Easy tips to tackle summer

Summer is already around pouring all its scorching heat on us. We need to shield ourselves to survive through the radiations. Here are some tips for summer health!

Begin with

HairCare:

·         Hair becomes rough and dry or too oily, in such conditions its advisable to wear scarf, cap,hat or atleast carry an umbrella that can give some relief from the burning heat.

·         If your work demands daylight or sunlight and you cant avoid staying back in shade. Cover your hair with Hair Sunscreen Products, Hair Mask.

·         At home you can also try  a paste of dahi, egg and olive oil. Apply it on hair. And leave it for half an hour, then rinse it with clear water. Avoid very hot water for shampooing , lukewarm or cold water is advisable.

·         Natural supplements like coconut and lemon can help vitalize your hair and keep them healthy.

·         Summer hair care begins with cutting your hair short. A short hair is easy to manage than a longer one, especially during the dreadful summer season.

·         Swimming in chlorinated water increases the damage to your scalp and hair. So, it is advisable to avoid swimming in chlorinated water during the hot days of summer.

·         Mix few tsp of body sunscreen lotion/cream in 1 cup of water. Keep it overnight to let it dilute in water. Filter to remove white powder like stuff. Put this in spray bottle and use as sunscreen hair spray. Shake well before every use.

·         Also, avoid coloring your hair during summer. 

When you get back home after screening through hot sun. You sit under the super fast fan, ACs, gulp down a bottle of water, wash your face or take a shower etc. But what about your hair.

• Here’s a small simple treatment for your hair.

            Recipe for homemade hair spray:

     1. Take juice of 2 lemons mixed with 2 cup water.

     2. Boil the mixture for 2-3 mins.

     3. Let it cool.

     4. Add 5 tsp of glycerin.

     5. Filter this mixture fine and put it in spray bottle.

     6. If you find this mixture is sticky, add more water to dilute it.

     7. Store this bottle in refrigerator.

     8. This lasts about a week.

Now when you come back to home- first of all, relax and take deep breathes. Do whatever you want for your skin, body and thirst. Now look after your hair.

    1. Remove all hair pins, clips, any hair accessories.

    2. Start combing your hair slowly. (Take wide toothed comb).

    3. Partition your hair and let your scalp be cool and dry under ceiling fan.

    4. Once they are completely dry, use following spray to bring them to normal

        and to avoid sun damage

    5. Use above spray on your hair every time you come back from sun.

    6. Comb again lightly.

Eye and Ear Care

Tips for eye protection

• Make sure your glasses have accurate UV protection.

• When it comes to UV care think big.Look for frames with wraparounds and big lenses. 

• Wear a large sun hat or visor.

• Sport sunglasses on cloudy days.

• Keep a second pair of sunglasses on hand in case you misplace the other one.

• Stay hydrated. 

• Avoid midday sun.

• Prefer polarized glasses.

• Make sure you don’t apply sunblock too close to the eyes as it can enter eyes.

• Tip for Eye protection: Dip a pad of cotton wool in rose water to which 2-3 drops of Castor oil is mixed. Place these soaked pads on the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Eye burns and other problems will be reduced.

•    Splash the eyes with a weak n very liter tea solution, thoroughly strained and cooled for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Place Cotton pads dipped in a cold tea solution for an hour on the eyelids for 10 to 15 minutes and relax.

• Dip a cotton pad in a cup of water overnight. Strain this in the morning and add 1 cup of plain water to this. Splash the eyes with this water or wash them with the help of an eye cup.

• Keep cucumber and potato slice on your eyes to remove dark circles around your eyes.

• If you sit near computer for long time then give a break to your eyes after every 20 minutes this will help improve your productivity too. Try and blink your eyes for 20 times, to moisten them.

• Get a good night sleep to avoid sore and puffy eyes.

• Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

• Keep two tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags once in water and then on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

• Make horizontal and vertical movements of the eyes to the maximum extreme every thirty minutes if you are reading, studying or working on compute for long hours.

• Relax your eyes with warm compresses by dipping a napkin in Luke warm water, squeezing the water and place the napkin on your eyes.

