5 Ways to protect your skin this summer

Staying out in the sun too long can cause you to suffer from a host of skin problems such as age spots, wrinkles and even increase your risk of developing skin cancer. During the summer months, you need to take extra care of yourself as the sun is at its peak at that time. Here's what you can do in this summer to ensure that your skin remains protected:

1. Avoid the rays of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm

The strength of the UV rays depends on a number of factors such as reflective surfaces, height, and time of day. The sun's UV rays are at their strongest between 10 am and 2 pm. If you're outdoors, seek a cool area to protect yourself from the damaging rays of the sun. You could stand under a tree or use an umbrella to shield yourself from its ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't use tanning beds

Several studies reveal that tanning beds can cause skin cancer. According to these studies, individuals under 30 who use tanning beds increase their risk of melanoma (the most deadly of all skin cancers) by about 75%.

3. Increase your fluid intake

One of the ways in which you can beat the sun and protect your skin is by increasing your fluid intake during this time. On an average, one should have about 3 liters of fluids every day, which is about 1.5-2 liters of water and 1 liter of fluid from solid foods. From summer foods like watermelon and berries to beverages like fruit juice, milk, etc and liquid-based meals - all these avenues should be considered.

4. Have a proper cleansing regimen

To help your skin look fresh even during the summer months, you should exfoliate regularly. When you do this, all the dead skin cells are removed, giving your face a youthful and fresh appeal.

5. Use a sunscreen all the time

To protect yourself from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun, you should never forget to apply sunscreen when going out. Ideally, a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 should be applied thoroughly to your skin 30 minutes before leaving your house. More importantly, it should be applied again every 2 hours.



5 Ways to protect your skin this summer

Top 10 Everyday Skin Care Hacks

You skin needs just a little care daily. There are some very simple ways in which we can provide that much needed affection and get back radiance and softness. And all this without any extra effort!

Try these everyday regimes for the glow.

1. Adopt Hydration - The first thing your skin needs to stay beautiful is adequate 'hydration,' or what they call in plain terms as plenty of water. So bottoms up to at least two liters of water daily.

2. Avoid Dehydration  - While you are busy hydrating your skin, remember to be careful and not dehydrate by staying out under the harsh sun for longer than 10-15 mins at a stretch. Ditch the caffeine habit (Soda, coffee, tea) as it dehydrates your body on the cellular level, inviting the onset of those dreaded wrinkles early than anticipated. 

3. Apply Lesser Layers - Your skin is your body's largest organ and it needs to breathe. So try and not swathe it under layers of heavy makeup and pore clogging chemical body butters on a regular basis.

4. Give It Fresh Air - To get your skin breathing truly fresh, put on your exercise gear and head outdoors to spend some quality time with Mother Nature at the nearest park or maybe you can take that long pending weekend trip out of the city!

5. Don’t Stress - Do not be stressed all the time unnecessarily. Learning how to manage stress effectively can take away years from your skin. 

6. Exercise - Run. Jump. Dance. Get moving, in short. The more your skin sweats, the better will it look and the elasticity would improve dramatically too. 

7. Get Nutrition - Get in the habit of starting the day with plenty of fruits and a healthy breakfast with the right amount of protein, carbs and essential fats. Fats are required by your skin to lubricate and moisturize from the inside. But make sure you stick to good fats found in olive oil, eggs, yogurt (the ones without any additives or artificial sugars), and whole grain breads etc.

8. Go Smoke-free - Just stop smoking and you would see a dramatic improvement in your skin tone within a few weeks (yes, it takes time to reverse that kind of damage) 

9. Wear Sunscreen - Slather on the sunscreen before you leave the house but make sure it's SPF index must be 30 and above for it to be effective under the harsh Indian sun.

10. Exfoliate & Detox - Scrub-rub-a dub every week. NOT every day though.. Make sure you use organic scrubs made with rice granules or sugar grains instead. Use a natural face mask such as Banana mash or a Tomato-Cucumber-Honey paste every alternate day to detoxify, cleanse and moisturize your face and body. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.


10 Only Skin Care Hacks You Will Ever Need

6 ways to minimize visible pores on your skin

Pores are openings in the skin through which your body's natural oil, called sebum, is released. They appear larger when they are clogged with dirt or oil, and are home to hair follicles. Dead skin cells and sebum which, put together, form a pimple can stretch out pores. Aging and exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun also contribute to the appearance of pores on your skin. Pores can be controlled with the right skin care. 

