Finally! Summer time has started, the suns out and the heat is on!
There are so many positives about summer. The Vitamin D, The BBQ’s, the beaches, the holidays. Why ruin all of that by not looking after your skin properly?
The skin is the biggest organ on the human body, therefore we should look after it to the best of our abilities. Therefore, here is a blog post about how to take care of your skin in the summer! Enjoy.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating is a good trick to keep on top of your skins health. Exfoliating does not just apply to your face. You can exfoliate your whole body. When you exfoliate, it makes your skin clearer and smoother. It does this by removing any/all dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, leaving the fresh smooth skin underneath. It also removes any dirt and grim from your pores and on the surface of the skin. Exfoliating also helps toners and moisturisers work to the best of their abilities, as there is no barrier (dead skin) to stop the product from penetrating the skin quickly. Exfoliating also helps minimise breakouts, hyper pigmentation and sun damage.
Over exfoliating however can be really bad for your skin. Taking away too many layers of skin can cause hyper sensitivity, making it more susceptible to burn in the sun. Exfoliating about once a week is the best way to go. Even gentle exfoliation will leave your skin a tiny bit more sensitive, so using an SPF after exfoliation is the best way to protect your skin from any sun damage.
Moisturise
In the summer months, a lot of people tend to skip moisturising their body, as they are applying sun cream to their skin daily instead. However, this is not the best idea. In the summer, a lot of us drive around with air conditioning on in our cars, we work in air conditioned buildings and we get on air conditioned aeroplanes. Air conditioning is the worst for our skin. It dries us out massively. So skipping the moisturiser will mean that your skin will stay dehydrated, even if you apply your sun cream. Dried out skin can make fine lines and wrinkle appear much more prominent. Using a light moisturiser morning and night will keep your skin looking soft and supple, and it will feel equally as beautiful too.
Wear Sun Cream Daily
There are two types of ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun. UVB, the rays that cause sunburn, and UVA, the ones that penetrate deeper into the skin that can cause skin damage and is a major cause of skin ageing. UVA damage cannot be reversed, and is a huge cause of skin cancer. Using sun cream daily will protect your skin from these rays penetrating and damaging. Even cloudy days can lead to UVA damage. Re-applying sun cream several times a day will lead to further protection as sun cream can be sweated off. Also, as soon as you get out of a pool if on holiday, reapply sun cream, even if it says waterproof. You can never be too careful.
Limit Your Amount Of Time In The Sun
As soon as the sun comes over the horizon in the mornings, it emits UVA rays. However, between 10am-3pm the ray are much much stronger. Limiting your time in the sun will reduce the risk of damage to your skin. If you are wanting to stay in the sun from dawn ’till dusk, wearing a large rimmed hat or a light jacket or swimsuit cover periodically will protect your skin, even when you’re outside enjoying the heat.
Treat Sunburn Immediately
Treating sunburn as soon as you spot it will stop the burn from penetrating deeper into the skin, causing less pain and irritation. The best way to treat sunburn is to out a cold, wet towel directly over the sunburn. This will help to take some of the heat out of your skin. Alternatively, taking regular cold baths and/or showers will help reduce the redness and the pain. Patting off with a towel, leaving your skin damp and applying moisturiser will help to seal in the water left on your skin, helping to get rid of the irritating dryness of the sunburn. Wearing loose clothing will also relieve any pain and tenderness on the burns.
Wash And Tone Your Face Twice A Day
In summer, the humidity in the air can leave a build up of sweat on the face that needs to be cleansed away to reduce the build up if sebum. To prevent your pores being wide open, use a toner twice a day. This closes your pores, meaning dirt, sweat and grim cannot penetrate. This leads to a lesser chance of breakouts and oily skin.
Think Of Your Lips
It is very common for us to take care of our faces, hands, feet and our body during the summer months… But what about our lips? The skin on our lips is much thinner than the skin on other parts of our body. This means that they can burn, dry out and get chapped really easily. Our lips have no ability to produce melanin, which would commonly protect the skin from the sun. They also have very little oil glands. Basically, we need to protect our lips because they cannot protect themselves. Regularly using lip balm and regularly removing and dead skin cells with light exfoliation will ensure that your lips stay moist and plump. Always carry around a lip balm, you never know when your lips may need saving!
Reduce Makeup
In summer, the humidity and strong heat suppress the skins natural ability to breathe. If our skin cannot breathe properly, breakouts can occur as well as eczema, and overall dryness. Applying makeup to skin in these conditions can cause the skin to breathe even less, causing the condition of the skin to worsen. By applying a light tinted moisturiser and lip balm, you will feel the same confidence as when you’re wearing makeup, but your skin will be thanking you too!
DO NOT SCRATCH BUG BITES!
When you get bitten, the bug literally injects you skin with it’s saliva. This contains proteins which our bodies recognise as intruders. The immune system then releases “Histamine” that helps immune cells get directly to the bite. Itching will encourage the saliva the move around, causing the “Histamine” to work harder. “Histamine” is what is responsible for the itching of a bug bite, as well as that redness and swelling. The more you scratch, the more likely you are to break the skin and encourage infection. Moral of the story: Grab yourself some insect repellent and dont scratch!!!
*****
These are the basic tips that I could give you to look after your skin in the summer. Every-bodies skin reacts to the sun differently, depending on the melanin and pigmentation. You’ll know the limits to your skin and how your skin works for you. Everybody does different things to their skin and have different tips. These are just the ones that I stick by!
Enjoy your summer and fingers crossed the weather will stay beautiful!
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