The monsoon protection edition

Saving the sheen

The rainy season is quick to take away the sheen from silver jewellery owing to the reaction it undergoes while in contact with humidity and air pollutants. Keep it away from liquid cleaners and store it in ziplock plastic bags, say experts.

Designer Anuradha Ramam and Tarang Arora, Creative Director and CEO at Amrapali Jewels, have a few handy tips:

• Remove your jewellery before going to shower or even before washing your hands. Clearly avoid wearing jewellery before heading outdoors while it's raining.
• Avoid liquid cleaners on your jewellery as they get stuck in the engravings and cause dullness.
• Silver is vulnerable and it needs special attention when it comes to storage. You must reserve a different bag for your silver jewellery, preferably a ziplock plastic bag for your silver ornaments and stuff a thin layer of cotton on the walls of the bag. You can also consider a soft cotton or muslin cloth for the purpose. Not only the container should be moisture resistant but so should be the surroundings - unexposed to air and light.
• Commercial silver cleaners do more harm than good to your jewellery. They ruin the anti-tarnish coating and valuable patina that your silver has and leaves it more vulnerable than before. Besides, they might give a temporary solution for the upkeep of your jewellery, but affect it in the long run as it will tarnish quickly and need more frequent care.
• Take your jewellery to a professional silver cleaner or your jeweller to get it treated with the right equipment and treatments like the silver dip and more to maintain its lustre, brilliance and versatility.
• There are some economical and environment friendly silver cleaners right in your kitchen.

Soap and water: Consider a mild, ammonia and phosphate-free dishwashing soap with lukewarm water as your first preference to clean your ornament.

Olive oil and lemon juice: Mix half a cup of lemon juice with one teaspoon olive oil in a bowl. Take a small microfibre cloth. Dip the cloth in the solution and squeeze out the solution well. Then polish, rinse and dry your silver.

• When dressing, jewellery should always be worn in the end as cosmetics and perfumes can cause damage to the delicate items.
• It is advisable to put activated charcoal and silicon pouch in the ziplock bag to prevent tarnishing.

About bright spaces

Welcome monsoon with some bright changes in the decor to lift up the mood in the dull weather, say experts. Experts at Kansai Nerolac, Pritika Chatterjee, CEO and Co-Founder, TidyHomz, and Surabhi Mittal, Founder, RevivedbySurabhi, have shared some decor tips for monsoon:

• To brighten your living room, you may choose to paint your walls in shades of bright red, blue or even yellows. Avoid upholstery and furniture, which gets moisture easily, use a plain colour sofa and accessories it with colourful cushions.
• Kitchen is the place where the one spends most of their time and it is said your mood reflect in the food you make, so it is necessary to quirk up the kitchen interiors. You can use colourful and innovative designs to make the mundane tasks more joyful.
• Use cute cutlery and containers along with some fancy dining set. Keep the dining table plain or put up a dinning cloth of a pastel colour, which will help accentuate your food. You can use colourful tablemats to perk up your dining experience.
• Say no to heavy ornamental curtains and go in for some light ones. Some good colour schemes to go for include leafy green, aqua, turquoise, scarlet and corn yellow to uplift your somber mood. Heavy curtains get damp and since they are difficult to dry. Thin cotton curtains not only dry quickly but are also easy to wash.
• We all love the sound of the rain. To soothe your mood further, add the music of wind chimes when the cool breeze comes in. There are a lot many decorative wind chimes available at the local market and also online. You can also add some indoor plants.
• A good way to welcome monsoon is by decorating your home with monsoon-friendly accessories that make your home bright and striking. Let your guests enjoy the rains along with a cup of hot tea accompanied by beautiful coasters, beautiful cup and saucers made of intricate designs and papermache. Also make it fun for yourself this monsoon by adding fun furniture like hammock and swing to your favourite music or book.
• Invest in different shaped candles and incense sticks with mild fragrance that helps to prevent your home from musty smell. The aroma is soothing and lively to our smell senses and what better way than inviting your family and friends, offering them sweets and flaunting away your innovative concept. In addition, you can buy lamps or lanterns to give your house a royal look.

Rosy goodness!

An oily and sweaty skin in monsoon attracts more dirt and chemical pollutants, leading to pimples and a rashy condition. Hence, daily cleansing and skin care with appropriate products is important in this weather, say experts. Celebrity skincare and make-up experts Shahnaz Husain and Aashmeen Munjal dole out tips on how one can get rid of skin problems in an effective way in the sweaty weather.

The pores must be kept free of hardened oil and the oiliness of the skin must be reduced. Apply an astringent toner after cleansing. Wipe the face with it, using cotton wool. Some home ingredients can also be used, for instance mix rose water and witch hazel in equal quantities and apply on the face.

If there are blackheads, a facial scrub should be used on the blackhead-prone areas. But do not apply scrubs on acne, pimples or rash. Mix rice powder with rose water and apply it on the areas with blackheads daily. Rub gently on the skin with circular movements. Leave on for five minutes and wash off with water. This can be done after cleansing in the morning.

Your hair scalp becomes unhealthy and dirty during the monsoon season. Try to use a good shampoo and a good conditioner as well, which maintains the shaft of your hair and locks up the moisture of your hair. It is also important to give your hair a proper oil massage on a regular basis because during rain, the humidity rate is very high. That makes your hair roots clogged. Besides, steaming and masking should also be done.

If there is rash, pimples or acne, wash the face with a medicated soap or cleanser twice a day. Wash the face several times a day with plenty of plain water. You can also apply a rose based skin toner, which not only completes the cleansing procedure, but also helps to close the pores and restore the normal acid-alkaline balance.

Pay special attention to the feet. Fungal infections can lead to Athlete's Foot. After washing them well, dry them thoroughly and apply talcum powder. During hot and humid weather, wear open footwear, so that the sweat evaporates. This helps to avoid fungal infections like Athlete's Foot and ring worm, which grow on moist skin.

Try to keep your nails more clean and hygienic. This prevents nails from infections. Be extra careful at the time of manicure and pedicure. Make sure you always dip your nails in antiseptic water and the equipments you use are clean and fresh.