The sun always wreaks havoc on exposed skin, and the summer sun does more damage in half the time. To be fair it is aided by other factors like heat, exposure and even air conditioning. You could stay out of the sun, what would be the fun in that? But, there are ways to help protect your skin while maintaining an active lifestyle in the sun.
You should exfoliate your skin with a gentle exfoliation product several times a week. This process helps you to shed those dead damaged skin cells and expose fresh new ones. Exfoliation should be done in the mornings, before you apply any kind of lotion.
Moisturize as often as possible. Find a cream that has sun protection already in it. If you can find a sun lotion that protects against both UVA and UVB that would be optimal. Moisturize early so that the lotion has time to soak into your skin. Take your lotion with you so that you can reapply frequently.
Use a moisturizing masque two or three times a week during the summer. Your skin can use the extra attention. To give your skin an extra boost during the day keep a moisture boosting spritz in your purse or at your desk. It can be a refreshing break that revitalizes both your skin and your stamina.
Drink water, lots of water. Most people do not realize just how much moisture the heat sucks out of you through your skin. Remember when I said that the heat plays a role in the damaging of your skin? This is where that happens. Moisture is lost through your skin when you get hot. Lotions help lock moisture in, but your body needs to cool itself through sweating. Heat stroke occurs when your body cannot cool itself sufficiently. This is where drinking water comes into play. Your entire body from your skin in, will thank you if you drink enough water.
Do not overlook your hands or feet. Make sure that you give them the same attention that you give to your face. Summer fun often includes activities that lose the shoes. Generally speaking your feet are not accustomed to a lot of exposure, so you need to prepare them for that exposure. They need exfoliation and tons of moisturizer and when it comes time, they need sun protection too.
Apply generous amounts of sun screen to super sensitive areas like those around your eyes and your lips. Most common lip balms do not contain sunscreen. Read the label and make sure that you are getting something that will help protect your lips. Sun burns in these sensitive areas is more than just uncomfortable, it can be dangerous.
Use skin products that contain antioxidants like vitamin E or C and trade in that soda for some green tea. These items can help your skin naturally fight of the effects of the sun. Vitamin E has also been known to promote healing, and help reduce the appearance of scars.
If you have done all that you can and still managed to get burned then, all that is left is damage control. There are many really good products available that can help your skin to recover. Aloe Vera is a long time staple for those with bad burns. The gel soaks in quickly and offers a cooling sensation as well as much needed moisture. No product can stop blistering or pealing. Only the severity of the burn and your skins reaction to it can determine what it will do. This is why it is best to protect your skin as much as possible using every trick in the book.