Summer is the time when acne always flares up. Acne breakouts happen in summer, due to many reasons such as dry heat, pitta dosha, sweat, pollution and clogged pores.
Keeping your skin acne free in summer requires more than just skincare.
Skincare plays an important role but it is just 50%, the other 50% is your lifestyle and dietary modifications.
In this article, we will discuss the steps you need to follow to achieve acne-free clear skin in summer and throughout the year. Let’s find out-
Table of Contents
Factors Responsible for Acne
1. Sweating
Sweat clogs pores and keeps the dirt inside, if you don’t wash your face after a workout or before sleep then you are likely to get surprised by acne in the morning. Blocked pores create whiteheads, blackheads and pustules as well.
2. Excessive Body Heat
Another reason for summer acne is excessive body heat or an increase in pitta dosha. Pitta dosha is an Ayurvedic term, that signifies symptoms such as increased body temperature, acne-prone skin, an urge to work continuously, oily skin, liking towards spicy foods etc. If you have such symptoms then read more about pitta-dosha symptoms here.
3. Dehydrated Skin
In summer, the skin and body get dehydrated easily due to the high temperature and dryness in the air. Dehydrated skin then starts producing more oil, this oil further clogs the pores, resulting in acne.
4. Consumption of Sugary Drinks
To quench our thirst, we all tend to choose drinks that are high in sugar such as soft drinks, mocktails, sugary slushies, iced tea and other store brought summer coolers that are loaded with sugar that make you more prone to acne.
5. Choosing the wrong skincare products
When your skin is already under heat, you must use cooling products such as cooling face packs, mint-based gels, menthol-based skincare & other natural coolers such as coconut water, cucumber and aloe vera gel etc.
Steps to follow for Acne-free Clear Skin in Summer
1. Always look for a non-comedogenic product
Whatever skin care you use, if your skin is acne-prone, you must check whether the skin care product you are going to use is non-comedogenic or not. Non-comedogenic means it does not block pores and will not cause acne. This quality is essential in your moisturizers, sunscreen and even in your foundation as well.
2. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is important but make sure you add other things to your routine than simple water. You can always supercharge your water by adding mint leaves, lemon and other herbs to it. You can also perform an ice massage on your acne.
3. Increase the intake of fruits and vegetable
Antioxidants, flavonoids, lycopene and water content in the summer fruits make them your best bet to keep your skin not just hydrated but to store up everything good as well.
You are what you eat and it shows on your skin as well.Click To TweetAdvertisements
4. Choose the right Cooler drinks
Prefer natural drinks such as coconut water, lemon water, Kanji (fermented black carrot water), homemade mint cooler, thandai (an Indian drink made up of dry fruits and cooling herbs), sattu (Bengal gram powder mixed with water) and other natural drinks that hydrate the body from within and do not have added sugar in them. Refer to this article about non-alcoholic summer drinks.
5. Make friends with Probiotics
Eat curd, yoghurt, fermented carrot water or Kaanji, Kimchi, soy milk and tofu. You can add curd to your face packs as well. You can also make a DIY face pack by mixing curd with chickpea flour or besan. Here is a list of cooling face packs for summer.
6. Drink Overnight-Charged water with Coriander or Fennel seeds
Both the ingredients work wonderfully to calm down the Pitta dosha and decrease the upcoming acne. All you need to do is, take one teaspoon of either coriander seeds or fennel seeds and put them in one glass of water, keep it overnight. Strain and drink the water the next day.
You can also eat gond katira in summer for numerous benefits
7. Wash your Face Twice a Day
As simple as it sounds, it is one of the most effective steps to prevent acne. Washing your face once in the morning and once the night keeps the dirt, grime and oily build-up away. It keeps the pores clean thereby decreasing the chances of active acne. My favourite is this DIY homemade acne facewash that lasts over a month and requires just three ingredients. It has worked like magic for me when followed by this DIY toner for acne.
8. Change your Pillow covers often
Some people change their pillow covers daily, others change them twice weekly, while most change them once a week. If you are acne prone, then consider changing your pillow covers twice weekly if not daily.
9. Exfoliate Once Weekly
In order to keep your skin clear you must exfoliate to remove the dead skin layer and deeply clean your skin. I personally like Aroma Magic exfol gel as it’s cooling and does not have harsh granules. You just need to keep it on your clean face for about 10 minutes and wash it off.
10. Don’t use heavy oil-based products
Even your sunscreen should be gel based, and it should not clog pores. Avoid all heavy products such as heavy-duty moisturizers, serums and face oils. I personally prefer aloe vera-based products as they are light on the skin and get absorbed quickly. If you want to use oil in winter then you can use the best carrier oil for acne prone skin only.
Bakuchiol For acne & anti-aging benefits
11. Less is more
Although it seems contradictory and surprising in this era of 12 to 13 steps of skincare, I have experienced that for sensitive skin that is acne prone, the product has to be mild, free from artificial fragrance, non-irritant and hypoallergenic.
The good old cleansing, toning and moisturizing is enough, although you can switch your night gel moisturizer with a night sleeping mask for an added glow in the morning.
Try these Sun Tan Removal Home Remedies with Proven Before & After Pics
I hope these steps will help you in keeping your skin acne free this summer. if you like the article please don’t forget to share it on your social media handles and with your girl gang as well.
Thank you for your support, wishing you the great-looking, acne-free skin for all the seasons to come!
