Many of us look forward to summer all year long. It’s a time for beach outings, outdoor activities, and soaking up the sun. But in between the fun, we have to deal with the blistering heat, making it easy to forget the importance of summer skin care.
You know how brutal winter can be on your skin, but the warmer months can be just as harsh. From dangerous UV rays to constant sweating, it can be hard on your skin.
Here’s how to take care of your skin during the summer, ensuring it stays healthy, hydrated, and radiant.
Summer Skin Care 101: Sun Protection
The most important thing you can do for your skin is to protect it from the dangerous UV rays of the sun.
This critical rule actually applies all year long — yes, even when it’s cloudy. Most of the sun’s rays can still penetrate through clouds, leading to harmful exposure.
Sun protection is vital for protecting yourself from both skin cancer and premature aging, not to mention the discomfort and potential harm of sunburns.
The best way to protect your skin is to wear sunscreen everywhere that isn’t covered by clothes. Don’t forget your ears, neck, hands, the tops of your feet, and the top of your head. And your lips! Look for lip products with SPF to protect the sensitive skin around your mouth.
Put sunscreen on at least 15 minutes before you go out. Reapply every two hours, especially if you are in water or sweating.
Although the sun is at its strongest from 10 am-4 pm, you should still seek shade and wear sunscreen throughout the whole day.
But what if you’re in a car all day on a long road trip?
Sunscreen is still vital! Although cancer-causing UVB rays won’t reach you through the windows, UVA rays can penetrate glass. These deeper-penetrating rays cause age spots, wrinkles, and other signs of premature aging.
So, in short, the most important aspect of summer skin care is sun protection! Seek shade, wear protective clothing, and apply water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more every time you leave the house.
What Is Broad Spectrum SPF?
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a measure of how well sunscreen protects skin from harmful UVB rays. The higher the SPF number, the lower the percentage of UV radiation that reaches the skin.
However, you should still follow the same rules with higher SPFs as you would lower: reapply every two hours and seek shade when possible.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to look for sunscreens labeled “broad-spectrum.”
SPF only measures UVB protection. Because UVA rays reach deeper layers of skin, a broad-spectrum sunscreen blocks an equal amount of UVA rays to the SPF rating of UVB protection.
Although most sunscreens are broad-spectrum now, some aren’t. So, you still need to make sure before buying one before your next trip to the beach.
Sunbathing the Right Way
Let’s face it; some of us simply love soaking in the sun, even when we know the risks. Not only does it feel amazing, but sunbathing has proven benefits. These include:
- Vitamin D production — Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for calcium absorption, a crucial process to maintain bone strength. It also supports your immune system, glucose metabolism, and cell growth, and reduces inflammation.
- Better sleep — Getting out in the sun helps your body produce adequate melatonin levels, which enables you to develop a healthier circadian rhythm.
- Stress reduction — Melatonin also helps your body handle stress more effectively.
- Boosting your mood — Sunlight also helps you produce serotonin, a hormone that improves your mood, helps fight depression, and promotes calmness.
Unfortunately, these benefits do not outweigh the risks if you don’t bask in sunlight safely.
To reap the rewards without causing harm, follow these simple rules.
Rules for Sunbathing
- Opt for early morning or late afternoon sunbaths — The sun is at its highest and strongest from 10 to 4, so it is best to lay out before or after this period.
- Don’t stay out too long — If you’re fair-skinned or unused to direct sunlight, limit your daily unprotected sun exposure to 5-10 minutes. For those who are outside more, have darker skin, and have no prior sun reactions, it may be safe to lay in the sun for up to 20 minutes without sunscreen.
- Wear sunscreen for longer exposure times — While protection from the sun’s health-improving rays seems counterintuitive, studies show that sunscreen has little to no impact on Vitamin D production. Therefore, wear sunscreen if you sunbathe for more than 20 minutes.
- Find a shady spot and wear protective clothing — You don’t need to lie in the buff in to produce Vitamin D. As long as some skin is exposed to some sun, you’ll still make a sufficient amount. Of course, if you’re going for a tan, that’s a different story.
