Give yourself a Summer Skin Glow Up in 5 easy steps:
1. Protect your skin in practical, healthy ways:
Stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day so you simply avoid exposure to the most harsh rays.
Use your phone weather app to check the UV index before going outside. A UV index over 7 is considered very high, so stay inside till it drops.
If you can't avoid going outside, cover up with long sleeves, hats and sunglasses. If you're out for more than 15-20 mins, especially between 10am-4pm, sunscreen is absolutely essential. Make-up or moisturiser with SPF 30+ is an easy hack, but don't forget to protect other exposed parts of your body, not just your face.
We love barrier-forming mineral sunscreens that use zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide to deflect UV rays and keep chemicals to a minimum.
Watch out for sneaky sun exposures like driving, sitting in traffic or working beside a window. Your arms, chest, hands and face are so exposed in these situations, so cover up!
2. Cool off with cold showers
A cool shower is a beauty boost that stimulates circulation and draws nutrients to your skin's surface.
The cold minimises the appearance of heat-enlarged pores, reducing dirt build up and blackheads.
It eases inflammation from excess heat, reducing redness and calming irritations, bumps and rashes.
The result is clear, fresh much more radiant skin on your face and body. Yay to that! Boost these effects with shower products that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients, like our propolis and lemon myrtle body wash. You'll love it!
3. Exfoliation is essential!
Summer heat and air conditioning dry your skin both inside and out. We recommend investing in a good loofah or dry body brush and giving yourself the once over just before your (cold!) shower or while you're in there! This gets rid of dry, dead and flaky skin, and also removes residue from sunscreens and creams. At the same time, you stimulate blood flow and nutrients to the skin surface, leaving your whole body smooth and vibrant.
If you feel like an extra special treat, splash out on a full body salt scrub! It's so relaxing and a great way to get rid of all the 'junk' stuck to your skin in Summer.
4. Moisturise, but keep it light
Despite the humidity and sweat, Summer heat zaps moisture from your skin. Add it back and lock it in! Look for light-weight moisturising creams that are quickly absorbed, hydrating and barrier protective (so the moisture can't escape). For your face, our NEW Propolis All Day Hydrating Cream hits all those highs! For your body, you can't beat pure Jojoba oil. It's so similar to your body's natural oils that your skin gobbles it up. Once absorbed, it creates a natural barrier to keep nutrients and moisture in. Applying moisture more frequently in Summer is a must - at least morning and night and maybe a few times in between!
5. Now add Vitamin C
Eat it, drink it, take it as a supplement and put it on your face! Fill up on berries, cherries, mangoes, pineapple, papaya and dark leafy green vegetables. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant, a precursor to collagen and is essential for building and repairing skin tissue. In Summer, when skin is more prone to damage, Vitamin C is a an essential multitasker and an easy add-in for glowing healthy skin from the inside out!
Enjoy your Summer! Be sun-safe, be sun-smart and give yourself get your Summer Glow on!
