Ah Summertime! Gotta
love it! Vacation! Kids and grandkids home from school! Trips to the beach!
Daylight Savings Time brings precious extra hours of sun to play in and
increased levels of vitamin D to nourish our bodies.
Did you know that rising
temperatures outside can cause your body's internal temperature to increase?
When your skin is warm, your blood vessels send extra blood to the skin's
surface to help cool it off. This causes a number of physiological changes,
including making your face turn red and causing the skin to retain extra fluid.
When your body sweats, dirt, oil and environmental chemicals can get trapped
inside the pores and cause blemishes, regardless of your age. Here are
several easy things you can do to look your best during the summer months, and
help prevent the premature aging that follows sun damage just as sure as night
follows day.
1. Keep skin clean but avoid harsh
soaps. Keep facial skin away
from soaps and cleansers that contain deodorant, sulfates and potentially toxic
ingredients. These can be drying, irritating and stress the natural acid mantle
of your skin. If you are looking for something new, La Isha's Gentle Aromatherapy
Face Wash does an excellent job of removing makeup, sweat,
sunscreen, excess oil and environmental impurities without stripping
the skin of the critical natural moisture it needs. It is exceptionally
soothing, especially to skin that has absorbed a little too much sun.
2. Exfoliate to minimize fine
lines and wrinkles! If you've never
used a facial exfoliant you are in for a real treat! Use a gentle moisturizing
exfoliant on your face and neck, and leave the loofahs (natural sea sponges
available in health food stores) to remove dry, dead skin from other parts of
the body like arms and legs. Most general exfoliants work well on calloused
feet, elbows and knees but are way too harsh to use on your tender complexion,
so make sure to choose a product that is designed specifically for the face and
neck. If the product doesn't say it is, then it's not. We recommend La
Isha's Orange Coconut Face Polish because
it is extremely effective yet gentle enough to use under the eyes and on those
pesky lines that develop around your mouth and absorb your migrating lipgloss.
It also smells good enough to eat!
3. Moisturize! Moisturize!
Moisturize!
Applying a good
moisturizer is critical to maintaining younger-looking, well-hydrated skin.
Summer heat and extra perspiration can be irritating and disrupt normal
moisture levels. Soothe your skin after sun exposure by applying a natural
moisturizer that contains a light non-comedogenic (does not clog pores) oil to
seal in moisture so it is less likely to evaporate. Try our Nutrient Rich Face Creme -
it is extremely concentrated so a little dab'll do ya! Plus it smells
like a day at the spa! Ahh!
4. Hydration is key! Drink water - it's a great thirst quencher
and a beauty essential! Not only does it hydrate your skin better than any
other liquid on the planet, but it is the best beverage by far for your body
and your health. Stay away from sugary juices, carbonated soda and energy
drinks that can add extra calories and introduce synthetic ingredients that are
detrimental to your health. Research shows that even natural sugars like
fructose can be harmful to the body in large doses, so do yourself a favor: go
ahead and enjoy your fruit separately, but when you need to hydrate - skip the
juice and drink water instead. Add a sliver of lemon or lime for an extra
refreshing summer drink without empty, synthetic calories.
5. Protect your skin from the sun! Did you know that your skin can burn in as
little as 10 to 15 minutes? Sorry girlfriends - there is no such thing as a
healthy suntan! Research has conclusively shown that UVA and UVB rays not only
cause premature aging but a deadly form of cancer (melanoma) as well. Sunburn
is an equal opportunity menace and affects people of all colors and
races, so don't think that just because your skin is dark you will be
impervious to sustaining damage.
Be sure to wear a
wide-brimmed hat when you are outdoors and apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 40
or 50 approximately twenty to thirty minutes before exposure to the sun in
order to give it time to work. There is no such thing as a completely
waterproof sunscreen - no matter what the marketing hype on the label claims,
so be sure to reapply it after swimming and sweating/physical exertion. If you
are not thrilled with the idea of using sunscreen, there are companies that
make clothing with an SPF built right into the fabric that are definitely worth
looking into. I have used them myself and bought them for my children when they
were young and still amenable to my dressing them. Coolibar to this day remains
one of my favorites. Check them out at www.coolibar.com.
By the way - for those
Caucasian would-be sun goddesses who just don't feel attractive unless they are
sporting a suntan, there are many cosmetic bronzers on the market
these days that can give skin the kind of natural, sun-kissed look first made
popular by Coco Chanel and her infamous sun-bathing in the south of France.
These cosmetics do so without subjecting the skin to the harmful rays of the
sun, but be aware that they are full of synthetic chemicals, some safer than
others. Manufacturers are concerned about their bottom line and do not always
have your best interests at heart...they often use cheap synthetic ingredients
in their products that come with their own list of health warnings.
We do not live in a
protective bubble and it is impossible to eliminate exposure to everything that
may not be good for us, but we can certainly try to reduce the toxic overload
on our bodies by picking and choosing our poisons very carefully. I strongly encourage
you to read product labels before you make a purchase, and weigh the pros and
cons of the ingredients found in all the beautification products you use, from
bronzers to faux-tanning preparations. Many contain toxic chemicals that can
irritate the skin, cause allergic reactions and even compromise your short and
long term health. That beautiful summer glow you worked so hard to create can
be ruined in seconds by splotchy hives and itchy skin that is being scratched
to the point of bleeding.
Ultimately the choice is
yours. Maybe the time has come to embrace your natural color and concentrate on
protecting your skin and your health? Just saying. Think about it...
Have a safe and happy summer!
Sharon Gnatt Epel
CEO/Founder
La Ishá Natural & Organic Skincare
Copyright June 2015 Sharon Gnatt Epel for La Ishá
#dry skin #summer skin care #exfoliation #moisturizer #hydration
#sun damage #sunscreen #summerbeautytips #over40beauty
