SUMMERTIME IS HERE!
A few simple tips for caring for your skin in the hottest months of the year:
Wear Sunscreen ~ after the first sunny weekend I’m already seeing lots of scorched skin ~ we’re not used to it so protect your skin by using a physical block – look for Zinc Oxide and Titanium dioxide as active ingredients – SPF 30 (my faves: Bio-shield Oil-free spf 30 w/ plant stem cells (PSC); Lira BB Tint; Image Oil-free Tinted Spf 30)
Drink Water with Lemon~
keep hydrated from the inside out by a cup of warm OR cool water with fresh-squeezed lemon first thing in the morning. It’s the best first thing to put into your body each day – cleansing, detoxifying, alkalizing & hydrating!
Find a great (big) pair of shades ~
protect your eyes and the skin around the eyes by wearing sunglasses outdoors as much as possible ~ the bigger, the better!
Consider switching to a gel cleanser ~ gel cleansers remove more oil, sweat & dirt that accumulates more in the summer, and they’re great for all-over body cleansing, too! (My faves: Lira Bio-Enzyme Cleanser w/PSC for normal, dry & sensitive skin types; Lira Salicylic Cleanser for oil-rich skin or problematic skin types)
Use lightweight moisturizer ~ you’ll likely find that your skin doesn’t need quite as much added hydration, so an oil-free, lightweight, hydrating moisturizer with antioxidants and plant stem cells is a must-have for keeping skin balanced in the summertime (My faves: Lira Bio Hydra C Serum w/ PSC & Lira Firming Serum for normal, dry, sensitive skin types; Lira Balancing Lotion for oil-rich, problematic skin types; Lira C15 Booster for really dry skin!)
Eat lots of watermelon & salsa for added sun protection! Some of our favorite summer foods are the best things we can eat for our skin health. Foods like watermelon, strawberries & tomatoes are high in lycopene, which helps the skin protect itself from UV damage. Avocado & nuts are high in healthy fats, protein and vitamin E!
Drink iced green tea ~ studies have shown that drinking one cup of green tea per day increases your internal sun protection by 12 minutes! Also a great anti-inflammatory and contains just a little caffeine for an afternoon pick-me-up!