Over the summer our skin is at higher risk of UV damage. There are also other things to consider over this time including the moisture loss from the warmer weather. In this post, we look at what you can do to help your skin during the warmer weather as well as things to avoid doing that could negatively impact your skin. I hope you find my post, Tips for protecting your skin this summer really helpful. You will find these tips will help your skin look younger for longer.
Tips for Protecting Your Skin This Summer
What to Avoid:
Washing Your Face Too Often
Avoid washing your face too often in one day. Experts advise washing your face a maximum of twice daily. This is because over washing your face removes natural oils that protect the skin barrier. By washing too often, the skin will compensate and over produce oils which may result in pores being more likely to become blocked resulting in blackheads and pimples. The natural oils help protect against moisture loss and help the skin stay plump and soft. Over washing the skin will also result in the skin feeling tight and dry.
Avoid Touching Your Skin
It’s normal to want to touch your skin to wipe away sweat in the summer. By touching your face, you unintentionally end up with oil, dirt and bacteria collecting on your fingers. By then retouching your face, you pass these around to different areas of your face and this can cause acne or make existing skin conditions worse.
Over Exfoliation
You don’t need to totally stop exfoliation over the summer, but it is advised to do this far less regularly. The reason for this is that by exfoliating the skin we remove the dead skin cells and expose the healthy new cells beneath. This means that the skin can be more sensitive to the sun, more so in counties where the sun reaches higher temperatures. It’s advised to cut down weekly exfoliation from 2-3 times in the winter to 1-2 times in the summer.
Peak Sun Strength Hours
The sun is at its hottest at certain points of the day. In the summer, when the weather is actually hot (not raining daily – yes it does happen) it is normally best to avoid going out or staying out in direct sun during the hours of 11am and 3pm. At this time of day, it is most likely that your skin will burn with prolonged exposure. It’s best to stay under shade and wear protective clothing where possible. Don’t forget the sunscreen as some harmful rays of the sun will still manage to reach you.
Don’t Use Tanning Beds
Yes, tanning beds can make you look tanned, but there are safer ways to get a sun kissed look that are far healthier for the skin. Tanning beds expose your skin to UVA and UVB rays. Exposure to these can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. They also increase your risk of cataracts and ocular melanoma.
Watch Out For Medication that Increases Sun Sensitivity
Some medication as you will have gathered from the section title can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. These include some antibiotics and antifungal medicines. Phototoxic reactions may also occur with some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This includes some aspirins and ibuprofen. It’s important to check the possible side effects of the medication you are using just in case.
What You Should Do:
Don’t Forget the Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a vital part of your summer skincare routine. You should wear a minimum of a factor 30 that protects against UVA and UVB when going outside in the summer months even on cloudy days. Don’t forget, if you are swimming or sweating it is best to reapply this cream every 2 hours approximately. Always ensure that the sun cream that you are using isn’t more than 3 years old as this can affect its efficiency. Older cream use may result with your skin getting burnt. Creams should always be stored somewhere cooled. If you leave your cream out in the sun daily whilst on holiday you may be better off throwing it out at the end of your break and buying a new one at the start of your next holiday.
Wear A Sunhat
The bigger the better in this case. Hats with a wider brim offer a larger amount of protection than baseball caps for example. A wider brimmed hat will not only cover and protect the eyes, the head, but also the ears and neck, areas that can commonly get sun burnt and are often overlooked when sun creams are applied.
(Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream)
Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses are an essential during the summer months. It protects the eyes from the sun and also from glare from pools or reflective surfaces. Oversized frames are the best option for this. They help minimise the amount of sun exposure that your eyes will get. they also help reduce sun exposure to the delicate skin around the eyes which we all know is prone to wrinkle and fine line formation Make sure you purchase proper sunglasses that offer a good amount of projection rather than their cheap counterparts that offer little to protection and may put your eyes at risk.
