End of Summer Skin Care Tips

Summer is an exciting time for many people. Who doesn’t look forward to beach days, relaxing vacations and the occasional frozen margarita on a sweltering afternoon? As summer begins to wind down, it’s a nice time to reflect on this season that we all anticipate all year with great joy; if only it were longer, as it seems to come and go in the blink of an eye!  

During this time of year, there are a lot of changes that occur in our bodies. The warm weather boosts metabolism, which is a plus, and even stilts our appetites, leaving us more energetic and maybe even shedding a few pounds—which never hurts when you’re spending your summer Friday at the pool! The weather can also cause us to stay up longer, ultimately affecting our sleeping habits, making it difficult to get that REM cycle when it’s hotter than you’d like. Summer brings on physical changes, spanning everything from mosquito bites to sniffling and sneezing due to the pollen in the air, and it also affects the largest organ on our body—our skin.

Skin care habits can change during the summer and for the large majority this isn’t just optional, it’s mandatory unless you want the adverse consequences. Don’t you hear your friends saying, “My skin does this in the summer and that in the winter”? Summer affects our skin care routine and even the products we use, so much so that some skin care products specify whether it’s for summer or winter use. Of course, everyone’s skin reacts differently, but the following tips are ways in which we can all implement some much-needed care into our daily lives as this season winds down.  

H20

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that the first piece of advice here is—yes—drink water! H20 flushes out toxins and waste products, thus clearing up your skin. While you may think water is only necessary for your internal organs, toxins and waste can actually accumulate in the body and become trapped underneath your layers of skin, causing disturbances. (Crazy, right?) With your skin being the largest organ on your body, water and hydration help it function and keep it healthy and clean.

Water revitalizes and replenishes skin tissue as well as increases its elasticity, which as a result helps delay the specter of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s required to maintain the optimum skin moisture level and deliver crucial nutrients to skin cells so they don’t die. If you’re suffering from skin disorders, such as psoriasis and eczema, water also aids in the healing process. Furthermore, H20 increases your metabolism, which flushes out toxins from your body, resulting in healthy, glowing skin.

When it comes to the importance of water for your skin in the summer, well, we have a few pieces of advice. Believe or not, a cold shower or relaxing bubble bath can reduce much of the skin damage caused by the sun and heat. Soaking your skin in cold water can really rejuvenate it once you get past the initial shock of the temperature. But a word to the wise— be careful not to spend too long in the bath or shower, as prolonged exposure can deplete the skin of its natural oils. If you’re suffering from puffy eyes or dark circles, water-rich eye gels are a great solution since they reduce inflammation. How nice to know that something nature provides so readily can do such wonders!

EXFOLIATION

With all the potential exposure to sun and elevated temperatures, is exfoliating important in maintaining skin health? Well, exfoliation is important throughout any season or any type of year, but keep in mind that it can increase your sun sensitivity by 45%. Who on earth would want to exfoliate when you’re dealing with sunburn? Talk about torture! The process of exfoliation is applying a washcloth, sonic brush or facial scrub to your face, ultimately removing dead skin cells. You can also exfoliate with acid, enzymes or peels from a trained professional.

If you’re exfoliating 3-4 times a week in the winter, then you might want to decrease that to 1-2 times a week in the summer. If you’re outdoors a lot for prolonged periods of time, you may want to hold off altogether so you’re not irritating your skin with all it’s encountering from the environment. Everyone’s skin is different and everyone’s skin reacts differently to the outdoors and sun, so find the balance that makes sense for you when it comes to exfoliation during the summer months. More than likely, you’ll need to cut back on your routine so you don’t cause excess redness, which nobody wants, particularly when reading a good book on the beach! In the end, though, it still remains an important routine, just with some slight alterations.

JUICE DETOX CLEANSE

Juice detox cleanses function as very powerful detoxifiers, particularly for the skin. I know, I know—juice cleansing for your skin isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think of juice-related benefits. Aren’t cleanses for internal organs and your digestive system as a whole? Luckily, juice cleansing has many benefits for your skin; after all, if it’s good for your other organs, why wouldn’t it be great for your largest organ?

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that’s ideal for juices, not only because of its dark green color, but because it can fight off acne with its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s rich in Vitamin A, too, which promotes skin maintenance and repair. Beets are a blood and liver cleanser, and let’s face it—when your blood is happy, your skin is happy. Cleansing the body through beet juice can affect your blood, which in turn helps your skin. Ginger is also great for acne because it cleanses the kidneys, which is ideal for detoxification. Carrot juice is rich in beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that prevents cells from degenerating while slowing down aging, leaving you with a youthful, radiant appearance.

Try juice cleansing with any combination of these four super foods to give your skin the leg up it needs for summer! Similar to H20, it’s good for you on the outside as well as inside.

ACAI BOWL

An acai bowl can work wonders on your skin as it provides a plethora or antioxidants, which possess many anti-aging properties. Derived from the acai palm tree, this fruit is native to South and Central America, as well as the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil. Acai is rich in Vitamin E, which helps give the skin a “rejuvenating” look, as well as omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, all of which aid in reviving the skin from its “dead” appearance, making it soft and smooth.

While acai is found in many anti-aging eye creams and facial oils, most people consume it in an acai bowl with other tasty and nutritious fruits. Healthy acai bowl add-ons might include berries, bananas, strawberries, goji berries, flax seeds and coconut shavings. It’s hard to believe something so tasty can reap such benefits for your skin! Lucky for you, acai bowls in NYC are bountiful, starting with Pure Green’s wide selection.

SPF LOTION

We would be amiss to write this article and not bring up the value of a strong SPF lotion. SPF lotions shield the skin from damaging UV rays, preventing them from penetrating the skin and causing damaging skin disorders. SPF also halts premature aging and some studies show that people under 55 years of age who use sunscreen have a 24% lesser chance of displaying aging signs than non-sunscreen users.

SPF lotions lower melanoma risks and decreases blotchiness on the face. Most of us know it for preventing sunburns, which weaken the skin and make it susceptible to bruising and peeling, neither of which is good. Furthermore, SPF protects crucial skin proteins like keratin, elastin and collagen. When looking for a sunscreen, make sure to find one with zinc oxide, which provides additional benefits and is great for your skin.

As we transition from summer into fall, there will likely be some changes to your skin care routine. As the weather shifts, many people will go from oils to creams as winter ensues. Naturally, you exfoliate more and also use hydration masks because the weather alteration will bring about drier air, which in turn robs your skin of necessary moisture. You also might want to change your cleansers to something that will leave your skin more moisturized, too—that is, once the climate turns and summer is behind us.  

Everyone wants to look good and feel good; no one wants dull, unhealthy, irritated skin. There’s that old funny quote, “It’s not hoarding if it’s skin care,” which most people can relate to while striving to find the perfect balance of moisturizers, cleansers, and lotions for your exterior to feel and look its best. Pay attention to what you put into your body, as well as what you put on the outside when looking to take care of your skin. The results are endless. So what are you waiting for? Begin finding the right ingredients for your skin today!