In summer, your skin is prone to many problems like sunburns, itchy rashes, fungal infections and so on. The summer season can really dehydrate you, because you sweat so much. When the skin gets dehydrated, it becomes more sensitive. It makes your skin acne prone, dry, and what not.
So here are some things you should focus on to maintain a healthy and glowing skin in summer.
- Stay Hydrated
Hydrate yourself in two ways,
- By drinking lots of water, be sure you drink more water than usual and schedule regular “water breaks” during the day. Hydration can help avoid heat stroke and other debilitating heat-related illness. People having certain health conditions should speak with their doctor, and know the amount of water to consume to avoid dehydration.
- Apply a water-based moisturizer at night which is very light, even if you have oily skin. This will help to maintain moisture on your skin. Do not use heavy moisturizers that you use in winter, those won’t work during summer.
- Apply a Sunscreen (Preferably use a pharmaceutical sunscreen)
It is very important to wear a sunscreen or sunblock with a minimum of SPF 30 in summer. Sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by absorbing them, while a sunblock literally blocks UV rays by forming a physical shield. It minimizes the penetration of UV rays into the skin and the triggering of a variety of skin disorders. It also reduces the risk of skin cancer, keeps the complexion even, protects essential proteins in the skin like keratin and thus maintains healthy skin.
- Personal hygiene
Maintain good personal hygiene. Try to wear loose, airy cotton clothes in summer and always keep your genital areas clean and dry. You tend to develop a lot of fungal infections because of sweat. So, before leaving the house sprinkle anti-fungal powder (like candid, absorber), because it prevents the growth of fungus.
- Eat foods that have high water content
Healthy eating is a must in summer because this will help to detox your body. Apples, Oranges, Cucumber etc are high water content foods. Try fruits that are rich in vitamin C because they contain essential vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants that boost collagen production which fights ageing and wrinkles, and helps to maintain younger-looking skin by protecting your skin from the damaging effects of the sun.
- Exfoliate
Rub gently on your skin with a scrub in a circular motion to remove dead skin cells. It helps to speed up the skin’s rejuvenating process and make it look younger. Without proper exfoliation, dead skin cells can get trapped on the skin’s surface leading to clogged pores, dark spots, dullness, and dryness. So, exfoliate for about 30 seconds and rinse off with lukewarm water. It will brighten the skin, soften skin texture, unclog pores, reduce blackheads, enhance skin clarity, and control excess oil.
- Carry a thermal water mist
In summer, carry a thermal water mist, so that you can spray it on your face whenever you are sweating. This will help to restore moisture to your skin and leave your skin hydrated. If you have a problem skin, you must consult a doctor and get reputable brands; otherwise it could be any brand.
- Minimal makeup
Avoid heavy and high coverage foundations. This is because your skin needs to breathe when the weather is super-hot. You can use tinted moisturizers that have medium coverage which helps to cover darks spots and other imperfections. Keep your lips moisturized with a lip balm or use more of a gloss than matte lipstick.
- Wash your face
You perspire more in summer, so wash your face more than usual. Do it at least twice a day. Before going to bed wash your face well because all the makeup, dirt, oil and sweat clog the pores in your face. When pores are clogged, it can result in blackheads, whiteheads and acne.
- Care for your feet
Give yourself a pedicure at home. You can use a scrub to remove dead and dry skin cells. Apply moisturizer in the morning after your shower and at night. Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher whenever you go out, to secure your feet against skin cancer and premature ageing of the skin on your feet.
- Resting time is important
During summer, the days are longer and most of us tend to be active for longer. Getting enough sleep will help to repair and maintain healthy skin. It prevents signs of ageing, improves skin barrier function and makes you look fresher and more attractive.
It lowers your risk for serious health problems, reduces stress and improves your mood. It helps you to stay at a healthy weight.
Unless you take good care of your skin, the rashes and patches will stay on your skin for a long time. Keep in mind that taking a warm shower is more effective than cold shower, because cold shower leads to decreased blood flow and the heat is conserved in the body, and minutes later you feel hot again. But taking a warm shower helps you to increase the blood flow and the heat is lost to the environment.
Follow these tips to help restore your skin’s natural balance and keep it well protected from the heat of summer.
