It’s that time of year again, warm sunshine, sleeveless shirts, more hours outdoors in the blazing sun and sometimes too much skin exposure. It’s very important we take simple steps to protect our skin during the summer months.
Apply sunscreen on your exposed skin with a minimum of SPF 30, or higher if you burn easily, before going outside into the sunshine. If you’re at the beach or expect to be sweating use a waterproof sunscreen and reapply every two hours. Do not leave your skin vulnerable to harmful UVA/UVB rays. Be sure to protect your lips as well as they can get sunburnt, use a lip balm with minimum SPF15 protection. There are many formulas and technology that let you select sun protection that works for what’s best with your skin condition.
Hydration is key during the summer heat as higher temperatures and more time outdoors lead to internal dehydration, which can result in headaches and dizzy spells! Drink lots of water to hydrate inside and out by consuming at least 8 glasses of fluids every day which helps maintain the critical moisture balance of the body and skin and assist in detoxification. Tip: If you’re a fan of caffeinated beverages, you should increase the amount of water you drink! Make drinking not feel like a chore by infusing water with your favorite summer fruits or a slice of lemon or buying a marked water bottle to keep you on track all day.
Take a cool shower as hot showers after sun exposure will further dry skin. Be sure to turn down the temperature, a cool shower after excess sweating helps to keep skin clear, decreasing acne breakouts and lowering body temperatures.
If you plan on being outside in the sun all day, try wearing a wide-brim hat for full protection. A baseball cap won’t protect your face nor neck from harsh rays and your skin will suffer from excessive exposure.
An effective way to exfoliate during the summer is to scrub away dead skin cells using oatmeal soap and a loofah or mesh scrub, pay special attention to elbows and knees. Finish with a light body lotion or oil shortly after toweling off the water.
Summertime is not only the perfect time to switch to flip-flops, but it’s also a great time to change your diet. Just by being outdoors more often—and sweating—ups your risk for health problems such as dehydration, skin sensitivities, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. What is the solution? Eat local, in-season fruits. Their nutrients are at their peak in the summer so load up on melons, melon is known to be the choice for beautiful summer skin. Whether you prefer cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon, this sweet fruit has high water content and is rich in antioxidants and it delivers a unique form of hydration to the skin, these fluids are exactly what you need when the heat is on. Go outside, enjoy the summer, be mindful of the sun!
