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Santa Clara, California, United States

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A to Z care for your Skin in Summers !!

Here comes summer again! Summer is a lot fun with outdoor activities. We all enjoy outdoor sports, picnics, and beach activities in summers. But at the same time summer brings hot and muggy weather too. Hot, humid and scorching heat is really bad for our skin and hair. We all sweat a lot in summers which makes our skin dry and saggy. Our skin absorbs different foreign particles such as dirt & dust which block our skin pores and because of  which our skin is not able to breathe properly.


Most of us prefer to stay inside our home and office during summers, but it not always possible! Life becomes tough when we have to travel or spend some time under direct sun. Direct Sun rays is another harmful element which can cause a lot of damage to our skin such as tanning, early aging, wrinkles, sunburns, and also skin cancer in some cases.
Therefore, be ready to do your homework for summers so that you can enjoy any outdoor activity of your choice.
Here is A to Z  easy ways to protect your skin from harmful effects of sun rays this summer. Since, all the remedies mentioned below are home-made, they are 100 % natural, have no side effect and are very cost effective.



A  - Aloe Vera is one of the most effective and perfect remedy for the sun burn. It soothes irritated skin. If you have sun burnt skin, take a fresh aloe vera leaf/stick and extract juice from it. Rub the gel on the affected part of the skin and let it dry. Rinse it after it dries and repeat the process for few days. Aloe Vera has proven versatile healing properties.



B - Besan is the hindi word for Chickpea flour or Gram flour. Besan is low in carbohydrates and high in protein. It's a good source fibre, vitamins, minerals, and highly nutritious. Besan work wonders for removing  sun tan. It lightens the skin and helps to get fair complexion. For fair complexion you can prepare a face pack. Ingerdients needed: 1tsp of Besan or chickpea flour, 2 tsp of raw milk and 2-3 drops of  fresh lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients to make a paste. Apply this paste on your face and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Wash your face with cool water. You can use this face pack twice a week. This face pack works great for all skin types but is best for dark skin.


C - Everyone is aware of cooling effects of cucumber. Cucumber has its own healing effect as it helps in reducing swelling on the skin. It also reduces heat from the body and refresh your skin. Here is the quick tip for looking fresh. If you are going out for party and want to put on some make, this tip will help your make up to remain fresh longer. Take fresh cucumber juice (just squeeze it from cucumber) and refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes. Apply this juice on your face in circular motion and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Rinse it with cold water. Now you are ready to apply make-up.



D - Dried Amla also known as Gooseberry fruit is the great source of vitamin C. It is truly a gift of nature that has an amazing remedial qualities. Amla is used in many Ayurvedic medicines to cure  liver disorder, anemia, fever, indigestion, heart related problems, and urinary problems. Amla fruit contains more than 80% of water. It also contains vitamin, proteins, fiber and carbohydrates. Dried Amla can be obtained by drying amla fruit in shade, drying it in shade helps retaining much of vitamin C present in the fruit. Dried can be chewed with little salt also.
Coming back to skin and hair benefits. Dried Amla has many beauty benefits. As mentioned earlier in this post that we all sweat a lot in summers. Sweat makes our hair look dull, dry and rough. To get healthy, smooth and shiny hair take powdered amla (dried) mix it with coconut oil. Add 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice. Apply this mixture to you hair and leave it for one hour. For rinsing off  you can use a mild shampoo or your regular shampoo. Another method is to take a piece of dried alma and soak it overnight in water. Use this water to rinse your hair. Regular use of this method will give you healthy and shiny hair.

E -  Egg whites are full of  nutrients and protein. It can give you an amazing effect on our complexion when applied on face. Egg white is the most simple and natural skin lightening remedy. Egg whites when applied to face makes the skin frim and tight, face gets more lifted appearance. If summer makes your skin oily. There is a great way to stop your skin ooze out oil. Take egg white and mix it with honey. Add few drops of lemon in to it. Apply this mixture on your face and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Rinse it with cold water and pat dry.


