Summer Care

The long summer months leave tales behind on the skin and hair of the people of the tropical countries. The common problems that we come across during summers are sweat, heat rash, suntan, pimples, acne and prickly heat. Rough hair, aggravation of dandruff, constant perspiration and bad odour are some of the hair problems, which we face.

To keep off excessive sweat
Powder, black cardamoms in a box and keep it in a refrigerator. Soak 10 bay leaves in water overnight. Mix multani, cardamom powder and bay leaf water and prepare a body pack. Apply this to keep off excessive sweat.

To combat sweat
keep a bottle of this lotion in your handbag and wipe your face from time to time
to retain the fresh look.
If you sweat profusely make a pack of multani (fuller's) earth and rosewater and apply all over the body. On drying mildly scrub it off by rubbing.

To remove the suntan after an outdoor rendezvous
Rose water is one of the natural skin care products immensely useful during this hot-wet season. Equal quantities of rose water and cucumber juice have to be bottled and refrigerated. This soothing lotion can be refrigerated till 7 days.
Apply this lotion after returning home with a cotton ball or muslin to your face and hands. It will benefit your skin highly and will give you a fresh look.

To treat heat rash
Apply home made yogurt all over your body before bath or add turmeric to the yogurt and apply it. If you have any skin related problems you can add neem juice to the pack and apply it. It not only sooths the skin but leaves it glowing.

Face pack to treat heat rash
Bottle gourd (lau/lauki) paste, Basil (tulsi) paste mixed with rice powder should be applied. On drying, scrub off by rubbing gently.

Prickly heat
Yogurt mixed with unsheathed whole meal flour or atta has to be applied on affected areas before bath. On drying, rub with hands to scrub off.
Equal quantities of juice extracts from neem, tulsi, pudina, coriander and turmeric bottled and refrigerated. This lotion will stay fresh for 7 days. Apply on affected areas after returning from outdoor activities.

Bay leaves grounded in a mixer, mixed with rosewater should be applied on affected areas. This will not only relieve you but will make your skin soft.Handful of durba grass along with a handful of tulsi leaves and 2 pieces of turmeric should be grounded and applied on affected areas. On drying, wash off.

Sun tan
Natural bleach like lemon and tomato are very effective to remove suntan. These natural products should not be used directly on your skin but should be applied with a base. If your skin is sensitive to lemon and tomato juice, apply a mixture of cucumber and turmeric juice 3-4 times a day.

A body and face pack of orange juice, musambi juice, tomato juice, basan(chick-pea flour), milk powder or bread soaked in milk and multani (fullers earth), applied regularly will give you immense benefit. Let it dry mildly. Remove it with moist cotton.

Pimples
Aggravation of pimples during the summer months is painful.
To avoid pimples one should have Chirota's water for 2-3 times in a week. Have 2-3 green (kancha haldi) turmeric and sugar cane jaggery. Keep you face clean always and carry a face wash in your handbag. A paste of neem, turmeric, chirota and multani should be applied to keep off pimples.

Oily skin
Summer months tends to aggravate oil in your skin. Lemon juice and cucumber juice is best for your skin. With flour, mix either of the juice and apply on your face for 15mins. and then wash off. Rub ice.

Dry Skin
To treat dry skin during the summer months apply water melon juice with a cotton on your face and keep for 15 mins. and then wash off.

Normal Skin
Sandalwood paste is very good for normal skin during the hot months. It is advised to be applied before bedtime and can be left on and washed off the next morning.

Hair problems
The humid season keeps the head wet with perspiration, which often emits bad odour. To avoid odour wash your head twice a day. If it is not possible moisten a piece of cotton in rose water and apply on the scalp. Use of camphor is very beneficial to keep off odour and heavy perspiration.

Relief from sweat and dandruff
Take one spoon of camphor powder mix in half a cup of water apply it on your scalp, towel dry and then brush your hair. This will relieve you both from sweat and dandruff.

Henna your hair once a week. It is an excellent way to keep your hair healthy and beautiful during the summers. It keeps your head cool and gives you a good night's sleep.

Scalp itches
If your scalp itches apply a paste of neem, turmeric, chirota, keep it for sometime and then wash off.

To treat rough hair
The hair often becomes rough. Give an oil massage 3 times a week and apply a mild shampoo.

To control dandruff
To control dandruff apply oil and after an hour later apply curd and turmeric paste. Keep for 20 mins. and then wash off.

Excessive perspiration tends to wash off all the minerals from the body so we often become tired during the hot season. So to stay healthy have curd, watermelon sharbat, bel (wood apple) sharbat, pudina (mint) sharbat.