A summer routine for skin that heats up

Indian summers are long, and skin feels every week of them. Sweat sits on the back and in the folds of the arms. The face turns shiny by noon. Arms and legs come home a shade darker than they left. Some afternoons the skin itself seems to run hot and prickle.

None of this needs a long routine. It needs a few small habits, kept every day, and a cooler hand with everything you put on.

In the morning

If your face turns oily by midday, wash it morning and night with the Neem & Tulsi Purifying Gel Cleanser. It is a low-foam gel, so it lifts the shine without the stripped, tight feeling that makes skin feel oilier again by afternoon. Thirty seconds on damp skin, then rinse.

Then sunscreen, every day you go out. We do not make one; use the one you like enough to wear.

In the bath

A very hot bath feels good and leaves skin feeling hotter afterwards. Keep the water lukewarm or cool.

• On the back, chest and shoulders, where sweat sits under clothes, use the Neem & Karanja Back and Body Clarifying Bar. Leave the lather on for a minute before you rinse.
• Twice a week, buff arms and legs with the Besan, Masoor & Rose Ubtan Body Polish on damp skin. It takes away the dull, rough feel that a summer of sweat and dust leaves behind.
• On days at home, massage the Nalpamaradi-Inspired Even-Tone Body Oil into arms and legs fifteen minutes before your bath, for skin that looks tanned or uneven.

After, and through the day

Chandan and khus are the two scents of an Indian summer. Sandalwood paste, ground on a stone, was smoothed on in the heat. Khus screens hung in doorways were wetted so the breeze came through cool.

The Chandan & Khus Cooling Body Lotion keeps both. It is a fluid lotion that sinks in fast and leaves a matte finish, so it does not sit on skin that is already warm. Use it after the bath, and again whenever skin feels hot: on the back of the neck, the inside of the arms, behind the knees.

Small things that help

• Wear loose cotton, and change out of sweaty clothes when you can.
• Pat skin dry after a bath, especially in the folds, rather than leaving it damp.
• Drink water through the day, not just with meals.

If a rash spreads, blisters, or does not settle in a few days, that is more than summer skin. See a doctor, or ask our expert on WhatsApp what to do next.

All of these sit in the Body ritual, with a step for each part of the day.