F -  Fresh fruits are always good for healthy skin. One should include different fresh fruit in daily diet to get smooth and clear complexion. All fruits are good but citrus fruits contains vitamin C and are the best for skin complexion because citrus is responsible for body's collagen formation. Fruits like Oranges and grapes are  rich in vitamin C. For fresh glowing skin you can mash the fruits and apply directly on the skin. Fruits such as Avocado, mango, Berries, Orange, lemon and grapefruits are food good for glowing skin.


G -  Green tea has many health benefits. One should get in to the habit of drinking green tea. It is really good for skin, especially it is very beneficial in summers. Green tea slows down the process of ageing. Green tea has following benefits: Fight free radicals, Neutralize UV light, prevent skin cancer,  rejuvenate skin cells, fight inflammation, Improve Psoriasis, Dandruff condition, soothe acne and lighten skin colour. You can make ice cubes of  brewed green tea and rub it on your face in circular motion.

H -  Honey and Lemon is the best combination for the glowing skin. Honey is 100% natural product and doesn't contain any kind of chemicals. It acts as a moisturiser and helps in hydrating and smoothing  your skin. Because of its anti-bacterial properties it is proved beneficial for acne prone skin and controls the chance of  breakouts. Lemon is also known as the natural bleaching agent. If you have dull, oily, and aged looking skin then lemon is the most helpful solution for you. Lemon helps our skin in many ways such: Exfoliates and brighten our skin, Neutralise damage caused by sun and pollution. Lemon is the natural toner and very good for pore cleansing. Every time after spending a day under sun you can apply honey & lemon facemask which helps to control darkening of skin. For this mask you can take 1tsp of  honey and 1tsp of lemon, mix them well and apply on the face.Keep it for 10-15 minutes and rinse with cold water.  


I - Ice cubes are more than welcome in summer season. We make use ice cubes in our drinks and food, we can also use it for refreshing are tried looking skin. Ice cubes can be rubbed on the face 1-2 times a day but only for few seconds, the time should not exceed for more than 5-6 second. You can rub ice cubes in the morning after you wake up to tone up the skin and in the evening to remove tirdeness from the face. Another way to use Ice cubes is that you can take help of milk also. Take 3:1 ratio of water and milk i.e. 3 parts of water and one part of milk. Freeze it to make Ice cubes. These milk & water ice cubes can be rubbed on sun burnt area or on face to  get relief. This also helps in blood circulation. For sunburnt skin this procedure can be repeated every 2-4 hours for a week. 


J  -  Summers not only damage our skin but also hamper our hair. Jojoba oil is great for dull and dry hair. It has amazing qualities  to repair damaged hair. Jojoba hair oil is available in various compositions such as meduim, heavy and light concentrations, you can buy depending on your hair type. It is excellent oil for adding moisture to your hair. Here is the tip for having healthy, soft and shiny hair. You need Rose water, Jojoba oil, and Vitamin E oil. Take 1 cup of rose water and warm it up on a very low flame. Add 1tsp of jojoba oil and 7-8 drops of vitamin E oil. Apply this mixture on your scalp and leave it for one hour. After an hour, rinse it with plain warm water and then take head wash with mild shampoo and plain water.

K -  Kajal is the first make-up product that most of the girls use. Pure Kajal or Kohl which is chemical free is great for protecting your eyes from the sun. Please be sure of what you pick because these days some kajals are produced by adding charcoal which gives kajal a dark colour and some use sliver nitrate which gives kajal a glowing effect. So, it very important to buy only trusted and reliable brands. There are lot of ayurvedic kajal brands available in the market.
L - We have already discussed benefits of  Rosewater and Lemon juice earlier in this blog. There is another quick way to give your skin a fresh look. For this trick, take 1:1:4 ratios of lemon juice, rose water and chilled water. Where equal quantity of lemon juice and rose water is taken and 4 parts of chilled plain water is taken. Fill this water solution in a bottle and spray this solution on your face regularly in hot summers. It will keep your skin fresh.

