This year has been particularly a scorching surprise with the onslaught of the sun, coming on full swing in spring instead of summer, and the temperatures soaring to 45 degrees when we were just about getting to enjoy the season. I have been bombarded with queries of sunburn, open pores, burning of the hands and feet, burning eyes and above all, how to stay cool.
So how does one try and adjust their body to the harsh weather, when the country is facing a heat wave? For starters, let’s work on the diet and exclude the evils – rich gravies, fried snacks, starchy food, alcohol and aerated drinks. What you really need to include in your summer bar are chaas (buttermilk), coconut water, lime water, light squashes of Bael and Rhododendron, which help cool the system. Moreover, include lots of seasonal fruits in your diet like watermelon, musk melons, cucumber, raita and bottle gourd (gheea). Add fresh mint leaves into food, salads and drinks to help you keep cool.
Beauty Remedies to Beat the Heat
Besides maintaining a light diet, here are some easy beauty tips for girls that can help you cure your summer woes. Here’s a list –
1. Burning Hands and Feet
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 you’re your skin feels.
2. Burning Eyes
For burning eyes, keep used tea bags in the freezer and place them on your eyes for a few minutes and relax. Rose water pads and cucumber slices are also very highly effective.
3. For Fresh Looking Skin
I would like to suggest that you store fresh rosewater in the fridge at all times and spritz your face and neck with this several times in a day. If you are working, you can keep a bottle in your office. For those of you, who have children, make this a daily routine when they come back from school or college. You will notice immediate effect.
Never throw away watermelon peels; in fact just keep them in your freezer and rub them whenever you get back from outdoors. Not only will it help cool the skin but also provide natural AHA’s and make the skin soft and well hydrated.
Never throw away watermelon peels; they are good for your skin
4. Open Pores
Open pores become a big issue during summers, and to prevent this, just put a couple of slices of raw tomatoes in the freezer and then place them on your skin for it to absorb the juice. Rub gently into the skin and feel the tautness. You will notice the open pores shrink soon.
5. Scalp Problems
I have recently got a lot of queries from people who are experiencing boils on their 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.
The rinse can be made by boiling a handful of neem leaves in one litre of water and letting it cool. After shampooing, rinse the hair with this mix. You could also apply fuller’s earth mixed with cold milk if you have dry hair and leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse. For those of you who have oily hair, mix the fuller’s earth with yoghurt and apply on the scalp and hair.
6. Body Odour
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 your cool.
Try and bathe twice a day and add a few drops of essential oil such as lime, geranium, bergamot and lemon to your last rinse of bathing water. For those in a tub, add sea salt, lemon slices, mogra or jasmine flowers and soak in their 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 imbibe them into your lifestyle and feel the difference. No sooner than you know, you would have dealt with this burning issue and be feeling as cool as a cucumber!
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