Summer is a trying time for your skin. The blazing sun and the scorching heat can be unforgiving, especially to your skin. Pollution and other environmental contaminants take away your skin’s natural radiance, leaving it oily, dull, and blemished. Read on to understand how summer changes the quality of your skin and what you can do to hold on to that radiant and healthy skin.
How Does Summer Affect Your Skin?
Increase in temperatures during the summer months, combined with humidity and heat, can increase the activity of the sebaceous glands. This makes oily skin appear oilier and dry skin appear rough and patchy. The intensity of the sun’s rays also causes tanning by producing more melanin pigments. While everyone is aware that more melanin means darker skin, few relate sunburned skin with ageing and cancer. The heat can also cause more pores to open, which can get clogged with dirt and oil, trapping bacteria, causing acne, pimples, and blemishes on the face.
How to Take Care of Your Skin in the Summer Season
This is what you can do to take care of your skin this summer:
1. Consider a Change When It Comes to Your Face Wash
As you move from winter to summer, you should remember that your facewash has to change. While in winters, a nourishing facewash does the trick, in summers, you would require a face wash that can draw out the excess oil from your skin. If you have dry skin, consider using a non-foaming cleanser. This would be ideal for combination skin as well. Wash your face plenty of times during the day to keep your skin clean and refreshed.
2. Include Antioxidants in Your Facial Skin Care Routine
Invest in a good antioxidant serum during the summer. Not only does an antioxidant serum hydrate your skin, but it can also protect your skin from environmental damage. It helps to boost collagen production, and will scavenge harmful free radicals to prevent skin damage. It is a great tip on how to take care of combination skin as well as normal to oily skin during summer. Remember that you can include antioxidants in your skin care regimen by adding them to your diet as well. Stock up on citrus fruits, green and leafy vegetables, green tea, nuts, and whole grains to have younger looking skin.
3. Keep Your Skin Hydrated
Remember that summer is the time when your skin requires moisture as well as hydration. Invest in a good hydrating mask which you use a couple of times a week. Wash your face first and apply the mask as directed at night to repair, rehydrate, and soothe your skin. A mask can treat specific skin conditions like dryness, acne, oil, etc. Pick the appropriate mask and spend those 10 extra minutes on wiping away the stress, fatigue, and blemishes from your skin.
4. Exfoliate Regularly for Smoother Skin
Exfoliation is the key to brighter and smoother skin. It removed dulling skin debris and piled up dead cells. This debris prevents the skin from breathing and can congest the skin. Exfoliate with a natural home remedy, like coffee grounds mixed with oil and sea salt. Remember that exfoliation is required for your entire body and not just your face. You should, however, make sure to be gentle while exfoliating your skin. Do not over-exfoliate because your skin will get bruised and you may end up getting rashes. People with sensitive skin should opt for mild exfoliators that are tender on the skin.
5. Wear Sunscreen
Sunscreen should be your best friend during summers. Choose one that has a broad ultraviolet spectrum (between 30-50 SPF and covers UVA and UVB rays). Reapply every three hours if you are spending all day in the sun. Make sure to cover your hands, feet, shoulders, and neck as well.
6. Cut Down on Makeup
Summer means that you should ease up on the makeup. Wear minimal facial makeup to allow the skin to breathe better. Humidity and heat suppress the skin’s ability to breathe and stress it out. Avoid anything heavy on the face. Use a tinted moisturiser, tinted lip balm, and organic kajal in summer to give your skin some rest.
7. Use a Refreshing Toner
Using a good toner can help you close open pores. This is essential in summer to prevent oil accumulation in the open pores. The t-zone of the face has the largest concentration of sebaceous glands and will tend to look the slickest in the summer months. Pay attention to this zone while toning your face. Use a cucumber or aloe vera based toner which is light and refreshing.
8. Change Your Moisturizer
Come summer, you have to ditch those heavy cold creams and shea butter laden moisturisers for a lighter moisturiser. Do not be under the misunderstanding that your skin requires no moisture in the summer. Skin care in summer calls for a lighter and non-greasy product that suits the weather.
9. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is the most important ingredient in healthy skin tissue. It keeps your skin supple, soft, and radiant. Remember to carry water anywhere you go and drink a minimum of 2-3 litres in a day. Water is also very crucial to flush the toxins out from the skin through sweat and urine.
10. Remember to Take Care of Your Feet
Most of our focus is on taking care of our face because it is what everyone sees first. But do not forget that your feet carry you around all day and they need care too. Exfoliate the skin on your feet regularly. Use a moisturiser and sunscreen on your feet if you plan on wearing open footwear.
11. Take Special Care of the Eye Region
While you choose moisturisers and toners for your face, remember that the skin around your eyes is much thinner and more delicate as compared to the rest of your face. Pick a good undereye gel that has hyaluronic acid, cucumber, or even honey. These ingredients keep the skin around the eyes hydrated and prevent wrinkle formation.
12. Remember the Value of Natural Remedies
Exclusive skin care products in the market work well for a lot of people. But it is good to remember that your own kitchen might be a storehouse for the best facial cleansers, toners, and moisturisers. Common kitchen ingredients make for the best home remedies in summer. You will find that oatmeal, coffee grounds, grated cucumber, plain yoghurt, and sea salt can be used as skin care products in the summer.
In summer, always carry a cooling mist with you. Spray it on every few hours to keep your skin cool and hydrated. You can make one at home by extracting cucumber juice and mixing it with rose water and mint. Spritzing it on your face in the scorching heat will give you and your skin major relief. Also, remember to have cold-water showers during summer. This will prevent excessive drying and itching of the skin.