M -  Multani Mitti or also know have Fuller earth works great for Oily skin in summers. Multani mitti has been used for ages now to get rid of  skin oiliness, pimples, acnes, and blemishes. Some people also call it as "Magic Mud" because it is an excellent skin cleanser and contains rich minerals that nourish your skin. It should not be used on dry skin as it has tendency to clean out excess oil from the face making it more dry.
For Oily skin here is the way to make a great home-made face mask. Take 2tsp of Multani Mitti and 1/2 tsp of Sandalwood powder, mix them well by adding 2tsp of pure rosewater. Apply this mask evenly on the face & neck and leave it to dry on its own. Don't make the paste too dense because then it will take more time to dry than required. Now, once the mask dries out rinse it with cold water by slowly massaging your face in circular motion. Oily skin people should use this mask regularly to get clean and smooth skin. It refreshes your skin naturally.  

N -  Neem is not a new word for people who take interest in beauty, health, fitness and ayurvedic medicine talks. Because of its numerous benefits it is called "Magical Tree". Some benefits of Neem leaves are:  helps treating chicken pox, neem leaf paste helps subsiding inflammation , diabetic people consume neem leaves empty stomach in the morning, it really helps in curing diabeties, Neem leaves are also helps in purifying blood, and you can also increase body's natural immunity by neem leaf juice.

Neem Benefits on skin: Neem cures number of  skin related problems.


Boil some handful fresh neem leaves in water, let the water cool down. Rinse your face regularly with this water to get problem free skin. 
For any kind of skin infection, make a paste of neem leaves with turmeric and apply it on the effected area for 2-3 month.
-  If you have minor wounds apply neem leaves paste, it helps healing the wound fast and reduces the chance of further infection
-  For pimples, neem leaves work wonders. Apply neem leaves mixture or paste on the pimples.

Neem Benefits for hair:
- To get rid of dandruff, mix the neem leaves extract with lime juice and apply it on the scalp, leave it for 25-30 minutes. Rinse it with normal water and then use you regular shampoo.
- This also helps hair loss!
Neem Benefits for body:
- When consumed neem leaves it acts as de-worming agent and fights with intestinal worms.
- Helps in curing urinary tract infection.
- Helps proper functioning of liver.
- Neem leaves have  anti-malarial properties.
Important Note:  If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, please do not consume these leaves.

O : Orange dried peel is another good way to get natural glow on your face in summers. We all know that Orange is the great source of Vitamin C and Vitamin C is very important for healthy and glowing skin. Besides this it is very tasty and refreshing fruit.

Dried orange peel face mask :
Method to use dried orange peel : take some orange peel and dry them under the sun. Once the peels are dries out completely, powder them. Then add milk to the powder to make fine paste. Apply this paste evenly on your face. Keep it for 10-15 minutes and rinse it off and see the glow on your face. Regular use of this paste will make your skin fair and smooth.
Other Benefits of dried orange peels are :
- For cough: Take 2 cups of water and add about 5grams of powdered orange peel.  Also, add some grated ginger & sugar and simmer it for 10-15 minutes. Drink it before it cools down. This also helps to treats cold, fever, and vomit.
-  Cure for Hangover: If you have bad headache in the morning because of excessive drinking a night before, take about 30 gram of powdered orange peel, add water and salt to it. Bring it to boil and drink it warm.
- Constipation: Boil small amount of powered orange peel in water. Drink it two times a day to get relief from constipation.

P -  Raw Potato acts as the natural bleach. It is excellent for removing suntan. Apply raw potato juice directly on the tanned skin. Keep it for few minutes and rinse it with cold water. Raw potato juice  also works great for reducing pigmentation, scars and blemishes on the face. For more remedies on raw potato juice, please read my blog on Home Remedies for Scars and Pigmentation


Q : Another Quick tip for removing scars and blemishes: take 1tsp of glycerine, 1 tsp of pure rose water and 1tsp of fresh lemon juice. Mix all of them together. Apply 2-3 drops of this solution on your face every day in the night before you sleep. Continue it for 2 weeks and see the result. You will have glowing and smoothing looking skin. You can use this solution to heal cracks in the feet, hands or dried lips. This can also be stored for few days in the refrigerator.

