. This is the time to not only progressively change the wardrobe, but also the skin care regime as per the skin type.
During the cold winter months, we usually wear long sleeved clothes, boots if required and hence these covered areas tend to be less moisturised. It doesn’t take long for skin that is neglected to react, becoming dry, dull, and flaky, and sometimes even red and inflamed. And summer is the time when one chooses to wear flowy dresses. You would not want these areas of dry flaky skin to let you down.
One of the best moisturisers you can use is white petroleum jelly, or creams which have lactic acid, urea or Shea butter; particularly on the most rough and tough areas of skin, such as the heels, elbows, and knees. If the hands are in equal need of a spring makeover, generously apply petroleum jelly on them as well and then wear a pair of cotton gloves.
In my opinion, one skin care essential to be adhered to during the summer months is exfoliation. The dry winter months slow down the skin cell renewal which reflects in the skin looking dull, flaky and dry. The accumulated dead skin cells shed at a slackened rate resulting in further dullness. This is the time when sweat and dirt grimes collectively along with the sebum giving a lustre-less and lifeless appearance to the skin. It’s best to exfoliate the skin atleast once a week/fortnight/month depending on what you are exfoliating with.
Exfoliation helps keep these dead cells to a bare minimum thereby leaving the skin looking refreshed. It also speeds up your skin’s natural renewal process and helps your skin care products penetrate into the skin deeper with better results.
It is not necessary to use harsh abrasive agents as the exfoliating medium. Mechanical exfoliation with crushed apricot kernels, orange peel powder can remove the dead skin cells gently even without excessive force to rub it over your skin. Natural face packs containing curd, besan (gram flour), turmeric, egg white, citrus fruits like orange, papaya and tomatoes help in mild exfoliation, lightening and smoothening of the skin texture.
Cleansing, application of a sunscreen and moisturising twice daily and then adding a facial mask about once weekly is probably one of the easiest ways to ease skin into spring and summer.
No matter what type of skin you have, choosing the right cleanser is the key to maintaining the protective layer and nutrition of your skin. All of us need individual skin care routines, especially when the weather is changing from dry to humid. Make sure you avoid soap totally. Use a soap-free cleanser to wash your face. Don’t wash your face too frequently (upto one to two times) as it will rob your skin of protective lipids that are so vital for skin’s balance. Use cleansing milk to clean your face at bedtime.
An SPF 30 protects you against 29 out of 30 parts of UVB or 97 percent UVB. Whether it is SPF 15 or 45 or even more, sufficient quantity and reapplication of the sunscreen is what is going to actually offer better protection from the damage caused by UV exposure.
For the once-a-week face pack, you can apply the pulp of a tomato liberally on the face. Leave this for 20 minutes. Then wash off with warm water. Repeat this daily. You will soon have a good complexion.
Besides being rich in vitamin C, tomato has cooling and astringent properties making it very effective for brightening dull skin. It also contains vitamin A needed for building healthy skin. Its naturally acidic properties help it balance the skin; get rid of excessive oil and the antioxidants in tomatoes make them free radical fighters. Hence use of tomato is ideal for your woes.
With all these tips you can head into spring with your best face forward. Have fun!
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