Summer summer summer, some of us love it, some of us hate it. Regardless of our views on summer what we all need to know is how to protect our skin during this time. The last thing we want is sunburn from not taking care of our skin. Or even worse having to deal with skin cancer later on in life because we hadn’t taken care of our skin in our youth. If you want to know how to protect skin in summer, naturally your answer is right here.
Sunscreen!
This is the number one thing that dermatologists agree on. Wearing a good sunscreen will protect your skin from UVA rays which cause premature ageing and UVB rays which cause burns. You need to wear sunscreen even when the clouds are out. The sun’s rays still penetrate through the clouds and do damage to your skin. Luckily for us, there are many great natural options on the market. This is one of my favourite natural sunscreens.
When looking for a good sunscreen you must never go below SPF 30 regardless of what your skin tone is. You still need to use a good sunscreen if you are darker-skinned.
Note that sunscreens that are higher than SPF 30 arent as strong as you’d think. A sunscreen with an SPF of 60 doesn’t mean that it is double as strong as the SPF 30. If you have an SPF 50-100 then this will only give you 1-2 percent more sun protection than the SPF 30. But because we don’t apply a thick enough layer of sunscreen a higher sunscreen with SPF 50 or 60 is good to use.
Don’t use tanning beds
We know that being bronzed and tanned especially in the summer is desirable but tanning beds are not the way to do it. Tanning beds have been used and sometimes been marketed as being safer than the sun but that is just not all true. Tanning beds have been linked to skin cancer
If you want to get that tanned sun-kissed look then the better option is to use tanning lotions and self-tanning towels. Note: This is only safer if the formula is non-toxic and safe. You need to always check the ingredient list of any new product you want to use. This is a self-tanner that is safe and effective.
Cover up
Clothes are able to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. This is a much better option than using a bunch of products in an effort to protect your skin.
You can opt for loose-fitting and lightweight clothes made of breathable fabric. You should also wear light coloured clothing. Dark clothing will attract the suns rays and warm you up. The light clothes will do the opposite.
Exfoliate as needed
The amount of exfoliation you will need is independent of your skin type. If you have sensitive skin then exfoliating once a week is fine. If you have oily skin then you can go up to 4 times a week. When you exfoliate you remove the dead layer of cells on the top of your skin. This will reveal the beautiful fresh new skin underneath
You can use a physical exfoliator, this will include scrubs, polishes, gloves and washcloths. Note that these are more abrasive are is not recommended for people with sensitive skin. The chemical exfoliators are a good gentle option that you can use for your face and they do the job quite well. Be sure to exfoliate your face and body and don’t over-exfoliate as this can cause acne. This is a great chemical exfoliator and this is a good physical exfoliator.
Be sure to moisturize
This should be done both in winter and in summer. Moisturisation will give you that beautiful glowing skin look. It will also protect you from dry and cracked skin caused by the summer sun and it will protect your skins moisture barrier from becoming damaged. Read more about how your skins moisture barrier can be damaged here.
A good moisturizer will deliver nutrients to your skin and keep it healthy. If you find that you get a sunburn in the sun then adding a good moisturizer that also cools the skin will help heal the skin quicker. A good option to use is Aloe Vera. This is a well-loved moisturiser that I’m sure you’ll love.
Remember to moisturize your lips:
Your lips need protection from the sun as well. If you do not use a moisturizer on your lips then your lips can get dry and burnt by the sun they can also eventually crack. You can use a good lip scrub to exfoliate your lips. Just don’t overdo it, this can lead to over-exfoliation as well, read more here. Afterwards, use a lip moisturiser for happy healthy lips all summer.
Take your beauty sleep
It might be fun to party all night during summer or to stay up enjoying the warm summer weather but you need to make sure you keep your skin and body healthy by getting enough sleep. This ranges from sleeping 7-9 hours a night.
Lack of sleep can have a whole host of negative effects on your skin and body. It also increases the levels of stress in your body and slows down collagen production in your skin which is supposed to keep you looking young. So sleep well so your skin doesn’t feel tired and worn out.
Wear sunglasses
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and the most delicate skin you have on your body. This area can and will get damaged easier. To avoid having to use eye creams or eye serums you need to be wearing sunglasses to makes sure your eyes are protected. Find sunglasses that have a good amount of UV protection.
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Is it safe to use SPF 50 every day?
Yes, using SPF 50 every day is safe but it isn’t all that necessary. The recommended SPF to use is 30. The difference between a sunscreen with SPF 30, 50 and is 97 percent protection against the sun’s rays, and 98 percent protection against the sun’s rays, only a small difference. There is no sunscreen that protects against all of the suns’ rays. The only thing that can protect against all the sun’s rays is not being in the sun.
