Does the sun improve your Skin complexion? Will a base tan protect you from burning? Do clothes fend off sun damage? And does summer really make you happier?
When it comes to summer health and skin care, we all know the drill: use sunscreen, drink plenty of water, avoid midday sun exposure.
But there are also a ton of misconceptions out there which, taken to heart, can do you more harm than good. That’s why, in between weekend trips to the beach, nights out with friends, and last-minute schedule adjustments, you should also make sure you’re doing all the right things to protect your skin, maintain healthy habits, and stay safe when it comes to outdoor activities.
For that, I sought the opinion of medical doctors, dermatologists and nutritionists, and compiled their advice into a science-based Summer Wellness Guide.
Your Summer Wellness Guide: Science-Backed Advice on How to Stay Fresh, Radiant, and Healthy All Summer Long
Hair Care During Summer
You’re already aware that prolonged sun exposure will harm your skin, but did you know the same goes for your hair?
The sun’s UVA and UVB rays act pretty much like bleach on hair, damaging the cuticle (the outside cover of the hair strand) and causing discoloration, dry strands, split ends, frizziness, and thinning.
The damage is even greater if you regularly expose your locks to heat styling, chlorine, or saltwater. These are known to break the hair’s keratin, allowing sun and heat to penetrate it more easily and wreak irreversible havoc on your ‘do.
Particularly susceptible to damage are fine, light-colored, and African American hair types, as they lack the pigment and the thickness which can protect them from the sun’s rays.
The good news is you can keep your hair out of the harm’s way by taking these simple but effective measures:
1. Avoid sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.);
2. When you go out, wear a hat made from a tightly woven UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) fabric;
3. Before swimming, prepare your hair by wetting it with tap water so it won’t absorb too much chlorine;
4. After swimming, wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of salt and prevent chlorine buildup;
5. Coat wet or dry hair with a leave-in conditioner that provides heat protection.
Eye Care During Summer
Although this season provides our eyes with plenty of delightful things to feast on, it also makes them prone to a host of issues ranging from dryness and redness to sun damage and infections.
To protect the delicate eye tissue from damage and to maintain your flawless vision for years to come, you should:
1. Wear sunglasses with complete ultraviolet protection. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the best way to protect your eyes from sun damage is to consistently wear sunglasses that provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. If you’re thinking about price, here’s some good news: there are many affordable brands which carry this kind of sunglasses, so you have a wide variety of options to choose from. Don’t forget to wear them even on cloudy days.
2. Wear goggles when swimming. A 2008 study revealed that frequent exposure to chlorine damages the corneal epithelium, the layer which protects the cornea from irritants and pathogens. So everytime you go for a dip in the pool, wear goggles. The same applies to swimming in the ocean, lakes, or rivers, since they are breeding grounds for many infection-causing microorganisms.
3. Wear a hat. Sunglasses don’t always offer full protection to eyes and eyelids, especially those models with gaps on the sides. Wearing a hat will complement them nicely, plus, hats are great for protecting the hair and the face, too!
4. Moisturize the area around your eyes. Eye creams aren’t exactly magic but they do a pretty good job of keeping dryness and fine lines at bay. For maximum benefits, use a fragrance-free cream that contains hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins C, E and K. If you prefer natural moisturizers, red raspberry seed oil and carrot seed oil are known to have powerful anti-aging properties and a natural SPF between 28 and 40 (depending on the oils’ quality).
5. Apply sunblock on your eyelids. Whether you’re afraid of getting sunscreen in your eyes or it simply doesn’t cross your mind to apply it on your eyelids, you should. In the past few years, there’s been an increase in the number of cancers detected on this area and the best way to prevent it – as you might not always wear a hat or sunglasses – is by wearing sunblock instead. You could also try a sunscreen stick, as they are more waxy, therefore less likely to drip into your eyes.
6. Drink plenty of water to keep them lubricated. Dehydration makes it harder for the body to produce tears, leading to dry eye symptoms and other vision problems. Drinking the recommended quantity of water each day will prevent and reverse many of the negative effects of dehydration, as well as providing fluid for normal eye function.
7. Use eye drops to get rid of dryness. Sometimes, things such as allergens, irritants and air conditioning will cause your eyes to feel tired or excessively dry. Using eye drops will alleviate your symptoms, however, you should always consult a qualified ophthalmologist first, especially if the problem persists.
8. Avoid reading on your gadgets at the beach. The researchers from University of Mexico ran an interesting experiment last year and they found that the glare reflected by an iPad could increase UV exposure by 85 percent, while an iPhone can increase it by 36 percent. Unless devices are designed to be less reflective, or to have built-in UV sensors so people could track their exposure, the safest solution for beach or poolside readers is to do it the old fashioned way with, you know, books.
9. Avoid rubbing your eyes. I know, rubbing your eyes feels pretty damn good, especially when you’re tired, sleepy, or suffering from eye strain. But, if you do it too hard or too often, you can give yourself dark circles, puffy eyes, conjunctivitis, or corneal abrasion. So, even if it feels good, it’s probably best to refrain from it altogether.
Skin Care During Summer
Your skin is amazing. With an understated complexity, it’s the ultimate multitasker, simultaneously protecting your body, adjusting your temperature, and translating sensations, all while looking after itself.
But your skin is not just an organ; it’s also the uppermost layer of the ensemble you call self-image and a canvas for self-expression. Which is precisely why, even if we’re biologically conditioned to age, we’d do just about anything to ward of the signs. And while we’re not yet able to completely stop the ageing process, there are things we can do to slow it down.
