In Summer, chances are high that spending some time in the sun is included on your list of vacation activities, whether that be by a beach or a pool or while doing outdoor activities. There is no greater enemy to healthy skin than the effects of the sun. Be sure to adequately protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays. Most of these problems can be dealt with a good sunscreen and a good cleansing routine. Also, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water during the summer.

For Skin :
Always use a sunscreen SPF at least 25+. Apply 20 minutes before you go into the sun to allow your skin time to absorb it. Re-apply as needed throughout the day, particularly after a swim. If not able to tolerate due to oiliness, mix it in a little calamine lotion or dab it with a talc.

Wash your face thrice a day. It’s better to use mild face washes instead of cleansing milk in this weather. However, you can combine milk with ingredients like almond meal and rose water to make a balancing skin cleanser. A much better approach is to use a cleanser and/or moisturiser with an alpha-hydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid or lactic acid. Don’t give up on moisturisers entirely in the summers but use a lighter, oil-free formulation in the summer.

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and heat stroke. Remember water is the no. 1 aide to skin care in summers.

Apply cool compresses to sunburned skin to help reduce the area temperature. Never exfoliate or use a mask on sunburned skin until the area has healed, and be sure to go light on your favorite perfume until the burn is gone.

For Hair :

To get rid of dandruff, use a medicated shampoo containing ketoconazole and zinc pyrithrone once a week. For those wanting a home remedy, soak 1 tsp fenugreek ( methi) seeds overnight. Mix the seeds with sour curd in the morning. Coat the scalp with the mixture. Only soaked fenugreek seeds paste is also helpful for treating dandruff.Cucumber being rich in silicon sulphur, is useful in treating dandruff as well as in hair fall problem. Or rub half lemon on the scalp at 2 hrs before washing the hair

In summers, to aviod greasy hair, scrub scalp very lightly when washing hair. When scalp is scrubbed harshly, sebaceous glands are activated, and this produces more oils. If you have colored your hair, always remember to cover your hair while sun bathing.

Summers is the time to switch to a gentler shampoo, if you’re not using an ultra gentle one already, In winter, you deal with dry air, but in summer, sweat, salt water, chlorine and the sun can have the same damaging effects as chemical treatments, so you have to be more gentle to keep hair shiny and soft. Wash your hair daily. It keeps the scalp clean and prevents excess oiliness. But do not scrub the hair too hard as this may increase the oil production. Oiling of the hair should be avoided, at least the oils should not be left off on the skin.

Information courtesy “http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/”