By Aroona Reejhsinghani

The scorching heat of the summer gives way to the rains, but the rainy season too brings in its wake some skin blemishes. Here are some treatments which have come straight out of your kitchen.

To keep the skin glowing, mix together one tablespoon each of tomato and cucumber juice and milk and apply on the face. Let it remain for 20 minutes then wash off with plain water.

To keep the hair bouncing and glowing, take one-fourth cup of green gram powder and mix with enough curds to form a paste, apply on the scalp and wash off after half-an-hour. It makes a natural shampoo for the hair and keeps dandruff and other scalp ailments away.

If you have a sensitive skin then take one tablespoon each of cucumber and tomato juice and mix in one tablespoon multani mitti powder, mix well and apply on the face, keep it for 15 to 20 minutes. In case you suffer from a dry skin then mix together walnut powder with cream and honey and apply on the face, keep this for 20 minutes before washing off.  For a greasy skin in the rainy season take tomato pulp, mix in the white of an egg and apply on the skin, when the skin feels tight wash off and apply a skin fresher.  To make your skin fresher take equal quantities of water melon, orange and cucumber juice, strain through a fine cloth, mix equal quantity of water. Put in the freezer tray and freeze, every day use this cube on the face three to four times to keep the skin glowing.

It is very important to exfoliate the skin once every week with two tablespoons sugar mixed with two tablespoon juice of a lime.

If the suns rays have left dark marks on the skin then take equal quantity of potato and cucumber juices, mix with one tablespoon of ground almonds and apply on the areas which have turned dark, wash off after half an hour.

During the monsoons too many people are prone to itching skin. Massage your skin lightly with oil and use water to which cider vinegar or ordinary vinegar has been added. Whether summer, winter or monsoon you should always apply sunscreen which contains minimum of SPF 15, half an hour before stepping out. In the cloudy weather your skin can get sunburnt more than during the hot weather. Always drink water, water is very essential for keeping the skin hydrated in any weather.