• While driving motorcycle, always wear protective eyeglasses. If you wear a helmet, choose one which allows you to see and also shields your eyes.

Ear Care

• Swimmers ear: You must have heard something known as swimmers ear. Condition wear water clogs into the ears while swimming its tends to happen in summers because people prefer swimming in summer to avoid the heat outside. Hence its advisable to war proper ear plugs.
• Having known about swimmer's ear -- there are other "ears" you don't want this summer, such as "music-lover's ear" and "unpressurized ear."

Don't Blast Your Inner Ear With Music

The earbuds on MP3 players funnel the sound waves directly into the ear.

• Long-term exposure to high volume levels can gradually wear out the tiny hair cells of the inner ear that convert sound into nerve signals that go to the brain.
• Take breaks if you must listen to music through earbuds. "An iPod at 60 is safe for an hour a day," he says.
• Check out noise-reducing headphones. That way, you don't have to crank up the music volume to cancel out party noise or beach shouts.
•  Don't stand or sit right next to a speaker at a party or concert.
• Parents should note: Do not let your child fall asleep with earbuds in. Make sure their devices are set at 60 or lower.

Don't Go Overboard Cleaning Your Ears 

Earwax may look unsightly, but it is designed to protect the ear. When it 

         migrates to the outside, you can clean it off with a washcloth. If your ear is
         impacted with ear wax, see your doctor who can safely clear it out for you.

 Pierce Only in the Lobe

As for piercing, Tanzi recommends sticking with the lobe area, which has a good blood supply to fight infection. Piercing up the curve goes into cartilage, which has a shortage of blood and where a serious infection can get going and not leave. "It can be very difficult to clear those," Tanzi says.

                                                      

Oral Care

• Pay attention to oral hygiene
  The temperature is very high in summer. Some people don't pay enough attention to oral hygiene after eating some spicy food, which makes it easier to appear a large number of dental plaques on the tooth surface, as time passes, they will become dental calculus. If there are plaques and dental calculus on the tooth surface which haven't been removed in time, it is likely to cause gingivitis, periodontitis and a series of oral diseases.

• Form good eating habits
  In summer, one should note not to eat much spice or deep-fried food in order to reduce the stimulation to the gums; barbecued kind of food will directly stimulate the periodontal mucosa, causing congestion and edema which should also be eaten less. Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, and other food which helps to clear the heat in the stomach, such as green tea, chrysanthemum tea and green bean soup etc. Reduce the number of times of eating sugar, avoid the erosion that the residual bacteria caused to the teeth in order to avoid tooth decay. After drinks like carbonated beverage or orange juice, one should go and gargle with water in time to avoid that the acidity materials it contains damage tooth hard tissue.

• Pay special care to the teeth
  To strengthen the protection for the teeth, such as timely removal of residual crowns and roots, reparation of tooth decay, regular cleaning of the teeth and so on; People who are equipped with false teeth should wash the teeth every now and then and it is better to take off the denture for cleaning and gargle with pure water or brackish water. If there are herpes, gargle with water which contains disinfection substances, no less than five times a day. 

• Bring Floss picks Floss picks are an excellent way to maintain good oral hygiene while on the go. If you are busy trying to catch a flight or maintain peace in the crowded car during the road trip, pop out the floss picks and floss away. Floss picks are easy to use and perfect to use after a meal or snack. You can use them on the airplane, in the care, walking around or just sitting in the hotel room.

Skin Care

1. Stay hydrated. Your body tends to lose a lot of moisture in the summer, so it’s important to regularly replenish the H2O. Drink a lot of water and liquids and your skin will stay soft and moisturized as well.

2. Sun protection. If you can, try and stay indoors between 11am and 3pm. That’s when the sun’s rays are the strongest and can have an adverse effect on your skin. Also, don’t forget to apply that all-importantsunscreen 30 minutes before you step out. If you’ve been out in the sun for a few hours, touch it up again so you’re well protected. Go for sunscreen protection more than SPF 15.

3. Use a toner. It’s important to keep your pores closed and skin cool by using a toner. Look for a brand that suits you or try rose water. Its natural cooling properties make it an excellent toner for the hot season.

