5 Tips to keep your skin fresh this summer

CAIRO – 2 August 2018: Whether your skin feels patchy in the summer or it becomes oily, taking care of your skin through a healthy regimen and a well thought out skincare routine.

Here are our top tips for staying on top of summer skin.

Skip the hot shower and moisturize right after showering

A hot shower is a stable go-to after a long day of work. Not only does the steam let one relax and breathe deeply, it also feels like it is cleansing you of the daytime’s difficulties and the long day’s work. But hot showers tend to be harsh on the skin, leaving it dry and patchy. Instead, you should shower with lukewarm water, this will not only make your skin ready for exfoliation, it will also lock the moisture within the skin and stop it from drying up.

“Showering can dry out your skin, but applying moisturizer right out of the shower or bath helps to lock in water molecules,” Gregory Papadeas, D.O., a Denver-based dermatologist and past president of the Colorado Dermatologic Society, told Massage Envy.

Turning to moisturizing, you should do so as soon as you get out of the shower; the reason behind this is twofold. First, it is known that tying a habit to another one that you regularly do increases the chances of one doing it. Second, moisturizers are designed to lock the water and the moisture into the skin, applying moisturiser while your skin is already moist from a lukewarm shower will make moisturizing more effective and will leave your skin softer than ever.

Facial cleansing

Spending time in the sun and putting on sunscreen after sunscreen can leave your skin breaking out or oily, making a proper cleansing routine a cornerstone to making sure that you retain a moist skin.

D’Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., a dermatologist at Bloomfield Dermatology Associates in West Bloomfield, told Massage Envy that she would recommend lighter and less intense cleansers and soaps during the summer season. “I prefer the liquid cleansers to the bar soaps, which can be more alkaline and harsher to the skin.”

Massage Envy also recommends washing your face regularly and well, and not being too harsh on your skin by excessively using strong exfoliating products.

Skip the chemical mask and opt for an oatmeal mask

“Colloidal oatmeal is a natural ingredient used in the formulation of a range of personal care products for relief of skin dryness and itchiness,” states a research piece titled ‘Safety and efficacy of personal care products containing colloidal oatmeal’. The article argues for the benefits that oatmeal has on skin, leaving it soft and reducing pore size, while also helping in the removal of dead skin.

To make an oatmeal mask, blend one tablespoon of whole rolled oats with two tablespoons of milk and half a teaspoon of coconut oil. Apply for twenty minutes, after cleansing face, every week during the summer season. Wash off with warm water and lock in the moisture using a non-alcoholic tonic and moisturizing cream.

Use all-natural sunscreen

Recently the Environmental Working Group (EWG) warned of the chemical ingredients in sunscreens, arguing that these chemicals could interfere with the thyroid gland, as well as other hormones in the body, and contribute to the reduction of sperm count in men and endometriosis in women, due to Oxybenzone—an endocrine distributing chemical—found in sunscreens. EWG warns that children and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not be using products with Oxybenzone, as it may have long-term side effects on children.

Thus, it is much safer to make your own sunscreen at home.

To do so, mix together one teaspoon of Coconut, vanilla or lavender extract, with two tablespoons of shea butter, two tablespoons of zinc oxide, quarter a cup of coconut oil, quarter a cup of beeswax pastilles and half a cup of almond oil. Store in a jar.

Apply the sunscreen half an hour prior to sun exposure, and reapply after swimming or every two hours. The best thing about this recipe is that it both protects you from the sun and also, moisturizes.

Drink cucumber water

The all too common answer to how to keep your skin soft: Water. However, we recommend cucumber water as it has vitamins A and C, which helps soothe skin and fight any damage that may have occurred due to sun exposure, and makes one feel fresh and contributes to increasing moisture in the body.

“Silica found in water-rich vegetables such as cucumbers can help increase moisture leading to increased skin elasticity,” says skincare expert Dr. Arleen Lamba told Bustle.

Drinking eight cups of water a day will keep the body feeling energetic and will keep skin elastic and young.