The climate is in your pores now: Why heatwaves are wrecking your skin and hair

As India swelters under record-breaking heatwaves, the country’s beauty industry—and its consumers—are confronting an uncomfortable truth: the climate is now affecting not just crops and cities, but skin and scalp, too. With temperatures crossing 45°C in northern cities and humidity engulfing the south, the science of skincare and haircare is entering a new frontier. The question is no longer about vanity—it’s about dermatological survival.

Dr Kiran Kaur Sethi, medical director of Isya Aesthetics Clinic, Delhi, has witnessed the shift unfold in real time. Over the last decade, she notes a clear transformation not only in the weather but also in how Indian skin and hair respond to it.

From tolerance to turmoil

“The Indian summer has gotten worse in the past 10 years. It is hotter, it is more humid, there is more pollution, and I also worry the water has changed in some way—perhaps different bacteria in it or more polluted,” Dr Sethi explains.

Yet, climate is only one part of a rapidly evolving ecosystem. “That said, in the past 10 years, our skincare habits have also changed. More people are using actives now, whereas earlier they were mainly using home remedies. People also have huge expectations of their skin. They want to look poreless, bright, even, and shiny—almost Korean, if you will,” she says.

This convergence of harsher weather, rising pollution, and changing skincare aspirations has led to visible consequences. “So the combination of higher expectations, different weather, and a lot more intervention (usually unnecessarily extra) means that Indian skin and hair do react differently to summers,” she notes. “I do find that there’s more acne, more dandruff, more sweat-related infections like miliaria, and rarely more gram-negative folliculitis.”

But there’s also a cultural shift at play. “This could just be because people are more aware and more concerned about their skin than they were a decade ago. Ten years ago, people were fine with a few pimples and a few extra sweat bumps, and they didn’t require their skin to be perfect. So they didn’t come to see a doctor to solve it. Now people are a lot more concerned and are aiming for perfect skin.”

SPF in the time of heatwaves

If there’s one product that has taken centre stage in conversations about sun protection, it’s sunscreen. But not all formulations are created equal, especially not in the searing heat of the subcontinent.

According to Dr Sethi, “We need sunscreens that can adapt to the heat better. Most sunscreens are not tested for longevity in such hot and humid weather. Also, we need lighter and more gel- or water-based formulations, so that they can easily sit on the skin.”

This observation underscores a growing concern in the skincare industry: most international products are tested in temperate climates, often ignoring the tropical and arid extremes of South Asia. As beauty shelves in India brim with imported formulations, few are engineered to withstand Delhi’s dry heat or Chennai’s coastal stickiness.

Ingredients that work where you live

As per Dr Sethi, for heatwave-prone areas like Delhi or Chennai, we need actives such as salicylic acid, niacinamide, and cica to prevent inflammation, as well as green tea extract to reduce oil suppression. “We also want bases that are more gel-based or water-based or lighter on the skin,” she adds.

These ingredients do more than soothe—they serve as barriers, calming inflamed skin and offering antioxidant protection. In heatwave cities, inflammation is no longer just a transient reaction but a chronic condition, one that needs an entire pharmacological response baked into beauty.

The product shelf-life conundrum

The intensity of India’s summers doesn’t just affect skin and hair—it destabilises the very products meant to protect them.

“The rising heat will impact the efficacy of products,” Dr Sethi elaborates. “So a product's typical stability test is done at 40°C for six months, which is supposed to approximate a two-year shelf life. Now, in India sometimes almost four months of the year temperatures rise above 40°C. Does that mean that we can expect our products to last only six months? Who knows, because no one will test it. To make products for this high-heat weather, we would need to reevaluate formulation and come up with an entirely new testing regime.”

The implications are wide-ranging: from reduced potency of active ingredients to product separation and degradation, Indian consumers might be unknowingly applying skincare that is no longer effective, or worse, mildly irritating.

Shielding your scalp

It isn’t just skin that’s suffering. Extreme UV exposure is leaving hair damaged, brittle, and lifeless. Fortunately, haircare science is catching up.

“Actually, you can get hairscreens. These are sunscreens that you apply to the hair. They are light and easy, and they can protect your hair from tough UV rays,” Dr Sethi advises.

These novel formulations are part of a growing global trend to treat hair with the same reverence and protection given to skin. In climates where the sun is a near-constant adversary, scalp health is increasingly seen as foundational to overall wellness.

According to a 2024 study published in Cosmetics by MDPI, natural compounds such as mangiferin, ferulic acid, and naringin have shown significant efficacy in protecting hair from UV-induced oxidative stress and structural damage.

The future is climate-responsive beauty

“I really hope that India’s weather patterns could force a new wave of climate-responsive beauty lines,” says Dr Sethi. “We really need products in India that can match the weather conditions. But in the meantime, we can do place our products in the fridge or keep the temperature of the room where we’re keeping our skincare and haircare products in controlled .”

This temporary workaround—refrigerating serums or storing sunscreens in air-conditioned rooms—is emblematic of a larger problem: the global beauty industry hasn’t yet met the climate challenge of the Global South. But as heatwaves become regular and Indian consumers savvier, the call for innovation will only grow louder.

Until then, dermatologists like Dr Sethi are left navigating the delicate intersection of rising expectations, rising temperatures, and a rising need for change.

Lead image: Getty

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