Summer weather is in full swing and for most of us that means more hours spent enjoying outdoor activities with family and friends or working in the garden. During summer months our skin requires extra care to prevent sun damage and premature aging. Aside from drinking plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated, here are some tips for the gentle care of summer skin.
Cleanse and Refresh
Summer weather can also create sweatier skin. Refresh between cleansings with a light nourishing spray to remove oils from your forehead and nose and to hydrate and balance your skin’s pH. At the end of the day use a gentle and moisturizing cleanser to thoroughly remove makeup, sun block, sweat and pollution from your active day. Exfoliating 2 or 3 times per week will brighten skin by removing dead skin cells and clearing pores. Applying a natural mask once a week will help draw out impurities, absorb excess oils and refresh your skin.
Nourish
Be sure to look for antioxidant rich products to neutralize damaging free radicals from prolonged sun exposure. Providing the right balance of nutrients will help your skin repair and heal itself. Applying a nourishing serum directly after cleansing and exfoliating will help the serum to penetrate most effectively.
Protect
Take advantage of sun blocks to shield skin from the free-radical damage of the sun’s rays. Prolonged sun exposure not only burns the surface of the skin but contributes to subdermal free radical damage and an increased risk of skin cancer. Think about ditching the chemically laden sunscreens and replace them with all-natural, reef friendly products. Zinc oxide based sun blocks protect against both UVA and UVB light rays. Unlike chemical sunscreens, zinc oxide is a non-toxic, powdered mineral which also helps calm skin irritations and soothe rashes.
Moisturize
Hot and humid weather can trigger increased oil production which can start a cycle of excessive cleaning, which leads to dryness, which in turn triggers more oil production. Keep your skin balanced with a moisturizing sun screen and at the end of the day, a light moisturizer before bed. Don’t forget your body. Even though the skin of the body is thicker than your face, it still needs special summer care. Apply an all over body moisturizer especially to your exposed arms and legs.
Botanic Organic Recommendations
Cleanse and Refresh: Chamomile & Lavender Facial Cleansing Spray: an easy spritzer to take to the beach for an on the spot refreshing spray. Plant distillates and aloe vera cleanse, balance pH, calm inflammation and help to repair damaged or fragile skin. Doubles as a fabulous hydrating mist to refresh and add moisture throughout the day.
Nourish: Pomegranate & Argan Antioxidant Oil Serum is a potent blend of raw, organic oils, rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and beta-carotenes, penetrates deep into tissue layers to provide a uniquely holistic solution for most skin-type problems.
Protect: Raspberry & Green Tea Daily Defense – a lightweight, protective moisturizer that combines the benefits of antioxidant rich green tea extract with safe, skin-loving, earth-friendly, zinc oxide. - Green Tea & Zinc Oxide with 30 SPF makes the safest UVA/UVB broad spectrum sun protection. Safe and effective for every member of the family and also ocean safe, GMO free, PABA & paraben free and biodegradable.
Body Care: Lemon Verbena & Frankincense Body Oil - a skin pampering elixir to nourish both body and senses. Apricot kernel, sunflower seed, jojoba seed and babassu provide an antioxidant-rich blend of organic, cold pressed and light weight oils to soften, soothe, and repair skin’s barrier.
As you contemplate your next visit to the dermatologist, you might find yourself a little unnerved by this video. As Colossal explains:
Artist Thomas Leveritt recently setup a special UV motion camera in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park with the intent of filming random passersby. Ultraviolet rays have the ability to expose not-yet-visible changes to human skin, namely freckles, that turn even the most unblemished faces into dark explosions of dots. Leveritt installed a monitor above the camera so people could instantly see the results, and then to heighten the effect, supplied them sunscreen in a vivid demonstration of why you should probably never again step outside without it.
Like me, you may have switched to drinking more green tea and less coffee over time. Not only is it a delicious and stimulating drink, but in recent years it’s become touted as a health food that may help to prevent a variety of conditions, from heart and gum disease to cancer, weight loss and even skin aging. The medicinal properties of this tea are attributed to flavonoid phytochemicals called polyphenols. The polyphenols found in tea mainly belong to the subtype called catechins (CAT-a-kins) and one of the most notable catechins in green tea known to have benefits for skin is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Yes, quite a mouthful to pronounce, let's stick to it’s acronym.