Wearing a face mask 24/7 has taken its toll on our skin and the summer hasn’t even started. The combination of Arizona’s dry heat, UV rays, and air conditioning makes your skin work twice as hard to stay healthy.
How does the Summer Heat Affect Your Skin?
Hot temperatures and excess sweating increase water loss in your body, leading to dehydration. Lack of water prevents your body from flushing out harmful toxins and can cause your skin to lose its plumpness and elasticity. In addition, dehydration can lead to dryness, flakiness, discoloration, premature aging, and sagging skin.
The Effects of UV Exposure
Who doesn’t dream of spending the summer by the sea? But not being able to travel this summer might benefit your skin. The sun’s light can bounce off surfaces like water and sand, leading to an increase in UV exposure. Since the majority of melanoma are caused by UV radiation, avoiding these harmful rays is the best way to prevent skin cancer.
What About Air Conditioning?
Oh, yes, the AC - what a relief on those 120F days when going outside feels like baking in an oven. But even though it provides a cool escape, air conditioning can have a negative impact on your skin. ACs regulate room temperature by pumping cold, dry air into the room. When humidity is low, your skin loses moisture and ends up looking dehydrated and dull.
6 Ways to Protect & Replenish Your Skin Throughout the Summer
1. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
It goes without saying, but you need to use sunscreen every day - even when it’s cloudy. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 35+ in the morning and every two hours if you go outside. At A New Dawn Wellness Center, we carry a variety of (tinted) mineral SPFs, for example, the Alastin Skincare Hydra Tint Pro Mineral SPF 36.
2. Exfoliate Gently
If you are going to be outside a lot throughout the summer, ditch strong peels or aggressive scrubs. Strong exfoliants will make your skin more sensitive and can cause it to burn more easily. However, gentle exfoliants like our Papaya Enzyme Cleanser will polish away impurities while nourishing your skin.
3. Get a HydraFacial
Nothing can replenish and rehydrate sun-damaged skin quite like a HydraFacial does. This 3-step treatment will unclog congested pores, plump up fine lines and wrinkles, and brighten your complexion. Even better, we love tailoring our HydraFacials to your specific skin type with the addition of serums and boosters.
4. Don’t Forget to Moisturize
Whether you have dry or oily skin, during those hot summer months, your skin will likely crave moisture. Use a good moisturizer formulated to work on all skin types, for example, the Alastin Skinacare Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer with Trihex Technology.
5. Drink Water
Your skin is 30% water; if you are dehydrated, so is your skin. While moisturizers are a great way to help rehydrate the skin, they do not replace drinking water. According to Harvard Health, the average adult needs to consume four to six cups of water a day. However, if you're losing water through sweat because you're exercising, or because you're outside on a hot day, you may need to drink more.
“A general rule of thumb for healthy people is to drink two to three cups of water per hour, or more if you're sweating heavily.” (Source: Harvard Health)
Take an Antioxidant Supplement
Antioxidants play an important role in skin health and are critical to how the skin defends itself and protects you against UV rays and other environmental pollutants. The skin uses Vitamin C to protect the aqueous (water) phase of the cells, vitamin E to protect the lipid (fatty) layer and Omega3 throughout. Our Skin Health Bundle contains all the important supplements your skin needs to stay healthy throughout the summer.
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