It is commonly believed that moisture in rainy weather will protect the skin, but that’s not true. Our skin often pays the price for the moisture-laden environment. The increased humidity, dampness and fluctuating temperatures during the monsoon can lead to various skin issues.
Hyperpigmentation is a common problem in monsoons, which causes the darkening of an area of the skin. Hyperpigmentation is a condition that can be caused due to an abnormally high concentration of melanocytes due to sun exposure.
Skin pigmentation is a common issue faced by most of us in the form of sun spots, age spots, freckles, sun damage or melisma making the skin look dull, lifeless uneven and ruins its texture completely. It also starts drying out the skin making it darker and patchy.
It is caused by the overproduction of melanin, the pigment that gives you your natural skin tone. When this pigment forms a deposit in the skin, it causes brown or tan spots on the skin which is called pigmentation.
In a nutshell, any discolouration of the skin is known as pigmentation that is completely harmless and faced by both men and women. Pigmentation can occur to anyone on the face, hands or any other body part regardless of one’s gender, race, age or geographical location.
In order to get rid of those stubborn pigmentation spots, we often resort to various BB creams, concealers and many other artificial creams. However, these chemical-based creams can do more harm than good to your skin.
While such skin isn’t easy to be repaired to the point where it starts glowing in a short span of time when dealt with on your own. But expert opinion actually works wonders for such skin types.it is always better to go for natural ways while treating such skin conditions.
The first aspect of the treatment is protection from the sun. Actually, as part of the treatment, one should try to avoid sun exposure as far as possible. Physical protection is the only answer by applying sunscreen before going out in the sun. Select a sunscreen with SPF of at least 20.
The sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure, to allow it time to be absorbed by the skin. It should be reapplied if you are in the sun for longer than an hour. The effects of the sun increase near water bodies and snow, as they reflect the sun’s radiation. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to protect the skin and re-apply the sunscreen after 20 to 30 minutes.
If the skin is dry, it should be kept moisturised at all times. At night, after cleansing, apply a nourishing cream and massage it on the skin with a few drops of water. This helps to improve the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
The use of scrubs and masks also helps to remove dead skin cells and their contained pigment. This helps the dark patches to gradually become lighter. External care, itself, can remove pigmentation permanently, provided protective care is followed afterwards. Even when the pigmented patches disappear, one should continue to use sunscreen. In fact, the use of sunscreen has become an important part of modern cosmetic-care, to protect the skin from problems and premature ageing.
Give the skin some nourishment. As a home remedy, you can try applying a little sesame seed (til) oil and pat the skin with a hot moist towel. Or, apply a little milk, with a few drops of honey, leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes and wash off with water. If you wish to make a cleanser at home, add 5 drops of oil to one tablespoon of cold milk. Mix it well. Using cotton wool, use this mixture to wipe the skin. You will find that milk is very soothing to dry skin. Here are some home remedies for pigmentation (dark patches):
Mix one part honey with two parts lemon juice and apply. Wash off after 20 minutes.
Mix ground almonds with curd and apply. Rub the mixture gently over the skin. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and wash off with water.
Mix rose water and lemon juice in equal quantities and apply on the dark areas. Wash off after 10 minutes, or once it dries.
Mix besan (gram flour) and curd, with a little turmeric and apply on the dark areas.
Take some rice flour, add a little curd and use it as a scrub on pigmented skin.
Scrub: Mix 3 tablespoons of almond meal (ground almonds) with half cup yogurt (curd). Apply on the face and neck. Rub gently, especially on the dark patches and wash off. It also helps to remove tan. Scrubs should not be applied on dry or sensitive skin.
For dry skin, add half a teaspoon of til oil to a little milk and apply on the face. Wipe off with moist cotton wool after 15 minutes.
For sunburn: Cold milk applied daily, using cotton wool, not only helps to soothe the skin but also keeps it soft. It also makes the skin colour lighter over a period of time, if used daily.
For dark patches: Mix together a big pinch of coarse salt with a cream. Apply only on the areas with dark patches or spots and rub gently. Wash off. Then apply cold milk and wash off after 15 minutes. Do this twice a week.
For dark spots: Add a pinch of turmeric (haldi) to curd and apply daily on the entire face. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes.
Mask: Mix 3 teaspoons oatmeal with ripe papaya pulp and one teaspoon curd into a thick paste. Apply and wash off after 20 minutes. This mask suits both dry and oily skin.