When it comes to skin care, here’s what matters most: sun protection, water intake, and diet.
A 2013 study conducted on 298 women revealed that the sun’s UV rays are responsible for 80 percent of skin ageing, including wrinkles, pigmentation, reduced skin elasticity, and the degradation of its texture. The remaining 20 percent were split between factors such as gravity, the natural ageing process, pollution, diet, tobacco, illness, and stress.
This being said, if you want your skin to remain young, radiant, and healthy for as long as possible, here’s what you need to do:
1. Drink plenty of water. Did you know your skin is 64 percent water? This vital liquid is essential to maintaining a healthy skin, as it delivers nutrients to the skin cells, it replenishes the skin tissue and increases its elasticity. Drinking enough water alleviates disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea, and helps the body flush out toxins and metabolic waste. But just how much water do you need for a smooth and glowing complexion? Dr. Frank Lipman, a New York-based physician recommends to calculate half your body weight in pounds and drink that amount of water, in ounces. For example, a person weighing 120 lbs should aim for 60 ounces of water each day.”
2. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen. The sun’s UV rays are incredibly powerful even when it’s cloudy, all the more reason to wear protection everyday. When shopping for sunscreen, my advice is to choose a broad-spectrum one (protects against both UVA and UVB), with an SPF of at least 30. Don’t fall for super-high SPF numbers because incremental sun protection diminishes as SPF increases, especially at higher levels. For example, sunscreens with SPF from 50 to 100 effectively block just 1-2% more UV rays than an SPF 30 product. Regardless of which SPF you choose, you should reapply it every two hours, and always after swimming.
3. Moisturize. A lot of women believe they don’t need to use a moisturizer during summer, since their skin feels plumper and hydrated enough. But that’s because, triggered by heat and humidity, the skin’s sebaceous glands start producing more oil than they usually do. A light moisturizer that contains humectants will act as a barrier between the skin and the surrounding environment, preventing moisture loss and dehydration,.
4. Exfoliate at least once a week. As dead skin cells pile-up on the surface of your skin, your complexion becomes dull, dry, and rough. By exfoliating, you are removing these dead cells, allowing your more radiant, healthier summer skin to shine through. Exfoliation also opens the way for moisturizing products to be absorbed deeper into the skin, boosting their efficiency and their anti-ageing effects.
5. Refresh with natural face and body mists. Mists are those kinds of products that you never knew you needed until you tried them. They have so many uses, it’s incredible: they hydrate the skin and prime it for make-up, they increase the absorption of moisturizers and masks and, best of all, they refresh your face and body on the go, which makes them especially useful at the beach. I also use mine to dilute my rosa mosqueta face oil and my argan hair oil – it helps them sink in faster with no greasy residue left.
6. Eat foods that promote healthy skin. Believe it or not, it’s true: you are what you eat. A diet rich in sugar, processed foods, and unhealthy fats will translate into dull skin, enlarged pores, excessive oiliness or dryness, breakouts, and dark circles under the eyes.
On the other hand, a daily menu that includes high-quality lean proteins, fiber, healthy oils, fruits, vegetables, and spices will nurture a healthy, glowing skin.
So, what’s a girl to eat for a fresh and dewy look? Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes are best at fighting aging and sun damage; broccoli and bell peppers will boost your vitamin C intake and your skin’s collagen production; avocado, chia seeds, and quinoa support healthy skin cell function; spinach, artichokes, and miso soup help with acne, while turmeric improves the skin’s complexion.
7. Get enough sleep. I know, I know, summer is for late-night parties and get-togethers with friends, and skipping a night or two isn’t really that bad (try telling that to my 33 year old self!). But repeated sleep deprivation can lead to dull skin, fine lines, dark under-eye circles, break-outs and rashes. Lack of sleep also triggers an increased secretion of cortisol, aka the stress hormone, which slows down the production of collagen in the skin, among other nasty side-effects. The remedy? A good night’s rest, of course!
8. Wear protective clothing. Generally speaking, clothes can offer a fair amount of protection against UV rays, but not all clothing is created equal. Their efficiency pretty much varies, depending on their fiber, weave, weight, color, and coverage. As a rule, light-colored, lightweight and loosely-woven fabrics are not that good at blocking UV radiation, while darker, tightly-woven fabric provide the best protection there is. Also, synthetics such as polyesters do a much better job than, let’s say, cotton. Learning about this pretty much blew my mind since I was convinced it’s the other way around!
9. Avoid tanning beds. Tanning beds are, literally, the worst thing that can happen to your skin and there’s absolutely nothing which justifies using them! Aside from drying up your skin, they’re linked to melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. And if you’re under 35 and you’re thinking of using them, don’t: they’ll increase your risk of developing melanoma by 75%! There are much safer ways to give yourself a summery skin color, such as self-tanning lotions, sprays, and towels.
10. Avoid midday sun…but only after you’ve taken your daily dose of vitamin D. Despite our growing fear of it, the sun is not out to kill us. While too much of it is no doubt harmful, sun exposure in the right amount at the right time is actually one of our greatest allies in protecting our health.
So when it’s the right time, I hear you ask? Not when you think, that’s for sure. According to this study, the best time to be out in the sun and stock up on Vitamin D is at midday, when UVB rays (which are required to synthesize vitamin D) are at their strongest. Now, before you shake your head in disbelief, the experts recommend no more than 10 minutes of exposure, which will be enough to give your body the good stuff, without any of the bad stuff. Well, sort of.
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