As the weather warms up and we spend more time outdoors, it’s important to make changes in our skin care routines to make sure skin stays healthy and beautiful.
Below, we have 10 summer skin-care tips for you below.
1. Carefully Choose a Quality Sunscreen
Not all sunscreens are made equally. Some won’t protect you like they should, and others may even include ingredients that are harmful to skin.
Avoid products with so-called chemical sunscreens, including oxybenzone, octyl-methoxycinnamate, and octyl-dimethyl-PABA. These have been linked with hormone disruption,
Instead, choose safer options like zinc oxide and titanium oxide, and make sure to reapply every two hours if you’re outside. Look for an SPF of 30 or more and products that offer “broad-spectrum” protection.
Don’t forget your lips—they need protection even more as the skin on the lips is thinner than on the rest of your face. Use a lip balm with sunscreen in it. If you have a noticeable part in your hair, use sunscreen there, too.
Finally, don’t leave it all up to the sunscreen. Be sure to wear hats and use umbrellas as much as you can.
2. Stay Cool
When your skin gets hot, a few things happen that can mess up your appearance. First, you get sweaty, and as the sweat mixes with bacteria on the skin, it can increase risk of acne breakouts. You may also suffer from excess redness that lasts for hours.
To stay cool, take along some blotting cloths and a refreshing mister like our Rescue + Relief Spray. It contains ingredients that help whisk heat away from skin, leaving behind a healthy cool feeling.
3. Ease Up On the Makeup
If you’re going to be outdoors and active, use less makeup than usual. Makeup can clog pores and lead to increased breakouts and inflammation. Try limiting it to a light foundation, a little mascara, and a healthy lip-gloss.
4. Drink and Eat More Water
For a healthy look, you want to stay hydrated from the inside out. Make sure you’re drinking water throughout the day, and get extra hydration from water-filled foods like citrus fruits, melons, and water-rich veggies (celery, cucumbers).
5. Dry Brush Your Skin
If you’re not already dry brushing your skin, now is the time to start. Skin-baring fashions reveal elbows, heels, knees, and other areas that may not look their best after a long winter. Use a brush made specifically for skin, and brush in circular motions all over your body before stepping into the shower.
6. Don’t Forget to Exfoliate Your Face
You may not need to exfoliate as often in the summer as in the winter months, but you still need to keep up the habit. Exfoliation removes dead, dull skin from the surface, revealing the younger-looking skin underneath. Exfoliation also helps lighten dark spots and smooth skin, which will help your makeup go on more easily.
Use a gentle exfoliating product (those with fruit acids like glycolic and salicylic work great) and always follow with a moisturizer to seal in hydration. Be sure to carefully protect exfoliated skin, as it is more vulnerable to sun damage.
7. Lightly Moisturize
Depending on your skin type, you may need a lighter moisturizer in the summer than you did in the winter. Look for light, fragrance-free lotions with natural oils and butters that will moisturize without overwhelming your skin. Our Calming Moisture and Body Repair Lotion are formulated to penetrate skin without leaving a greasy feel behind. They will, however, make your skin look radiant!
8. Wear Sunglasses
The skin around your eyes is thin and easily damaged by the sun, so be sure that you have a pair of sunglasses that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. You can help delay signs of aging by wearing them regularly, and they’ll also help protect your eyes from damage that can lead to cataracts.
9. Treat Sun Damage
If you do happen to suffer sun damage or a burn, be sure to tend to it right away. Aloe is the best thing to help soothe burned skin. Apply it frequently for the first 24 hours, then switch to a hydrating cream with aloe to help prevent peeling and scarring.
10. Prolong Your Self-Tan
Self-tanners are healthy, safe alternatives to tanning in the sun. If you like using them, you can extend the life of your tan by making sure you exfoliate the skin before applying the self tanner, and then moisturize the area every night. Our Body Repair Lotion is the perfect option for extending your self-tan, as it penetrates deeply to give skin a radiant glow.
How do you care for your skin in the summertime?
