Hot weather, salt water, humidity, and chlorine take their toll on our skin during the summer months. You should drink plenty of water through the day, not merely to replenish humidity lost to the heat but also to help blush toxins out of the body and keep skin looking healthy and glowing.
Dr. Michelle Copeland recently was kind enough share her top summer skincare tips-"Your skin has different needs depending on the month. During the summer, the glands produce more oil, so switch to a product that's not so moisturizing. The zone around the nose and down towards the mouth contains a lot of glands, so you probably want to go easy on it all year round. People often wonder whether they should stop exfoliating during the summer because they think the dead skin is protecting them from the sun. While it's true that surplus surface cells offer a slight shield against rays, that benefit is outweighed by the greater gain you'll get in encouraging cell turnover. Always wear SPF to protect from the harsh UVA/UVB rays of the summer months. Apply sunscreen every day to your skin and lips. An easy way to remember your sunscreen is to use a daily moisturizer with SPF built right in! Sunblocks containing clear zinc oxide offer both UVA and UVB protection with the added benefit of the antioxidant properties of zinc." An easier way to remember sunscreen is; Wearing sunscreen everyday will significantly cut back on accumulative sun damage: It’s not about the SPF number, it’s how often and how much you re-apply your sunscreen.
Facials are equally important; an independent study at Harvard University has shown there is a strong connection between touch therapy and the overall heath of you skin and body. Having a facial is something that improves not only your skin, but also your overall health. Facials are recommended one at least every four to six weeks.
For the body as well as the face, the number one tip is exfoliation! For the body dry brushing and or body scrubs will turn over the dead skin cells and reward you with glowing skin. A gentle facial exfoliant applied 3-5 times a week or a facial will show much improvement for the health of the skin on the face.
Foods for healthy skin include: Berries, which give you a powerful punch of antioxidants that help you skin fight off free radical damage from the sun. Avocados are loaded with B-complex vitamins and essential fatty acids, which give avocados anti-inflammatory properties. Salmon is an important building block for healthy, younger skin by supplying essential fatty acids; whole grains contain selenium, which is an important mineral for maintaining healthy skin. Also, look to sweet potatoes for vitamin A (beta carotene) which does wonders to create a great complexion, green leafy veggies that are loaded with vitamins including zinc which contributes to a healthy glow to your skin, as well as citrus which contain vitamin C and bioflavonoids that help your body detoxify and support collagen in the skin, that helps keep the skin firm and young looking. We can't forget about olive oil, which provides healthy fats that are important maintaining healthy skin membranes. Your cell membranes hold water and help maintain the plump healthy look of your skin, and helps prevent wrinkles and age lines. Last but not lest antioxidants, are excellent to protect cell damage from the sun, Green Tea extracts and Grape Seed extracts, even pomegranate extracts, which is said to have more antioxidants that similar amount of green tea or even red wine.
