DIY skincare tips for summer

The sun, dust and pollution can take a toll on your skin. Look for some simple home remedies to take care of skin woes, to soothe and calm the skin every evening after a long day of environmental onslaught, say experts.

Rashmi Shetty, celebrity skin expert and leading aesthetic physician, and Anju Methil, dermatologist, suggest how: 

Here are some packs to add to your routine:

* Sandalwood paste: Mix sandalwood powder with rose water to make a paste. Apply it like a pack liberally on your face and neck; this age-old trusted recipe takes care of many things. It tightens up the skin, tighter skin with lesser pores reflects light evenly and gives a glow. 

It also contributes to a blemish-free skin, it calms and soothes the skin, any skin irritation or rash will also calm down if you use sandalwood paste. 

* Rose water: It is one of the best ways to cool down and calm the skin. As soon as you are back home, cleanse your face and apply rose water generously all over the face and neck. Rose water reduces inflammation and redness and calms down the skin. 

Later in the night when the skin is calm, use a few drops of lemon with a little curd and apply it on your face. This will help fight tan. This way, you can take away the tan instantly every day instead of accumulating it. 

* Coriander seeds: If you soak them overnight and use the water as eyes drops, it clears your eye, gives a cooling effect and makes the eyes look more bright, shiny and more white.

* Fenugreek seeds: Soak them overnight and in the morning you can drink the water to keep you cool and hydrated from inside. You can also use the pulp to apply on your skin, it helps remove the effect of sunburns and reduces acne scars. It is also wonderful for the hair.

* Cucumber: Slice and grate it and apply the pulp all over your face every evening. You can also use cucumber juice. Besides acting as a skin coolant, this will also help give glow.

* Aloe vera pack: Aloe vera is another cooling element that can soothe your skin and undo the effects of tanning. If you have an aloe vera plant at home, you can use the gel directly from it; otherwise you can get packaged aloe vera gel. 

Every evening after returning home, cleanses your face and apply the gel. This will not only calm down the skin after a day of sun exposure but also remove tan. 

* Tomato juice and honey: Mix two spoons of tomato juice and one spoon of honey and apply it all over your face and neck. The honey helps heal and moisturise your damaged skin, and tomato juice reduces the tan.

* Turmeric: Another popular anti-tan ingredient is turmeric. Mix a pinch of turmeric with half a tea spoon of honey and apply it over your face for 10 minutes. This also helps fight mild acne.

* Curd, honey, gram flour: Mix half a teaspoon of curd, honey and gram flour. The curd will help reduce the tan, and gram flour will help absorb the oiliness.