Keeping tabs on the tan

Come summer, long-time sun exposure causes sun burns, tanned skin and uneven skin tones. Exposure to the sun increases the production of melanin, which is the skin’s pigment or colouring matter. Melanin is actually responsible for protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. When your skin gets damaged by the sun’s rays, it makes even more melanin to try to protect your skin from being more damaged. That causes the skin to change colour.

But fret not! There are some handy solutions to help rectify the sun-related problems. Logically, staying out of the sun as far as possible is the best solution. But we all know that’s not possible. So, here are a few home remedies that promise to ease out all the summer damages, as we brace ourselves for the monsoons.

Tan removal

Normal to dry skin: Add a pinch of turmeric (haldi) to curd and apply daily. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes. Or, mix one teaspoon honey with two teaspoons lemon juice and apply
daily on the face, washing it off with plain water after 20 minutes.

Oily skin: Mix cucumber pulp with yogurt and apply on the face daily. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Since cucumber is an astringent, it suits oily skin very well. You can also mix tomato pulp with one teaspoon honey and apply it daily for 20 minutes.

Facial scrubs also prove to be effective for removing tan. Scrubbing your skin in soft, circular motion gets rid of the dead skin cells, along with their contained pigments and makes the skin brighter. You can either buy any of the scrubs available in the market or make one at home. Remember, if your skin is dry, use the scrub only once a week and for oily skin, you can increase the frequency. You can also mix some rice flour with curd and use it to scrub oily skin.

Alternatively, you can soak some almonds in hot water till the skin peels off easily. Dry them out and grind them into a powder. Ensure total hygiene. Every morning, add a little curd or cold milk to two teaspoons of the powder and rub the mixture gently on the skin. Then wash it off with water.

You can store the powder in an airtight container at home and use it anytime you want. It’s that easy!

Soothing sunburns

Normal to dry skin: Cold milk can be applied daily, using cotton wool. This not only helps to soothe the skin, but also keeps it soft. It lightens the skin over a period of time, if used daily.

Oily skin: Crush a handful of sesame seeds and add half a cup of water to it. Let it sit for two hours, strain the liquid and use it to wash your face.

Cleansing and skin lightening

Face and neck: Mix cucumber and papaya pulp with one teaspoon curd, one teaspoon honey, four teaspoons oatmeal and one teaspoon lemon juice.

Apply on face and neck, twice a week and wash it off after half an hour.

Full body: Massage your body with sesame seed oil daily. Or make a thick paste of gram flour (besan), curd, lemon juice and a little turmeric, and apply it on your neck, arms, legs for three times a week for 30 minutes. Wash it off and then apply the oil.

Hands and feet: Mix two tablespoons sunflower oil and three tablespoons of coarse sugar till if forms a paste. Apply and rub into hands and rinse after 15 minutes. In the meanwhile, add some lemon juice in water and soak your feet in it. If you are hard-pressed for time, rubbing a lemon on the feet also helps.

(The author is a beauty expert)