Summer Skin Care Featuring Beauty and the Beach

Summer skin care evokes visions of beach beauties radiating gorgeous glistening bronzed skin, the "perfect" tan.

But wait!

Think about summer skin care for a moment then stop and ask yourself, "Who is the real Beauty on the Beach?"

Is it the radiantly bronzed Beauty or is it the hidden Beauty lounging under the beach umbrella, slathered in sunscreen from head to toe sporting large dark sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat, and a full length beach cover-up?

You know the answer to that one already, don’t you? In the heat of that moment of summer sun it appears that the deeply bronzed beach Beauty is clearly winner doesn’t it? Not a chance! It’s really the hidden Beauty enjoying all the wonder that the beach offers without surrendering her skin to the onslaught of aging UV rays. Summer skin care is silently working wonders for her skin!

Over time, the beautiful bronzed Beauty will gradually develop hyper pigmentation, age spots, wrinkles and tough leathery skin while the hidden Beauty’s skin will continue to radiate the essence of youth. Skin rejuvenation is the most successful if you start early and protect your skin from sun damage. Yes, that means that you will need to be the hidden beauty slathered in sunscreen under the big beach umbrella!

Why is that you ask? Quite simply it is because 90% of all signs of aging skin are a direct result of sun damage!

Think of it this way, have you ever left a piece of fruit in the sun only to discover later that it has become totally dehydrated, shrunken, leathery, wrinkled and completely covered in ugly brown and black spots? That is exactly what happens to your skin over time. Sun damage is cumulative over the course of your life which means that gradually, year after year, sun damage continues to accrue.

Do you know how and why the skin tans? Basically, it is the skin’s way of protecting itself from sun damage! (Yes, really!)

The brown pigment that creates a tanned appearance is melanin which forms to serve as a barrier to block the sun’s ultraviolet rays and to protect the skin from damage.

Ultraviolet, (UV), radiation on both the UVA and UVB spectrum causes skin damage which takes the form of sunburned skin, hyperpigmentation, age spots, wrinkles as well as skin cancer. Ultraviolet light increases free radical activity which in turn increases cellular damage.

So start early, start young, and throughout your life make a commitment to consistently practice the few very summer skin care strategies like the hidden Beauty at the beach slathered in sunscreen lounging under the protection of an umbrella and your skin will show it’s appreciation with a lovely youthful glow.

The goals of summer skin care strategies are actually quite simple:

• Prevent damaging skin cells
• Protect the skin from UV radiation and environmental distress
• Maintain hydration, inside and out to preserve moisture content
• Renew cell growth by shedding the old and stimulating the new

Summer skin care employs a variety of tried and tested effective techniques which serve to protect the skin by taking advantage of rich antioxidant moisturizers, exfoliating away dead skin cells, keeping the skin hydrated by drinking LOTS of liquid, using skin care treatments that seal in moisture and using sunscreen products religiously.

Effective summer skin Care strategies to integrate into your routine are:

• Gently cleanse and tone the skin each morning. It is also helpful to keep a light, moisture rich toner in your bag to use for a quick cleansing yet moisturizing treatment throughout the day.
  • Each and every day establish a skin care routine that involves the application of an anti-aging moisturizer in the AM and PM with an antioxidant ingredient. Antioxidants have been clinically proven to successfully help protect the skin as well as to promote healing.
  • Use sunscreen or sun block each and every morning. Re-apply throughout the day as necessary to prevent sun damage. Get yourself a nice wide brimmed which will also help protect your facial.
  • Using a facial mist on all those hot summer days will help to keep the skin hydrated along with drinking a lot of liquid.
  • Exfoliate regularly using a chemical exfoliant such as glycolic acid or microderm-abrasion scrub to rid the ski of dead skin cells, promote new cell growth and prevent acne outbreaks which occur way too frequently during the hot summer months.
  • A weekly facial steam to deeply clean pores.
  • Hydroquinone products or other mild bleaching creams along with a vitamin A- retinol moisturizer will help tackle any evidence of hyperpigmentation.
  • An occasional facial peel is beneficial in stimulating cell renewal as well as treating a variety of skin aging issues.
  Following these summer skin care strategies will transform you into the real Beauty on the Beach. Not mention that you’ll love how good your skin looks in the years to come!
  
  Sue is a researcher and instructor on Anti-Aging Skin Care for the Skin Care e-Learning and Resource Center which provides education on anti-aging skin care while focusing on skin rejuvenation strategies, techniques, treatment options and resources for aging skin care issues.