Oh, that sweet pace of summer, a wonderful time of year! Everyday life of summer seems to take a little slower pace. It’s often a time when people set goals to get their unfinished projects done and get infused for the remainder of the year ahead. The overall atmosphere often seems more playful, joyful and less business focused while those sweet summer rays let us enjoy the outdoors.
But when it comes to your skin, that’s always something you should take seriously. We all know the damaging effects the sun can have on our skin. UVA and UVB rays can cause premature aging, and they can lead to skin cancer. The way I remember it is UVA = aging and UVB = burning.
Anti-aging for your skin starts with hydration.
That seems pretty obvious, after all everyone knows you should have 8-10 glasses of water a day, but do you? While opinions vary as to exactly how much you need, studies show that staying hydrated not only maximizes physical performance, it also has a major effect on our brain function. Even mild dehydration will affect our mood, concentration, and our memory. It can also be the cause of headaches, anxiety or constipation. Our bodies are about 60% water, yet our brain, heart, and lungs are an even higher percentage! Your skin, the largest living organ on your body is made up of 70% water!
Your body and skin are in constant need of rehydration! So why not anti-age from the inside out. In fact, when you are thirsty, you’re ALREADY dehydrated. What’s a beauty like you to do, when you want fun in the sun and still come out looking good? You guessed it, prevention and protection!
Drinking water is a prevention strategy while sunscreen and hydrating lotions are the protection strategies. If you are a cool or neutral skin tone and burn easily, be sure to apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 for protection. If you are warm undertones you may be fine with SPF 15, but remember you also want to protect from UVA rays, so you may still opt for more.
My two favorite hydrating products are Mary Kay’s After Sun Gel! It’s cooling, refreshing, and hydrating, leaving your skin feeling soft and silky and never sticky paired with the Bio-Cellulose Mask! This 20-30 minute mask is an intensive facial treatment that delivers hydration with lifting and firming benefits.
In addition to your skin, get your hair vacation ready! Try wearing a wide brimmed hat or ball cap to protect from sun damage or color lightening. If you’re spending time at the pool, and want to avoid green hair, try wetting your hair, add leave-in conditioner and pull it up before going out.
Now that summer is in full swing, be confident in your own skin. Choose summer styles that flatter your body type, stay away from comparison and focus on the unique beauty you are!
