The monsoon season can hurt our otherwise glowing and radiant skin, especially the face. The most common skin-related issues during this time are redness, itchiness, open pores, and patchy and flaky skin. Problems worsen in a polluted atmosphere as dirt particles often tend to cling on the skin, giving it a dull grey appearance.
The good news, however, is that these problems can be addressed if we adopt a proper skincare regimen, aided by the goodness of nature. While many might not pay heed to the latter, bidding adieu to harmful chemicals and toxins is the first thing anyone needs to do for their personal care.
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Cleanse away impurities
It is always the best idea to start a day afresh. Our face deserves the same routine. Hence, it is essential to do thorough skin cleansing after you wake up. People use different kinds of face wash for this purpose, but it is important to ensure that while cleansing away impurities, the face wash should offer nutrients to help address early signs of aging, diminish blemishes and hyper-pigmentation owing to sun damage. Ideally, the face wash should include natural ingredients like turmeric, ashwagandha and gotu kala, instead of chemicals like sulfates, parabens, synthetic colours or artificial fragrance.
Hold on to moisture
To break the seemingly unbreakable bond between monsoon and skin problems, it is important that the skin holds on to moisture all day long. The prerequisite of it is zeroing in on the right day cream, which is nutrient rich as well as light textured. Turmeric, vitamin E, aloe vera, sunflower oil, sandalwood extract and wheat germ oil are some of the ingredients that can enhance the skin renewal process by supporting skin’s collagen structure, retaining the moisture balance and keeping dark spots and pigmentation in check. In simpler terms, the cream should boost skin resiliency to give a radiant and blemish-free skin.
Stimulate cell growth
The environmental aggressors during the monsoon season often deplete skin radiance, which requires us to make attempts to stimulate cell growth. Before we delve further into the point, beware of harmful chemical-laden creams that offer instant results. The best way to stimulate cell growth is by using a night balm with Ayurvedic ingredients such as mango butter, which has antibacterial properties, anantmool that is ideal for natural detoxification, and manjistha, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Using an all-natural night balm before going to sleep each night on face would boost the hydrants as well as relieve early signs of aging.
Nourishment with ‘ubtan’
Applying ubtan on face to make it glowing and radiant is an age-old trick that's also one of the most effective skincare practices. One can apply a home-made ubtan of besan and haldi to nurture the skin during the monsoon season. Depending on the skin condition, you can also add milk or vitamin E capsules in the ubtan. If you opt for a product from the market, go for an Ayurvedic or all-natural ubtan. Ingredients such as kesar, orange, rose and turmeric are good for a natural healthy skin texture; they keep the skin happy while removing dead skin cells through exfoliation.
Himanshu Gandhi is the chief executive and co-founder of Mother Sparsh.
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