MONSOON SKIN CARE

With the summer it’s all about the sun, radiation, tanning and protecting the skin from the Sun. In the Monsoon it’s about the skins hydration and moisture level.


So what can we do in the monsoon to care for the skin???

Cleanse skin with gentle cleansers:
The high humidity during the monsoon months can cause sweat to run in rivulets over your body. This can create a build-up of dust, dirt, grime and other toxins on the surface of your skin
Skin will also have a tendency to go drier and gets easily dehydrated in the monsoon season, so use a gentle cleanser unless you have acne prone or very oily skin.
For normal to dry skin: use a soap free cleanser as soap is very dehydrating for the skin.
For acne prone / oily skin: use a Salicylic acid based cleanser once a day in the morning and a soap free cleanser at night.

Moisturize your skin: Monsoons can cause a de-hydrating effect on dry skin and an over-hydrating effect on oily skin. Use a good moisturiser.
For normal to dry: Use a cream based moisturiser or a rich lotion
For acne prone / oily: Use a light lotion, avoid heavy moisturisers

If skin feels very dry you can also use a hyaluronic acid based skin serum with the moisturiser to keep the skin soft and hydrated

Use Sunscreen: Just because the clouds have moved in and it is not so bright or sunny anymore, it does not mean that you can stop using the sunscreens or stop bothering about sun exposure.

True, the days are dull and not so bright but what you have to remember is that the clouds block only 20% of the radiation, so you are still being exposed to the harmful sun rays and this can lead to long term skin damage like pre mature ageing, lines, wrinkles and sagging.

You can use a lesser strength SPF than the summer time. SPF 24 – 30 is ideal in the monsoon times. Use a water proof sunscreen so that should you get drenched in the rain, the sunscreen still stays on.
The sunscreen has to be reapplied every 4 – 5 hrs

Use skin fresheners on a regular basis: Use skin fresheners, like rose water or thermal waters that can be sprayed onto the skin. This keeps the skin hydrated and prevents dehydration. This is especially useful for persons who work in a air conditioned environment.

Go for Detox & Hydrating facials: This is the time to have detox facials that help drain the body lymphatics and toxins.

Protect your skin from fungal infection: Humid weather in the rainy season brings with it one of the major skin care issue of fungal infections. Fungus grows easily in areas where warm moisture can accumulate and foster growth, like between your toes, armpits and groin. One way to take care of this is to bath with an anti-fungal soap and apply anti-fungal powder after the bath. Try to avoid keeping your skin wet for a long time and if you have been in rain, take a bath in lukewarm water.
Eat Right:
It is essential to eat healthy at all times not just during monsoon. Nutritional supplements are usually advised to give extra protection and care for the skin during the monsoon. Take Vit E, Fish Oil (Omega 3) capsules. These are rich in oils and will help with skin nutrition and nourishment. Also take a multi mineral tablet that contains zinc as this is essential for skin healing processes. Also take Vit C so that you can boost your resistance during the monsoon.

Let your body rest:
Try to get at least 6 – 8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep at night so that the body gets time to recover and recoup for the next day. During this period your skin also vitalizes itself.

Avoid heavy makeup:
Let your skin breathe, so avoid heavy makeup, at least during the day. Use light water based foundations if you must use a foundation during the day. Avoid cake / heavy solid foundations during the monsoon. Opt for water proof make up so that it does not run if you should get wet in the rain.

So protect your skin and have a blast this Monsoon!!!

Hair care this monsoon

Rain! Rain! go away! Come again another day! Remember this nursery rhyme? After the scorching heat, the rains definitely come as a relief, but they also signal the need for extra protection, be it of our homes, our vehicles or even ourselves. Most importantly, maintaining those lovely, long, shining tresses- the hair. Like summer, in Monsoon too we face some hair care problems.

After summer, when the monsoon comes, the quantity of humidity and moisturizer affects our hair the most. Again rainy and damp weather makes it difficult to dry hair normally and as a result hairs become weak and greasy. Sunlight is absent, air is full of extra moisturizer, thus creating difficulties like limpness, greasiness and hair fall.

One reason why hair may fall at a higher rate during the monsoon could be that, as a coincidence, hair may be in the end phase of its life cycle. This coupled with humidity, weakens the hair making it easily breakable and you could have a problem.

If you get drenched in the rain, shampoo your hair as soon as you get back home. Rainwater carries atmospheric pollutants that weaken the hair roots causing hair fall. Along with rainwater, another danger in the monsoon is the municipally-treated water. During the monsoon, the municipality guards against bacteria with additional chlorine in the water. This concentrated chlorine compound may kill the bacteria but can also be harmful to your skin. Chlorine can cause dry skin, dry hair, itching, flaking and hair loss. This may be why the monsoon is the time for dandruff proliferation. A regular use of a mild anti-dandruff shampoo is recommended.

Avoid hot hair-treatments such as perming, straightening or coloring during the rainy season. These are not advisable since these treatments need time to settle on your strands and are likely to be washed away in the rain. When combined with wet weather, these treatments tend to weaken the hair shaft and promote breakage and hair fall. Ironing the hair repeatedly is not advisable either as the repeated flow of hot air can cause breakage and split ends.

While hair loss may not be a disease in the conventional sense of the word, it can still cause a lot of suffering. Traditionally, hair loss has been regarded negatively and subconsciously associated with aging and even loss of beauty. Thus, hair loss, especially if it is premature, is capable of causing great emotional turmoil and may, in some cases, even lead to social withdrawal.

In monsoon hair does not dry totally leading to dull, frizzy, damp hair. To avoid limp and flat hair you should follow a fitness regime for your hair exclusively in monsoon season. Here are some handy tips and helps for your hair to protect it from the damages causing in this season.

1). Choose the right product: Always use a brand that suits your hair texture best and makes it clean and silky with less hair fall. Mild shampoo is a good option. Medicated shampoos are available nowadays to revitalize the hair and to clean it. Check with your dermatologist for options

2).Don’t wash hair frequently as this can lead to drying and breakage. Wash twice to thrice a week maximum.

3) Condition your hair after each wash as this will coat the hair fibers and protect it from environmental damage.

4). Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet. Protein and fruit vitamins are necessary to fight against hair fall in monsoon. Hair fall is very common in this season. So you have to make your hair strong from inside.

5) In your diet make sure there is adequate intake of Biotin, Iron (Ferrous) and Proteins. These are available as oral supplements. Ask your dermatologist to recommend one for you.

6) Warm oil applications to the scalp is very good. Use gooseberry / Amla oil as this is very nourishing to the scalp and hair. Leave on for minimum 45 mins and wash off.

7) Warm compress to the scalp and hair after applying oil or conditioner is excellent. This will help penetrate the nutrition into the hair root

If you are having hair fall (normal is up to 100 follicles a day), see your dermatologist immediately