What are Monsoon Beauty Essentials? Monsoon is finally here after so many days of scorching heat. The weather cools down a bit so the excessive sweating problem also subsides to some extent. But, the humidity remains higher and that often helps in various major to minor bacterial outgrowths. Pimple outbreak is just a common thing in monsoon. You can’t help it if your skin is already sensitive to acne. The hair fall issue and dandruff inflate tremendously. That is why many of us who have already suffered from bad hair fall and dandruff dreads this season. Another major hair issue this season is definitely frizzy hair. The excess humidity in the air disrupts the moisture balance of our hair and hair ends become frizz prone while the scalp becomes oily just a day after a thorough hair wash. To tackle monsoon worries of your skin and hair you need to have a few beauty essentials at hand. Here are a few suggestions for your monsoon beauty kit. With these products, you can easily sail through the monsoon without losing a lot of hair or even without a pimple! Interested? Read on!
# Skin Care
Neem or Tea Tree Based Anti-bacterial Face Cleanser
You will need a good quality, preferably soap-free, mild face cleanser with bacteria fighting abilities. You can use any cleanser of your choice that is able to wash off excess oiliness and superficial impurities without ripping off the natural oil balance. Overly dry skin produces more oil. You may try Himalaya Neem Face Wash and The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Wash.
Mild Non-greasy Exfoliator
Regular exfoliation is a must in monsoons as you don’t want to lump up dead skin cells on top of your fresh skin. Dead skin cells are the feast food for microbes and it helps in pimple outbreaks and pore clogging. You can either use a traditional gritty scrub that offers mechanical exfoliation. St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a great product for that. You can also use an AHA based gentle exfoliating wash like Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid.
Water Based Toner & Serum
Do use water-based toners, mists or serums to keep the hydration level of the skin boosted up. You can also use these as facial fresheners as you can’t always wash your face with harsh cleansers. Do try pore freshening toners from The Face Shop, Etude House; rose, lavender or vetiver water from Kama Ayurveda or you can even make your own toner-mist at home with water, aloe vera gel and essential oil of your choice.
Weightless Non-comedogenic Moisturizer
You can’t complete your skincare without a proper moisturizer but make sure your moisturizer is not a greasy or oil based one. Use an oil-free light moisturizer preferably paraben free and non-pore-clogging. Neutrogena Oil-free moisturizer is a good option. You can try Green tea moisturizer from Innisfree. Aloe vera gel is also a great natural moisturizer.
Mud or Charcoal Based Face Pack & Purifying Sheet Mask
Getting rid of excess oils without drying the skin is a big skin care goal in monsoons. For this nothing else works like a simple Multani mitti or mineral mud based face pack. You can prepare such packs at home with multani mitti, mineral clay or calamine as a base. You can add aloe vera, rose water, milk or cucumber as per your skin’s need. Himalaya, Lotus Herbals have good quality mud packs. For extra benefits, you can also apply to purify Sheet Masks. Nykaa Tea Tree + Aloe Vera, Dear Packer Rose Water or Innisfree masks are perfect for this.
# Body Care
Deep Cleansing Shower Wash
To prevent body acne, fungal infections in monsoon opt for a deep cleansing tea tree, aloe vera, mint or lemon based body cleanser. Your body wash should be mild on skin. If you are happy with your regular body wash, mix a drop of lemon, chamomile, eucalyptus or orange essential oil to it and it will provide the necessary anti-fungal benefits.
Lightweight Body Moisturizer
Make it a point to apply a light moisturizer on the skin after taking a shower even if its not winter. This will lock in the moisture and prevent excess oil secretion. You can try Dove’s Green Tea & Cucumber Moisturizer or The Body Shop’s light body sorbets.
# Hair Care
Mild Herbal Shampoo for Hair Fall
Look for mild Brahmi, Fenugreek or China rose based mild herbal shampoos for hair fall during monsoons. Shampoos that do not dry out hair are the best. They would not cause breakage. Do try Forest Essential’s herbal shampoo range.
Anti-microbial Shampoo for Dandruff
Neem based shampoos are quite good for monsoon if you want to go all herbal. Khadi’s Neem Sat Shampoo is good option for mild dandruff. If you are having severe dandruff issues or sticky dandruff Zinc Pyrithione based shampoos are good. Sebowash, Scalpe Lotion, and Head & Shoulder Shampoos are a must try.
Nourishing Conditioner or Moisture Mask
Hair washing leaves the hair shafts dry and unmanageable. To have nourished fuller looking hair use a deep cream based conditioner or mask treatment on slightly damp freshly washed hair. Do not comb wet hair or it will cause major hair fall in monsoon. Do try Matrix’s Biolage range masks or L’Oreal hair Masks. You can also try homemade Banana-honey protein mask.
Natural Oils for Deep Conditioning
Massaging with natural oils increase blood flow of the scalp and nourish the hair shafts. It is a necessary thing in the monsoon that can treat the frizzy hair problem from the source. Use preservative-free food grade coconut, almond or olive oil for weekly deep conditioning.
Anti-frizz Hair Serum
To tackle the frizzy hair you need to have a good anti-frizz serum. Do not go for heavy serums or it will cause product build up. This is the least desired thing for you in monsoons. Go for lightweight frizz control serums like L’Oreal’s Primrose Serum, Livon serum for frizzy hair.
