Skinblissful’s Jerri Lien
1) Be Sun Savvy And Bump Up Your SPF In The Summer
We all should be using SPF all year round during daylight hours. Did you know that? Even when it’s cloudy, even when you are indoors (unless you have all the drapes closed and the lights off, haha!), and even if your skin is dark. While it is true that we need Vitamin D, and some health experts are recommending 10-15 minutes of sun exposure on skin free of SPF instead of eating or supplementing your Vitamin D, please note that dermatologists and skin cancer experts recommend an SPF of 50 every single day.
Because most signs of aging come from UV exposure, and because UV exposure ups your odds of developing skin cancer, AND because even those who are pretty good about applying SPF do not always get complete coverage or reapply as often as they should, I highly recommend sun protection on a daily basis. Make SPF part of your morning routine, and have a product on hand so that you can reapply your sun protection throughout the day, especially if you are out swimming, skiing, or even walking your dog. The general rule is to reapply your sun protection every hour, and more often if you are swimming or perspiring, and toweling off.
There are so many great formulations of SPF out now, so there really are no more excuses! I typically enjoy iS Clinical products, though I have not yet tried their new Eclipse SPF 50 (3 oz $39.50). You can bet I am going to grab myself a tube in time for summer! Eclipse SPF 50 comes in translucent and two tinted shades, is water resistant, and offers broad spectrum UV protection. I always keep Jane Iredale’s Powder Me SPF 30 (2 oz $44) on hand for touching up SPF without messing up makeup, and because it will not spoil in my car’s console on a hot day. Powder Me SPF also comes in translucent and two tinted shades. PCA Skin is another great skincare line that offers a variety of SPF products, one to fit your every need.
Dry SPF!!!
iS Clinical Eclipse SPF 50
PCA Skin SPFs
2) Keep Hydrated… From The Inside Out
Yes, you hear this all the time, but it is especially important in the summer. As things heat up, and as you may become more physically active this time of year, you will lose hydration quickly via perspiration. Keeping hydrated is both a beauty issue in that when you are well-hydrated, your cells and organs, and all your systems, function better, and when things are functioning better, you look better! We need at least 8-10 glasses of water a day, and perhaps more in the summer, and when we are working out. Remember to drink sodas, coffee drinks, and cocktails in moderation, as those beverages do not count as water intake and tend to be dehydrating. Boo! But true.
If you are spending time in intense heat or working out more, you need more hydration, and sometimes more than just water. This could be a whole separate blog! So please do a little research on keeping hydrated. One article I liked was written for runners but can apply to anyone who works out – check out Summer Hydration.
Regardless of your skin type, you will want to use a moisturizer to bind water to your skin – think of a plant that is wilting and how it perks up when you water it. That is what a good moisturizer can do for your skin. There are moisturizers for virtually every skin type. Some I like are Nucelle’s Mandelic Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 17 (2 oz $30), Jane Iredale’s Dream Tint (2 oz $44), and PCA Skin’s ReBalance (1.7 oz $34).
Jane Iredale Dream Tint
Nucelle Mandelic Moisturizing Sunsreen SPF 17
PCA Skin ReBalance
3) Always Cleanse Your Skin At Night
One of my little esthetician pet peeves is when people don’t cleanse their skin at night! I know you are tired, but you are doing yourself and your skin such a disservice if you don’t take care of it at night. Even if you don’t wear makeup, a gentle cleansing at night will remove oil, perspiration, SPF, air pollution, and any debris from the day behind you. I also recommend a double cleanse at night. The first cleanse should be quick to remove the bulk of the debris, and the second cleanse you can spend a little more time on. The light exfoliation and massage you do at night when you are cleansing and treating your skin will also help keep pores clean, remove dead skin cells, and stimulate circulation and cellular turnover.
Depending on the skincare products you use and the regimen you follow, you may or may not need to cleanse in the morning. Some regimens call for simply rinsing the skin well with lukewarm water in the morning.
There are cleansers geared toward every type of skin and every type of situation. For example, iS Clinical makes a cream cleanser (6 oz $48) that can be used with or without water, simplifying cleansing for soldiers, campers, and those who are on bed rest. There are also tools that facilitate cleansing, like Jane Iredale’s Magic Mitt ($15), a microfiber mitt that works with water to cleanse your skin and remove makeup. The Magic Mitt can be used with or without cleanser. The Clarisonic cleansing brushes (approximately $100 to$225) are fantastic, too. Combine the Clarisonic with your favorite cleanser and you will be cleansing approximately six times more thoroughly than when cleansing with your hands.
Use lukewarm water when cleansing and rinsing your skin. Hot and cold temperatures can be drying, overstimulating and/or irritating.
iS Clinical Cream Cleanser
Jane Iredale Magic Mitt
Clarisonic
4) Treat Your Skin At Night
At night when you sleep is when your whole body jumps into rejuvenation mode. Getting plenty of sleep is key, that’s why they call it beauty sleep ![;)]()
We have already established that it is important to cleanse your skin at night, and everyone has heard of beauty sleep, but did you know that using product to “treat” your skin with at night will be one more step on the path to healthy, beautiful skin? While your body is already in repair mode, you can help your skin by using a treatment product that works while you are sleeping.
I make no secret of the fact that I love NeriumAD (1 oz $110), a nighttime skincare treatment product that is changing how people think about their skincare regimens. What I really love about it is that I can treat my skin with Nerium to combat the signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots, and sagging, without making my skin sun sensitive. I’ll be honest, I wait all year for summer and do not want to have to miss out on one bit of it because of whatever I’m using to treat my skin!
Other products I like for nighttime that will not make you sun sensitive are SkinMedica’s TNS Essential Serum (1 oz $260) and Nucelle’s Mandelic Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer (2 oz $30).
NeriumAD
SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum
Nucelle Antioxidant Moisturizer
5) Summertime Skincare Treatments
If you are someone who spends a lot of time outdoors in the summer, or you do workouts that heat you up, like hot yoga, bicycling, jogging, kickboxing, or whatever, it’s really a good idea to take this into consideration when planning your skincare treatments. Certain treatments do not mesh well with sun exposure or increased body temperature and perspiring. Rethink peels and laser types of treatments during the summer months.
Are you like me and not willing to miss out on the summer sunshine? For my customers and for myself, I’m not willing to take safety risks when it comes to the skin. So what’s a skincare fanatic to do?!! And what’s a skincare fanatic to recommend?!! Save the heavier duty treatments for winter. Instead, opt for European Facials, Ultrasonic Facials, and even a light Dermaplaning session. This way, you can still take great care of your skin without compromising it and without cramping your summer style!
This particular blog entry was written at the request of my dear friend, Rebecca Dashow. Rebecca is a talented fashionista who can whip your closet and wardrobe into shape, often using elements you already own. We will be guest blogging for one another on a monthly basis, isn’t that fun?!! Please check out Rebecca’s blog at www.RebeccaDashow.com
Have a beautiful, glowing, safe, fabulous summer!
XOXO Jerri Lien
