How to take care of your skin and hair during monsoon

Overcast skies, flooded roads, skin and hair that refuse to behave—the monsoon season is bad news for many reasons. While infrastructure and the weather are not in your control, skincare and haircare routines are. 

Using products formulated with ingredients and actives that help deal with humidity can help keep skin and hair healthy.

“Most people find more oil production on their skin during the monsoons, when the heat is still on,” says Kiran Sethi, celebrity skin expert and medical head at Isya Aesthetics clinic in Delhi. Combined with an unhealthy lifestyle, this excess sebum leads to other conditions such as acne, white heads, enlarged pores, heat rash, dandruff and folliculitis (inflamed follicles) on the face or scalp, says Dr Sethi. Humid air prevents sweat from evaporating, leading to more stickiness. You need ingredients that reduce oil secretion and act as anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agents, she says.

If you use prescription retinol or retinoids, continue doing so (along with sunscreen) to keep pores and hair follicles clear. Other ingredients to look for this season are salicylic acid (for acne-prone skin) and other beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) to cleanse and exfoliate the face gently. Niacinamide also helps control oiliness and large pores, and in maintaining the skin barrier and reducing inflammation.

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Your hair, like the skin, will look healthier if its barrier is intact. Leave-in conditioners and lightweight serums that help add bounce and speed up your blow-dry routine is what you should look for, suggests Dr Sethi. “Avoid excessive use of heat tools this season and manage frizz by playing with your natural hair texture rather than fighting it with hot irons.”

Here are some tried-and-tested products that can help you keep your skin and hair safe and healthy. Needless to say, do consult your dermatologist before using any product. 

Gunam Daily Liquid Exfoliant 

You should include an ingredient, such as salicylic acid, in your skincare routine, as Dr Sethi mentioned earlier. 

Besides salicylic acid, the lightweight Gunam Daily Liquid Exfoliant ( ₹2,000) has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to balance the BHA. It also has vetiver and rose for anti-bacterial benefits and aloe vera, chamomile, tuberose and bergamot for anti-inflammatory benefits.

Skinvest Smoothie in-shower Body Conditioner

Body acne is common during monsoons. It gets aggravated when sweat doesn’t dry and clothes are damp. Skip the heavy moisturiser, and try Skinvest Smoothie in-shower Body Conditioner, a water-activated in-shower smoothie ( ₹1,100), which spreads evenly on the skin without feeling heavy and has salicylic acid and niacinamide to deal with clogged pores, and ceramides and hyaluronic acid to nourish the skin.

Also read: Why Indians still want fair skin

Old School Rituals Hand-Pounded Spices & Camphor Oil Purifying Mask

Honey, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg— these might read as ingredients for a comforting monsoon brew, but they come packed with multani mitti in this ₹1,760 mask. It is made to reduce inflammation, purify skin and nourish it.

Kama Ayurveda Anti-Acne Cleansing Foam

This cleansing foam ( ₹1,045) promises plant-derived salicylic acid, tea tree, neem and tulsi, all of which help with breakouts and clarify skin.

Earthraga Anti Dandruff Shampoo

If you suffer from itchy scalp and flaking as a result of damp hair, this shampoo ( ₹549) might be a good bet. It has no silicones or sulphates, but hydrating ingredients like D-Panthenol, avocado oil, silk protein and salicylic acid and neem extract to act on your scalp.

Redken Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame

The porosity of your hair, which differs for everyone, determines the amount of frizz it generates. When there is more humidity around you, hair gets frizzier. Leave-in conditioners work well to treat damaged hair and create a seal so that hair strands don't react to humidity. This leave-in conditioner ( ₹2,400) is enriched with babassu oil and smoothens the hair while working as a heat protectant.

Dhara Vora Sabhnani is a Mumbai-based journalist.

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