dermatology.comHappy Hump Day, ladies! Continuing our string of summer-related beauty posts, today I put together a short list of tips for beautiful skin. Work these suggestions into your normal routine for a natural summer look.
- Exfoliate. Whether you use a manual method, like a face scrub, or a chemical method, such as a retinol cream, exfoliating regularly is vital for beautiful skin year-round. It sloughs off dead skin cells, making your serums and moisturizers absorb better. It also provides a smooth canvas for your makeup, which can be the difference between looking natural and looking like you have a thick layer a makeup sitting on top of your skin.
- Moisturize. Moisture solves a lot of problems. Whether your skin is dry, oily or combination, finding the right moisturizer is vital to having beautiful skin. Moisturized, balanced skin looks younger, healthier and more attractive. I know it can be tempting to skip the moisturizer in oily spots, but for me, adequately moisturizing my skin actually helped cut down my skin's oil production. Drying out your skin can cause it to produce more oil in order to compensate, while moisturizing stops this vicious cycle. To figure out what’s going on with your skin, and to get specific recommendations on the best daily moisturizer for you, try talking with a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician. My current regime is based on the advice of the woman who gave me the best facial I’ve ever had. It really helps to ask someone who knows what they’re talking about, and has been up close and personal with your skin.
Mikal.Danielle - Protect. This is the step that prompted me to write this post in the first place. A recent study found that wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily significantly slows signs of aging on your skin. How significant? Try 24 percent. 24. PERCENT. That’s huge, especially when you can pick up a bottle of sunscreen for $10 at your local drugstore. Use a sunscreen specifically made for your face up top (don’t forget your neck!), and slather a normal sunscreen on any skin not covered by your clothes. This may seem like a lot of unwarranted extra work when you aren't going to the beach, but consider this, just 15 minutes of sun exposure a day can negatively affect your skin.
- Prime. Never skip this step if you plan on wearing makeup. The right primer can work miracles—controlling oil and cutting shine, minimizing the appearance of pores and fine lines and extending the life of your makeup.
- Foundation. The guiding principle for summer makeup is to do as little as possible, while looking as beautiful as possible. Consider using your liquid foundation as a concealer and only spot cover imperfections like acne scars and sun spots, while leaving the rest of your face bare. Or switch to a lighter product, such as a tinted moisturizer (a lot of these also contain sunscreen) or a mineral makeup. E.L.F. has a $3 tinted moisturizer with SPF that I really love for during the summer.
- Bronze. If you wanted a tanned summer look, you can still get it without baking in the sun for hours or (heaven forbid) sitting in a tanning booth. These methods invite all sorts of nasty things from premature aging (I like to call this the “cow-hide effect” because the skin starts to look a bit like leather) to skin cancer (scary, scary stuff). They may look awesome, but natural tans are so not worth it. So, just fake it! I like Jergens Natural Glow, which slowly builds up a natural-looking tan, but there are a ton of sunless tanners out there. Don’t forget to wash the palms of your hands after applying—tanned palms are not sexy!