Summer Skincare: Shahnaz Husain Shares Best Homemade Face Masks to Stay Cool in Heat

Beauty expert, Shahnaz Husain shares best homemade masks to keep your skin cool and refreshing in summer.

Skincare tips for summer: Cool products can be easily used from the fridge for summer skin care. Rose water is one of the best coolants and a powerful skin tonic. You can chill rose water in a bowl and leave cotton wool pads soaking in it. Wipe the face with this chilled rose water pads to tone the skin, help blood circulation and keep the skin glowing. Wipe the skin several times a day with these pads to feel cool and fresh.

Apart from rose water, many ingredients are natural coolants and have a cooling effect. Among these are aloe vera, cucumber, khus, ripe papaya, watermelon, lemon, buttermilk, coconut water, coconut milk, mint (pudina). Clays like Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) also have a cooling effect. They not only cool and soothe the skin, but many of them help to remove sweat deposits and reduce oiliness.

Cucumber is an ideal beauty ingredient for summer. It reduces oiliness and also helps to tone, cool and refresh the skin. It is great for removing tan too. The effect of cucumber juice is gentle on the skin. That is why it is a traditional remedy for the delicate skin around the eyes, reducing dark circles and brightening the skin. Apply daily on the skin around eyes, washing off with plain water after 15 minutes.

Best Homemade Face Masks For Summer

Here are some cooling packs and scrubs:

1. Cucumber juice (or pulp) and watermelon can be mixed with two teaspoons powdered milk and one egg white. Apply on face and neck and rinse off with water after half an hour.
2.  Make a powder of green tea leaves and mix it with curd and a little aloe vera gel. Apply on the face and neck and leave on for a few minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water.
3. Clays like fuller’s earth (multani mitti) have a cooling effect and reduce oiliness. Mix one tablespoon Fuller’s Earth with rose water. Apply on the face and wash it off when it dries.
4. To tone the skin, mix cucumber juice with rose water in equal quantities. Apply on the face and wash off with plain water after 20 minutes.
5. Try coconut water or coconut milk to tone and soothe the skin this summer. It also helps to cool and brighten the skin, removing tan. Apply on the skin and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash off with plain water.