Simple Summer Skin Care Tips

Everyone strives to have beautiful, healthy skin but the summer months can give your skin quite a beating. However, there are ways to keep your skin looking healthy without costing you a fortune. By following these simple tips, your skin will have a better chance of looking healthy and flawless throughout the entire season.

Drink Water

The first step in skincare is to stay hydrated. The best way to do this is to drink 8 - 10 cups of water a day. This does not include carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, and so on. Water without added ingredients is what will keep your body hydrated, thus leading to healthier skin.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a big part of skincare all year long. During the summer, people tend to spend more time outdoors, therefore, protecting your skin is extremely important. Always use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. People who have light to fair skin tones should use a minimum of SPF 30 to protect their skin.

Many people tend to neglect their lips during the summer months. However, it is always recommended that people apply lip balm to their lips all year round. There are many choices to choose from but keep in mind that you should always choose a lip balm with at least an SPF 15. This will not only help protect your lips from harmful rays but keep them moisturized as well. The same goes for lipstick as well. Always check to see if it contains SPF. In fact, it is a good idea to choose all makeup with SPF.

Adequate Clothing

Many people wear shorts and tank tops during the summer, not realizing that this exposes more skin to the harmful rays of the sun. Consider wearing capris and short sleeve shirts to help protect more skin. It is also advised to wear a hat during the summer months. Not only will this help shade your face but protect your scalp from becoming sunburned.

Exfoliate

Your skin sheds skin cells every day. Finding a good exfoliate for your skin will help keep your skin glowing instead of becoming dull and lifeless. Exfoliating at least once a week will help keep your skin healthy but during the summer you may need to exfoliate at least twice a week.

Moisturize

Although dry skin is associated with the winter months, it is still important to moisturize during the summer. You may not need the thick body butters and creams, but a light lotion will help prevent your skin from becoming dried out from swimming and the leathering from the effects of the sun.

Proper Hair Removal

Most people shave more often during the summer months. This could cause a variety of skin problems ranging from extremely dry skin to a shaving rash. When it comes to shaving, it is advised to use shaving lotion over the cheaper shaving creams. Also, do not overuse a disposable razor. They are disposable for a reason.

Instead of worrying about daily shaving, you might want to consider a hair removal cream. It lasts for two to three days longer than shaving. Although the smell of these products is not generally desirable, they do leave your skin soft.

Waxing is another option. Waxing will typically last for two to eight weeks. This is because shaving and hair removal creams simply remove hair at the surface whereas waxing removes hair from under the surface of the skin. Although painful to some, waxing lasts longer and hair tends to grow back softer compared to shaving and hair removal creams.

Vitamins

Vitamins are needed throughout the year, but taking a step back from Vitamin A during the summer may help. Vitamin A can make the skin more sensitive to the sun and its harmful rays. Instead of focusing on Vitamin A, try boosting your Vitamin C intake. Vitamin C helps protect your skin from the sun as well as helps fight against premature wrinkling.

Allergies

Skin rashes occur during the summer months for a variety of reasons. People tend to spend more time outdoors during the summer. The most common reasons for a skin rash are generally from the heat or poisonous plants such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. It is a good idea to stock up on Benadryl creams and liquids or other types of antihistamines.

Bug Bites

Due to the human nature of wanting to spend time outdoors, this will definitely put you at higher risk for bug bites. Bugs are everywhere during the summer. Having bug repellant handy to keep the mosquitoes and other bugs that bite and sting away will help keep your skin protected. Bug bites and stings can cause raised irritations that aren't only itchy but don't help the look of flawless skin either.

For added protection against bug bites, you might want to try Avon's Skin So Soft Bath Oil. It has been proven to shield against bug bites and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. Although designed to add to your bathwater, you could try using it right after you step out of the shower. Before you dry off, add a little to your skin. Then pat dry. This helps lock in moisture as well as creates a barrier between you and the bugs.