Come the pitter-patter of raindrops, and the parched earth gives out an intoxicating aroma that is beyond description. Along with this comes the yearnings for pakoras, hot teas, and spicy food, all of which are bad news for your skin and hair. The monsoon increases the worries of oily and combination-skinned people and, at the same time, proves to be an absolute delight for dry-skinned people, keeping their skin looking hydrated and porcelain during this time.
So, do you experience any of these monsoon nightmares? If so, read through the following monsoon problems and see if you find a part of yourself in any one of them. I promise you, my magical natural remedies will give you great skin and hair in no time at all, provided you follow them with discipline.
Oily skin is very common, and both oily and combination skins experience an unpleasant stickiness during this time of the year, so much so that it can lead to breakouts. A simple remedy for sticky skin is as follows:
200ml of rosewater
1 tsp camphor
1 tsp dried mint powder
Pound the camphor until it becomes fine and add it to the rosewater. Stir this together until completely dissolved and add the mint powder to the liquid. Pour into a plastic airtight bottle and store in the fridge. Use this tonic to wipe your skin two to three times a day, and you will find the stickiness reducing in minutes.
Blackheads and Whiteheads
It is obvious that you cannot go in for a professional cleanup weekly; however, you can do an exfoliating routine at home on alternate days. Make the following exfoliator from these natural ingredients and see your skin glow!
50gm red masoor lentil powder
50gm oatmeal
50gm orange peel powder
Mix all the ingredients and store them in an airtight container.
Take a tsp at a time and add rosewater, enough to make a smooth thick paste. Apply this on the skin and leave on till semi-dry. When semi-dry, dab with water and scrub off in a rotating manner. Wash the face with ice-cold water and pat dry.
Open pores
This is something that makes the skin look uneven. Open pores can be troublesome and are also vents of bacterial build-up on the epidermal layer, leading to pimples and acne. All you need is frozen tomato halves and rub them daily onto clean skin. This will help close the pores as tomatoes are naturally acidic in nature. Do it for just 2 minutes a day and you will notice a difference within a week!
Acne and Pimples
Zits are the most dreadful of all and can lead to endless nightmares. Keep your skin squeaky clean at all times and also beware of bad digestion and constipation. Increase your liquid intake with water, coconut water, fresh lime water and chaach. All these natural drinks help cool the system and improve digestive problems. I do not recommend too much salad during this season, but definitely an increase in fruits and grilled foods. Acne and pimples can be tackled with the following face mask:
2 tsp Fullers earth
3 ground cloves or a pinch of clove powder
2 tsp fresh neem paste
Rosewater
Mix all the ingredients together and apply on clean skin. Leave until completely dry and wash with fridge water. This can be very safely used on a daily basis.
Hair Fall
One of the worst nightmares during the rainy season- I have seen women so stressed that it leads to more hair fall. I would suggest that you make the following hair mask after oiling your hair with a good quality mahabhringraj oil. If you do not happen to find one, you could mix pure almond oil and castor oil and massage the scalp with it, followed by this hair food:
5 tsp neem paste
5 tsp hibiscus leaves paste
5 hibiscus flowers paste
2 tsp each of amla, reetha, shikakai, and triphla powder
2 eggs
Mix this well together and apply from the root of the hair to the ends like henna and cover your hair with a shower cap. Leave it on for about 45 minutes and shampoo your hair with a mild herbal shampoo.
Harsh shampoos, especially during the monsoon, can strip the epidermal layer of important oils.
Limp hair or lifeless hair
Does your hair look limp, lifeless, and lusterless all the time? Use this simple hair wash to bring it to life and resonate with shine in minutes!
Half a cup of fuller’s earth
Half a cup of strained tea water
Half a cup of stale beer
The juice of two lemons
Mix all the ingredients to a smooth paste. You can add some more beer if the consistency is still too thick and wash your hair with this concoction. Rinse well with water.
Frizzy hair
Dry hair can become troublesome and unmanageable at this time of the year. Using smoothening hair masks and leave-in conditioners made with natural ingredients can help manage this problem.
Take salad mayo and apply it as a hair mask. This should be left in for about 40 minutes and shampooed out with a mild herbal shampoo.
Along with this, I would suggest that you take 200ml of water and add a tsp of honey to it. Use this as an after-shampoo leave-in conditioner and let the hair dry naturally. Brush regularly while the hair is semi-dry.
Now that you have some magical monsoon recipes for great skin and hair, I would suggest rummaging into your kitchen shelves to get some of these wonderful ingredients together to start your journey with beauty... the natural way.
All the best... until next time!