Summer Skin

Where you live, can determine what your skin needs for the summer. ;)

For instance, I live in Florida. We are at a 76% humidity level today, where it feels like a sauna just stepping outside. Lots of moisture in the air! Which is good for the skin, but needs to be harnessed the right way. I still need a moisturizer after my shower! And in the midst of all that moisture, I can still feel dry or overly oily.

If you live in the northern areas of the US, your weather may still be drier than most places in the south. Either way, we all need moisturizer and hydration. And good clean sunscreen... which, in spite of common media pressure... you don't need every day. ;)

Moisture is a very topical application. Hydration is more on the upper cellular level of the epidermis and dermis. Hydration is when the cells retain water and are plump and happy. Moisturizers keep the epidermis layer (the one you feel and see) from looking dry.

If you have oily skin, you still need a moisturizer and a way to keep your skin hydrated. If you have dry skin.. even more so! Your routines will look different but once you find what makes your skin happy... stick with it!

Without getting too deep into the structure of our skin, (it's all in my skin care course!), there are a few layers of skin that need to be considered when cleansing and moisturizing. The Lipid Barrier, which is thin protective layer keeping water IN your skin, and helps keep the bad stuff out, and the Acid Mantle, which is your skins buffer formed by your own sweat and sebum (your skin's oil). The Acid Mantle also helps to prevent water loss and is protective of the underlying layers of skin. When these two layers are disturbed or damaged, that's when you see more dry flakes, skin fissures, cracks, and even burning and itching.

You can control most of the things that keep those protective layers healthy. What you eat, what you put on your skin and how often you wash your skin all can play a part in your healthy skin.

Now.. think about how your skin feels right now! Is it feeling dry? cracking? itching? too oily? Now, consider what products you are using, the ingredients, how often are you washing your skin and what have you been eating.

Too much synthetic fragrance can cause itching and when exposed to the sun, hyperpigmentation on the areas where you applied the product or perfume. Eating too much processed foods can cause your cells to be super sensitive to the sun and create issues long term down the road. The wrong sunscreen can cause more damage than protection. Yes, studies have been done on all that! I read too much sometimes! lol.. but that is why I break it all down and give you the cliff notes.

How do we take care of our skin for the summer? Let's go!

1. Use the right kind of moisturizer for your skin type.

2. Use a hydrating serum daily.

3. Go out in the sun without sunscreen in the early morning and or late afternoon and let your skin breathe and soak up the vitamin D and benefits from the sun. The sun provides much needed serotonin and dopamine all by itself!

4. When in the sun for long periods of time, wear a hat, long sleeves with UV protection, or wear sunscreen that is CLEAN of toxic fragrances and chemicals. You only need up to 30 spf.. anything higher is just going to give you a chemical burn. It is vitally important to only use sunscreen when you are in danger of burning for long periods of time. The chemical reaction between the sun and what you put on your skin, is the real cause of skin cancer. It's not from the sun... We need the sun for our bodies to create the good hormones!

5. After a day or a few hours in the sun, use Lavender essential oil, pure aloe vera, or Rose essential oils to restore and repair any cellular damage. All of those are soothing too! Reapply multiple times

for relief.

6. Drink water with lemon or lemon essential oil. It helps with hydrating the cells!

7. Eat good fatty foods.. avocados, olive oil, nuts... foods rich in omegas are good for the skin.

8. Listen to your body and watch your skin. It will let you know what it needs and when.. when you are in tune to how your body operates on a daily basis.

When your skin is happy, it is usually a reflection that your diet and hormones are happy too! and enjoy the humidity! It truly is a good thing for your skin!

Do you need help deciding what to use and when? Send me a message! I am here to help you!

Oh... I made you something yesterday... an Ingredient Decoder! Taking the mystery out of what to look for and what to avoid in your cosmetics!

Grab your copy in the button below!

Happy Summer!