DIY Summer Skincare Recipes: Homemade Treatments for Healthy Skin

Just like you switch from piping hot cappuccinos to iced lattes and knitwears to linens with the onset of the summer, your summer skincare routine needs a revision too. Your skincare during summer must be sun-proof, appropriately prepared to beat the heat. With the sun shining brighter and humidity levels soaring, your skin requires special attention to combat the effects of heat, sweat, and UV radiation. Whether you’re following a summer skincare regimen with trusted skincare products or experimenting with DIY skincare recipes, we’ve got you covered with the best tips for achieving radiant, glowing skin this sunny season.

Skincare Routine for Summer: Revisiting the Basics

For most parts in India, summers are accompanied by humidity, which is primarily responsible for your skin’s greasy countenance, sweat, stickiness, and acne breakouts. A good skincare routine for summer not only consists of a high broad spectrum sunscreen, it also incorporates gentle but effective cleansers and lightweight, nourishing formulas. Scroll on to dive deeper into our guide for summer skincare.

Three Magic Words: Hydrate, Moisturise, Nourish

Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin type, you cannot drop the moisturisation step from the roster. Your skin needs to relish the goodness of nourishing ingredients all year long. The key is to find the right product that works for your skin. In summers, you most likely don’t need a thick layer of cream or a rich serum or oil, unlike the winter season. Opt for lightweight gel-based blends or milky emollients that quickly absorb into the skin, without feeling heavy or sticky. For a splash of refreshment, spritz a cooling toner before you begin your skincare.

Double Cleansing and Routine Exfoliation

Cleansing your face in your AM and PM skincare rituals is a must, especially during the hotter months. And when it comes to the summer skin care routine for oily skin, it’s best to pull out all the stops and go for daily double cleansing and weekly exfoliation. With makeup and SPF touch-ups throughout the day, a single wash with a face cleanser may not be enough to get rid of the sweat, dirt, and grime. This is where double cleansing comes in. Additionally, weekly exfoliation works to unclog the pores and eliminates acne forming bacteria.

SPF On-The-Go

If you are a skincare and self-care enthusiast, the sacred role of SPF is not a novelty. When shopping for a sun protection formula, look for a broad spectrum sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30, like Forest Essentials’ Sun Fluid SPF 50 PA++ Nothing can be prioritised over protecting your skin from the harmful UVA/UVB rays. Ensure that you are applying generous amounts and covering your lips too. From fluids and creams to liquids, gels, and sticks, there’s a sunscreen formula for everyone. And if you’re out in the sun for long periods of time, do not forget to re-apply your sun block. By following this dermat-sworn ritual, you are not only mitigating premature skin ageing, but also preventing the risk of skin cancer.

Opt for a Lightweight and Natural Makeup Look

Your summer skincare applies to your makeup too! After all, nobody wants their makeup to melt and get patchy when the heat takes over. Consider adding skincare and SPF-infused makeup to your vanity kit this summer. By minimising the layers and striking off the extras, your skin can take a breather. Forest Essentials’ Natural Makeup Collection has lightweight and hydrating skin tints, concealers, lip serums, and more for all your beauty needs.

Try DIY Homemade Recipes for Summer Skincare

What if we told you that a casual stroll in your kitchen pantry can be your next beauty aisle check-out? Kitchen hacks for skin care are approved by beauty gurus, skincare junkies and celebs alike. There are numerous, easy-to-avail ingredients that can help you create homemade masks, exfoliators, toners and more. Be it refreshing bouts of Rose Water for all-day spritzing or a hydrating Aloe Vera based recipe, an at-home skincare concoction is a great way to care for your summer skin.

Here are our most loved, tried, and tested DIY skincare secrets for the best summer skincare routine for oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, combination skin, mature skin, and acne-prone skin types.

