We all know taking proper care of our skin is a year round task, but did you know you need to adjust it with the changing of the seasons?
It seems obvious that with elements changing you would need to change up the products you use, to protect your skin better. And since most of us are enjoying summer right now, I thought I would concentrate on summer skin essentials and what to keep in mind while going through the warmer months, whether you spend them on a beach or in an office.
Suntaning
I know almost everybody wants to have a glowy, tan skin, but is that really healthy? The answer is no! Well, at least not if you get it the old fashioned way, by suntanning. Remember any form of natural tan is harmful to the skin as it does damage skin. But using a self tanner is not bad, and it can give you even better results, if applied correctly.
Now, truthfully I am not the person to go to for fake tanning since I never use it, but I have tried the Tanworx Self Tanning Lotion (link here) although I have to say and warn you guys, it left my legs blue, while the tan was developing so don't put it on and then go out.
Sunscreen
Now, I don't know how you guys work, but I cannot leave my house without wearing sunscreen. And if I do happen to forget, I am paranoid and hide from the sun. I am so scared of sun damage and hyper-pigmentation, and sunscreen really helps to prevent damage.
I did say that you need to adjust the products you use through the seasons and I find that is really important with sunscreen. I prefer using a mattifying one in the summer, while using a more nourishing one in the winter. Now in the winter I just need more moisture in my skin, while through the summer I will obviously sweat and I do not want my sunscreen to melt off along with my carefully applied makeup. I use La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Dry Touch Gel-Cream Anti Shine (link here) in the summer and La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluid Ultra Light in the winter (link here).
Obviously reapplying sunscreen is really important and that can be hard if you are wearing makeup. For that I recommend using a physical block rather than a chemical block. Physical sunscreen will work better over make up because it does create a barrier on the top of your skin, while a chemical sunscreen will have a harder time with protecting skin since it will not absorb properly due to the makeup. I really like the Brush on Block mineral foundation for this (link here). You should reapply your SPF every two hours, except if you go in the water, then reapply it right after you dry up.
And please do not forget about your lips! They can get damaged just as easily, if not even faster. My favourite lip sunscreen is the Supergoop Fusion lip Balm with spf 30 and they even sell a minty flavour! (link here). People also tend to forget about hands, but I just use a regular body sunscreen on them, but reapply it more often.
As you can see I am kinda a sunscreen freak, but I just don't want to expose my skin to sun damage.
Remember to not only use sunscreen when it is sunny but also when it's not and all year round! You can get exposed to sun no matter what.
Acne and blemish control
I used to suffer from acne, and I still get spots all over my face and to combat them properly I need to be very cautious. I love using AHA's but as they do increase sun sensitivity you need to be very careful with how you use your sunscreen and to REAPPLY it every two hours! I am preparing a whole post on chemical exfoliation, so you will have to wait for that but I have to say that Glycolic acid has been doing wonders to my skin.
And while I do use sunscreen throughout the whole year, I feel like I really exaggerate during the summer, which means there is so much more to take of at the end of the day. Since my skin is acne prone I really need to clean it well every night. I use the Garnier SkinActive Oil-Infused Micellar Cleansing Water (link here) to take my make up off and then do a thorough wash with the NUXE Reve De Miel cleanser (link here). They are both very gentle and not drying to my skin, so even if there is some sun damage or if I get burned my face does not get irritated more.
I also try to use really gentle moisturisers, like the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (link here) or just a basic Nivea creme (link here). They both leave my skin feeling really plumped and ready to repair any damage that has been done.
I don't really use any other special products, since I do think less is more in the summer.
I take extra care of my eye area because I already have wrinkles from squinting since I cannot see very well and I do not want to deepen them. Right now I am using a simple coconut oil, to really hydrate the area and it has been working really well for me.
Coconut oil is not something I would recommend for every skin type though, since it is quite comedogenic but it has been working great for me. I would recommend trying other oils first and also patch testing. You could try sunflower, hemp seed, safflower, grapeseed, olive or apricot oil. They are all good for sensitive skin since they are rated really well on the comedogenic scale.
Bodycare
Years ago, when I was full of acne, I went on Accutane and as a result my skin all over my body is now extremely dry. It is dry to the point where my friends make fun of me that I am like a snake since I shed so much skin. And it does seem to get drier in the summer since I am exposed to more sun and also to salty water which is really drying. It does really bother me, but I get too lazy and skip hydrating lotions.
This is why I use many homemade body scrubs, that not only take away my skin but also hydrate it. If you guys would like I could post my top 5 or 10 favourite DIY scrubs, just leave it down in the comments.
Summer is also bug season and you should really try to avoid picking your bites because that can lead to scarring and I do not know about you, but that is something I really do not want or need. If you do get any residual marks try using something for any scarring, like Avene Ciclafate Restorative Cream (link here).
I hope I have given you guys enough information, but if there is something else you would want to know leave it in the comments down bellow. Also tell me if you want a similar post for the winter time.
Also, this post has no pictures because I felt it was important to get across what I really wanted and I thought it would be better to post it without them. Next post will be filled with colourful pictures, I promise :)
If you're looking for some skincare protectants check out Dollar Shave Club's site, they have some cool products to help you protect your skin! (link here)
P.S. If you're looking for razors and supplies, they are delivered for only a few bucks each month.
This post was inspired by this blog post so check it out! (link here)<3
No comments:
Post a Comment