The monsoon season brings with it the necessity and opportunity to implement specific lifestyle practices. While people are quick to adopt weather-appropriate clothing and choose monsoon travel destinations, an often overlooked area that requires special attention during monsoon is skincare. The humid weather causes several challenges for the skin like dampness and clogged pours, making implementation of special monsoon skincare measures important.
In a conversation with mid-day.com, Dr. Taniyaa Bakshi, a Delhi-based homeopathy and wellness expert and director of Bakson Group, shares the importance of monsoon skincare and essential tips one must follow to keep the skin radiant and healthy during rainy season.
Why is it important?
Seasonal change necessitates special skincare practices. “Monsoon means more humidity. When there’s more humidity, our skin tends to produce more sebum (an oily secretion that hydrates the skin). That’s why, in monsoon, the skin feels damp and dewy. Now the problem is that with too much humidity, bacteria can also start accumulating on your skin. It also attracts dirt which stays on the skin for a long time. So, taking care of your skin is extremely essential,” Dr. Bakshi explains.
Monsoon skincare tips
She recommends the following monsoon skincare practices:
1. Wash face with cleanser.
Washing your face with a cleanser works well. You can use a hydrating cleanser, not something that strips all the moisture off but gives a good cleaning effect. It is especially important to wash your face before sleeping because the whole day’s dirt and bacteria are on your skin. People apply sunscreen, moisturiser, make-up and other skincare products on a daily basis. If you don’t wash all this off, it will stay on your skin and clog the pours.
2. Use an exfoliator.
Since humidity attracts a lot of dirt, an exfoliator helps in further cleansing. In this weather, the pores start showing due to increase in sebum. So, using exfoliators, scrubs and masks two to three times a week work well on the skin.
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3. Apply light moisturiser.
Don’t use a thick moisturiser. It can clog your skin during the rainy reason. Use lighter moisturisers or lotions that have less oil.
4. Manage use of actives.
Avoid including a lot of actives like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, retinol, etc. People don’t use one skincare product. They use three to four, and they have different actives. For example, combinations of several different actives like vitamin E, vitamin C and retinol can destroy the skin barrier.
Nutrition is key
While most people associate skincare to applying something on the skin, its scope extends far beyond that.
“Your skin is just 20 per cent of what you apply and 80 per cent of what you eat,” Dr. Bakshi states. Gut health greatly influences the skin, hence diet plays a key role in skincare.
Nutrition tips for monsoon skincare
The expert suggests these diet tips to ensure healthy skin during monsoon:
1. Avoid street food.
Humidity is the best environment for harmful bacteria to thrive. The same street food doesn’t trouble us a lot in summers because the high temperature kills the bacteria. So, eat home food as much as you can. If you crave dishes like samosa and pakoras, minimise its impact by cooking at home.
2. Consume local and seasonal fruits.
Peach, apricot, pear, jamun, apple, papaya are all available in monsoon and most of them have antioxidant properties. Cherries are also great for the skin. If you don’t wish to eat them raw, you can use them to prepare innovative dishes like peach iced tea.
3. Have detox water.
A detox drink can be prepared by infusing water with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. For example, cut a cucumber in thin long slices and add it in water along with a lemon slice. This turns the water alkaline, which is good for the skin.
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These simple yet effective steps are important to maintain healthy skin during the monsoon. While what you apply on the skin makes a difference, what you eat is equally significant. A balanced approach between the two will lead to rejuvenated and glowing skin.
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