Beat the Heat - Summer Skin Care Tips

by Tania R. Jones

Summer is back, and so are the countless skin problems! Summer skin ailments generally include sun tan, sun burn and dehydration, making your face dull, dry and completely lifeless.

But don't forget the more serious versions like blemishes, pimples and pigmentation - summer is so painful to bear when it ruins our skin badly.

These are few simple tips to beat the heat this summer. Being a little careful matters a lot for maintaining your beauty and keeping your skin soft, supple and well nourished with these home-made skin care recipes.

Our kitchen is the best supplier of all those beauty products that we require in summer.

Have you got tired of the sun tan? These natural bleaching agents should be applied twice/thrice a week to cleanse your face and body.

1. Summer facial bleach

Ingredients: 4 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Mix all the three and apply the mixture evenly on the tanned areas for about 15 minutes. Once dried, wash with cold water.

Works best for greasy and oily skin. Milk and honey are natural cleanser with moisturiser, while lemon is non-oily.

2. Yogurt and honey cleanser

Ingredients: 4 tbsp plain yogurt, 2 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp lime juice

Mix all the ingredients. Add a little cornstarch if you think the paste needs thickening. Apply on your face and massage for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

Wash your face at least 5-6 times a day in cold water to cool the face in hot summer. It has an extremely relaxing effect.

For an all- natural exfoliation-

Excessive heat and dry winds, overheat our body and it's the face that suffers the most. Face has the most delicate tissues, which get damaged easily.

The outer layer of the skin bears dirt deposits leading to an excessively rough, wrinkled, dull and dry skin. A quick and easy session of exfoliation is required at such beauty emergencies!

1. Oatmeal exfoliating scrub

Ingredients: 1 tsp fine oatmeal, 1 tsp baking soda
Mix the ingredients in enough water to make a thick paste. Scrub with circular motion over face for 2-3 minutes, rinse and pat dry. It's suitable for all types of skin.

2. Curd and gram flour scrub
Ingredients: 1 tspn gram flour, 1 tspn lemon juice, 2-3 mint leaves, toned curd, a small piece of grated carrot

Mix them all to form a past and apply on your face. Scrub slowly in round motions to clean the deep rooted impurities.

To get back the glowing skin-

Harsh sun rays and dry weather - your face seems to have lost its lustre? Don't get upset; here's the simple steps to get back your lost sheen and make your face smooth, soft and fresh like never before in just 20 minutes.

1. Home spa recipe

Ingredients: Pineapple pulp, grape-seed oil, papaya pulp and turmeric

Mix all the ingredients and make a smooth paste. Now apply a small amount of the mixture on face and neck leaving the eyes. Let it dry and rinse with fresh cold water.

2. Grapefruit face mask-

Ingredients:1 tbspn, grapefruit juice, 1 tbspn sour cream, 1 egg white
Beat egg white with sour cream and grapefruit juice, blend well. Apply on face for 15 minutes, then rinse.

After towelling gently, use a little non-oily moisturiser. This will give an amazingly softer skin.

Egg whites and cream makes the skin glow while grapefruit essence leaves a refreshing effect.

Get rid of Pimple problems-

This comes straight from your kitchen garden to bring relief to a pimple prone skin...

Ingredients: 3-4 tbspn fresh cucumber juice, 1 tbspn lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tspn sandalwood powder, few mint leaves

Mix them all and apply on your face for about 15 minutes. This natural face pack has an overall cooling effect apart from taking out dead cells, dried sebum and infectious bacteria accumulated in the clogged skin pores.

Tone it up!

Apart from regular bleaching, cleansing, scrubbing and exfoliation, your skin requires bouts of toning as well. So, instead of using the chemical-based ready-made toners, why don't apply something refreshing?

You must have known the aloe vera plant. Just break a leaf, break it into two and use the extract mixed with natural rose water.

This is best for protecting skin against tanning and clogging. This also helps to overcome the skin problems like allergies, rashes and itching.

So stop worrying and welcome the season with a smiling face!

To learn what to put on prickly heat rash, click on treating prickly heat rash You'll find dozens of articles about skin problems and skin care on this site, so make sure you check out the a-z directory section of the site as well.