Inspiration for this blog post comes from a recent article from Vagaro, my client software program. Alerting us to timely issues, I've tweaked the post to included my own experiences as an esthetician. Enjoy...
Now that summer is in full swing you’re baring a little more skin and staying outdoors a little more often. While I'm all for a little fun in the sun, prolonged and unprotected exposure can lead to some serious problems. These are five things that you should start doing today to take care of your skin so you can enjoy your summer even more.
1. Hydrate with water – lots and lots of water.
Your skin is softened first from the inside – with water. Soda won’t do it; caffeinated drinks won’t do it, it has to be water. Herbal teas with no sugar are a good substitute if you just can’t stand water, or you can infuse some fruit like sliced oranges, limes, apples, or strawberries to give it some taste. Ultimately, though, you need to stay hydrated with water. Oh, and cut the soda, even the diet stuff...especially the diet stuff. That's another story.
2. You do sunscreen, but are you doing it right?
Anytime spent outside, cloudy or not, should include sunscreen of SPF 30 or better. It has to be reapplied every two hours, but the water resistant variety only lasts between 40 and 80 minutes, so reapply accordingly. Make sure you cover the backs of your hands, tops of your feet, and your ears. There should be no exposed skin. If the lotion stuff isn’t working for you or you find it too greasy, opt for a mineral sunscreen powder – just make sure it has at least a 30 SPF.
3. Break out those great big sunglasses.
Big sunglasses are more than a glamorous fashion statement; they are great protection from the sun. The larger the glasses, the larger the area around the eye that is protected. Always wear protective lenses when you go outside. It is possible to get melanoma in your eye which is a pretty good incentive to wear those sunglasses. Didn't know that, right?
4. Ease up on the exfoliation.
Extra exfoliation, especially of the chemical variety, can make your skin hypersensitive. This means you could have trouble adequately protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun. Use a mild scrub instead, like an enzymatic peel (not hard granules infused), and keep it to once a week or once every other week. Over exfoliation can also cause you to break out and have other skin problems. Be gentle to your skin; take care of it.
5. Sleep is your best beauty treatment.
You might be tempted to enjoy night after night of beach parties that go into the wee hours of the morning. While a little lost sleep every now and then is not going to set you back, consistent sleep deprivation disrupts your entire system – and the first place it shows up is in your skin. Sleep allows your entire body to renew and heal, and in turn, the skin will be hydrated. So go ahead, skip a party or two and get your zzz’s in – you’ll be glad you did.