Summertime Skin Care

Keep you skin safe this summer at cornerstone

Summer can be a hazardous time for our skin. Excessive sun exposure (skin dehydration, pigmentation, prickly heat, sunburn) followed by dry, hot winds and excessive office air conditioning can easily damage delicate cells, aggravate the skin and cause premature aging. Here are a few key tips from our Cornerstone Skin Care therapists for excellent summertime skin.

1. Let’s start with the very obvious

It's important to use at least a 30 SPF sunscreen in the sun.

Use an oil-free and fragrance-free SPF (sun protection factor). If you are out in the sun frequently or all day, you’ll want to lotion up your entire face and body. If you’re more often inside be sure to at least use one on your face. Never rely on your BB cream (beauty balm cream) or moisturizer alone. We suggest a minimum of SPF 30, especially if you are using resurfacing products. Although we need our Vitamin D (approximately 20 minutes of direct sunlight is enough), UV rays also cause inflammation, dehydration, cell mutation, cell damage from free-radicals, pigmentation and skin cancer. It can’t be stated enough – never rely on the SPF in a moisturizer, BB cream, CC cream (correction cream), serum or foundation. For maximum effectiveness, SPF needs to be regularly applied every few hours.  Applying it once at 8am simply will not last you throughout the day.  At The Spa, we have several sunscreen types for all skin conditions and can help you choose the best for you.

2. Keep it cool!

Keep your skin cool, especially if you have sensitive skin. If you have rosacea, eczema or sensitive skin, try to keep skin as cool as possible by keeping out of direct sun or keeping skincare products in the fridge. Heat also draws water out of the skin, leaving it dry, sensitive and irritated. Try the Phyto Corrective Masque; it is a great replenishing mask to cool and soothe the skin inside and out.

3. Always moisturize, but switch to oil-free creams and/or hydrating serums

Summer skin should be moisturized with a oil-free moisturizer.It is tempting to apply a good moisturizer during sticky summer months but your skin will be producing more sebum, generating that recognizable ‘summer shine’ and clogging pores. However, your skin still needs serious moisture, so replace heavy winter, oil-based creams with lighter, oil-free or water-based serums like the Hylauronic Acid Intensifier, plumping your skin while also hydrating.

4. Less is always more

Switch heavy mascaras and eyebrow pencils for eyelash, brow tinting, and lash lifting. These give color and lift to your lashes which is especially great if you want to enhance your looks and be pool or beach ready without having to deal with mascara and eye makeup.

5. Remember your cleavage and your hands

The neck and décolletage are too often neglected and can suffer from premature aging. As a rule of thumb, treat your neck and décolletage as an extension of your face, continuing product application all the way down. Hands, too, are age indicators, so try to exfoliate your hands a few times a week by applying a rich, reparative moisturizer like the Multivitamin Hand treatment. Always apply an SPF to your hands.

6. Exfoliate regularly

Our skin sheds cells every minute of every day, which results in dull, dry looking skin, particularly sun exposed skin as it dehydrates quickly. No matter how much moisturizer you apply, your skin will never look glowing without removing these dead skin cells. But, try to avoid using body and facial scrubs with coarse granules as they can scratch delicate, sun exposed skin. Instead, either opt for Rejuvenation treatments at The Spa or exfoliants that contain fine granules. Enzymes such as Daily MicroFoliant, or AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) both evenly exfoliate as well as stimulate regeneration and improve the tone and texture of the skin, restoring skin’s health and balance.

7. Prepare your skin internally before hitting the sun

iStock-529660908_RT.jpgEating as many anti-oxidants as possible (the brighter the food the better), taking supplements and following an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce potential skin damage and premature aging and keep skin super healthy. Inflammation is one of the biggest causes of skin damage and premature aging as well as a host of other health problems.

Thanks Cornerstone Clubs and author Theresa Whitcomb

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