Drink Water
It is important to keep yourself hydrated when the weather is hot. When you are dehydrated it has a knock on effect on the skin, the skin will appear dryer, you may end up with dry patches, it will not retain as much moisture making wrinkles appear far more defined etc. Keep yourself hydrated. Don’t forget that coffee, caffeinated drinks such as some teas and soft drinks have a diuretic effect on the body. This means that you’ll feel more thirsty and need to constantly drink to replace fluids. Avoid sugary drinks which produce the same result. Where possible stick to water.
Use a Good Serum
A good serum rich in antioxidants is important especially in the summer when the skin is at most risk from the ageing affects of the sun. You’ll find a vitamin c serum may be of value as it has numerous properties such as protecting against hyperpigmentation, promoting collagen production resulting in wrinkles looking less defined, helping skin look more radiant etc. The serum you choose needs to suit your skins particular requirements so be selective when choosing.
Don’t Forget Day and Night Cream’s
You may find you need to adjust the day and night creams that you are using to suit your skins requirement at the time. Using a day or night cream that has particular benefits such as soothing or hydrating properties may be just what is needed. You may want to boost your protection from skin ageing and again look to use a product or products that are appropriate to promote this.
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I hope you enjoyed reading my Tips for Protecting Your Skin This Summer. As you can see there are a range of things to consider many of which you may already be doing. These will help you avoid excessive sun damage to your skin, reduce the risk of premature ageing and also allow your skin to look healthy all summer long.
Are there any tips you might suggest for protecting skin over the summer that are not here?
If not, which of these do you make sure you do in order to keep your skin protected?
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Thanks for sharing this kind of things this summer. Summer is the hottest season of all, and it can dry your skin if you didn’t out any effort to take care of it.
It is important to look safter your skin.
Heading out to Portugal for the summer and this is a great reminder of the dos and don’ts. SPF/Sunscreen the most important and lots of drinking – water I mean!!
Ha, yes. Water, as alcohol dehydrates you. Have a wonderful time x
I’m always looking for ways to keep my family’s skin safe during the summer, and your advice is super helpful
Thanks so much x
Great post with so many great tips for protecting your skin this summer. I have been on my kids daily to make sure to protect their skin, it’s been so hot here we too have been using night and day creams and sunscreens.
It’s good to keep on top of skincare. Kids tend to be lazy with this but they’ll let you know if they burn. Best to avoid that happening.
totally agree with these tips and given the extreme heat in our area (has been in high 90s and low 100s this past week and to be so for another few days), i am at this time staying indoors and hydrated!
It’s good to stay in when temperatures are high.
Fantastic advice! I also make sure to use a lip balm with high SPF to protect my lips since my skin burns easily. 😔
They can burn easily and it’s not pleasant. Always best to stay safe.
Protecting our skin during summer is crucial, and your tips are spot on! From UV protection to preventing moisture loss, it’s clear you’ve covered everything to keep our skin healthy and youthful. Looking forward to implementing these tips for a glowing summer skin. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Thanks so much Sue-Tanya I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Great tips for summer skincare! Balancing cleansing and exfoliating while protecting from the sun is crucial for healthy skin.
It can help but it’s important not to over exfoliate.
I don’t have any tips you haven’t suggested. And I love that you included sunglasses. Those are overlooked as necessities and just viewed as glam sometimes.
I agree they are often overlooked but are an essential as the skin around the eyes and the eyes also need protection.
Protecting our skin during summer is essential in my opinion. Thanks for these practical tips!
It certainly is Hari. Something we all need to stay on top of.
I find wearing hats protects my skin, but I suck at remembering to put on sunscreen and better prioritising my skin. Thank you for these tips for the summer.
It helps to develop a routine with sunscreen. That way it becomes an automatic process.
Summer or not, I always wear sunscreen. I also make sure to hydrate every single day and wear my sunglasses when we’re out and about. I do need a sunhat.
It is important to wear sunscreen. I try to wear it all year around too x
Thanks for sharing. Its very important to look after your skin.
It really is x