SUMMER-worthy Sun Protection for the Face

Summertime means your face and neck skin are subject to more exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, and need a few more products added to your morning regime! Following is my current facial skin care regime for summer—both day and night rituals—to protect skin from sun damage and maintain moisture.

And, this includes my continued treatment for some almost year-old sun damage on my forehead that I got last year while golfing, when the water-based sunscreen I was wearing had melted off. I should have used a spray-on sport sunscreen when playing golf (which I do now) or a more heavy-duty, long wearing selection! You live, you learn! Bio Oil has been one product that is a lifesaver for me in healing these even now faint scars and reducing dark spots.

However, I first wanted to mention some of the other most important and basic ways you can help take care of your skin during the summer months:

First and foremost: Keep hydrated!

Drink lots of water on the hot days and keep your caffeine to a minimum, especially on days when your are outdoors or at the beach!!!

2. Try not to stay out in the sun too long (particularly during the times of the day when the sun’s rays are harshest which is 100:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Ensure you are sleeping well and long enough at night (as the days get longer, you may be tempted to stay up later than usual. If you can fit them in, naps may be a nice addition to a lazy summer day.

Eat a balanced diet to make sure your skin is getting essential nutrients and oils to look its best

Its much better to take facial skincare seriously and get an early start with it, particularly while it is still mainly preventative. But, even if you are late to the skincare game (or have scars from too much sun) your skin will definitely benefit from sunscreen and moisturizer now. On days when your get too much sun, if you have the opportunity to use fresh aloe, your skin will drink that natural moisture right in.

Ultraviolet light exposure is the main cause of skin aging. Even when its cloudy or rainy out, or when you are in a space enclosed with windows, UV rays come through with sunlight. Sunscreen is always a good idea when you are spending time outdoors, or in the car. Even filtered sunlight can cause skin damage. I believe it is best to wear sunscreen every single day by adding it to your makeup or getting ready routine. After all, you never know when plans will change and you may end up going for a walk along the waterfront, or having lunch at an outdoor cafe.

My Current Morning Skin Care Regime:

This summer, after applying a serum, I’ve been using Yes To Grapefruit’s Correct & Repair as the first product I apply in the morning to a clean, freshly rinsed face. Its plastic bottle has a pump dispenser built into its top, and the product is milky white. It absorbs into skin quickly, and I apply it to the sensitive or at-risk areas of my face—mainly under my eyes and my forehead from my hair line down. It contains a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB protection) SPF 15, is paraben-free, 97% natural and helps correct and repair the appearance of dark spots. Some of the natural ingredients contained are sunflower seed oil, almond oil, coco-glucoside, and passiflora incarnata flower extract. Its active sunscreen ingredients are: Zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide. However, it is not water resistant and recommends an application 15 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapplication every two hours. I mainly use this product for reduction of dark spots.

Then, I generally follow this up with Neutrogena’s Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen, over my whole face. This lotion has a broad spectrum SPF 30, is ultra-light, oil-free and water resistant for 80 minutes. Neutrogena also offers two other varieties of face sunscreen, which you may prefer if you are not prone to break outs. This white lotion’s active sunscreen ingredients are: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene and Oxybenzone. Touted as a #1 dermatologist recommended sunscreen, I have had no break outs with this product.

On cloudy days when I might be home for the day, I may instead opt to use Simple’s Protecting Light Moisturizer, that is not water resistant, but is SPF 15. It is also oil-free, good for sensitive skin, has pro-vitamins B5 and E, and cares for skin with Glycerin, Allantoin and Bisabolol. Its active sunscreen ingredients are Avabenzone, Enulizole and Octisalate. I got my husband to use this moisturizer over the winter too, because it is so light, has virtually no odor, and absorbs quickly while moisturizing skin. This will definitely not be enough other than in the winter months.

My Current Evening Skin Care Regime:

After washing my face with a mild face soap, then using a little makeup remover on stubborn eye makeup, I have several favorite products that I use to pamper my skin before bed. I finally decided to take more extreme measures in healing the fairly badly sunburned area I sustained on my forehead last year. After reading an advertisement from Pharmaca, I decided to try Acure’s Radical Resurfacing. Followed by a moisturizer like Giovanii’s D:tox System Replenishing Facial Moisturizer.

I know that the Radical Resurfacing product sounds extreme, but it relies on a natural lemon probiotic and proprietary organic chlorella growth factor to solve blotchiness and hyper-pigmentation. Also, Poets’s Daffodil smoothes skin’s texture and tone, and Butterfly Bush Stem Cells helps prevent photogenic and oxidative stress. Other important ingredients include: probiotics, organic organ oil, olive leaf and CoQ10.

Its also vegan, PEG-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, petroleum-free, phthalate-free, silicone-free and cruelty-free. I prefer to use natural ingredients when i can, and I’ve seen dramatic, positive results from after using this product for only a month on problem areas.

Other moisturizers I like to use are: Nourish Organic’s Ultra-hydrating Face Cream and MyChelle Dermaceuticals’s Deep Repair Cream. Both of these are fantastic, certified organic, and contain a ton of nourishing ingredients.

I’ve also had good results with Origins’s Starting Over, Age Erasing Moisturizer with Mimosa and Andalou Naturals’s Resveratrol Q10 Night Repair Cream.

Also, adding an antioxidant packed skin mist like Tarte’s Ready Set Radiant can boost luminosity, refresh makeup throughout the day and be used on bare skin right after washing your face, day and night.