The Cooling Ritual

Rose, cucumber and aloe — the three things Indian households have always reached for when skin is hot, red or irritated. The difference here is that they arrive in the order they actually work in.

The order is the product

Most people already own some version of these three. Most people use them in the wrong sequence, and then conclude the products don't work.

It goes lightest to heaviest. A water, then a gel, then an oil. Each layer needs the one before it to still be damp, because what you are really doing is trapping water against the skin and then sealing it in. Put the oil on first and nothing underneath it ever gets in. Let the skin dry between layers and there is nothing left to seal.

Rose Water — first

Steam distilled, 100ml. It goes on straight after cleansing and its job is twofold: it takes the heat out of skin that has been in the sun or under hot water, and it leaves the face damp for everything that follows.

Do not pat it dry. That instruction undoes half the set.

Cucumber Gel — second

200g, and the largest thing in the box because it is the one you'll use most. It cools without the sting that most toners and astringents bring, which matters on skin that is already irritated.

A thin layer on damp skin. Not a thick one — gel applied heavily just sits on the surface and rolls off.

Aloe Vera Oil — last

Herbal infused, 30ml. The smallest bottle and the only one of the three that seals. Two or three drops, pressed in rather than rubbed, once the gel has settled.

It has a second life you'll find useful: the same oil works on a dry, tight scalp. Part the hair, a few drops along the parting, leave it an hour before you wash.

How to use

At night — cleanse and leave the face a little damp. Mist the rose water and don't dry it off. A thin layer of cucumber gel while the skin is still wet. Two or three drops of aloe oil last, pressed in with the palms.

In the morning — rose water and cucumber gel are enough. Skip the oil and go straight to sunscreen.

After sun, after a hot day, after waxing — rose water and cucumber gel on their own, as often as you like. Keep the gel in the fridge from April onwards and it does considerably more.

In the box

• Steam Distilled Rose Water, 100ml
• Pure Cucumber Gel, 200g
• Aloe Vera Oil, 30ml
• All three in a drawstring pouch, ready to give

What to expect

This set is not trying to change your skin. It is trying to calm it, and that part you'll feel the same night. The longer benefit is that skin which is cool and properly hydrated behaves better at everything else — fewer flare-ups, less reactivity, less of the tightness that makes people over-cleanse and start the cycle again.

Before you use them

For external use only. Patch test before first use. Keep the rose water out of direct sunlight. Made in Jaipur by Ayurveda Amrita.