How to stay healthy and hydrated

On scorching summer days, keeping cool and protecting the skin from the sun are top priorities. During these times it is easy to forget the dehydrating effects cooling devices have.

Air-conditioning is a hidden dermatological disaster that draws moisture out of the air and out of our skin.

Specialists in dermatology and aesthetic medicine respectively, Dr Patricia Delarive and Dr Roland Ney from Switzerland, dietician Lovely Ranganath and specialist dermatologist Dr Archana Mohan from Dubai, share their top tips to help you and your skin stay healthy and hydrated:

From Dr Patricia Delarive and Dr Roland Ney:

1. Moisturise yourself in and out

The average fluid output for adults of 2.5 litres a day is increased significantly in summer through both sweating and the effects of air-conditioning.

Keeping these levels up on the inside is essential for our health:

• The "eight glasses a day" rule for drinking water should be increased 50 per cent with air-conditioning. Aim for 12 glasses a day.

• Always carry a bottle of water with you.

• Moisturising creams should be applied at least once a day to combat the drying effects of the air.

• Emollients are a good bet when choosing a cream. They smooth and lubricate rough skin.

• If you have very dry skin, choose a water-in-oil moisturiser, which will tend to be heavier and richer than other moisturisers.

• Oil-in-water moisturisers are a better option if you're young or suffer from only mild or occasional dryness.

2. Moisturise your house

Despite the humidity outside, the moisture-less indoor air can parch the most hydrated of people and worsen itchy and flaky conditions. Try the following suggestions:

• Use the ‘auto' function on your air-conditioning system if you have one and aim to keep your house between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (20–23.9 degrees Centigrade).

• Use a humidifier to maintain moisture levels at 40 to 50 per cent. Humidifiers must be kept clean to remain safe.

3. Feed your thirst

Diet is a key factor for maintaining healthy looking skin:

• Low-fat diets may help your waistline, but they do nothing for your skin, which needs the right kinds of lipids, especially Omega-3 fatty acids, to keep it soft and supple.

• Omega-3 is obtained from food or supplements. The best dietary sources are fatty fish or fish oil capsules, walnuts, soybean and canola oils or dark green leafy vegetables.

Dietician Lovely Ranganathan said that the key was to strike a balance. "People need to be educated about what the balance is. It all lands up with portion sizes. Portions others need may not be what you need. You need to know what works for you."

"We need not think in terms of large quantities. For example only two or three servings of fish (and one serving of fish is approximately the size of your palm; about 3 ounces) consumed twice or three times a week is recommended to meet an individual's Omega 3-fatty acid requirements."

"Most people underestimate the amount of food they eat in relation to their actual requirements. By educating oneself about recommended quantities of different foods, even calorie dense, high-fat foods rich in Omega 3 fatty-acids (canola oil, flaxseeds, oily fish, etc) can be safely included in the diets of those individuals trying to lose weight."

Dr Archana Mohan, specialist dermatologist, said that during the summer people in this part of the world could be losing a minimum of two litres of water per day or more.

"Insensible perspiration or sweating that we cannot see where water evaporates from our body and sweating accounts for 500ml of the water we lose daily and 1,500ml is lost by way of urine."

"In summer, our water intake must be a minimum of one litre more than what we lose. The more you drink the better. I have many patients who drink hardly two glasses of water and apply moisturiser. This does very little to nourish the skin or show natural glow."

Moisturisers vary according to skin type. "People with oily skin may need moisturiser and they should choose aqueous base moisturisers during summer."

"Those who have combination skin need only apply moisturiser to the dry areas and those with dry skin should apply moisturiser in direct relation to what they do during the day. Those who perspire more during the day need to account for that. There are even extreme cases in which the breeze of the air-conditioner irritates the skin or people feel the sensation of itching."

The indoor environment can be moisturised with humidifiers and air purifiers. "These take away mould and bad radicals from the air."

As far as diet is concerned, nothing replaces water. "Although tea and coffee do contain water, too much of either is not a good option. It is best to stick to water and definitely keep off soft drinks."