4. Go for a water-based moisturizer. Don’t make the mistake of skipping the moisturizing routine altogether as its essential for your skin to remain hydrated. However, if you find your regular moisturizer too oily, go for a water-based one.

5. NO to aerated drinks. Most people have the tendency to reach out for an ice cold aerated drink to quench their thirst on a really hot day. Instead drink some water, fresh lime, fresh fruit juices, aam panna (green mango drink) or coconut water to stay hydrated. It’s also best to minimize the intake of diuretics like alcohol and caffeine as they reduce the water from your system.

6. Cleanse your face twice a day. At least! This is important to do even if you've been home all day and feel like your skin is clean. Cleansing and moisturizing your skin before sleeping is an absolute must.

7. Exfoliate. More than the rest of the year, it’s really important to exfoliate your skin in the summer to remove dead skin and improve blood circulation to the face. Choose from any of the cosmetic scrubs available in the market or make one at home. Try this simple one using 4 to 5 tbsps of gram flour, a pinch of turmeric, 5 – 6 drops of rose water and milk or yogurt  Mix it into a paste and use it to exfoliate your face. Follow it up with face mask and moisturizer.

8. Don’t like your tan? Gram flour can also be used as a face mask to get rid of an uneven tan. Mix it with yogurt and a few drops of lemon and apply and leave it on your face till it’s dry. The citrus properties of the lemon acts a bleaching agent.

9. Get that warm, summer glow. Papaya is full of natural goodness and you can even use it as a homemade pack. Just mash 2 tbsp of papaya with a tsp of honey and 1 egg white. Leave the mixture on your face for about 15 minutes and enjoy the glow you get afterwards.

10. Cool your skin. Blending half a cucumber and 1 tbsp of yoghurt in the mixer can make another simple and effective homemade face pack. Apply this to your face for 15 minutes and feel completely pampered.

BODY CARE

1. Exfoliate Your Body

Hot and humid conditions also call for deep pore cleansing, especially for oily skin, in order to keep the pores free of clogged oil and dirt. After washing or cleansing the skin, cleansing grains or a scrub should be used. Cleansing grains can be mixed with a skin tonic and rubbed gently on the skin, using a circular motion. Ready-to-use scrubs are also available.

2. Use a good toner

A good skin toner is a must in hot, humid weather, to cleanse and refresh the skin. A flower based skin tonic, containing rose or lavender, is ideal. Or, you can use rose water, if you have normal to dry skin. It refreshes the skin and imparts a clean and fresh feeling.

Oily skin need an astringent toner. An astringent helps to reduce oiliness. Wipe the skin several times a day with it. You can buy an astringent lotion and mix it with rose water in equal quantities. Keep it in a bottle in the fridge.

3.Cleansing your skin

Cleansing of the skin at night, before bedtime is even more important. The dirt and pollutants, which have been deposited on the skin during the day, must be removed. This not only helps to reduce surface oil, but also protects the skin from pimples, spots and other eruptions.

4.Lip Care: 

Use of sun block lip balms and exfoliation with lip scrubs will work wonder. To get rid of dead skin on lips just apply some toothpaste on your lips and scrubs for two minutes gently with toothbrush.

5.FootCare:

Protect your cracked heels during summer because they tend to harden and increase to an extent. Hence use good quality foot care products as well as use the salt water soak method to relieve the stress on the feet.

Diet Tips

1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.
2. Avoid caffeinated or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.
3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.
4. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.
5. Reduce intake of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).
6.  Minimize the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.
7. Use sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks -- this has very cooling effect on the body.
8.  Drink lemon juice, coconut water and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.
9. Avoid sugary foods.
10. Minimize the intake of hot, spicy foods and extremely salty foods.
11. Cut the intake of fried foods.
12. Legumes, wheat, barley are some summer foods to be included in daily diet.
13. Onions & lemon are a boon during summer season.
14.  You may include citrus fruits like lime, orange, sweet lime, pineapple, water melon, musk melon etc.
15. Among the veggies cool cucumber, tomato, onions,lettuce,cabbage etc. Add on with rice,legumes,wheat & avoid meat and poultry can take up sea food as an option.