Here's how:
1. Choose your skin care products wisely 
Zinc and magnesium help to maintain your skin's oil balance and clear pores. Products with softening ingredients like rosemary and lavender may soothe your skin and prevent pores from stretching out. You should use products with salicylic acid as an ingredient since it unclogs pores, exfoliating your skin. 

2. Maintain cleanliness
Washing your face temporarily stops your pores from holding extra oil or dirt. Exfoliating two to three times a week can also control the cropping up of pores on your skin. However, these are temporary methods because you will have large pores naturally if your skin is oily.

3. Applying sunscreen
Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun for too long can make your pores look bigger. Applying sunscreen on the face and on exposed areas of your skin with SPF 30 can minimize your pores. Also, wear a broad-brimmed hat and withdraw stepping out in the sun between 10 A. M. To 4 P. M.

4. Treating the spot
Oily skin tends to have larger and more noticeable pores. Some areas of your face may be oilier making the pores visible. A clay mask can be used for spot treating if the pores on your nose, cheeks or forehead are large. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your skin and rinse it off with water after a few minutes. The clay extracts the extra oil out of your clogged pores so that the skin looks sleek. Using blotting paper on your oily areas can also be effective. 

5. Maintain a proper diet
Avoid food that is oily and high in fat because unhealthy oil can agitate the skin leading to clogged pores. You should eat low-fat foods like fruits and vegetables instead of munching on chips, cookies and candies. 

6. Remove makeup before going to bed
One of the biggest blunders that you can do is to leave your makeup on and go to bed. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores, stretching them out over time. Even if you forget to wash off your makeup at the sink due to some reasons, make sure that you at least remove it with face wipes. 





6 Ways to Minimize Visible Pores on Your Skin

The goodness of water is known to all and sundry. Another fluid to watch out for is the coconut water. Coconut water will leave you with a mouth open awe with its health benefits. From small kids to pregnant women to elderly people, everyone can drink coconut water (unless asked to avoid on doctor recommendation) without any tension. The sweet, nut-like taste of coconut water is indeed very refreshing and soothing, a great respite in the scorching summers.

Positive effects of coconut water on the health

A low-calorie drink: Coconut water is an ideal and healthy substitute for processed fruit juice, aerated drinks, and beverages. Some of the amazing health benefits of coconut water include;
Improves Digestion: Coconut water is an excellent source of phosphatase, diastase, folic acid, and other enzymes that aids in the digestion of food.
A person with dehydration (an outcome of dysentery, diarrhea or cholera) can benefit immensely from coconut water. The coconut water works by restoring the lost electrolyte and plasma balance in the body.
Keeps skin aging at bay: Cytokines and lauric acid are known to have anti-aging properties. They maintain the pH balance of the skin. Coconut water is a rich source of lauric acid and cytokines. As expected, coconut water helps to restore the natural glow of the skin. Coconut water greatly nourishes and protects the skin from rashes and skin infections.
Drink coconut water, forget depression forever: Riboflavin, pathogenic acid, and thiamine are the triple healing vitamins that help to lower depression and stress in a person. With these important vitamins present, coconut water will lift your mood and spirits effortlessly.
Weight management: Being a low- calorie drink, coconut water is a healthy option for people who are on a diet and want to lose few extra kilos.
Healthy bones the natural way: An excellent source of calcium, coconut water will keep your bones strong and healthy.
Kidney stones a thing of the past: A natural way to deal with the problem of kidney stones is indeed a great news. Potassium is present in abundance in coconut water. Thus, it not only helps in dissolving the kidney stones, but also ensures that there is no recurrence of the condition (kidney stones).
A healthy blood pressure: Coconut water comes as a much-needed blessing for people with high blood pressure. The minerals (Potassium and Magnesium) along with Vitamin C ensure that the blood pressure is within healthy limits.
The magnesium present in coconut water comes as a savior for people with migraines.

A rich source of potassium implies coconut water helps to lower the instances of muscle cramps.
Having long, healthy, and lustrous hair is no longer a dream, all thanks to the coconut water. It hydrates the scalp, thus providing the necessary nourishment to the hair.
Being low in sugar and calories, coconut water is an excellent remedy for diabetic patients.

Coconut Water - 9 Reasons You Must Start Drinking It Today!

