Look up. Look at that beautiful sun! If you’re like all of us here at Rouge, you love to feel the sun on your skin, getting some nice color, as well as that Vitamin D that’s so vital to helping us stay positive. That said, we all know how important it is to have a skin care routine that protects, repairs, and maintains your skin.
It’s not just about increased exposure anymore, either. Increased heat across the planet causes issues like skin rash and other problems. You might also find that skin problems arise when spending time in the water, due to chlorination or salt from the ocean.
It’s so important to take care of your skin. It can seem like there’s a lot to do to maintain healthy skin, but it really only takes a few minutes a day.
Here are some super effective tips for keeping your skin healthy during the summer that you can use to give your skin the care it needs to make sure you stay healthy and look your best.
Protect your skin from the sun
The sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) rays. This is what causes the damage to your skin that we’re trying to avoid. You’ll find yourself up against premature aging and sunburn, not to mention an increased risk of skin cancer. So let’s protect that skin! Here’s how we’re going to get that done.
Be keen on sunscreen
According to the good people at John Hopkins Medicine, “wearing sunscreen is one of the best—and easiest—ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age.” Given that, we’re going to want to make sunscreen a part of our daily routine.
If we’re going to use it daily, how much should we be using? According to the same article, for a day-to-day kind of situation, it’s best to go with something like an SPF of at least 30. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, something with SPF 60 or greater is preferred.
Because we tend not to use as much sunscreen as we should, a higher SPF will help to compensate for that, and give your skin the protection it needs to look great and stay healthy!
Sometimes it’s good to be shady
Australians know a thing or two about skin care. In an attempt to reduce one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, the government of New South Wales (NSW) would like its residents to seek shade—and you should, too!
According to this NSW website article, “Shade is one of the best ways to protect ourselves from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and reduce our risk of skin cancer. When used with other forms of sun protection, such as clothing, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, shade becomes an even more powerful method of skin cancer prevention.”
The best part is that if you stick to the shady parts, you can reduce your exposure to those harmful UV rays we keep talking about by up to 75%. It’ll also keep your body temperature lower, and give you more longevity when you’re being active outside. So don’t be afraid to be shady!
Don’t go chasing waterfalls, but do go chasing water bottles
You have got to keep your skin hydrated to help your body function at its highest level. And when you do, you’ll also give your skin the ability to protect itself from the sun. One of the ways you can do that is by drinking enough water.
According to some very knowledgeable people over at colorescience, “Drinking water doesn’t directly transfer moisture to your skin. But it does help keep moisture in your cells and can make your skin appear more plump.”
How much water should you drink to take care of your skin? An easy way to calculate your optimum water intake is with this simple formula:
Your weight x 0.5 = the number of ounces of water you need. So, if you weigh 115 pounds, that would look like this:
115 x 0.5 = 57.5 ounces
That’s a little more than 7 cups or 1.5 liters, which is a very attainable goal!
Keep your skin healthy and happy with a skincare routine
During the summer months, you want to retain the consistency in your skin care routine that you’ve built up already. Because you shed skin cells all day long, a solid routine will help you to replenish your skin and keep it healthy and happy. Here are a few things you should think about incorporating into your skincare routine.
Be regular with your cleansing experience
Your kids might try to trick you into believing that they’ve already washed their faces. You, on the other hand, already know the importance of regularly cleansing your skin. By doing so, you’re removing oil and dirt. You get rid of unwanted bacteria and, potentially, even viruses. You also get rid of those dead skin cells that build up on your face over the course of a day.
According to Lela Lankerani MD, a Board Certified Dermatologist, regular cleaning “is essential to keeping your skin looking radiant and healthy.” She goes on to mention that it also helps any anti-aging products you might be using to work properly, as well as maintaining proper pore size. All big positives in the quest for healthy skin!
Isn’t it great to exfoliate?
The nice people at the American Academy of Dermatology know a thing or two about exfoliation. According to them, when you exfoliate you help to improve how effective the topical skin care products you use are by making it easier for your skin to absorb those products.
