How To Get Your Best Summer Skin

With summer not that far off now, it's never too early to start thinking about how to look after your skin. Many more factors can affect your skin in the summer, from the sun to chlorine and saltwater when you go swimming. It's not just your skin looking or feeling bad that you have to worry about in the middle of summer. Neglecting to protect your skin can increase your risk of skin cancer, so it's vital to pay attention to the sun and how it can affect you. When you're getting ready for summer, don't forget to keep these skin care tips in mind.

Get to Know Your Skin
How well do you know your skin? If you want to be able to look after it properly, understanding your skin type is essential. The easiest way to find out is to take a quick quiz for finding out skin types, which can also recommend top products to use for your skin. Your skin type should help you to choose the most appropriate products, and the best actions to care for your skin. For example, if you have particularly dry skin, you need to take special care to keep it moisturized through using the right products and following certain your lifestyle choices.

Use Sun Protection
The sun isn't something that goes away the rest of the year, but it's especially important to pay attention to it during the summer. Get the facts on sun protection which are vital for taking care of your skin, particularly as sun damage can age your skin prematurely. However, even more importantly, failing to protect yourself from the sun also increases your risk of skin cancer. You can use a variety of sun protection products to care for your skin in the summer, including SPF makeup such as foundation and sunscreen. Make sure you use a higher protection factor if you really want to protect your skin properly.

Cover Up and Stay in the Shade
Another essential way to protect your skin is to make sure you cover up as much as possible, and try to stay in the shade. While being out in the sun can lift your mood, and sunbathing can be enjoyable, you should limit your exposure to the sun's rays. Wearing light layers that cover your skin but help you stay cool will protect you. You can even get SPF clothing for extra protection. Staying in the shade as much as you can, especially when sitting still, will also help you to avoid damage from the sun.

Stay Hydrated and Moisturized
It's all too easy to get hot and dehydrated in the summer. As the largest external organ your body has, your skin can suffer the effects if you're not getting enough liquid. Staying hydrated is essential not just for your skin, but also for the rest of your body. Make sure to start your day off right with a glass and that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. You can moisturize your skin directly using moisturizing products that help to prevent dryness.

Don't Go Overboard with Moisturizers
While it's important to moisturize your skin, be careful not to overdo it in the summer. When you're already using sun protection products, you might not need as much moisturizer as you think. Sun protection products like sunscreen are often very moisturizing and can even be designed with an extra moisturizing effect. If you're already using something to protect your skin from the sun, which you should, think twice before adding more moisturizer. You could end up clogging up your pores or making it greasy.

Care for Your Lips
The skin on your lips can have a tendency to become dry easily, especially in the winter and the summer. Staying hydrated is essential and will help your lips to stay moist, but there are other things you can do too. Of course, using a chapstick or lip balm will help your lips to stay moist. Carry one with you wherever you go, and you will always be able to give your lips the treatment that they need. Use one with SPF 15 or higher to give your lips protection from the sun. You can also use an exfoliating product to get rid of dry skin.

Remember to Protect Your Scalp
You scalp is one of the more sensitive parts of your skin. It's easy to forget about it because it's mostly covered by your hair, but it can easily get burned. Wearing a hat will obviously help to protect your scalp when you're outdoors, but it's not all you can do. You can also use a sunscreen spray along your part, which will offer extra protection to your scalp even when you're not wearing a hat.

Prevent and Soothe Bug Bites
Bug bites can be an issue in the summer, and it can be difficult to resist scratching them. Preventing them is the first step, and there are various ways to keep them away. You can cover up and use sprays, plus there are other products such as candles that are designed to keep bugs away. If you do get bitten, finding ways to soothe the bites so that you can avoid scratching them is important. Choose an anti-itching product with an ingredient like hydrocortisone, which will help to reduce irritation. You can also look products that are designed specifically to relieve bug bites.

Look After Your Eyes
The delicate skin around your eyes can be particularly sensitive, so looking after your eyes in the summer is important. Using an eye cream during the summer will help you to protect that skin. Choose a light formulation that will be quickly absorbed so that you get the full benefit before you head out into the hot summer sun.

Use Antioxidants
Antioxidants which fight free radicals damage offer another form of skin protection. They can become even more important during the summer when you really need to protect your skin. There are various options like a healing or protective serum that you can use to get more antioxidants into your skincare routine . Antioxidants are also found in lots of foods, so adding some new things to your diet can be a good idea.

Combat Pigmentation
Pigmentation is an issue that can be made worse in the summer. Even if you protect your skin from the sun, you can still find that it makes pigmentation in your skin worse. If you want to fight pigmentation, you should use an anti-pigmentation serum. It's a good product to add to your skin care routine anyway, so you can continue to use it after the summer. Look for ingredients such as Kojic Acid and Arbutin if you're looking for an effective anti-pigmentation serum.

Be Careful When Using Retinoids
Retinoids help to create collagen, so they're excellent for anti-aging. They can help to regulate pigmentation, repair sun damage and exfoliate your skin, and they can be useful all year. However, you need to be careful with them if you're going to be spending a lot of time in the sun. Retinoids can make your skin a little more sensitive to the sun's rays, so be mindful if you live somewhere sunny or you're planning on going away somewhere hot. Either stop using them or make sure you're also using a strong sun protection factor.

Protect Your Hands
When you take steps to protect your skin in the summer, it's easy to forget about your hands, as well as your feet. You might have applied sunscreen into your skin with the palms of your hands, but what about the backs of your hands? They can suffer the effects of sun exposure and aging because they're exposed most of the time, so protecting them is essential. The skin there is thin and can easily wrinkle or pigment, so use an SPF hand cream that will both moisturize your hands and protect them from the sun.

Sleep and Eat Well
Certain lifestyle changes can also help you to protect your skin during the summer. Making sure that you get enough sleep and that you eat the right diet is always important, but it can be even more so in the summer. Try to choose foods that are rich in moisture to make it easier to stay hydrated. Getting plenty of sleep gives your skin the time it needs to heal, helping it to stay hydrated and avoid any problems. When summer is over, keep up with your new lifestyle changes the good condition of your skin.

Summer can do all kinds of things to your skin, so be sure to take care of it as much as possible. It's important not just for your beauty but also your health.

This is a contributed post.

4 comments

Blackswan said...

Very informative post, dear! Sunscreen is a must-have for me. xoxo

Pilar said...

These are great tips Rowena! It gets so hot and humid here, so healthy skincare is very important! Have a great week!

ALLIE NYC said...

Very useful tips here. I don't use retinol anymore at all as I hear it thins the skin over time. I use sun screen year round and never tan my face.

I use scrubs all year round and oils in winter and lotions in summer. And I take oral antioxidants on the regular.

Allie of
www.allienyc.com

Ivana Split said...

wonderful tips for protecting our skin against the sun.