While summer calls for blissful beach days and exciting vacations, it also brings forth the need to care for your skin. Just like your body gets dehydrated when you don’t drink enough fluids in summer, your skin too needs that little extra nourishment and protection to stay healthy in the hottest months of the year.
How does the sun affect your skin?
With the heat of prolonged daylight hours, you need to switch your skincare routine to a summer-friendly one. When your skin is exposed to the sun for long periods, there are two effects on the skin.
First, your skin develops visible, premature signs of ageing like fine lines, creases and dark spots.
Long hours of exposure to sunlight during the summer months lead to the breaking down of collagen, the protein that keeps the skin tight and youthful looking. This is one of the chief causes of premature signs of ageing and can be avoided by using proper sunscreen and sun protection like hats and sun glasses when going out in the sun this summer.
The second one is skin cancer which can be caused due to continuous sun exposure without proper protection from the ultraviolet rays. These harmful UV rays reach the skin’s inner layers and affect the cells. The skin cells either die or get damaged or develop cancer.
Another way you may suffer when out in the summer sun for too long is that you can get severe sunburn. This is why taking care of your skin in summer is important. Let’s find out how to protect your skin from the sun with easy yet effective skin care tips.
Make sunscreen your best friend
Sunscreen is the only way to protect your skin from serious sun damage. Every time you step out of the house, apply sunscreen on your face and all other exposed parts of your body like ears, back of the neck, and your hands and legs.
Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30. This way, you can save your skin from the different kinds of harmful rays. Another addition to your summer skincare can be using makeup enriched with SPF, particularly for the lips. This way, no part of your skin gets left out from being protected from skin damage due to sun exposure.
Exfoliate at least once every two weeks
Depending on your skin type, exfoliate your skin to get rid of the dirt, dead skin cells and excess oil. For oily skin, you can exfoliate every alternate day, while if you have dry skin, go for the exfoliation routine once every two weeks.
Moisturize
Though it may feel like summers can go without everyday moisturizing, it is needed to keep the skin hydrated. Just like your body gets dehydrated when you don’t consume enough water, so does your skin with being moisturized regularly.
During the summer months, go for a skincare routine that consists of water based products. Apply as little makeup as possible. Then, every time you step out in the sun, apply sunscreen and accessories and clothing that protects your skin from the sun as much as possible.
