While the Indian monsoon calls for rainy weekend getaways and hot cups of tea while in bed, it can also leave your skin feeling worse for wear. As the temperatures fluctuate and humidity levels increase, your skin can feel greasier, more prone to acne and a minefield of clogged pores and flaky patches. If you need to give your skin some extra TLC, we asked Dr Blossom Kochhar, an aromatherapist and beauty product formulator, and Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, founder, ISAAC Luxe, for their favourite DIY face masks and scrubs to brighten, balance and purify.
If you need to brighten dull skin
"Cut a potato in half and grate its juice. Rub the potato juice on your face and neck including your under eye area. Leave it on the skin for five minutes. Then, blend a piece of ripe papaya with yoghurt and add a drop of lavender essential oil. Apply the mask all over the face and neck. Keep the mask on for 15 minutes and wash it off,” says Dr Kochhar. An enzyme in potatoes—catecholase—helps to brighten skin and get rid of dark spots. Papaya's papain enzymes contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) which are effective in helping cell turnover via chemical exfoliation, while lavender essential oil has antibacterial properties that stop acne in its tracks.
If clogged pores and a greasy T-zone is your issue
Mix multani mitti (fuller's earth) and aloe vera into a thick scrub. Apply the mixture evenly onto your face and rinse with warm water after 15 minutes. “Due to its oil-absorbing properties, fuller's earth is an ingredient that is highly recommended for oily and acne-prone skin,” says Dr Gupta. The tightening effect of multani mitti on the skin as it dries up can actually improve microcirculation, as it stimulates the movement of oxygen through the capillaries in the area, improving healing in the process.
If your skin needs to be soothed
"Orange peel can be beneficial to reduce redness due to acne breakouts or sun exposure. To make this face mask, grind the orange peels until you achieve a fine texture, and mix it in with rosewater," says Dr Gupta. Rosewater fights inflammation, helping to reduce redness and blotchiness, and it calm itching, and irritation too.
If acne is your bugbear
If you’re struggling with a smattering of angry, red zits on your skin, this combination is ideal. Whip up a mask with ground turmeric and milk, and apply it to your skin, says Dr Gupta. The lactic acid in milk contains alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), which exfoliate dead skin cells that may clog pores, and turmeric helps to get rid of the P. acnes bacteria responsible for causing the bumps.