Summer Skin Care Tips

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You can surely guess the first step to take in skin care this summer! Yes, use sunscreen! You’ve heard this a thousand times probably. Skin cancer is the biggest danger and besides that, we can avoid those early wrinkles, patches of discoloration, and thick leathery texture.

Recent sunscreen improvements
Sunscreen used to be goopy and greasy and smelly. That’s history! In the past 10 years or so sunscreen companies have responded to our complaints with lots of research so now we can pick and choose –

· scented or unscented

· sticks

· gels

· light lotion

· heavier lotion

· sprays

· oil-free

· hypoallergenic

· alcohol-based

· waterproof or not

· scented to appeal to kids

· tinted to match make-up

· combined with moisturizer

The SPF (sun-protection factor) ranges from 2 to 60. These numbers refer the degree of protection from the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays, the harmful ones. Read the label to be sure it will protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Prices range from about $5 to $30 or so.

Pointers for effective sunscreen use

· The minimum SPF you should look for is 15, which provides 93% protection. If you’re very fair in complexion, look for 30, which gives 97% protection and if necessary, go even higher.

· Don’t skimp on how much you use. Your skin needs to be well-covered, so use about an ounce if you’re exposing most of your body to sunshine.

· If you’re on snow, sand or water, be aware that these environments intensify the UV rays by reflecting the sun. Remember too that UV rays are most intense at midday, even if the sun feels hotter in the afternoon. The heat comes from infrared rays, not ultraviolet rays. UV rays are also more intense at higher altitudes.

· Don’t wait to apply sunscreen until you’ve been out in the sun a while and are feeling the heat on your skin. Apply it 20 or 30 minutes before you head outdoors to give it time to soak in and start working.

· Remember to re-apply about every 2 hours. If you’re swimming or sweating to any extent, re-apply even the waterproof varieties.

· Don’t abandon your sunscreen when the sky gets cloudy. About 80% of UV rays penetrate light clouds, although heavy cloud blocks mostly blocks them.

General summer skin care tips

· Be cautious with exfoliation products. They’re good for some parts of the body but not necessarily for the face. Avoid facial scrubs with coarse granules because they can cause tiny tears in the skin, which lead to uneven pigmentation after you’ve been in the sun enough.

· As an alternative to scrubs, use cleansers and moisturizers containing alpha-hydroxy acids, as these will gently exfoliate and improve the skin’s texture and tone.

· Try using an oil-free moisturizer if your skin feels too greasy in the heat.

· If you don’t need any moisturizer, wear a foundation with an SPF of 15 or more.

Other skin care tips

· When possible, avoid being in the sun

· Buy some protective clothing that blocks the UV rays

· Use a moisturizer containing an SPF of at least 15

· Wear a sunhat

· Use a lip balm with sun protection

· Keep a family sun care kit in the car, with sunscreen, sunscreening lip balm, hats and sunglasses

· Drink at least 8 8-oz glasses of water each day

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write by Eira

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