Summer is finally here which means time to have fun in the sun! Although this is the time of the year where we can lay out pool side, it also means that our skin is more susceptible to sun damage which may lead to sunspots, dry, and uneven skin tones. We may have certain skin routines in place, but like the changing of the seasons, we have to make sure that our routines and habits adapt to the weather. For example, you wouldn’t wear shorts when it’s raining or snowing as you would be too cold. Similarly, our skin needs to adapt to weather as well, and sometimes our skin needs extra care in order to fully maintain its healthy glow. In winter, we need to protect our skin from being dry, while in the summer, we need to keep our skin hydrated. What’s the difference? Well, during winter, our skin is protected by clothing in order to prevent dry, irritated, and chapping. In the summer, our skin is more exposed due to the heat and humidity, for some people this can lead to oily skin. Whereas in winter skin can become dry and chapped. When it comes to the season of summer, we begin to experience certain symptoms of too much sun, such as dehydrated skin, sun burns, red patches. Although our skin is our defense against the sun, when our skin is not properly ready to defend against sun exposure, our skin’s melanin (the component in skin that gives UV protection and pigment) comes in to protect our skin, hence we get a tan. Therefore, if we do not protect our skin, not only do we damage our skin but also, lack of protection can lead to hyperpigmentation of the skin, and in worse cases, skin cancer. In order to prevent sun damaged skin, here are some tips in order to keep your summer skin looking healthy and glowing:
- DON’T take hot showers
Opt for a cold shower, which accordin
g to InStyle, helps lower body temperature and closes pores, which prevents dirt and oil getting into pores which prevents acne break outs. Our skin is an important part of the body which helps fight bacteria from the outside, and sometimes that bacteria can get clogged in your pores, due to dry skin. Those that wear make up might also want to control their pores with cold showers in order to prevent runny make up. Thus, taking a cold shower helps close pores and makes it harder for bacteria to get caught in the skin. However, moderation should be kept in mind, because we want to ensure our pores are clean before rinsing with cold water. Try Clear Essence Platinum Line Extra Strength Medicated Cleansing Bar Plus Exfoliants which helps remove dirt, bacteria, and oil.
- DO wear extra wide brim hats
Apart from looking stylish, wearing extra wide brim hats will help prevent your skin from being exposed to the sun, however that does not mean that you shouldn’t put sunscreen on. Sunscreen is mandatory—always. By wearing a wide brim hat, not only are you protecting your skin from sun damage, but you’re also protecting your hair from being sunburnt as well. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Although those with thick hair have less to worry about — the hair acts as a barrier to the sun and protects the scalp — those with balding or thinning hair are more susceptible to developing skin cancer.” Therefore, using a hat can come in handy, because not only is your beautiful skin being protected, but also your hair which acts as a bodyguard for your scalp, will also be protected under an accessory which makes a strong fashion statement: sun don’t ruin my fun!
- DON’T let the heat control what you eat
Let’s face it, when it’s hot out, it becomes harder to cook home meals so we opt for fast food or store bought. We should focus more on eating SPF(Sun Protection Factor??) salads—that’s right SPF salads. SPF salads include ingredients, which have a high amount of vitamin C and vitamin E which is a good source for dry skin and skin wrinkling and is also used in sunscreen, hence we have SPF salads. Our skin is our bodyguard against outside source of infections, so in order to keep it strong, we have to eat SPF salads to protect the body from damage. We recommends salads such as the perfect summer fruit salad, spinach avocado salad, glowing skin salad, or you can make your own, using some of the ingredients listed below, which have a high source of vitamin E and C:
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Swiss Chard
- Mustard Greens
- Almonds
- Hazel Nuts
- Papaya
- Avocados
- Olive Oil
- Strawberries
- Yellow Bell Peppers
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- DO wear mosquito repellant
If you live in an area where mosquitos are prone to be drawn to, apply mosquito repellant. Mosquitos tend to bite bodies that have warm temperatures, according to Wikihow. In some cases, however, mosquito bites can lead to hyperpigmentation of the skin which leaves you not only upset about a mosquito bite, but now having to deal with a dark spot that the little sucker left behind. Under no circumstances should you scratch it, or else it’ll lead to more skin trauma, which leads to hyperpigmentation. We also have to keep in mind that there may be bacteria in our hands or fingernails, which may lead to infection. If you do have the urge to scratch, scratch something else instead, like a stuffed animal or a lottery ticket, in order to keep your mind off the irritation! If hyperpigmentation does occur, especially on dark skin, our Clear Essence Platinum Line Extra Strength Medicated Fade Crème with SPF 15 helps reduce dark spots and can brighten areas from hyperpigmentation.
