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5 Steps to Summer Beauty

By Milly Nolan

5 Steps to Summer Beauty
Follow these easy steps for a summertime glow.

BODY PREP

Soft, smooth and radiant skin is the key to looking healthy during summer. Achieve this by exfoliating regularly and staying well-hydrated. Look for grainy body scrubs with ‘polishing’ ingredients such as salt, sugar or oatmeal, which will help remove dry, flaky skin.

Exfoliate your entire body at least three times a week, using exfoliating gloves or a loofah, before or during a shower. Follow with a rich body moisturiser applied to damp skin. At night, massage a body oil into your skin to help replenish and nourish skin as you sleep.

HAPPY FEET

Cracked heels and chipped nail polish are a summer-time faux pas. Avoid this mistake by treating yourself to a weekly home pedicure. First, soak your feet in a warm foot bath with added bath salts, Epsom salts or aromatherapy oils.

Once your feet are well-soaked, use a scrub and a foot file on the balls and heels of your feet to remove any rough patches. Where there is a build-up of dead skin, you may need to use a callous remover.

Soften the cuticles with cuticle oil before pushing them back and then trim, shape and buff your nails. Next, massage in a moisturising treatment cream.

Finish by applying a base coat, two coats of polish and finally, a top coat to your toenails. This summer any colour goes – choose bright, cheerful shades, such as pink, purple and coral or dark and sophisticated hues, like navy, scarlet and red.

SUN SMART

Sun damage, or photoageing, is the number one cause of accelerated skin ageing. Help minimise the damaging effects of the sun by regularly applying a high SPF (30+) broad-spectrum sunscreen, which protects from both UVA (which causes long-term skin damage, such as ageing) and UVB (which causes burning and skin cancer) rays. Apply at least 15-30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours.

AFTER-SUN CARE

Even if your skin has been protected from harmful UV radiation with sunscreen, it still requires nourishment and rehydration after long periods of exposure to the elements. To counteract the drying effects of the sun, soothe and soften your skin with lotions, gels and sprays that are designed to restore the skin’s barrier and replenish its moisture levels.

For a refreshing, cooling effect, store your after-sun products in the fridge. If your skin is red, hot and inflamed, mitigate the damage done 
by the sun and use a product that contains 
anti-inflammatory properties, such as aloe vera, 
or soak in a cold bath to help ease the pain.

And don’t forget your hair:

SUPER-SOFT HAIR

The sun, saltwater and chlorine can be as damaging to your hair as it is to your skin, robbing it of its colour, moisture and vitality. Keep your hair looking healthy and radiant by using colour-safe, moisture-rich shampoos and conditioners, which will help reduce colour fade, replace lost nutrients and soften your hair.

While in the sun, use a protective UV spray to shield your hair from further damage and, for significantly shinier locks, regularly apply a hydrating mask.

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