The summer may be a time to shine, but the season also poses a threat to the vitality of your skin, hair, and body.
Sun and heat exposure can make your skin flaky and pigmented, your hair dry, and your body sluggish. The following 5 summer tips to keep your skin, hair, and body beautiful are just what you need to keep in mind in battling the season’s elements.
1. Eat and Apply Antioxidants
According to research, antioxidants may very well be your skin’s greatest ally this summer. Antioxidants prevent collagen destruction, inflammation and wrinkles in human skin cells after continued exposure to UV-B, which is the skin-damaging ultraviolet radioactive rays.
You can get antioxidants from foods or from a topical solution. High antioxidant foods include berries, broccoli, garlic, green tea and tomatoes. If buying an over-the-counter topical solution, look for a serum that has a vitamin C content of 5-10 percent. Apply to a freshly washed face before moisturizing.
2. Exfoliate on the Reg
With exposure to the sun comes flaky, sometimes peeling skin. Instead of walking around looking rough and weathered, be sure to exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells.
There is no need to buy an exfoliant when you can make one yourself easily and cheaply. Simply brew one green tea pouch in ½ cup of hot tea water and allow the tea to cool. Next, mix 2 tablespoons of the green tea with 2 tablespoons of sugar until combined, and then add 2 more tablespoons of sugar. Lightly rub onto the facial skin, exfoliating and protecting at the same time! Repeat 2-3 times per week.
3. Moisturize with Coconut Oil
Just as important as exfoliating to remove dead skin cells and reveal supple, smoother skin is to infuse skin with moisture and protect against the elements. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a fatty-acid that fights off bacteria and viruses, and contains fats that moisturize and smooth your skin without leaving it sticky or feeling oily.
Virgin coconut oil is also a pure, unadulterated way to protect your skin without the toxins in store-bought moisturizers. Apply a light layer evenly across skin and face after showering. Its unique fat content allows it to withstand high temperatures, and thus fare well on your skin and hair throughout the day without changing chemistry and losing its effect.
4. Hydrate
You’ll never hear enough of this summer tip, but it’s always worth a reminder. Hydration is the key to staying energetic, healthy, and agile during the summer months. As the temperatures rise, so too do perspiration and the body’s loss of moisture. Be it through fruits and vegetables, juices and smoothies, or filtered water, choose to consume foods and beverages that have a high water content. In this same vein, limit your intake of dry, dense, sodium-packed foods that leach you of moisture.
5. Lighten the Load
It’s easier to get away with thick foundations and creamy lipsticks, blushes and eyeliners in the fall and winter months, but the summer heat can turn an otherwise flattering makeup job into a sticky, suffocating, acne-causing situation. With the heat, the face’s pores open up and are more receptive to whatever is applied on the skin. Foundations and creams can clog pores and cause acne. Instead, stick to a light, all-natural tinted products and let the sun slightly tint your skin tone and deem bronzers, blush, and other make-up essentials less necessary.
Photo Credit: Katerha