Last time, we spoke about skin care tips and how you can take care of your skin in a huge urban environment, like NYC, where the air is full of all kinds of grime that could pose danger to your skin and its health. While living in an area with clean air, such as outskirts of the city, will always be the best alternative, there are still some easy ways to prevent damage from the smog.
However, there are other things that you need to be wary of, to prevent excess skin damage. And these are more natural factors. Climate, for example, is also a major factor of your skin’s health. Too hot and too cold temperatures could yield their own adverse effects on your skin and being careful could be a matter of avoiding extensive skin damage.
So now that the summer is in full action, the heat is baking your home and the air conditioner just isn’t as effective as you’d hoped it to be, you need to take care of your skin in more ways than you normally do. And this guide will give you some pointers for the easiest and most effective ways of keeping your skin healthy during the summer.
Hydration is your friend
And this doesn’t just mean drinking water. Well, to be fair, you should always drink water. This means keeping your skin hydrated. For it to complete its functions properly, skin needs water. It needs to be moisturized. So when it lacks that hydration, it begins to dry up and flake.
While it may seem like something easy to do, it’s also just as easy to overlook skin hydration. It’s the smallest, most basic things that you tend to miss, but these are the main factors which determine the fundamental state of your skin.
To keep it hydrated, just make sure you drink enough water. That’s the easiest place to start. During the summer heatwave, make sure to wash it several times a day, to make sure it soaks up as much water as it can. Also, for a little extra hydration and protection, use moisturizers. This not only keeps the skin moist, but also gives a little protection from the scorching summer rays.
Block out the Sun
Most discomfort during the summer comes from the Sun. We all love our Sun, but as with pretty much everything else, too much of it can be dangerous and unhealthy.
So, try not to stay outside in late mornings and afternoons, when the Sun is at its hottest. Soaking up too much of it can lead to skin damage and may even cause certain illnesses if skin is exposed to it for far too long.
However, understandably, you probably have to go to work, maybe even walk to the store or somewhere. So, the Sun is sometimes a little hard to avoid. For cases where you know that exposure to the Sun is impossible to avoid, try using sunscreen, even if you don’t like using it too much. Regardless of your likes and dislikes, it is still a good way of keeping your skin protected when staying inside and hugging the air conditioner is just impossible.
If it’s even the slightest of protections from the Sun, still go for it. It’ll definitely pay off to have a bit of extra defense against the dangerous rays of the Sun and it’ll save you hassle in the future, when the problems really get out of hand.
Lay off the make up
Look, this may seem very difficult to accept, but make up in the summer is one of your enemies. Now, yes, everyone wants to look good, especially in the summer, when you may go out on a daily basis. But looking good shouldn’t have to sacrifice the health of your skin.
So, to avoid further strain on the skin, try to keep it clean and try not to use so much make-up. Aside from water and other nutrients, the skin also needs to breathe. When you put on too much make up, you block out the pores and trenches in between the skin cells that soak up air and the nutrients in it. As a results, the skin doesn’t get the air that it normally would without the make-up.
Again, it’s understandable that you want to look good, so you put on make-up for those special occasions. But give your skin some breathing room and avoid putting on too much of it throughout the day. Let your skin breathe and stay healthy, especially in the summer, when the air is thicker than it normally is.
In case of emergencies
And by emergencies, I mean sunburns. Sunburns are uncomfortable. It’s hard to do anything when you’re sunburned. Even sleeping. But they are in many cases inevitable and they do happen quite often. In these scorching summers, it’s hard to avoid them.
But once you do have them, make sure to treat them correctly and take care of them as best as you can. Sun burns are no joke. They’re more than just discomforting red patches on your skin. They can lead to skin damage if not properly taken care of.
While standard moisturizers can help reduce the effects of sunburns and protect the area from future damage, there are other, more effective products you can use to fight them off.
In fact, the best part is, many of them are absolutely natural and organic solutions. For example, one of the most popular ways of treating sunburns is with aloe vera, that plant that you see, but never understand why people have it in their homes.
Aloe Vera helps sooth the burning, as well as protects the skin from further damage. And again, it’s an absolutely natural solution to sunburns and has been hailed as an effective treatment all around the world.
Don’t Be Scared of the Summer
But despite all the skin care and the dangers that come with this scorching season, do make sure to enjoy yourself. Summer is still one of the best times of the year to go out and have fun, so don’t let the weather get in your way.
However, do make sure to take care of yourself, especially your skin. It’s easy to overlook the factors mentioned above, as they make such a small part of your daily life. There are much more specific and specialized forms of skin care, but by following the tips mentioned above, you will ensure your skin’s fundamental health and safety.
So soak up some rays, but not too many, get a little tan, but not too much and enjoy the summer while it lasts. Because when it starts snowing again and water starts freezing midair like it did last winter, you’ll be begging for a little more sunlight.
