From March, Rajkot’s afternoons climb towards 40°C and stay there through May. The skin complaints change with the weather: faces that turn shiny by noon, pimples along the helmet strap or dupatta line, a tan that won’t lift, prickly heat on the back and neck, and itchy rings in the skin folds. Most of this responds to a short, consistent routine and a few habits. Here is the one we suggest.
Why skin gets oilier in summer
Warm skin produces more sebum, the oil made by the glands around each hair follicle, and facial oiliness rises in hot, humid months. Add sweat, and the surface stays wet and slick. Scrubbing it off three or four times a day feels right, but harsh cleansing strips the skin, makes it feel tight and irritated, and does nothing to switch the oil glands off.
The aim is not to remove every trace of oil. It is to keep pores clear, the skin comfortable and the sun off it.
A summer routine for oily skin
Morning
- Cleanse with a gentle foaming face wash. If you get spots, one with salicylic acid (BHA) helps keep pores clear. Rinse with lukewarm water, not hot.
- Moisturise lightly with an oil-free, non-comedogenic gel or lotion, or skip this step and use a moisturising sunscreen.
- Sunscreen last: broad-spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, about one teaspoon for the face and neck.
During the day
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours outdoors and after heavy sweating. A powder or spray sunscreen over make-up is easier than starting again.
- Blot, don’t wash: blotting papers lift shine without stripping the skin.
- Rinse the face after exercise or a long ride in the heat, then reapply sunscreen.
Night
- Cleanse once to remove sunscreen, sweat and make-up. Never sleep in make-up.
- A light moisturiser, plus any treatment your dermatologist has prescribed (for example a retinoid or an acne gel).
That’s it. Toners, mists and extra serums are optional. Fewer products also means fewer chances of irritation in the heat. Our face wash guide covers textures and ingredients in more detail.
Sunscreen you’ll actually wear
A sunscreen that stays in the drawer protects no one. In a Saurashtra summer, choose by feel first:
- Gel, fluid or matte formulas suit oily skin better than creams.
- Look for “broad-spectrum” (UVA and UVB) and SPF 30 or higher. SPF 50 filters only slightly more than SPF 30 in the lab; using enough and reapplying matter more. Labels, PA ratings and tinted vs mineral are explained in our sunscreen guide.
- Mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) suit sensitive skin; newer ones rub in without a white cast.
- If you have melasma or stubborn dark patches, a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides also blocks visible light, which can deepen melasma; a trial in melasma patients found better results when visible light was blocked as well as UV.
Our own SPF 50+ Ultra Matte Sunscreen was made with oily skin in mind, but any broad-spectrum sunscreen you are happy to wear every day will do the job.
Sunscreen is one layer. Shade, a cap or a stole, sunglasses and long cotton sleeves do as much, especially between about 11 am and 4 pm.
Tan: what fades, and what doesn’t
A tan is your skin making extra pigment to protect itself after sun. A simple tan fades over several weeks to a few months as the outer skin renews, as long as you stop adding to it.
What doesn’t help: lemon, baking soda, bleach creams and “fairness” creams. Some of these irritate the skin and darken it further, and fairness creams that contain steroids can cause lasting damage; we explain why in our post on steroid creams on the face.
Patches that don’t fade, keep coming back every summer, or have a clear edge on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip are often melasma or other pigmentation, not tan. Those need a diagnosis and a plan: see dark spots and melasma.
Prickly heat (heat rash)
Prickly heat (miliaria) happens when the tiny ducts that carry sweat to the surface get blocked, so sweat leaks into the skin instead. It shows up as clusters of small, itchy or stinging red bumps, usually on the neck, chest, back, under the breasts and in the folds, and is common in babies and in anyone who sweats a lot.
- Cool the skin: a cool shower, a fan or an air-conditioned room, and loose, light cotton clothing.
- Keep folds dry. A plain dusting powder can help.
- Avoid thick creams, oils and heavy body lotions on the rash; they trap more sweat.
- It usually settles within a few days of staying cool. If it itches a lot, a doctor may suggest a mild soothing lotion or a short course of a cream.
See a doctor if the bumps become pus-filled, the rash spreads, or you feel unwell, faint or feverish in the heat.
Small, very itchy bumps that come up within minutes of exercise, a hot bath or stress and fade within an hour or two are more likely heat hives than prickly heat; our guide to hives (urticaria) explains the difference.
Itchy rings in the folds: think fungus
Heat, sweat and tight clothing are ideal for fungal infection (ringworm, tinea, often called “daad”). It typically appears as round or ring-shaped, very itchy patches with a raised edge in the groin, waist, under the breasts or the armpits. India has seen a sharp rise in stubborn, widespread fungal infection over the past decade, and dermatologists link part of it to over-the-counter combination creams that contain a steroid: they calm the itch for a few days while the fungus spreads.
- Keep skin folds dry; change out of sweaty clothes quickly.
- Wear loose cotton underwear and clothing; don’t share towels.
- Don’t self-treat with “three-in-one” creams. If an itchy patch is spreading or keeps returning, see a dermatologist for the right diagnosis and a full course of treatment, including treating family members if needed. Our page on consulting a skin specialist in Rajkot explains how we handle skin infections, and our monsoon skincare guide covers fungal infections in the rainy months.
Summer pimples
Sweat itself doesn’t cause acne, but heat, extra oil and friction do aggravate it. In Rajkot, the usual culprits are a helmet strap or a tight dupatta, a phone pressed to the cheek and hair products along the hairline.
- Rinse after sweating; wash helmet liners, caps and pillow covers often.
- Keep hair oil off the forehead and away from the face.
- Use a salicylic acid wash and an oil-free sunscreen.
- Don’t squeeze: summer sun darkens the marks that squeezing leaves behind.
If spots are frequent, painful or leave marks, it is worth treating properly; see acne, and for breakouts under clothes and bag straps, back and chest acne.
When to see a dermatologist
- A rash that spreads in rings, keeps coming back, or got worse after a cream from the chemist.
- Dark patches that haven’t faded in two to three months of sun protection.
- Painful or scarring acne.
- Prickly heat that is pus-filled or doesn’t settle in a few days.
- Any new or changing mole.
The short version
Keep it simple in the heat: a gentle face wash twice a day, a light moisturiser, and a sunscreen you like enough to reapply. Stay cool and dry to prevent prickly heat and fungal rashes, and stop adding to a tan rather than scrubbing it off. If dark patches, rashes or spots don’t settle, a short visit saves weeks of guessing. For persistent tan, dark spots and melasma, see our pigmentation and melasma treatment page.
