Monday 1 June 2015

Summer skin care tips

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As most of you already know, I hate winter with a passion, and while I’m extremely excited it’s (finally!) drawing to a close, I am more than a little embarrassed with the effects 6+ months of cold weather and neglect has had on my skin.

My face is pasty and pale.

My hands are red and chapped.

My knobbly knees are dry and irritated.

And don’t even get me started on the painful cracks on my heels.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on the way you look at it), this happens to me every single year, so I’m filled with all kinds of summer skin care tips to help you (and me!) look glamorous from head to toe, and today I’m sharing my favorites with you. I absolutely swear by tip # 3, and I’m beyond excited to share tip # 6 with you as it’s done wonders in getting my feet ready for sandal season!

Summer skin care tips

1. MOISTURIZE

About a month before my wedding, my face broke out into a million blemishes (okay, it was more like 5 or 6…), and when I paid the beautician at our local pharmacy a visit, she took one look at my face and told me I needed to invest in a good moisturizer. I thought she was crazy (wouldn’t lotion make my face worse?), but I was beyond desperate and decided to humor her, and it ended up being one of the best skin care tips I’ve ever received. My skin not only cleared up within days of adding a moisturizer to my morning and evening routine, but my face was also GLOWING when my dad walked me down the aisle.

Or so my dad said.

But I don’t stop at just facial moisturizer. Nope. I make sure my arms and legs get a little TLC everyday as well. I use a thicker formula on my problem areas (hands, knees, elbows, and heels), something more lightweight everywhere else, and for maximum absorption, I always apply it after I shower. It takes less than 2 minutes to do, but goes a long way in making my legs and arms look good when I’m sporting skirts and tanks in the summer months!


2. APPLY SUNSCREEN DILIGENTLY

I know. I know. I hate sunscreen too. It’s just so sticky and stinky! But after seeing the effects excessive unprotected sun exposure had on my dad, leaving the house without sunscreen is no longer an option in our household.

Of course, getting the proper coverage can be tricky, so talk to your pharmacist to find out which SPF is best for your skin. And to ensure all exposed parts of your body are protected, I suggest applying sunscreen while you’re wearing nothing but your birthday suit, making sure it’s dry before you get dressed, and reapplying every 30 minutes.

Some people may find this excessive, but UV rays are VERY damaging to your skin, and skin cancer is no joke.


3. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Ugh. I feel like EVERYONE is always on my case about drinking more water, and while I would much rather sip an iced coffee while pushing my daughter on the swings, I am the first to admit that staying hydrated does WONDERS for my complexion, especially in the summer months.

I like adding cucumber slices to my water to make it more tasty and refreshing, but there are heaps of other ways you can dress up your H2O if you find it difficult to drink 8+ glasses a day.


4. CLEANSE YOUR SKIN MORE FREQUENTLY

I only wash my face once a day in the winter because I find anything more than that dries my skin out, but when I’m sweating excessively or spending a lot of time outside during the summer months, I make sure to cleanse my skin (particularly my face and back) more frequently to ward off breakouts.

My facial cleansing routine is pretty basic, but to avoid irritation when I’m washing my face more frequently, I find that splashing cool water on my face helps to reduce redness, and using a water-based toner prior to applying my moisturizer helps to calm and smooth my skin. And for my back, I just use a loofah and a body cleanser that contains salicylic acid. It works like a charm!


5. EAT THE RIGHT FOODS

I recently discovered that eating kiwi fruit can help slow down the aging of our skin (am I the only one who didn’t know that??!), so I decided to do some research to find out if any other foods have beauty benefits, and I was so surprised at all of the awesome things I learned.
I now make sure to incorporate salmon, nuts, blueberries, and melon into my diet, and drink green tea over coffee, and I am amazed at the difference it has had on my skin and my overall sense of wellbeing.

6. EXFOLIATE

While I’m pretty good at exfoliating my face 2-3 times a week to prevent breakouts and even out my skin, I’m really lazy when it comes to taking care of my elbows, knees, and heels. But after catching a glimpse of myself in a 360-degree change room mirror a couple of weeks ago (shudder), I knew I had to do something if I don’t want to scare the other mothers at the park this summer.
So when The Invention Brothers contacted me about their Skoother Skin Smoother, I knew I had to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did.


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