Summer Skin Tips
Summertime means more than vacations, barbeques, and long balmy nights. It also means sweaty skin, longer days with outdoor activities, sunburns, and more oil production accompanied by an increase in breakouts. As the temperature rises and the beaches fill with bikini-clad bodies, the need to protect your skin increases as well. Summer skin requires special care to protect it and keep it clean. By following some summer skin care tips, you can enjoy the warm weather as you care for your skin.
Protect
Proper sun protection is the most important part of summer. Overexposure to the sun's harsh rays may result in a nasty sunburn. In addition to the temporary pain, peeling skin and blotchiness, repeated sunburns increase the risk of premature wrinkles, skin discolorations, and most importantly...a variety of dangerous skin cancers.
Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen every two hours when you're outside helps protect your skin from overexposure. It takes 20-30 minutes for sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin, so it should be applied at least a half an hour before going out in the sun. Sunscreen should also be the last product applied especially on the face since some sunscreens can break down in the presence of water contained in water-based foundations and moisturizers.
Most instructions on sunscreen labels recommend reapplying sunscreen "frequently", but the definition of "frequently" is vague. It is best to reapply sunscreen ever 2 hours. Sunscreen should also be reapplied after swimming, excessive sweating, or toweling.
Schedule your outdoor activities before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. to avoid the sun's harshest rays. In addition, wear a wide-brim hat that protects the face and neck from direct sun as well as a top with long sleeves and a pair of long pants when heat doesn't interfere.
Soothe
Sunburn can occur, despite your precautions. Soothe painful sunburn by rinsing the skin in lukewarm or cool water without scrubbing, and apply an over-the-counter sunburn relief solution or make your own. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine recommends boiling lettuce in water, straining and cooling the liquid before applying to the skin.
Cleanse and Moisturize
You may bathe or shower more often during the summer, but harsh soaps can remove protective oils from your skin, so limit your bath or shower time and use warm, not hot, water to reduce overdrying your skin. Apply moisturizer to your skin soon after showering or washing your face. If you tend to have oilier or breakout broke skin, moisturizing is still important, but be sure to use a light, oil-free moisturizer.
Summer Diet
Skin needs plenty of water to stay healthy, but you're more likely to sweat bodily fluids during hot weather. Drink fresh water liberally throughout the day, taking bottled water with you when you're outdoors to avoid dehydration.
The Mayo Clinic recommends following a healthy diet that includes whole grain cereal products, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and lean sources of protein. Eating foods high in Vitamin C but low in saturated fats and carbohydrates might keep your skin looking younger, longer.
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