Is your skin and hair suffering from the blazing summer heat? Don’t be concerned! Here are some tried-and-true Ayurvedic summer rituals to keep your skin and hair looking great.

Ayurvedic Summer Skin Care Routine

• According to Ayurveda, Abhyanga (body massage with herbal oils) is essential for preserving skin health. Before bathing in the summer, gently massage your body with cooling oils such as coconut oil. You can also add a few drops of essential oils to your Abhyanga oil, such as lavender, rosemary, or peppermint.

• Take a bath with a herbal body cleanser and lukewarm water one hour after practising Abhyanga. During the summer, body cleansers with pleasant herbs like lemon, neem, and mint are a good choice.

• Use ubtan to exfoliate dead skin and perspiration build-up from the pores once or twice a week. Ubtans comprising sandalwood powder, orange peel powder, and other cooling ingredients are perfect for summer.

• Use rose water as a natural toner for your face. This softens your skin and keeps summer acne at bay. You can carry the rose water with you and sprinkle it on your face throughout the day to keep it hydrated.

• Use a herbal moisturiser that is appropriate for your skin type. Aloe vera-based moisturisers are ideal for all skin types during the summer.

• Use a sunscreen lotion with an SPF of at least 30 on all exposed areas of your skin. Whether you’re remaining at home or going out, this is a crucial step to take.

Ayurvedic Hair Care for Summer

• Massage your scalp and hair twice or three times a week using personalised Ayurvedic oils. Before going tonight, give yourself an oil massage and wash your hair the next morning. Ayurveda recommends applying hair oils with cooling herbs like neem, onion, vetiver, and others throughout the summer.

• Cleanse your scalp and hair on a regular basis to remove accumulated sweat and debris (twice or thrice a week post-oil massage therapy). During the summer, hair washes including herbs like aloe vera, amala, yashtimadhu, and others are ideal for calming heightened doshas.

• Use a coconut milk hair mask on a regular basis to nourish your hair. After an hour, apply coconut milk directly to your scalp roots and shampoo your hair. This naturally conditions your hair and helps prevent summer hair issues like breakage and split ends.

• When going out in the sun, wear a scarf or cap to protect your scalp and hair. When you’re outside in the summer, you can also use a leave-in conditioner with SPF.
Summer Lifestyle and Diet Tips for Beautiful Skin and Hair

• In the summer, a light diet is preferred. Take liquids like buttermilk, coconut milk, and other fresh juices on a daily basis. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day.

• Eating dairy products like organic milk, paneer, and yoghurt on a regular basis during the summer helps to keep your skin and hair moisturised.

• Include a variety of dry fruits, hydrating vegetables like cucumber, bottle gourd, snake gourd, cabbage, barley, leafy greens, tomato, capsicum, and seasonal fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, plum, berries, Mango, and others in your daily diet.
• Avoid artificial preservatives, frozen foods, and processed junk foods.

• Try to go to bed before 11 p.m. and get up before 6 a.m. throughout the summer.

• Meditation and Sheetali pranayama is recommended by Ayurveda to keep your body and mind quiet and cool during the summer. In the summer, use these holistic Ayurvedic ways to protect and repair your skin and hair!
(with inputs from Dr Sridevi Gaddam-Ayurvedic Formulator, Vedix-ayurvedic beauty brand)