Make Way For Moisture: 7 Ways To Take Care Of Dry Summer Skin

There was once a time when summer always meant oily skin; you stocked up on blotting paper, wished there was a mattifying sunscreen, and always had a spot treatment handy.

Recently though, it’s been quite the opposite; as soon as the season changes, I felt the dryness on my skin. My skin was parched, rough, and sensitive. And I’m not the only one. A friend told me that she had to visit the dermatologist because her skin was dry and peeling. Another told me that she had taken to smearing malai on her face.

Got dry skin yourself? Here are some ways you can take care of the problem.

My dryness really began when I was sent a luxurious face cream; I was over to moon upon receiving it— after all it came from an extremely reputed name, and worst of all, it was meant for extremely dry skin. To make the long story short, within a couple of days of using the product, my skin was dry, sensitive, and red—so dry that when I would lift my brow, my forehead would pucker up. So no matter what a product claims or the brand that produces it, always check the ingredient list of a product before purchasing it. See it containing fragrance, parabens, SLS, etc? Give it a miss.

I am lucky to have friends like Dr Kiran Lohia who suggested Exomega cream which calms and hydrates the skin immediately.

Price: INR 449

Buy it here.

Try to use skincare products that contain no synthetic additives. These days there are many, many organic brands that are absolutely wonderful to use. My favourites: Purearth, Norwegian Beauty, and Emminence Organics.

Not just soap, but foaming face washes too. Use a cleansing milk or even some virgin coconut oil to cleanse your face. There’s no need to wash with water afterwards— just wipe off with a damp towel.

#LBBRecommends: Parachute Coconut Oil remains our favourite—it’s cheap, accessible, and effective. Again, check the ingredient list to make sure you’re using pure coconut oil {without any additives} on your face.

Price: INR 35

Buy it here

If you use retinol and glycolic acid then limit their use to a couple of times a week only.

This goes without saying, especially since we’re talking about dry skin here. Use Exomega Emollient Lotion or La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume if you’re not too keen on organic products. Also, drink four litres of water every single day.

Price: INR 499 {Exomega Emollient Lotion} and INR 500 {La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume}

Buy Exomega Emollient Lotion here and La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume here.

I love sea buckthorn and rose oil, both of which work very well to calm the skin. Use a face oil liberally at night and a drop or two during the day under your sunscreen.Try Purearth Illumine Face Elixir or order Decléor Rose D’Orient online.

Price: INR 6,000 {approx.} for Purearth Illumine Face Elixir and INR 3,200 {approx.} for Decléor Rose D’Orient

Buy Purearth Illumine Face Elixir here and Decléor Rose D’Orient here.

Sun damage also increases dryness. There’s no point in doing all of the above if you you’re not doing something as basic as using sunscreen every time you step out of your house.

#LBBRecommends: Biotique Morning Nectar Lightening & Nourishing Lotion SPF 30

Price: INR 199

Buy it here.

PS: If all this fails, then you need to visit a dermatologist. You may have dermatitis or eczema, which can be treated with proper care and supervision.

This post originally appeared on VBeauty. Read it here.