That being said, SPF 50 or higher is recommended because we generally don’t apply a thick enough layer of sunscreen. We need to be applying a ¼ tablespoon of sunscreen on our faces and a shot glass of sunscreen on our bodies as adults. When we use a higher SPF such as SPF 50 it can help compensate for how little product we use.
How can I get glowing skin in summer?
Protecting your skin from the sun and from tanning beds doesn’t mean you can’t get glowing skin in summer. Adjusting your lifestyle a little bit can give you the glowing skin you want in summer. This will include exfoliating your skin, toning your skin and using a moisturiser that is lightweight and non-greasy.
What to eat for glowing skin?
The key to glowing skin all year round is eating foods that provide the necessary nutrients and vitamins. These will include but is not limited to:
Omega 3 rich foods: these include fatty foods such as salmon, walnuts, hemp seeds, vegetable oils, leafy greens and chia seeds
These foods will maintain the cell membrane. They do this by keeping the cell membrane elastic and helping to moisturise and nourishing the skin. Eating these foods will give you plump, smooth, youthful and glowing skin.
Antioxidant-rich foods: these include cacaos, vegetables, fruits pecans and dark chocolate
Healthy skin is glowing skin, antioxidant-rich foods protect the skin from harmful free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that damage our skin cells. Foods that are rich in antioxidants will help reduce sun damage and other damage which can dull out the skin.
Foods rich in vitamin c: oranges, citrus foods papaya, kale, kiwi tomatoes.
These are foods that help the skin fade brown spots and hyperpigmentation making sure you maintain even, glowing and healthy-looking skin.
Foods containing copper: mushrooms, sunflowers seeds, tempeh, cashews, lentils, chickpeas
The copper peptides found in these foods nourish the skin, this gives you heather, nourished and plumper looking skin. Copper is also beneficial in helping to boost antioxidants.
Foods containing silica: brow rice, oats, banana, wheat, leeks
These foods are an essential element in the formation of collagen. Collagen in your skin helps the skin look plumper, more supple and more glowing.
What should I drink for glowing skin?
You can create refreshing drinks in the comfort of your own home which will give you lovely glowing skin. You can also add these drinks into your morning smoothies or better yet create refreshing popsicles with the juice:
Carrot and beetroot juice: you’ll get a plethora of nutrients from beetroots such as zinc, iron, vitamin c, magnesium and folic acid. These ingredients will give you a glowing complexion. The vitamin A in carrot juice will help even the skin and improve the look of hyperpigmentation giving you glowing skin
Cucumber juice: if you add this to your smoothie’s you’ll hardly taste it. This juice does wonders at moisturising the skin, as well as maintaining the elasticity of your skin, this will give you beautiful glowing skin
Tomato juice: Tomato juice will maintain your youthful glow and suppleness as it is known to reduce the appearance of fine lines ad wrinkles. It also helps minimize the appearance of pores.
Pomegranate juice: this yummy juice will nourish your skin with a plethora of nutrients and vitamins which will give you gorgeous glowing skin. The juice also helps with cell renewal keeping your skin healthy
Papaya juice: this is also another tasty refreshing juice that will do wonders for your skin. The enzymes in papaya are widely used in skincare products, the juice has more benefits when ingested. The juice contains papain, this enzyme in the fruit helps to get rid of impurities and blemishes leaving you with even clear bright looking skin.
Aloe Vera juice: Not only is this plant beneficial when used topically on the skin, but it is also beneficial when ingested helping you achieve beautiful glowing skin. The juice is rich in minerals and vitamins and these will boost your skin’s health and appearance
Ginger lemon juice: this can be taken in the morning in tea or taken as a juice in itself. Ginger is a powerhouse of potassium and niacin which your body needs to maintain glowing skin.
Which oil is best for sun protection?
Natural oils don’t offer the level of sun protection that our skin needs to be protected against the sun. We need to use products that offer at least SPF 30.
Oils have the ability to protect against the sun but they don’t have SPF in them. For the best protection, if you’re going to be out in the sun but you don’t want to cover up then you need to use a good sunscreen with at least SPF 30.
In addition, you need to be using a sunscreen that is broad-spectrum, one that will be able to protect you against UVA and UVB rays thus protecting against the rays that age us and the rays that burn our skin.
I hope you enjoyed this article looking at how to protect your skin in summer naturally. If you enjoyed this article please share it.
