Five ways to beat the heat naturally!

Aloe vera: A popular and effective ingredient to remove that horrid sun tan during summer is aloe vera. There are many Aloevera benefits from health to nutrition, from acne treatment to skin care.

It is widely grown as an ornamental plant; however it is equally popular as medicinal plant due to several Aloevera uses. The healing properties of ayurveda make it beneficial for skin care and helps in restoring skin's natural beauty. It is also an outstanding skin moisturizer and provides oxygen to the cells which strengthen the skin tissues and helps to keep the skin healthy.

Sandalwood: A mixture of sandalwood powder (1tsb), turmeric powder (1 tsb), and a pinch of camphor mixed with few drops of sandalwood oil works in a great way on acne and pimples.

Frequent use of this mixture helps pimple and acne to vanish and it is useful against blackheads also. For best results one should leave the mixture on the face overnight. Sandalwood oil is said to be a softening agent. Frequently massage face with sandalwood oil to exfoliate the skin and make it soft and supple.

Khus: Popularly known as Khus, Vetiveria zizanioides is an ideal coolant to beat the summer heat. Owing to its effective cooling properties and fragrance, khus is often included in high quality soaps, powders, aroma therapy products and perfumes.

With anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects providing relief from inflammation, the oil obtained from khus also has sedative effect and aids in the treatment of emotional outbursts, such as anger, anxiety, epileptic and hysteric attacks, restlessness, nervousness, etc.

Known for increasing the energy levels and fortified with various minerals like manganese, zinc, copper, magnesium and iodine, khus seeds (poppy seeds) are widely used to make Khus sharbat/syrups which are largely consumed by people in summers.

Ginger: Ginger, just like khus is also a cooling agent for the body. It is surprising to know that ginger being a spice infact cools the body because of its property at the time of ultimate assimilation in the body. Also, it also helps to resolve skin related issues. Hypopigmentation is also easily solved by ginger. One just needs to do is to cut a part of the ginger and dab it in the pigmented areas of the skin.

Rose water: Rose water face wash is perhaps one of the oldest and most sought after techniques of skin care. It effectively removes skin clogs and blackheads and reduces blotchiness and stickiness from the face.

It helps clear all the impurities your face has collected through the day. Rose oil is said to have anti-inflammatory properties. Frequent use of the same will help clear off problems related to redness due to skin burns (over heat), and irritation. Proper face massage with rosewater will remove excess oil in the skin, keeping it evenly moisturised and exfoliated, thus restoring the lost pH balance and skin texture, preventing acnes and pimples, removing the dirt that gets accumulated in the skin pores.