It’s not easy for sensitive skin to weather the harsh climate of Ho Chi Minh City. But here are a few traditional Vietnamese remedies to keep your skin healthy amid the heat, sun and humidity.

• Green tea is considered a magic medicine for skin health and a weapon to fight oxidation. Green tea slows down the process of cell ageing and prevents the harmful effects of the sunlight to your skin.

• Sleep: Your skin will become dry and rough if you stay up too late working, studying or watching television. So try to go to bed and get up at reasonable hours to ensure enough sleep. But if you can’t, here are a few remedies that help protect the skin of sleep-deprived people:

- Drink one hot glass of milk before bed for a deep sleep. Wash your face and apply a thin layer of lotion to keep your skin moist during the night.

- Try to catch up on lost sleep as soon as possible. Limit alcohol intake and smoking. And you should not drink tea and coffee at night, which will hurt your stomach and dry out your skin.

• Drink lots of water, eat fruits and cake and porridge. Do not drink sparkling water. Water helps your skin stretch and decreases wrinkles. Water also helps skin cells absorb nutrients in the blood as well as reject toxins. Drinking 1.8 liters of water every day is optimal for your body.

• Use a wash-foot basin with warm water.

Add some lavender oil or essence to the bath. Put two feet in the basin and steep them while sitting up late. It will help your spirit remain cheery and keep the blood circulating steadily. It will also strengthen your skin.

• Wash your face with warm water in the mornings. Then apply a moisturizer to retain water on the skin throughout the day.

• Eat vegetables such as tomato, watermelon, apricot, squash, spinach, sweet potato, mandarin, pepper, all of which fight oxidation. These will help preserve cells and lessen wrinkles.

• Have a lot of Vitamins A, C and E in your diet via bitter gourd, oranges, papaya, tomato, carrot, lemon, spinach, egg, milk, vegetable oil, and olives to decrease wrinkles and limit acne. Vitamin A is considered a tonic for your skin and eyes. Vitamin C protects your skin from sunlight and helps cells recover from injuries that destroy collagen and elastin strands - which help the soundness/firmness of your skin. Vitamin C is also good for the immune system in general, and slows down the skin aging process. Vitamin E also protects your skin from sunlight, increases immune activity in the body and can help fight fevers. In addition, you should eat shrimp, oyster, crab, salmon, tuna, unpolished rice and liver to protect skin cells from injuries.