Excessive sun exposure (skin dehydration, pigmentation, prickly heat, sunburn) followed by dry, hot winds and overzealous office air conditioning can easily damage delicate cells and cause premature ageing. Summer can clearly be a hazardous time for our skin.
1. Lets start with the obvious
Use an oil-free and fragrance-free SPF all day over entire face and body. You really should be using something as high as SPF 30.
2. Keep it cool
Keep your skin cool especially if you have sensitive skin. If you have rosacea, eczema or sensitive skin, try to keep skin as cool as possible by keeping out of direct sun or keeping skincare products in the fridge. (It is also best to steer clear of saunas and steam, because they can aggravate your skin condition). Rosacea, which causes excessive flushing, broken blood vessels and/or acne-like red bumps, can be exacerbated when blood vessels dilate in response to the skin becoming overheated. Heat also draws water out of the skin, so eczema can become worse, sensitive skin can become irritated and atopic dermatitis (a rash caused by skin allergy or irritation) may itch more intensely. Normal skin will de-hydrate in heat, so moisturise moisturise! Try chilling OSKIAs Eye Wonder and applying a thick layer (for a treatment mask) or a thin layer if in a rush, to cool delicate skin.
3. Always moisturise, but switch to oil free creams and serums.
It is always tempting to miss out on a good moisturiser and eye cream during sticky summer months as your skin will be producing more sebum generating that recognisable summer shine and clogging pores, but your skin still needs serious moisture. Replace heavy winter, oil-based creams with lighter, oil-free or water-based serums or emulsions. Try OSKIAs Nutri-Active Day Cream, which is super light in texture but carries a punch in the nutrient and anti-ageing active department. Or OSKIAs Get Up & Glow, a water-based serum full of hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, brighteners and anti-ageing actives, such as Niacinamide (reduces pigmentation), Swiss Apple Stem Cells (protects skins DNA and reduces wrinkles), Butterbur (a fantastic anti-histamine), Ribose (an oxygenator that rejuvenates skin cells and increases ATP energy to breathe life back into dull skin), and natural light reflecting pigments perfect for a natural summer glow.
4. Less is always more
Switch heavy mascaras and eyebrow pencils for eye lash and brow tinting. These are especially brilliant if you cant stay out of the water, have very fine or light eyebrows eye lashes, have contact lenses, want to steer clear of Racoon eyes or simply want to enhance your looks. There are many different eyelash and eyebrow tint colours (including blues, browns, blacks and greys), so choose one that complements your skin and hair colouring perfectly.
5. Dewy skin is gorgeous.
Don’t over powder your face because you’re afraid it’s a grease pit. Instead, try blotting papers.
6. Remember your cleavage
The neck and dcolletage are too often neglected and can suffer from premature ageing without you realizing. Your face might look wrinkle free, but any man will tell you that this area (once so smooth and plump) can reveal a ladys real age. As a rule of thumb, treat your neck and dcolletage as an extension of your face, continuing product application right the way down, be it cleanser, toner, moisturiser, serum, exfoliant or treatment mask. The earlier you start getting into this routine, the more grateful you will be later on down the line.
7. Exfoliate regularly
Our skin sheds cells every minute of every day, which results in dull, dry looking skin, particularly sun exposed skin as it dehydrates quickly. However much moisturiser you apply, your skin will never look glowing without removing these dead skin cells. Rejuvenation treatments such as exfoliations and nurturing masks restore the skins health and balance, so to ensure a healthy glow for the summer months, be sure to exfoliate 12 times a week. OSKIAs Micro-Exfoliating Balm contains the finest silica and MSM granules, which dissolve on contact with water, to buff away tired cells and stimulate regeneration, but also contains a nutrient-rich balm that will leave skin feeling supper soft and healthy.
8. But, try to avoid using body and facial scrubs with coarse granules as they can scratch delicate, sun exposed skin. Instead either opt for an exfoliant containing fine silica granules or AHAs which will both evenly exfoliate as well as stimulate regeneration and improve the tone and texture of the skin.
9. Remember your hands
I am always amazed at how smooth my hands are when I come back from holiday. Needless to say, this is due to applying endless suntan creams, exfoliants, aftersuns, marks and moisturisers countless times during the day and night, which obviously I dont do when back at home. Hands, like your cleavage and neck, are age indicators, so try to exfoliate your hands a few times a week, apply a rich moisturiser and always apply an SPF to your hands, as you would your face.
10. Your upper arms.
If, like about 40% of the population, you suffer from Keratosis Pilaris (those annoying little red bumps on the back of your upper arms) then its likely youll want to rid these before you expose you arms this summer. Whilst there is no definitive cure for this condition (unfortunately it is a very common genetic follicular condition which causes an excess of Keratin production that accumulates within the hair follicles forming numerous tiny rough bumps on the skin and commonly found in people with very dry skin and/or a vitamin A deficiency), daily exoliating or using a good natural body brush, and moisturising with a vitamin rich cream can definitely ease these pesky pimples.
11. Prepare your skin internally before hitting the sun.
Taking MSM supplements and following an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce potential skin damage and premature ageing and keep skin super healthy. Inflammation is one of the biggest causes of skin damage and premature ageing, as well as a host of other health problems. Thomasina Miers has put together a delicious recipe that puts together some of the best anti-inflammatory ingredients mackerel and avocados for their high Omega 3 content, ginger for its gingerols content (more specifically 6-gingerol), chilli (also high in vitamin A and C), olive oil, pumpkin and sesame seeds and oil.
Opinion piece submitted by Georgie Cleeve, Founder Of OSKIA
Source:cosmeticnewsportal.com