Who ordered the mai tais, the ice cream and the third-degree sunburn? The first two may appeal to you, but the last one puts the bummer in summer. Sand, surf and sun are bliss for your soul and hard on your skin, and here in San Diego, they’re hard to avoid. Before indulging in summertime fun, take a few minutes to care for your skin. Just a few simple tips (and a trip to Neu Look Med Spa & Skin Center) will help you keep your skin radiant and healthy even as the days grow shorter.
1. Go Nowhere Without Sunscreen
Dermatologists swear by it for good reason. No matter your age or race, sunscreen can protect you from skin cancer. The benefits are cosmetic, too. Protecting your skin from the sun’s rays minimizes discoloration and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.*
Getting in the habit of applying sunscreen regularly is one of the easiest ways you can protect your skin. Apply sunscreen to every exposed area of skin before going outside and reapply at least every two hours. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 and concentration of zinc oxide.
2. Join Hydration Nation
Sweating is dehydrating, and few of us remember to drink enough while lounging at the beach and sipping cocktails with friends. So summertime skin can be prone to dehydration, which causes redness, itchiness and dullness.
Hydrate your skin with a one-two punch from both inside and out. Drinking enough water is one way to help your body at peak function, which keeps your skin looking its best. Keep bottled water with you all day. Set phone alarms for every hour to remind you to drink more water, if necessary.
Moisturizing morning and night is the other part of a good hydration strategy. Thick moisturizers can be too heavy and greasy for summer, so opt for a lighter formula, like SkinMedica’s Ultra Sheer Moisturizer.
3. Minimize Sun Exposure
You’re going to want to feel the sun’s rays on your face occasionally, but minimizing direct exposure is the best thing for your skin. Wear sunglasses whenever you’re outdoors — they protect the delicate skin around your eyes from wrinkling, both by keeping the sun’s rays away and preventing you from needing to constantly squint. Adopt the habit of wearing a wide-brimmed hat, insist on sitting under umbrellas when you dine outdoors and stay indoors between 10a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.
4. Keep Clean
After a long day at the beach or by the pool, it’s tempting to just fall into bed as you are. But salt and chlorine might be clinging to your skin if you’ve been swimming and sweating — and no matter what the day’s activities, you should have some trace of sunscreen left on your skin. Wash your face nightly with a gentle, hydrating cleanser like SkinMedica’s Sensitive Skin Cleanser.
5. Exfoliate
It might seem counterintuitive to exfoliate in summer; after all, isn’t your skin subjected to enough irritation during this season? But if you’re using sunscreen, staying out of the sun when possible and using the right products, your skin should be healthy enough to benefit from exfoliation — and this process can make your skin glowy and radiant just in time for those end-of-summer blowouts.
Just one painless, 30-minute Dermaplaning session at Neu Look Med Spa & Skin Center will clear away dull, dead skin cells and leave your skin looking smooth, supple and healthy.*
Ready to reveal your best skin yet? Contact Neu Look today to schedule a personalized consultation about your skin care regimen! Feel free to give us a call at (858) 538-5665 for more information.