R - Rose water is the best natural toner available. Rosewater suits all skin type be it normal, dry or oily skin. Rosewater can be used for cleansing, toning and mositurising also. It also helps in treating dry flaky skin, acne, patches on cheeks and forehead.
Uses of Rosewater:
- Rosewater can be used in many different face mask such as Sandalwood face mask, Multani mitti face mask etc..
- Rosewater can be used as  a Cleanser: Because of it natural cleansing properties, it is used as astringent which helps to tighten the skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and up lift of the face.
- Rosewater can be used as a Toner: It can be applied on the face before putting on make-up. It helps set foundation and adds glow to your face.
-  Rosewater can be used as Mosituriser: Add few drop of rosewater to your regular moisturiser and apply to your face in circular motion. It is well suited for all kind of skin.

S -   In summers it is very important to scrub your skin. You can make your own anti-bacterial scrub at your home. Take small amount of  Sugar Crystal and few drops of lemon juice and rub gently against your skin. After massaging for few minutes rinse it off with luke warm water. This exfoliates and smoothen your skin giving it a fresh look. As you exfoliate your skin with sugar crystals and lemon, it removes dirt and dead cells from your skin.
T -  We all are well aware of Turmeric benefits. It has a lots of beauty as well as antiseptic benefits. Its anti-inflammatory properties makes it great cure for skin related problems. Turmeric is used in many face masks. It helps to cure pimples, eliminate blemishes and brightens the skin tone. In summer season you can apply turmeric powder and milk to get rid of suntan. There are different face mask for different type of skin.
- For Normal Skin:  Mash 3-4 Strawberries, add a pinch of turmeric and some corn starch. Mix all of these ingredients well and apply it on your face. Let it dry and then wash it off with cold water.
- For Oily Skin  Take 2tsp of Sandalwood powder, 2 tsp of milk, a pinch of turmeric and  2-3 drops of lemon. Mix them well and apply it to you face. Let is dry and wash it off with cool water.
- For Dry Skin: Take one egg, add a pinch of turmeric and equal amount of  lemon juice, rosewater and olive oil (2-3 drops). Mix them really well and apply it on your face. Wash of in 15 minutes with cold water. 

U -  Unripe Papayas facemask are just excellent for summers. As it helps to prevent premature ageing, exfoliates dead skin cells and removes suntan. For those who have sensitive skin should use ripe papaya as unripe papaya tingles when applied on face. To get a glowing skin you can prepare a face mask with the following ingredients: 1/2 cup of unripe papaya, 1tsp of  pure honey and 1tsp of yogurt. Mix all of them in a blender and make a paste. Now apply this paste on your face for 8-10 minutes and wash it well with cold water. This will give you a clean, fresh and glowing skin.
Note: Please be careful while applying this mask on your face, keep your fingers away from your eyes. If it gets in to eyes, it burns badly.

V - Vinegar when mixed with lemon gives you soft, silky and shiny tresses. For this take 1tsp of vinegar and 1tsp of  lemon juice. Apply this mixture for on your scalp and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse it well with normal shampoo.






W -  We all are aware of Walnut scrubs available in the market. But it's always a good idea to make your own walnut scrub at home. for making your own walnut scrub you need: 10tsp of walnut powder, 3-4tsp of honey, and 2tsp of lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients well and rub it on your face & body in circular motion. Leave it for 15-20 minutes and then rinse it with cold water. This scrub will make your skin soft & smooth. You can use this scrub weekly.

X - X factor for your skin is to drink lots of water. Drink more water to get healthy and problematic free skin. Water moisturises your skin inside out and helps to throw out the toxins in the body. There is nothing better than water to make your skin healthy. We tend to sweat al ot in summers, it results in loss of water from our body. So, you should make sure that you drink enough water in summers. Some simple tips:

- Take your own water bottle anywhere you go.
-  Can add lemon slices in your water.
-  Always keep a glass of water beside you if you want to sit somewhere for a long time.
-  Always keep water on your bed side in the night when you are about to sleep. 
Therefore, rather wasting money on cold drink and beverages, one should adopt the habit of drinking more water.
Y - When you step into home after spending whole day out in sun, just apply chilled yogurt all over your face and neck. Let it rest on your skin until it dries out. Rinse it with cold water. This mask will prevent tanning and your skin will look refreshed.



Z -   Zzzzzzzzzzz............Last but not the least, Yes! Sleep well. Everyone needs six hours of sleep. If you sleep less or you sleep more than required, it shows on your face. So, sleep early and wake up early. This formula never fails to give you a refreshed and healthy looking skin.

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