The sun is shining, which means it’s time for shorts, dresses, tank tops, and swimsuits! If you’re planning on showing some skin this season, you need to make sure your summer skin care game is on point. We’ve got some tips for you on keeping your skin glowy, soft, hydrated, and well-protected this summer. Check it out!
Embrace the Exfoliants
Ready to shed your dry snakeskin for the summer? Time to exfoliate! Exfoliation removes dry or dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. This increases blood flow, treats skin conditions, and can help you achieve soft, glowing skin. It’s important to remember that you should only exfoliate two or three times a week. Over-exfoliating will strip away too many of your natural oils, which can make the skin dry and irritated. Exfoliating can help with blemished skin, redness, dark spots clogged pores, pigmentation, dry skin, and ingrown hairs.
Make Friends with Moisturizer
After you’ve exfoliated, it’s time to moisturize. We know moisturizing your whole body feels like a sticky, sweaty pain during the summer, but your skin still needs the hydration. Put away those thick, rich moisturizers you were using during autumn and winter. Using these products during summer is a fast track to clogged pores. Opt for lightweight, oil-free moisturizers during the hot weather. They hydrate and freshen up your skin without any sticky oiliness. If you want to combine products and minimize your skin care step, find a lightweight moisturizer with SPF included!
Hydrate with H2O
Beautiful, hydrated skin starts from within, so fill up that water bottle and get drinking! When you don’t drink enough water, the skin can look dull, which makes wrinkles, pores, and other imperfections stand out. Water plumps up the skin and smooths out lines and large pores. Certain structures of the skin that support collagen require water to function properly. It’s recommended to drink eight to 10 eight-ounce servings of water a day and this is especially important during the hot summer if you want to avoid dehydration. If you struggle with water consumption, buy yourself a nice water bottle you enjoy using, or try adding subtle flavor to your water with lemons, limes, or cucumbers!
Say Yes to SPF
The damage caused by the sun’s UVB and UVA rays is one of the main causes of skin cancer. UVB is responsible for sunburn, but UVA can cause long-term damaging effects. Sun protection factor (SPF) ratings start at 2 and go up to as high as 70. The numbers measure sunscreen’s effect against UVB rays and the amount of time you can stay out in the sun without burning. Skin damage from sun builds up with continued exposure, even if you aren’t burning. Getting a tan is beautiful, but damaging your skin is not. Luckily, there are plenty of lightweight, easy-to-wear sun protection products on the market for those of us who can’t stand greasy sunscreens.
Minimize Your Makeup
During the summer, you sweat. This isn’t great combined with a full face of foundation, concealer, mascara, powder, and eyeliner. Summertime is the perfect season for minimizing your makeup. Swap your foundation for a tinted moisturizer and SPF combination, or just wear a normal moisturizer with SPF and concealer for those days you need some help waking up. If you want to wear mascara, try a waterproof formula to avoid smudging throughout the day. Looking glowy is great, but sometimes during the summer the oil can become too much. Use a lightweight, translucent powder to reduce shine or try a lightweight primer with a mattifying formulation. Another option to refresh your face is using blotting papers or a setting mist throughout the day.
Learn the Perfect Summer Skin Care Routine
If you love learning about makeup and skin care for all seasons, why not dig deeper into that passion? At The Salon Professional Academy, St. Louis, we offer cosmetology and esthetics programs that can teach you the ins and outs of skin care, makeup, and hair. Call us today to learn about enrollment and scheduling a tour!
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