- DON’T leave without sunscreen
Always, always, always, apply sunscreen before and after being exposed to the sun. By applying sunscreen, we are prevented from having sun-damaged dark skin which may include sunspots or dry skin. In order to ensure full protection, a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 is recommended, as the skin cancer organization states. Lip balms containing sunscreen are also a great way to protect your lips from being damaged as well. There are also hair products available that help protect your scalp from damage, or as stated earlier, nothing beats a nice large hat. In the case that your skin is already damaged from having fun in the sun all day, our Clear Essence My Natural Beauty Skin Tone Carrot Oil Soap helps dehydrated skin from sun damage or irritation.
- DO drink plenty of water
Water is important for many reasons, but in order to keep the elasticity in your skin, you must drink water daily. According to Women’s Health, our skin is made of 64% water, so imagine your skin without water? It would be less protected from the sun, which leads to damaged skin. Yikes! Our skin’s natural protein relies heavily on water, so drink up that H2
O! Heading out to the beach? Although you may not be able to drink water from the ocean, salt water has beneficial nutrients, such as magnesium, for the skin, which can reduce swelling, protect the body and even balance out skin tones. Although seawater helps strengthen our skin, it can damage our hair due to the magnesium in the water. So not only should we avoid too much seawater in our hair, but also limit the amount of seawater our body is exposed to, otherwise it can lead to dry skin conditions.
- DON’T let sun damage heal on its own
When it comes to sun burns, we tend to tell each other to let it heal on its own, but then our skin starts doing weird things like peeling. In order to prevent skin cancer, our body attempts to lose its damaged cells, which is why we see our skin crack and shed. There are ways to also help with the process of getting rid of your sunburn, such as getting out of the sun and into shade immediately. It’s important to make sure your skin is away from further damage, so by getting out of the sun, not only is your skin beginning to heal, but also you’re protecting yourself from increasing the severity of your sunburn. Also, taking that cold shower and drinking plenty of water helps put hydration back into the body, which helps since sunburns cause the body to lose water. If your skin does suffer from hyperpigmentation from being out in the sun too much, our Clear Essence Platinum Line Extra Strength Medicated Fade Crème with SPF 15 may be used in order to help even out dark spots from sun exposure.
- DO try going make up free
Although Alicia Keys started a movement on this style, going make up free in the summer can benefit not only your skin but also let you be free of having to worry about runny mascara; because let’s face it, no one wants to be a hot mess! Aside from runny mascara, you won’t have to worry about a “cakey” look, which not only includes foundation that slides right off, but also creates oily skin which may lead to acne! Not only are you saving time, but you’re also letting your skin breathe by eliminating all the products that you’re putting on your face. Let your skin breathe and also feel liberated from all the morning routines that you have to take the time out of the day to do! Apart from letting your skin breathe, you’re also more prone to protect your beautiful face, since you won’t be hiding underneath makeup. Because you’re not wearing make up, you will be able to protect with a better SPF sunscreen rather than rely on the SPF found in make up. Leslie Baumann, MD states, “Makeup does not provide enough coverage. You need seven times the normal amount of foundation and 14 times the normal amount of powder to get the sun protection factor on the label. No one does this.” So you see, not only does Baumann imply that you would need excessive amounts of foundation, but too much can lead to “cakey” make up and possibly running out of makeup a lot faster! So go ahead, try being make up free! But if you decide that make up free is not for you, then opt for waterproof mascara, and keep make up to a minimal.
- DO have fun!
Most importantly, don’t let the heat of the summer take away from having fun outside! If you don’t have any important tasks to do, then try avoiding being outside from 10am to 4pm, which is the time that the sun tends to be at its peak. If you do go out during these times, again remember to wear sunscreen, since it is more probable for you to get sunburnt during these hours. Catch a movie, go to a museum, a mall, but whatever you do, protect yourself, protect your skin, and don’t let the sun ruin your day!