We have for ages seen our parents and our grandparents reach out for a piece of jaggery at the end of every meal. Jaggery is healthier compared to refined sugar because of its deposition of phytochemicals and other important minerals. While many people do not choose jaggery because of its no-so-good-appearance, it is perhaps more sensible to consume it considering the host of health benefits it offers.

Here is a list of benefits that can be extracted from the consumption of jaggery.

Skin benefits: Jaggery nourishes the skin in the true sense of the word. Owing to the numerous amount of mineral and vitamin, it can eliminate common skin problems such as pimples and acne. It can negate dark spots, wrinkles delay the common signs of aging.
Digestive benefits: Jaggery plays a huge role in ensuring smooth digestion. It stimulates secretion of digestive enzyme. It, therefore, makes it easy for the body to quicken the process of digestion. It can also help to stabilize the bowl movement by keeping common digestion related disorders such as constipation, intestinal worms, indigestion at bay.
Blood: Jaggery does a great job in purifying the blood. It acts as a cleansing agent by filtering the blood from the toxic agents. It also keeps the hemoglobin count normal and help the body refrain from blood-related disorders such as anemia. Since the quantity of iron content in jaggery is plentiful, it successfully helps the body to stay healthy and negate deadly diseases. Furthermore, jaggery can help women to stay away from complicated menstrual related disorders, beat weakness and fatigue.
Weight loss: Jaggery s rich potassium content helps the body balance the electrolyte, build muscles and improve the metabolism of the body. Potassium also helps in managing water retention in the body. Both the factors coupled together helps in weight loss and beat fatigue, obese etc.
Blood pressure: The sodium and potassium content of jaggery helps the body maintain an effective adequate acidic level. This ensures that the blood pressure remains in the balance and the body refrains from undue blood pressure related disorders.
Antioxidants: Jaggery contains selenium, the latter is a rich source of antioxidants which can help the body to fight the free radicals and keep it at bay. The antioxidants also help the body to stay away from other ailments.
Respiratory health: Jaggery is a great source of food that can effectively fight various respiratory problems of the body. It can fight diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.
Body temperature: Jaggery helps to keep a normal body temperature. This is extremely beneficial for patients suffering from asthma since maintaining a steady body temperature is sacrosanct for patients suffering from this disease.

Jaggery (Gur) - 8 Amazing Reasons Why You Must Eat It!

5 hidden causes of acne, revealed!

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the openings of oil glands become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to disappear, others seem to crop up. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and can also scar the skin. But what causes the recurrence of breakouts?

These are attributed to certain hidden causes, which are:

1. Your drug prescriptions

Steroids found in prescription drugs are a key offender, whether taken internally or topically. If taken internally, the offending ingredient will be listed as prednisone, which is the tablet form of steroid. Prednisone is used to treat inflammatory diseases like poison ivy, allergies and arthritis. If medications are taken topically, it could aggravate acne or cause steroid acne. Oral contraceptives are also a common cause of acne.

2. Your beauty routine

Acne caused by topical lotions, creams and makeup are known as acne cosmetica, commonly appearing on face, neck, hairline and scalp. Applying a product regularly to an acne-prone area can do more harm than good. Some people go to bed with ointments or oils in their hair that can get on the pillowcase and then rub on your face. It's best to put a clean towel over your pillowcase every night to prevent buildup.

3. Your cell phone

Cell phones gather all kinds of dirt and bacteria and are a big cause of acne on the chin and around the mouth. Wiping down the screen of your smartphones every day with alcohol or cleaning wipes will keep your phone and your face clean.

4. Using toothpaste to treat a zit

Certain toothpaste can actually cause you to develop acne or an acne-like eruption on the lower parts of your face, including your chin. Fluoride and other whitening and anti-cavity ingredients are quite abrasive and could potentially burn your skin, cause irritation and initiate breakouts.

5. Your workout gear

It's not the act of exercising that is causing breakouts but other issues. If you are using a communal yoga mat, you may be on the side that someone else's feet or perspiration had touched before, with the physical contact causing breakouts. It's best to put a clean towel over it before working out, even if it is your personal mat.

Also, workout gear that constantly rubs in a certain area can cause frictional acne. Constant rubbing ends up making you sweat, causing skin irritation and eventually developing into tiny red bumps. Though it looks like a heat rash, it is actually acne.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Do You Know that Dandruff Causes ACNE?

5 Hidden Causes of Acne, Revealed!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Dark Skin online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Dark Skin - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES