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Get Your Beauty Routine Ready for Summer with These Expert Tips

Get Your Beauty Routine Ready for Summer with These Expert Tips
Now is the perfect time to start thinking about protecting your skin from sun damage.

With sizzling summer days just around the corner, it pays to reconsider your skincare routine to ensure you’re not only getting the best results from your chosen products but you’re also protecting skin from sun damage.

WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY 

Protecting your skin with a high-quality broad-spectrum sunblock is should be your number one all-year round not just during summer says the founder of Environ, Dr. Des Fernandes. “As most skin damage happens in the presence of sun and UV rays, it is imperative to use a sunscreen all year round to protect against further UV damage as well as free radicals triggered by the sun that wreak havoc on the skin,” he explains.

Clinic 42’s Ellen Selkon agrees; “No matter your skin type or complexion, the sun is one of the largest factors in premature ageing, not to mention the risk of skin cancer.” She stresses that reapplying sunscreen is crucial but covering up and staying out of the sun is always your safest option. “You should also use protective clothing and accessories, and seek some shade when you can,” says Selkon. “Your clothes and hat are your most effective protection against the damaging sun’s rays,” adds Fernandes.

Beauty myth-buster and best-selling author, Paula Begoun says when it comes to picking sunscreen always buy broad-spectrum to ensure you’re getting reliable protection from both UVB and UVA rays. And she says it’s important to not be fooled by hefty price tags where sunscreen is concerned. “Be wary of expensive sunscreens for the body,” she says. “Sunscreens must be applied liberally in order to get the stated level of protection, and you’re more likely to skimp on the application when using an expensive sunscreen.”

Begoun recommends looking for a sunscreen with additional benefits. “Choose a sunscreen for your face that also contains several antioxidants (like vitamins and non-fragrant plant extracts) as well as skin restoring ingredients,” she says.

EAT YOUR WAY TO HEALTHY SKIN

Diet plays a significant role in our skin health – you can read about eating your way to radiant skin here – and summer is the perfect time to complement your topical skincare routine with antioxidant-rich dietary sources. Oral supplementation of antioxidants can increase the repair mechanisms that can fend off wrinkles explains Fernandes.

Fernandes swears by green tea, honeybush and rooibos tea extracts to help protects the skin. ”The carotenoids in tea are also important to minimise the blue light and infrared damage,” he explains.

TAKE IT EASY

Both Selkon and Fernandes agree that during the warmer months chemical exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids need to be used with caution as over exfoliating can lead to increased sun sensitivity. “A thinner stratum corneum (the outermost layer of skin) after these treatments will make your skin more susceptible to photodamage,” explains Fernandes. That doesn’t mean you need to avoid AHAs and BHAs entirely, they just need to be used in the evening and with the right sun protection.

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