The heat, chlorine, salt water and humidity take their toll on your skin in the upcoming summer months, but the #1 cause of wrinkles is sun exposure. Bella Sante estheticians offer these helpful summer skin care tips for keeping your skin protected and beautiful all summer long.
Create a Routine
Summer skin care requires some effort on your part. Regular application of sun protection, professional facials and a good home skin care regimen are your best defense against the sun and the havoc summer can wreak on your skin.
Monthly Professional Facials
Your skin deserves some extra TLC in the summer. While the first step of your summer skin care regimen should be to change your homecare products, it’s essential to implement monthly facials. High temperatures trigger oil production and clog pores. Monthly facials give your overtaxed skin a break, soothe sensitivity and keep your pores clean.
Load up on Topical and Internal Antioxidants
The sun contains damaging free radicals, which perpetuate aging. Using antioxidants topically (serums and moisturizers) and internally by eating sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes, spinach and vitamin C supplements will give your body the defense it needs.
Wear Sunscreen
Even if you don’t expose your skin to the sun, 78% of all sun damage is from incidental exposure (like driving, walking). In fact, most of the aging on your hands (sun spots and wrinkles) is from driving in the car. Apply a moisturizer and a hand cream that contains a minimum SPF #15 sun block (#30 for those with more exposure) every morning.
The Truth about SPF
SPF 30 is double the protection of SPF 15, right? Wrong, it’s only 4% more protection. As the SPF number increases (50, 70) that percentage decreases, and you’re exposing your skin to more chemicals. The key to protecting your skin is to generously reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Sunscreen wears off, sweats off and rinses off, so reapply every hour if you are out in the sun.
Use Cold Yogurt for Sunburn
A common misconception about soothing sunburn is applying tons of lotion (especially aloe-based lotions) in an effort to keep your skin moist. The truth is lotion applied to sunburned skin traps heat (which keeps your skin red longer). Apply cold yogurt to remove the heat, let dry for 20 minutes and rinse, repeating every hour.
Store Your Products in the Refrigerator
If you have redness or Rosacea your skin probably looks red and irritated more so in the summer. Keep your products in the refrigerator and when you use them they’ll feel refreshing while the coldness will reduce the dilation of the capillaries and reduce redness.
Blot and Blot Often
There’s no wonder product to reduce or control the extra oil the summer months produce for some. Using oil blotting papers during the day will control the shine by removing the oils from your skin. In a pinch paper towels or napkins will work.
Wash your Makeup Brushes Every Week
Your skin is oilier during the summer and that oil and bacteria gets caught up in the bristles of your makeup brushes which results in clogged pores. Fill a glass with warm water and add 1 TBSP of gentle shampoo, swish your brushes and create lather then rinse well and use a comb to detangle and reshape. Dry upright in a glass in the sun. (The sun kills bacteria).
Product Consultations
Confused about which skin care products are right for you and your skin? Bella Santé offers a free skin care consultation with each facial. For appointments call 617.424.9930.
