“I drifted into a summer-nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicadae lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder.” -Terri Guillemets
It’s summertime everyone!!! Most of us tend to spend a lot more time outside during this time of year and it’s for good reason—the weather is warmer and the days are longer! We get a lot of questions on the best ways to protect your skin during these warm summer months, so here are our top 4 summer skincare tips that will keep your skin looking it’s best!
#4 Exfoliate your skin
During the summer, your skin will likely turnover at an increased rate because of increased exposure to the sun. This means it’s time to get an exfoliator. A good medical grade exfoliator can help you do just that. Medical grade skincare has been researched and is stronger so you use less of it.
#3 Wear SPF-based lip balm
Cracked lips can be the worst when you are out and about trying to enjoy yourself by the pool or at your friend’s barbeque. Using a lip balm with a minimum SPF of 15 has a couple of benefits. Our skin is made of 50-60% water and we need to keep in in sensitive areas like our lips. Dermatologist Dr. Amy Paul mentions that “one of the most common areas for skin cancer is in the lips.” Lip balm with SPF in it will help protect your lips against sun damage. Many lip-based products have petrolatum in them which is a great way to keep moisture from leaving the lips. Hot tip: Try using EltaMD’s UV Lip Balm. It has SPF 30 with 5% transparent zinc oxide and can be used for up to 80 minutes in the water.
#2 Wear a hat
Trying to stay out of the sun is a must for protecting your skin, but this is hard to follow especially during these summer months. Wearing a hat helps protect your skin from those harmful UV rays. While wearing a baseball cap is certainly beneficial, try using a hat that is wide brimmed. These hats can cover more surface area of your body which will helps protect more of your skin and delay the aging process. Celebrities ranging from Nicole Kidman to Blake Lively and Paris Hilton can be seen wearing large hats on the beach to help protect their skin and you should too!
#1 Physical barrier sunscreen
Did you know that upwards of 70% of aging is caused by sun exposure? Yikes! There are two ingredients you want to look for in any sunscreen you wear. One is zinc oxide and the other is titanium. Companies that make pharmaceutical grade sun protection have mastered making these elements to fit your skin tone. This type of sunscreen is known as a “physical” barrier sunscreen. Physical barrier sunscreen causes UV rays to bounce right off your skin, whereas “chemical” sunscreens (ones found at your local grocery store) absorb the UV rays. Chemical sunscreens are cheaper, but we recommend physical barrier sunscreens so you don’t absorb any of those nasty UV rays.
To your skin health,
Team Reflect
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