Very few people have an adversarial relationship with summer.
That’s because for most of us it means fun in the sun with family and friends.
Unfortunately for your skin, it’s these exact weather and lifestyle changes that can cause you harm.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best 7 skincare tips that’ll let you live the summer of a lifetime and stay safe at the same time.
This one’s obvious, so let’s get to the point quickly.
You NEED to be wearing sunscreen. Technically, you should be wearing sunscreen year-round, but this is especially true in the summer when UV rays are at their strongest.
Not just any sunscreen, but broad-spectrum with a SPF of 30 or higher.
Broad-spectrum sunscreen refers to sunscreen that protects against both Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays are mainly responsible for causing photoaging, or premature aging due to the sun.
Overexposure to UVB rays can cause skin cancer.
You must be sure to apply it to every part of the body exposed to the sun, including your hands and feet.
Don’t forget parts in your hair that expose the scalp as well! Most people forget that their scalp is susceptible to sun damage too.
For full protection, reapply every two hours!
It can happen in the summer too, especially if you’re bathing and showering in hot water consistently!
Listen, we get it. It’s easy to take multiple showers in the summertime.
Nobody would blame you considering the sweat we accumulate from the hot temperatures.
Still, bathing and showering too often or using water that’s too hot can dry your skin and cause inflammation or even eczema.
The solution?
Cut your shower frequency to twice a day max and try to take showers with cooler water.
Okay, maybe not literally tons, but you should be drinking a lot.
On average, you should hit your daily recommended intake of water, which is eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day.
Staying hydrated will keep your skin firm and help ward off acne. It can also help the healing process from sunburns (although you should avoid getting them in the first place!).
As an added bonus, drinking water promotes healthy skin regardless of the season. That’s because it helps to avoid dehydration, which can damage the skin on a long-enough time horizon.
By evading dehydration, you’ll likely stave off its symptoms, which can include dry and itchy skin.
Not only can water consumption help keep your skin hydrated, but so can avoiding things that dry out your skin.
Things to avoid include alcohol and soaps that contain sulfate.
The bottom line is, keep yourself hydrated!
Firstly, if you’re going to wear makeup in the summer, make sure it includes SPF!
And as always, remember to cleanse and moisturize before applying…
But more importantly, if you’re going to wear makeup, just make sure it isn’t heavy.
While we’re sure you would look great, it’s just not worth the hassle.
That’s because heavy makeup keeps the skin from breathing, thus allowing oil to pool.
That means greasy-looking skin which serves as the perfect environment for acne breakouts.
Another reason that heavy makeup can be a bad move in the summertime is that the removal process can contribute to dry skin and acne.
The more makeup you apply, the more water you may use to remove it. This often means dryer and tighter skin.
This could all be avoided by sticking to lightweight makeup in the summer!
Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells and extra dirt that gathers on the surface of the skin and in the pores.
Our experts recommend not over-doing your exfoliation routine, but summer is the one time of year you can use more than normal.
If you exfoliate once per week, for example, you can up that to twice a week in the summertime.
This is because of the increased pooling of oil in the pores resulting from more sweat.
Exfoliating more often means less oil which means less acne.
This advice depends on your specific skin type and conditions, however, so be sure to ask your doctor before exfoliating more than normal.
Did we mention it’s best to avoid sunburns?
Okay, you get it.
But it’s not always easy to avoid the sun, especially in the summer.
That’s why we’re including this tip—how to recover from sunburns in the best way possible.
Once you’ve gotten a sunburn, you can apply cooling gels to help mitigate redness, inflammation, and peeling.
Be sure to apply liberally at first sight of irritation.
Other methods of limiting the side-effects of a sunburn include cool showers and baths, using aloe vera, drinking more water and taking aspirin or ibuprofen to tackle swelling and discomfort.
Like we said, summer is a time for outdoor hangouts with family and friends.
Tanning shouldn’t be included in the “friends” category.
Tans in and of themselves are skin damage—down to even the slightest darkening of skin tone.
Also, the concept of a “base tan” serving as protection from sun damage is a myth.
We’re fun at parties, we know. But hey, we’re here to deliver the cold, hard truth…
Or hot, hard truth, since this blog is about protecting your skin in the summer…
Either way, tans are bad news.
Another myth is that they’re needed to get enough vitamin D.
Nope!
Instead, you can get a sufficient amount of vitamin D through your diet and supplementation.
Tanning has clearly hired a great PR team, but don’t fall for the myths they’ve spread!
Summer doesn’t have to be a bad time for your skin!
You can certainly enjoy the heat and sun, as long as it’s done responsibly.
That means wearing sunscreen, altering your shower and bath routine, drinking water, avoiding heavy makeup, exfoliating, recovering from burns properly, and understanding the science behind tanning.
Equipped with this new knowledge, you’ll be ready to summer the right way.
The dermatologists at SINY Dermatology are here to help you do just that.
Whether it’s getting your aesthetics in order to look great at the beach or screening for skin cancer, SINY’s got you covered.
Call 800-778-3090 or visit sinyderm.com to schedule an appointment at any of our five locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.
