Summer essentials.

6 ways to beat the heat.  

Hi guys,
It's officially summer here in Chennai. Which means it's time for more heat, more beach time, mangoes and all the glories of a tropical summer.
Summer is easily one of my top favorite seasons. Summer as a kid was, hands down, the best season ever. The big break from school, playing with your friends out in the open, ice creams, and not a care in the world. I miss looking forward to Summer breaks... Ah, the good old days.

But summer as an adult is an all different ball game. From protecting your skin to taking a summer vacay, here are some summer essentials.

1. Hydrate your body
I CANNOT emphasise enough about how important it is to keep your self hydrated. I know that when you have long busy hours at work , it's very easy to forget to take time to drink extra water. But during summer, you need to ensure that you're consuming enough water. If you don't, there are going to be a list of consequences. From irritation, reduced productivity, physical & mental exhaustion,  developing a fever and untimately getting dehydrated.

It doesn't have to be just water. Juice and butter milk are also somethings that should become a part of your everyday fluids. Slowly make the shift from your family coffee to your daily juice. Coffee is a dehydrant.

2. Hydrate your skin.
Use Rosewater or rose mist spray, or any hydrating spray often on your face. It's important to keep your skin cool. And moisturise. I find it extremely hard to moisturise in summer... Hell, I actually find it hard to moisturise anytime. But if we don't take our skin seriously during summer, things could go bad really quick.

Some sprays that you could use are:
 Body Shop's Rose dewy face mist - This one is absolutely amazing. I love the freshness it gives. At the same time, the scent is really soothing and wakes you up instantly.
Another one that I would suggest is Kama Ayurveda's pure rose water.  I would suggest this one if you're on a budget crunch. It gets the job done and doesn't cost as much as the Body shop option.

3. Sunscreen.
Hydrating is to give back to your skin what the sun and dist sucks up. However , sunscreen is something that you need to use religiously if you want to prevent permanent damage. Anything above SPF 30 is okay for tropical climates.
Neutrogena's sunscreens are really good. Go for a water based sunscreen rather than an oil based one, especially if you have oily skin (like yours truly).

4. Carry an umbrella or a cover- up scarf.
This one is pretty standard. You've got to prevent the rays from affecting your skin. Sunscreen is one way, but you should also physically cover it up to ensure you don't get burns. Use cotton cover-up scarves. You can get some good ones from Myntra or Max Fashions.

5. Anti-tan scrubs
Using an anti tan scrub is a good way to get rid of the tan lines and spots. It also acts as an exfoliant and cleans up your pores. During the summer, it's important to make sure your pores don't clog up.  Joves anti tan scrub is pretty effective. I suggest you use it atleast 3 times a week.

Take care of yourself this summer :) if you have any other useful tips or product suggestions, leave it down in the comments below.

/Supritha