Dr. A Ramesh Babu

Summer often brings in a host of problems the scorching heat can sometimes burn and tan your skin. The humidity can cause you to sweat, making your skin accumulate grime, dirt and increase your chances of getting skin infections. Avoiding the sun by staying indoors or using an umbrella is a good option, but not always a practical possibility. According to Ayurveda, summer is the season when the sun is strong and increases heat in the body, which is one of the main causative factors of skin problems. So you not only need to beat the outside heat, but find a way to keep your body cool from the inside heat too. Some of the common problems in summer include sunburn, redness, irritation, rashes and acne outbreaks. Here are some ways Ayurveda can help:

Start by knowing your skin type in ayurveda:

1. Vata skin: This is characterized by dry, thin, delicate skin that is cool to touch and easily gets dehydrated. It can be flaky and has a tendency to age faster.
2. Pita skin: This is characterized by skin that is fair, sensitive, soft and warm. It is prone to freckles and moles and can break into rashes, acne or sunspots when out of balance.
3. Kapha skin: It tends to have all the qualities of water and earth, it can be oily, thick, pale, soft, cool and more tolerant of the sun. On the flip side, people with kapha skin may have dull complexion, excessive oil, pimples and suffer from water retention.
4. Combination types: Can include Vata-Pitta (both dry and sensitive) Kapha-Pitta (oily and sensitive) and Vata-Kapha (dry with some oily zones).

Remedies: 

1. Go for aloe vera sun screen: If you can't avoid the sun, then the next best thing to do is protect yourself. According to ayurveda, increased exposure to hot, sharp and penetrating rays of the sun causes Pitta Dosha and prolonged exposure also leads to increase in Vata, which causes drying of skin. To prevent this, buy a good quality aloe vera sunscreen.
2. Try herbal tea for hydration: During summer, it goes without saying that you need to stay hydrated throughout the day with a good 8 glasses of water. But other than that, you can up your intake of warm liquids like herbal tea made of ginger and lemon which will keep you digestion healthy and skin glowing. A number of flavored herbal teas are available in the market too. From peach to hibiscus, each flavor offers a good set of benefits.
3. Try herbal deep oil massage: Time to take your skin's hydration to the next level. An oil massage is the best remedy for dry skin. Apricot oil applied 2-3 times a week at night can make your skin smooth and supple. Turn on the "heat" by asking your partner to give you a full oil massage which can improve blood circulation, lymph drainage and your romantic life for sure.