Unconventional Monsoon Beauty Essentials (You’ll End Up Gatekeeping)

There’s waterproof mascara and then there’s the kind of monsoon beauty fix that makes you look like you didn’t even try. When the weather gets chaotic (frizz, fungus, back sweat, makeup melt), your vanity needs to get creative. So here it is: a not-so-obvious list of rainy-season beauty heroes that we actually keep in our bags. Consider this your permission to skip the umbrella, but not the prep.

1. Sea Salt Spray = Goa Hair Anywhere

If your hair gets drenched, don’t fight it, own it. Dab with a tissue in the bathroom, scrunch in a sea salt spray, and let your hair dry into its best indie film version of itself.

Try:Fix My Curls Curl Quenching Hair Mist, Moroccanoil Beach Wave Mousse.

2. Hypochlorous Acid > Toner

Rainy day breakouts? Could be fungal, bacterial, or just your skin rebelling. Enter: hypochlorous acid. A few spritzes after you get back home kills what the rain brought in.

Try:Minimalist HOCl Spray, Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue (if you’re abroad).

3. Pocket-Sized Barrier Balm

Wet tissue overuse, running through the rain, rubbing your nose—it adds up. Keep a thick, non-oily balm on hand to calm chafing in real time.

Try: Haruharu Wonder Centella A.C.E. Vitaful Miracle Healing Multi Balm, Bioderma Cicabio Stick.

4. Scalp Mist > Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo in this weather is asking for build-up. Instead, use a refreshing scalp mist or a light tonic. It cools, de-greases, and doesn’t leave residue.

Try: Bare Anatomy Scalp Serum, Forest Essentials Hair Vitaliser Bhringraj.

5. Anti-Fungal Foot Spray (Trust Us)

Nobody wants to talk about this, but wet socks and closed shoes are a breeding ground. Spray your feet the minute you get home—or before you wear sneakers.

Try: Derm More Neroli Tea Tree Foot Spray (pharmacy), The Moms Co. Foot Spray.

6. Tissue Pack + Mini Hair Claw = Monsoon Survival Kit

Keep them in every bag. Use tissues to blot water off your scalp line (before the frizz hits), and clip hair back with a chic claw until it dries. A beauty emergency plan that still looks like a vibe.

Rain doesn’t have to ruin the vibe—if anything, it’s the best excuse to edit your beauty stash down to what actually works. These products don’t scream “emergency,” but they’ll save your look (and sanity) more times than you can count. See you in the drizzle.

7. Slick Stick for Baby Hairs in the Wind

Forget redoing your hair—just push flyaways down with a wand, throw it in a bun and move on. Rain hits, hair lifts, you slick.

Try: Arata Hair Finishing Stick, BBlunt Hair Finishing Gel Stick.