Summer is the season to bare it all and the #1 thing on display is your skin! Here are 5 tips for great skin that will help you rock your tank tops and shorts with confidence!
1. Update your shower routine.
During the summer we’re hyper-active which leads to more frequent showers. You may think you’re doing your skin a favor, but in reality you’re not. Hot water causes your skin to dehydrate and become taut and irritable. This leads to stressed skin and ultimately wrinkles. Keep your water warm, your time under 10-minutes and limit yourself to only one shower per day. If you must freshen up, use a baby wipe!
2. Give your skin some TLC.
If you’ve ever looked at Jennifer Lopez’s skin in awe, you should know that she’s been taking amazing care of it for decades and her skin is rewarding her for it. While we all don’t have access to top dermatologists and skin care products, there are plenty of things you can do. Start with your towels. Dry scratchy towels will wreak havoc on your skin. Spring for the most expensive towels you can afford and don’t forget to pat, not rub, yourself dry. Finish off with deep moisturizing lotion that will hydrate your skin. The extra rubbing it will take to help your skin absorb the lotion will also be great for your circulation.
3. Drink plenty of water.
We may think we’re drinking enough water, but you sweat so much more in the summer time that you should be drinking 8oz every hour that you’re awake. Try stepping on a body composition scale as these often will give you your body’s water percentage. If it’s under 50%, you’re definitely not drinking enough water and you should double up! Even if it means setting your phone alarm to remind you to drink water. Dry, sallow and dull skin is often a result of dehydration and that can be solved with more water!
4. Stay active and get plenty of sleep.
Exercise if not only good for your muscles, it’s great for you skin too. Any form of exercise from yoga to and weight training to swimming and running will help you sweat our toxins and improve your circulation. It is a proven fact that less than 7-8 hours of sleep causes premature aging. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try vamping up your exercise during the day, drinking chamomile tea at night and giving yourself a full 1-hour break from stimulation (movies, tv, phone, etc.) before bed.
5. Schedule some “me” time.
Ever noticed that when you’re stress you have a headache? Part of this is due to the facial expressions you’re making under pressure. If it’s enough to make your head hurt, image what it’s doing to your skin! Scheduling time to mediate can help clear your mind, not to mention your skin, and keep frown and worry lines at bay!
