Heat waves are happening around the world and summer can bring its own set of challenges for skin and hair care due to increased sun exposure, humidity, and other environmental factors. Here are some tips to help you stay cool and deal with issues that appear during the summer months:
1. Hydration: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated from the inside out
2. Moisturize well: Use a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated without clogging pores. Use moisturizing skin and hair products, such as conditioners and leave-in treatments, to combat dryness caused by sun exposure and saltwater or chlorine from swimming.
3. Be sun smart: It’s best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, but sometimes that can’t be avoided. When out in direct sunlight remember to wear sunscreen regularly and reapply every 4 hours, SPF 40 or above is the ideal for Indian skintone.
4. Regular breaks: Take regular breaks indoors or in a shady area to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing will also help you to stay cool.
5. Healthy Diet: Incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins into your diet to nourish your skin with essential vitamins and nutrients. Food with a high water content like strawberries, water melon, sugarcane juice, cucumber, celery, and lettuce, will also help to keep you hydrated and cool in summer weather.
6. Exfoliation: Regularly exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover, revealing smoother brighter skin.
7. Limit your alcohol: The sun is high, and so are many people’s spirits. And that can lead us to the pub. Unfortunately, mixing too much sun with a few too many drinks is not a good combination. Alcohol causes dehydration, which can hit especially hard if your body is already struggling to stay cool in the summer. Drinking alcohol can also make it harder to get a good night’s sleep, something that’s already difficult in warmer temperatures.
8. Avoid Heat Styling: Minimize the use of heat styling tools such as blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons, as they can further damage your hair and increase dryness. Embrace natural hairstyles or use heat protectant products when styling.
9. Keep your home cool : During the hot weather, it’s important to make your home a place you can escape to out of the heat, so keeping it cool is key to feeling comfortable. Keeping your house cool is especially important at night. During a heatwave temperatures often stay high even at night making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. While it affects everyone in areas affected by a heatwave, people living in high-rise buildings and in urban areas may particularly struggle with this problem
10. Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to allow your skin time to repair and regenerate.
Consult a skin care expert if you’re struggling with persistent acne or skin issues, or if any other skin issues appears in your body do consider seeking professional advice for proper guidance do not rely on home remedies.
The author is the Co-founder, Skin care expert and Cosmetologist from Abhivrit Aesthetics, New Delhi.
