Get soft, supple skin this summer

With summer season comes the dull, irritated, dehydrated skin that is not worth showing off.

Skin cells contain natural chemicals that build up the natural moisturizing factor. The production and health of these factors define the balance of the skin and since the key ingredient for this moisturizing factor is water, any loss in the body's water volume results in dehydration.

Dehydration is similar to dry skin and includes rough, tight feeling, increased itching combined with peeling, redness and coarse thick skin. Simply water intake may not be the answer due to many other internal and external factors affecting skin dehydration.

The most common factors affecting skin hydration levels are high temperatures, UV radiation, ageing, dryness due to excessive use of air conditioning, humidity, aggressive cleansing methods and strong active harmful ingredients in products, long hot showers, alcohol, coffee and smoking, declining hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Cosmetic and celebrity Dermatologist from Apple Skin Clinic, Dr. (Capt.) Deepti Dhillon claims 'hydration' to be the key for skin care in summers. Here's what you can do to keep skin hydrated in summers.

- Increase fluid intake: Your body loses fluids due to overheating of body temperature. You must drink plenty of water and other fluids in the summer months. Atleast 7-8 glasses of water are suggested. You can include aloe vera juice in your diet as it helps in calming the skin and has numerous other health benefits as well. It is important to hydrate yourself as much as possible to maintain the body temperature and hydrate internally.

- Daily dose: Take omega 3, lycopene, selenium, vitamin C and antioxidants to revive the skin from summer and sun skin damages.

- Balanced diet: Include fresh fruits and vegetables that lead to increased hydration levels. Eat foods like cucumber, watermelon, coconut water, cabbage, green salad, apples, red bell peppers, pineapples, grapefruit, celery, berries and carrots.

- Avoid excess sodium intake: Foods high in sodium will naturally draw water from body, contributing to dehydration.

- Use mild gentle cleanser/facewash which is pH balanced, SLS free and paraben free.

- Use moisturizer/thermal spray waters containing hydrating and soothing agents like aloe vera, vitamin C.

- Use a broad-spectrum (UVA & UVB) sunscreen SPF 30 or above, which must also be non-comedogenic and non-allergic. The application of sunscreen must be repeated every four hours.

Deepti also stressed on the importance of green tea as she said, "Green tea has great cooling properties and along with soothing the skin in the heated month, a face scrub made with this ingredient helps in tightening the skin and removing any small imperfections caused due to seasonal skin damage."

"This scrub is as simple as mixing green tea with granulated sugar and water. This exfoliating scrub is light on skin and gives an incredible instant glow and clears out the unevenness on skin surface," concluded Dhillon.