Caring For Your Skin in the Summer Sun
Now that the sun has chased away the dreary cold of winter, it’s time to dig out those summer clothes and bare more of your skin. It’s also time to boost your skin care routine to protect the skin from harmful sun rays. About 80% of your sun exposure occurs during the summer, increasing your risk of skin cancer, wrinkles, and overall sun damage to your skin. To help you keep your skin healthy and protected this summer, we have a few tips and suggestions for your skin care regimen.
Sunscreen
- Wear it every day and apply it at least fifteen to thirty minutes before you go out
- Choose a water resistant, broad-spectrum coverage brand that is at least 15 SPF or higher, though 30 SPF is usually preferable
- Reapply your sunscreen every few hours and more often if you are swimming or sweating
Clothing
- Wear a hat to protect your face. A wide-brimmed hat will give you better protection than a baseball hat, but either will work.
- Cotton, dark-colored, and tightly weaved clothing will absorb and prevent most of the sun’s rays from reaching your skin
Lip balm
- Your lips can be hurt by the sun, too! Choose a lip balm that has at least an SPF of 15 or higher and reapply it as necessary
- Try to avoid lip balms that are made of baby oil, petroleum jelly, or high-shine gloss
- Darker lipstick shades provide more protection than sheer or glossy shades
Cosmetics
- A number of cosmetics now have sun protection built in! Find a concealer and foundation that protect against the harmful sun rays to go along with your moisturizer and sunscreen.
A lot of people neglect to care for their skin during the entire year, but it becomes especially important in the summer time when sun exposure is increased. Damage caused by harmful UVA and UVB rays will stick with you throughout your life and can cause all kinds of problems, which include making you appear older than you really are and the development of dangerous skin conditions. If you need advice on how to care for your skin, or would like to schedule a skin care consultation, you can call Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery at (310) 275-2467 to make an appointment with our skin care esthetician.