Here’s why cucumber should be the protagonist of your skincare routine this summer

This year has been particularly a scorcher and a surprise with the onslaught of the sun coming on full on in Spring instead of Summer and the temperatures soaring to 45 degrees in April when we were just about getting to enjoy Spring!

Why should you keep cucumber near you for skin and hair care this summer?

I have been bombarded with queries of sunburn, open pores, burning of the hands and feet, burning eyes and above all how to feel and look cooler! So how does one try and change the inner weather of the body despite the fact that we are really all over the country already facing a heat wave?

For a start, let’s work on the diet. Exclude heavy gravy and fried foods, starchy food, alcohol and aerated drinks. What you really do need to include in your summer bar is chaach, coconut water, lime water and light squashes of bel (wood apple) and rhododendrons to help cool the system.

See to the diet

Include lots of seasonal fruits in your diet like watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, raita of onion,cucumber and bitter gourd (gheea). Add fresh mint leaves into food, salads and drinks to help you keep cool and create an inner air conditioning.

Besides this for those of you who experience extreme burning on the hands and feet, I would suggest that you rub bitter gourd slices on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hand and watch how cool and soothed the skin feels!

Skin and eyes

Besides this, for burning eyes keep used tea bags in the freezer and cover your eyes with this. Rose water pads and cucumber slices are also very highly effective.

I would also like to suggest that fresh rosewater should be stored in the fridge at all times and spritz your face and neck with this several times a day—if you are working, also keep a bottle in your office! For those of you, who have children at home, make this a daily routine after coming back from school or college and see an immediate result.

Never throw away watermelon peels. In fact, just throw them in your freezer and rub this on your skin when returning from outdoors. Not only will it help cool the skin but also provide natural AHA’s (Natural Alpha Hydroxy Acids derived from various natural sources like fruits, milk, and sugarcane) and make the skin soft and well hydrated.

Open pores become a big issue in the summer and to prevent this just put a couple of slices of raw tomatoes in the freezer and let the skin drink this juice in. Rub gently into the skin and feel the tautness and see the open pores shrink!

Scalp issues

I have recently got a lot of queries from people who are experiencing boils on the scalp. This could well be due to the sudden heat wave and the best way to treat this is to rinse the hair with neem water. This can be made by boiling a handful of neem leaves in 1 litre of water and letting it cool. After shampooing, rinse the hair with this. You could also apply Fuller’s earth mixed with cold milk if you have dry hair and leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse. For those of you who have oily hair, mix Fuller’s earth with yoghurt and apply on the scalp and hair.

Body odour can be like a nightmare in summers and it is best to avoid synthetic material and stick to cool cottons and tussars. Linen also works well. Avoid tight fitting clothes and weave your day around loose and airy fits to keep you cool.

Try to bathe twice a day and add a few drops of essential oil of lime, geranium, bergamot and lemon to your last rinse of bath water. For those in a tub, add sea salt, lemon slices, mogra or jasmine flowers and soak in the goodness. A cup of milk added to this bath water will be magical for the skin as it will make it softer and hydrated naturally.

Now that you have got these simple tips, just include them in your lifestyle and feel the difference. Soon you would have dealt with this burning issue and be feeling as cool as a cucumber!

This article is written by Suparna Trikha