This weekend marks the unofficial start to summer. Memorial day is upon us and so is longer days and trips to the beach. As I’ve gotten older I care a lot about keeping my skin healthy and youthful. Summer is probably the most important time to be extra careful with your skin when you’re out and about. Chicago has so many incredible things going on in the summer but you should always remember to protect your skin.
Use Sunscreen and Reapply
Number one rule when protecting your skin is to always use sunscreen! Even if you’re just going to work, you should always have at least some kind of SPF on your face every day. I have been loving the Supergoop! Daily Moisturizer with SPF40. It feels light, it’s not greasy and mixes so perfectly with my favorite foundations. I also know how easy it is to forget to cover the rest of your body on days you’re outdoors like at a festival or concert but Bare Republic has completely changed the game with their Holographic sunscreen. With a little bit of natural glitter in the formula not only are you protecting your skin with SPF 30 but you’re also adding a little glow to your festival look.
Avoid Sitting in the Sun Between 10 am and 2 pm
I was one of those girls who used to seek out those hours when I was younger. I would slather myself in tanning oil and literally back in an attempt to get darker skin. I saw it as a waste being out sunbathing at any other times, but now as an adult, I’ve realized this kind of behavior leads to wrinkles and leathery skin. So if I’m going to be sitting in the sun I always always always wear sunscreen, with at least 20 SPF and as I said above REAPPLY! This is so important. I’m a sucker for the aerosol sprays from Bare Republic and Pacifica. The Bare Republic Citrus Cooler makes my skin smell delicious and my favorite Pacifica is tinted so it gives my skin a good golden glow before I’ve even stepped foot into the sun.
Protect Your Head
Your skin is the largest organ on your body so of course, you want to protect it, and while the lotion all over exposed skin is important your hairline can often times be an area forgotten when you’re out at the beach. So instead of leaving the top of your head vulnerable to harmful rays always bring a hat to the beach. A baseball cap with your a cute saying or your favorite sports team is really in right now but if the sporty vibe isn’t your thing I personally love a straw hat to protect my head.
Don’t Forget Your Lips
We are usually hyper-aware of chapped lips in the winter time and always remember our lip balm to keep our lips hydrated. But it’s also important to protect your lips when you’re in the sun, you can also get sunburn on them too! Pick up a lip balm with a bit of SPF in it and… you know what I’m going to say… reapply frequently.
Hydrate
So now you’ve officially covered every inch of your body in some kind of SPF but it’s also important to protect your skin from the inside in the summertime too. It’s hot you’re in the sun definitely sweating (yes ladies, I’m outing us… we really do sweat) make sure you are replenishing all the water escaping your body by drinking plenty of water.
Forget the Tanning Bed
I’d be lying if I said I never stepped foot in a tanning bed, and I’d also be lying if I said I hate being golden brown and beautifully tan. Working a 9 to 5 in an office really hinders my ability to get out and get a good tan every year, so instead of taking the instant gratification of a tanning bed and risking so much unnecessary damage to my skin, I will regret later in life I choose to use a self-tanner. Of course, Loving Tan in Dark, especially their Express 2-hour formula is an incredible option for a quick tan before an impromptu trip to the beach but my holy grail tanning foam is the Vita Liberata Invisi Tanning Foam. It goes on clear and won’t stain your fabrics so you don’t have to worry about your sheets when you go to sleep, the next morning you’ll wake up with a beautiful glowing tan, clean sheets, and no orange tone.
Protect Your Eyes
Your eyes give you a very important sense, sight, so you should also protect those, make sure your sunglasses have UVA and UVB protection helps prevent damage to the sensitive skin around your eyes, this can prevent crows feet and wrinkles around the eyes as well as cataracts.