Face packs for monsoon

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Detoxification of the skin is essential during monsoon as it prevents allergies, puffiness and skin diseases. Add gram flour, lemon and green tea in your beauty essential list during the rainy season, say experts.

Kiran Lohia, Dermatologist at Lumiere Dermatology, and Blossom Kochhar, Aromatherapist and Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, have shared some face packs.

• The first face pack includes besan (gram flour), honey, green tea, and rose hip oil. It starts with three tablespoons of besan. Next, add one tablespoon of honey, which has antibacterial properties that halt the excess bacteria brought on by the rainy season in its tracks.

  To create a smoother consistency, add one or two tablespoons of green tea until desired thickness reached. Lastly, add rose hip oil. Adding of four-five drops of rose hip oil will moisturise your skin. Mix up this face pack and apply for 20-30 minutes.

• Want something a bit more refreshing? Mix cucumber juice and rose water together then let it chill in the refrigerator with a few green tea leaves. Cucumbers are great at reducing irritation. The addition of rose water is calming.

• Potatoes calm blemishes and rashes that can pop up during monsoon season. If you are really struggling with acne during the rainy season, grate a raw potato and squeeze out the juice using cheese cloth.

  Mix with one-two teaspoon of lemon and some rose water before applying to the face. The high acidity of lemons adds enhanced acne-fighting properties while rose water helps calm the redness surrounding blemishes. Leave this mixture on for 30 minutes then wash of with water.

• Rather than using harsh soaps that have a drying effect, make your own special skin powder. Mix equal amounts of green gram powder and gram powder and half the quantity of fenugreek seeds.
  Prepare a paste by mixing all these in rosewater and apply this pack generously on the entire body. This method deeply cleanses and refreshes the body.

• For removing tan, during monsoon add one teaspoon each of sandalwood powder, milk powder, and orange peel powder.

  To it add two drops of lavender essential oil. Mix all this with yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon, apply on face, leave on for 15 minutes and rinse afterwards.

• Mash a banana and beat it after adding a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Brush it on the face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes till it dries. Then rinse it off with plain water. This recipe is best suited for dry to normal skin.

• If you tend to get a lot pimples, pustules or boils during monsoon, try this:- add one drop of patchouli essential oil to a few washed and smashed neem leaves.

  To it then add a squeeze of lime and crushed garlic. Make a paste and apply on the affected area, leave on for 20 minutes. Use this concoction daily till the acne is healed.