When you exfoliate, you prevent your pores from clogging, and, as a nice bonus, get fewer breakouts as a result. And, according to Healthline, long-term exfoliating is a key component in increasing collagen production. “Collagen is key to glowing, vibrant skin,” they say, while adding that collagen is a protein that “promotes skin elasticity, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and related sagging.”
One note on exfoliating: this is not something that should be done every single day. It can be rough on your skin, given that the process is intended to remove dead skin cells. So, if you do it too often or are more aggressive than is necessary, you could end up removing the natural oil barrier that your skin has, and may do more damage than help.
For most people, exfoliating two to three times a week is plenty.
Working on those night moves
Your nighttime skincare routine is important. Here’s why.
While you’re sleeping, your skin goes into a kind of “recovery mode,” and starts to heal the damage that it has endured throughout the day. By cleansing your skin and sticking to an effective nighttime routine, you give your skin a chance to recover overnight so you'll look your best in the morning.
Healthy skin starts from the inside out
You’ll sometimes hear health and wellness professionals say that “you can’t out-train a bad diet” when they’re talking about working out. Well the same goes for your skin. It’s important that you eat the right kinds of foods in order for your skin to be healthy. Getting those vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is going to be crucial to keeping your skin healthy during the summer months.
What you eat can significantly impact the health and appearance of your skin. A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help keep your skin healthy during the summer.Here’s what you need to nourish your skin from within.
Eat antioxidant-rich foods for healthy skin
As much as it sounds like they might be, free radicals are not an anarchist group protesting in your downtown area. No, instead, free radicals are cancer-causing agents running around in our bodies waiting to wreak havoc in any way they can. Fortunately, we can combat these nasty microscopic troublemakers with antioxidants,
The way we get antioxidants into our bodies is by eating certain foods. According to health.com, foods like apples, avocados, berries, cocoa, and nuts are great ways to get antioxidants for skin health. You can also have a cup of green tea. There are a lot of sources of antioxidants, so be sure to pay close attention to this part of your diet.
Get mega-healthy skin with omega-3 fatty acids
According to the folks at Aveeno, who have considerable experience with skin care, there is research that suggests that “a balanced gut biome can play a pivotal role in determining the way skin behaves.” We can improve our gut health and get healthy, glowing skin by ingesting omega-3 fatty acids.
You can find omega-3s primarily in fish oil, but you’ll also find it in flax seeds, chia seeds, and even soybean oil. Although the vegetarian options are good sources of omega-3s, when you get it via fish oil, your body absorbs it immediately, whereas the plant-based omega-3s need to be converted in your body first.
How does it help? Aveeno says that getting “your omega-3s through fish oil supplements or other foods can improve the fatty acid composition in your skin and balance its inflammatory response. In other words, skin stays softer and less inflamed! Keeping your fatty acid levels up also helps to minimize the effect of sun damage and improve sensitive skin conditions.”
It’s a good excuse to order the salmon tartare the next time you’re out!
Stick to the outside aisles at the grocery store
If you go around the outside of the grocery store, you’ll find fresh vegetables, whole-grain breads, unprocessed meat and dairy, and even eggs. On the inside aisles, you’ll find all manner of sugary and processed foods, and when you’re trying to keep your skin healthy during the summer months, you’ll want to avoid that section like the aisles are made of lava.
Over at Newsweek, a gal named Tiffany Henriques stopped eating sugar and processed foods and started seeing the results after only two weeks. In the article, she says, "After quitting added sugar, I noticed an increase in energy levels, a boost in mood, reduced anxiety, improved sleep quality, clearer and glowing skin, and now I have no acne."
Well that’s a great result! Newsweek also spoke to Dr. Daryl Gioffre, a functional nutritionist, who said that sugar can lead to inflammation, which is the issue we see in Tiffany’s skin in the “before” photos.
So stick to those outside aisles and keep your skin healthy and vibrant!
Protecting your skin during the summer is worth it!
It might seem like a lot, but when it comes to skin protection, especially during the summer, it’s best to remain vigilant. Protect your skin from the sun, stay hydrated, and make sure you’re eating right, and your skin will thank you.
As an added bonus, you can read about how red light therapy can help you with your summertime skin routine. Check out these articles to get started!
