Friday, 15 May 2026·Dr. Carla Gurung
A practical guide to monsoon skin
Humidity, sweat, and stagnant water change what your skin needs. Here is the short version of what helps and what makes it worse.
Every June, our dermatology rooms fill up with the same three complaints: fungal patches on the back and groin, breakouts along the jawline, and stubborn itching between the toes. None of these are serious. All of them are preventable.
The single highest-leverage habit is changing out of wet clothes quickly. Damp cotton against skin for two hours is enough to set off a fungal bloom in our climate. Carry a small towel. If you get caught in rain, dry off before sitting in air conditioning — the temperature shock traps moisture against the skin and worsens irritation.
Skip heavy moisturisers this season. Switch to a lightweight, water-based lotion, and don't layer sunscreen unless you're going to be out for more than twenty minutes. For oily skin, a gentle salicylic-acid cleanser two or three times a week is enough — daily use thins your barrier and ironically causes more breakouts.
Antifungal powders work, but only on dry skin. Applying them over sweat is the same as not applying them at all. If a rash is spreading, painful, or accompanied by fever, please come in — we'll culture it rather than guess.