Aloe Vera Skincare Recipes

A cult favourite for decades, Aloe Vera is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that are good for our skin. From helping soothe skin concerns like burns and dry skin to simply adding a fresh boost of hydration, the benefits of organic Aloe Vera have great reverence. To enjoy the soothing and regenerative properties of this plant-based ingredient, you can incorporate Forest Essentials’ Aloe Vera Juice in your skincare routine for summer. The tonic can be used as a pre-moisturising toner for daily use or mixed with an ubtan and other home-remedies to enhance the nourishment. You can also make DIY masks by mixing Aloe Vera with ingredients like Honey, Yoghurt, Papaya etc.

Cucumber Skincare Recipes

A hero ingredient for detox waters and salads, Cucumber is also a beloved ingredient for skincare. Fun fact: Cucumber has the same pH level as that of our skin. It helps in replenishing the skin’s protective layer. This easily available kitchen staple is enriched with Vitamin C and antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties. Simply slice up and gently rub a cool Cucumber on your face for instant freshness. You can also easily make a DIY face mask by blending Cucumber and Yoghurt or Cucumber and Aloe Vera. Looking for an at-home remedy for puffy eyes? Blend Cucumber and Mint to create a refreshing eye gel.

Besan Skincare Recipes

A holy grail for pre-wedding bridal care, Besan or Gram Flour acts as a natural exfoliator and helps in removing dead skin cells, along with deeply cleansing and enhancing the skin’s complexion. A Besan face pack can be your ultimate summer skincare hack, owing to its array of skin benefits. This kitchen staple is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All you need is to create a Besan paste—you can use Lemon, Curd, Rose Water or Aloe Vera juice. Whip up the blend and apply evenly on the face. Once it dries out, wash it off with warm water.

Almond Skincare Recipes

A not so common, yet extremely effective pantry recipe for skin care involves Almonds, soaked overnight. Almonds are rich in Vitamin E, antioxidants and skin nourishing properties and can be a great ingredient for skin care for dry skin in summer. Crush the soaked almonds and blend with raw Milk, Yoghurt or mashed Bananas. Use this thick paste and apply evenly over your face and neck. This recipe helps to even out the skin tone, enhance complexion, and mitigate signs of ageing. You can also create a DIY face, body, and lip scrub with Almonds by creating a mixture with Honey, Oatmeal, and Yoghurt.

Sandalwood and Almond Oil Skincare Recipes

You can’t go wrong with pairing Almond Oil and Sandalwood. Sandalwood has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a time-tested skincare ingredient. Almond Oil, on the other hand, is rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids, which can help to nourish and protect the skin. To create a face mask or paste, you can add Rose Water to a concoction of Sandalwood and Almond Oil, ideal for dry, sensitive, and combination skin. You can also try Forest Essentials’ Chandan Varnya Lepa, which contains the goodness of Sandalwood and other Ayurvedic ingredients.

Papaya Skincare Recipe

The best part about a Papaya face mask is that it needs no additional ingredients. Peel. Slice. Mash. Apply. The enzymes in the fruit can help to gently exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells, while the antioxidants can help to protect the skin from damage. Papaya pulp can be massaged all over the body and washed off easily. You can visibly notice a brighter complexion and cleaner, smoother skin.

Turmeric Mask Recipe

Indian summer skincare is incomplete without Turmeric. The kitchen staple is a natural ingredient known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can be used to help brighten and even out skin tone, and all skin types, including dry, mature, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types can benefit from it. To create a DIY Turmeric face mask, you can add ingredients like Lemon juice, Aloe Vera, Almond Oil etc. And if you’re looking for a pre-made mask, the Haldi Varnya Lepa by Forest Essentials can be your go-to. The moisture surging facial mask is curated with four varieties of Turmeric and a myriad of herbs that come together to not only cleanse the face, but also leave a fresh glow.

Rose Water Skincare Recipes

Rose water is an essential ingredient for many homemade skincare recipes such as face masks, scrubs, eye compresses, and bath soaks, and can also be used individually as a tonic mist. It has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce the redness of irritated skin as well as the chance of acne and eczema breakouts. It is also known to be a great cleanser and aids in removing oil and dirt from the skin. You can use a Rose Water mist multiple times throughout the day, and even as a primer before applying makeup. The Facial Tonic Mist Pure Rosewater by Forest Essentials is a great pick.

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