- Gradual tanning — As previously mentioned, the lighter your skin and the less time you spend in the sun, the more dangerous it is to stay out too long. If you’re trying to build a healthy tan, start slow and work your way up. Sudden and intense exposure can lead to sunburn, heat rash, sun poisoning, and long-term damage.
Whatever your sunbathing goals, you may want to consider alternatives, especially if you have light skin or a history of skin cancer.
You can get vitamin D in many foods and supplements. And tons of tanning products can give you a natural-looking glow. But if there’s no replacement for time in the sun for you, just be sure to do it safely and follow a healthy summer skin care routine!
Wash, Wash, Wash
Cleanliness is essential for healthy skin, but it’s critical for summer skin care. During summer, most people are more often exposed to sweat, sunscreen, chlorine, and saltwater. If you don’t wash them off, these irritants can clog pores and cause dullness and breakouts.
To prevent that, clean your face morning and night. Use gentle, sulfate-free cleansers that maintain your skin barrier and don’t strip your natural oils. Keep scrubs and harsh exfoliants to a minimum when you know you’ll be in the sun or sweating.
Shower immediately if you go swimming, whether in a lake, ocean, or pool. Chlorine and salt water can dry and irritate your skin, and freshwater contains parasites, bacteria, and pollutants you don’t want to leave on your body.
Moisturize, Even When It’s Humid
Some people prefer to skip moisturizer during hot and humid summer months. When temperatures are at their highest, even lotion feels like another layer, making you feel hotter.
However, moisturizer is still essential, even in 100% humidity.
For one, sun exposure, swimming, air conditioning, and sweating can all dehydrate your skin. Two, environmental dryness can lead to unbalanced skin if you don’t moisturize, leading to an overproduction of pore-clogging oils. Finally, many moisturizers help protect and repair your skin’s barrier, defending it from UV rays and pollution.
The trick to summer moisturizing is finding the right products that aren’t heavy on your skin.
For your summer skin care routine, avoid heavy creams, especially during the day. Look for products labeled Lightweight, Ultra Light, or Weightless. Moisturizers containing ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, Vitamins E and C, and ceramides pack a powerful punch without feeling too heavy or oily on your skin.
Choosing the Right Treatments
Just because the sun is out doesn’t mean you should give up your skin rejuvenating treatments. However, you might want to be more careful about which ones you choose.
Laser and laser light treatments make your skin more sensitive to sun damage. You can still receive these during the summer. But you must plan accordingly to ensure you have time to heal before heading to the beach.
If you don’t want to stay out of the sun that long, you might want to save those treatments for colder weather.
Similarly, chemical peels might not be the best choice if you are outside or frequently exposed to heat. During the peeling process, lasting up to two weeks, sweat can become trapped beneath the topmost peeling layer of skin. This can cause breakouts, premature peeling, and, although rare, scarring.
That said, if you can stay cool and dry, chemical peels are perfectly safe in the summer.
Some of the best summer skin care treatments include HydraFacials, moisturizing masks, and treatments with quick healing, like Microchanneling.
Additional Tips for Summer Skin Care
While sun protection, hygiene, and moisturizers are essential for summer skin care, there are other ways to protect and maintain your skin from the inside out.
Staying hydrated is crucial to every aspect of your health. When you don’t drink enough water, it can show in your skin, making it look older and duller. Proper hydration also keeps your cells functioning correctly, providing protection and quicker healing from UV exposure, pollutants, and mechanical damage.
A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants also increases your skin’s health.
Some of the nutrients that benefit your skin the most include:
- Omega 3s: found in fish like salmon and tuna and nuts, such as walnuts
- Healthy fats: such as those found in lean proteins, avocados, nuts, and seeds
- Beta Carotene: common in carrots, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers
- Vitamin C: found in citrus fruits, berries, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), and greens
- Lycopene: common in tomatoes, beets, watermelon, and other red fruits and vegetables
- Resveratrol: most common in red grapes
Finally, avoid touching your face as much as possible. Even occasional touching spreads oils, dirt, and bacteria to the vulnerable skin of your face, leading to clogged pores and breakouts.
Summer skin care may require a few adjustments to your routine, but it’s worth it for healthy, radiant skin.
Remember, consistency is key, and protecting your skin now will pay off in the long run. Enjoy the summer while keeping your skin safe and glowing!
