Summer Skincare Secrets
At summer time we naturally spend more time outdoors exposing our skin to the sun. It is important to prepare our skin for this time in order to keep it healthy and resilient.
Sound complicated? It should not be. The following tips will show you how only a few minutes a day can have lasting results.
Twice a Day Cleansing
During the summer months with increased heat, humidity and sometimes pollution with the added SPF residue, it is crucial to take good care for our skin. All skin types, especially oily and acne prone skin require through cleansing. It is recommended to cleanse our skin in the morning and at night:
Make sure that you remove the makeup first by adding a few drops of grapeseed oil onto a couple of moist cotton pads and gently wipe the makeup off your skin. You can remove eye makeup with lavender hydrosol sprayed moist cotton pads.
After wash your face thoroughly with a gentle facewash and pat it dry.
Keep Exfoliating
In the summer with an increase of dead skin accumulation in the surface of the skin it is very important to exfoliate regularly. The reason why skin looks dull is because the dead skin cells can magnify the already existing skin conditions. Also pores appear larger if they are full of dirt, oil and dead skin cells. It is recommend to stop the use of glycolic, salicylic and other AHA or retin A products during the summer months as these products cause extra sun sensitivity. This can result in sun burn and skin damage. You can use a gentle and simple homemade facial scrub once or twice a week to maintain soft and glowing skin:
Gentle Lavender Honey Scrub
1/3 cup fine brown sugar
1 TBS raw honey
4-5 TBS coconut oil
10 drops of lavender essential oil
Combine all ingredients in a 4 oz mason jar and store it in a cool dark place. Before use mix it together with a popsicle stick. Only use small amounts with circular movements on your face. You do not need to put lots of pressure on, let the fine sugar do the exfoliating. Always avoid the eye area. Before you rinse your face use the left over scrub on your hands and cuticles for extra benefits. Then rinse your hands and face thoroughly and pat them dry.
Tone to Balance the pH
Using a face toner after washing and exfoliating your skin is essential. It removes any excess dirt and cleanser residue, it is hydrating and it returns the pH of the skink to the normal range. Your skin is unable to protect itself outside of the normal pH. All face washes are on the alkaline side regardless how gentle they might be in order to remove dirt.
Hydrosols are lovely refreshing toners. Hydrosols are also known as “flower waters”. They are produced by distilling plant leaves, flowers and fruits. They have similar properties to essential oils, but they are less concentrated. The scent of these aromatic waters resembles their essential oils but it is more soft and subtle.
Hydrosols are nourishing, healing and have many more roles on the skin, depending which hydrosol is used. They can be used alone or mixed together. For example: Rosemary is good for oily skin types, Rose is lovely for all skin types due to its balancing and hydrating effect, Roman Chamomile is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant and Witch Hazel is an astringent, which makes it excellent to use on acne prone skin.
For skin irritation or after sun exposure: mix Lavender Hydrosol with pure Aloe Vera in a concentration of 2/3 lavender hydrosol and 1/3 Aloe Vera in a spray bottle and mist the affected area a few times a day to reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Do not Skip Moisturizing
During the summer months when it comes to day time moisturizers the key is hydration and sun protection. The lighter the, lotion the better it is. No one likes to walk around with a heavy cream underneath the makeup in the heat. I prefer natural organic ingredients when it comes to skincare. You should aim for a minimum of an SPF 15 in your daytime moisturizer. You can browse through the selves of your local health food store or embark on the journey of making your own. It is believed that the following 10 oils contain natural SPF: Carrot Seed Oil, Raspberry Seed Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil. For the night I recommend using a lotion or cream with healing and repairing ingredients, like Aloe Vera, Lavender and Pomegranate. Do not
Don’t Forget Under the Eyes!
Our delicate eye area needs extra care. Choose light, gel-like eye cream for daytime use and a richer one for night. Look for ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Sea Buckthorn and Jojoba Oil.
Use a Mask for Additional Treatment
Applying a clay mask can help prevent breakouts by detoxifying pores and it can also repair the skin. Masks can help to cool your skin after a hot day. There are many different kinds of clays used in skin care. Each one has unique properties making them suitable for different skin types and conditions:
Green Clay - Rich in minerals and great for acne prone skin
Pink Clay - Extremely mild and calming, soothes skin irritation and it is excellent for sensitive skin.
Red Clay - High in essential minerals and iron, accordingly it is regenerating and replenishing. It’s good for normal skin.
Bentonite Clay- It is of volcanic origin and is rich in magnesium. It’s very fine clay with powerful healing and drawing action upon the skin.
Yellow Clay- Slightly exfoliating and stimulating. It is ideal for oily combination skin types due to its mild drawing action.
Clay masks are simple to use. I recommend buying a clay mask in powder form and adding water. Take 1-3 teaspoons of clay mix it with 1-2 teaspoon of distilled water. Mix it until the mixture is homogenous. Apply onto the skin and leave it on until it dries. Once dry you will feel a tightening pulling effect on your skin. Rinse your skin with cool water.
Do not Forget Your Beauty Sleep!
Enjoy your summer and make many memories. But don’t forget to sleep! Lack of sleep increases the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which slows down collagen synthesis. Collagen is needed for youthful looking and plumped skin.
Following these simple steps will help your skin look and feel good. Don’t forget if your skin feels good, you feel good in your skin!
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