10 Tips To Get Healthy, Glowing Skin This Summer
Written By: Suzanne Kvilhaug
Better late than never describes my interest in all things beauty and skin care related. I remember when I was first introduced to clean beauty and natural skin care about 6 years ago. I worked at a company that sold Tata Harper and I had to learn all about the importance of ingredients, products, and skin care routines. I got to meet with top natural skin care experts, receive holistic facials, and test incredible clean beauty products. My friends were envious but I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful and it opened my eyes to how toxic many products are but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. And then about a year and a half ago, I found myself looking more and more in the natural skin care and beauty section of stores. I’d read labels, sniff bottles and google brands that I found. I decided to buy a few products and a few turned into many and soon a full-fledged love and appreciation emerged. I can say that I fully understand the female obsession now.
Every season calls for a different beauty routine and with the right summer skin care, two words come to mind- BABE ALERT! Here’s 10 natural tips to keep your skin healthy, get that desirable glow and stay protected from the sun.
Be smart about buying the right sunscreen
I’m that person walking around with a glob of thick white sunscreen on my nose. For whatever reason if I don’t wear sunscreen on my nose, within 20 minutes of sun exposure I start to look like Rudolph. Vitamin D and a little bit of a tan is part of my game plan during the summer, so I don’t put sunscreen on my entire body but I try to be smart about it. Sunscreen is designed to protect your skin from the sun's damaging rays, but some of the claims made about it suggest it could do more harm than good. Misinformation about sunscreen is common and luckily there’s a whole lot of awareness being brought to this issue. Chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the human body at levels high enough to raise concerns about potentially toxic effects so reading labels is crucial. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s annual sunscreen guide for an in depth look into safety ratings and how to make smart choices. Supergoop sunscreen is affordable, vegan, cruelty free and sulfate free.
Gently exfoliate
What better way to get your skin ready then by exfoliating dead skin cells that have piled on throughout the winter. The Yellow Bird Activated Charcoal Salt + Sugar Scrub contains handmade activated charcoal scrub for your face and body. This charcoal scrub made with fair trade sugar and dead sea salt can be used as a gentle face scrub and exfoliating body scrub.
Choose a chapstick with SPF
Burned lips are no fun. Eating spicy food with burned lips is really no fun (just had a flashback to last summer). Because the skin on your mouth is super thin, it makes it even more vulnerable to UV damage. A lip balm with SPF is key to protect your lips from harmful rays. Hurraw Sun Lip Balm is a mineral based SPF 15 Sun Balm that is packed full of amazing cold pressed oils to moisturize and protect. And it’s bee free, shea free, soy free and palm free.
Apply a serum with vitamin C
The word serum is music to my ears. During the summer months, choose a serum with vitamin C. Vitamin C is a common ingredient in many skin-care products because of its ability to stimulate collagen production, minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and protect your skin against future sun damage. Achieve soft, glowy skin with Ladyloved Opal Aura, a daily vitamin C serum loaded with heaps of pure lipid-soluble vitamin C. Opal Aura fights free radical damage induced by daily exposure to environmental toxins and provides a real, lasting hydration to which water-based products can't compare.
Spray rose water
Recently on a whim, I bought rose water spray and after a few days of using it I couldn’t help but think, where have you been my whole life?! Summertime skin can become dried out and that’s where rose water comes in. Rose water is perfect for all skin types and has natural moisturizing properties that hydrate skin without being too heavy. Teddie Organics Organic Rose Water is a highly rated, inexpensive, 100% pure, organic and facial toner made by hand. It provides instant hydration for your face and helps to create a more vibrant and youthful complexion.
Try a mask
Looking to transform dull complexion into glowing, healthy looking skin? Try a face mask! Like I said, I had to learn all about Tata Harper products years ago and after I used the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask, I felt like a supermodel walking the streets of NYC. I’m too sexy for my… It’s described as a glow-giving treatment that instantly restores radiance to skin and delivers an instant glow. This mask is free from toxins, fillers, artificial colors and fragrances and all synthetic chemicals, and genetically modified organisms.
Take soap seriously
If I had an online dating profile the beginning line would probably be “I like long walks on the beach and great soap.” For awhile now soap has hands down been my favorite product. I’m always amazed that people buy cheap soap with cheap ingredients and don’t think twice about it. Popular brands that are mass produced are usually cooled chemicals branded and marketed to you as good for your skin. Many soaps are made with synthetic detergents that have other unwanted chemicals such as fillers, petroleum by-products, colorants, harsh preservatives or other carcinogens. As you can imagine, far from the ideal product for your skin. Most likely due to awareness and the ban on antibacterial soaps, a new crop of clean, luxurious bar soaps are popping up everywhere. You can find good handmade soaps at farmers markets, small shops, a natural beauty section, specialty retailers, and online.
Use real aloe
You know how people buy those bottles of aloe at the store for sunburns? There’s been no evidence of aloe found in some of those “aloe” products. Just when you thought you saw it all, now there is no aloe in the aloe. So you don’t have to guess if you are getting the real thing or not, buy the source itself. Aloe vera leaves are available in almost every produce section and are great for your skin. Even if you aren’t sunburned, aloe acts as a moisturizer and helps slow signs of aging.
Amp up on antioxidants
*Adds to grocery list* foods high in antioxidants because they’ll make me look damn good! Antioxidants protect the skin by limiting free radical production, which can damage the skin. With daily use, they can help combat visible signs of aging, reduce sun spots and calm skin inflammations. Foods that are high in antioxidants include goji berries, dark chocolate, pecans, kidney beans, cilantro, blackberries and cranberries.
Opt for minimalistic makeup
You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to wear no makeup. Some girls were born with the ability to do makeup and some weren’t. I definitely wasn’t and the older I get, the less I find myself using it. If you wear a lot of makeup, consider giving your skin a break this summer by wearing less or no makeup. One of the ways I take care of my skin for the long term is to try and use as little makeup as possible. And when you don’t wear makeup, what you see is what you get. It may take some time to get used to but it really is a freeing way to live. There’s something empowering about it and you begin to embrace natural beauty. With that said, sometimes a girl wants to get dolled up and rightfully so. If you want a summer sunkissed look without the toxic ingredients that some foundations use, try BaeBlu Organic Bronzer 100% Natural Matte Pressed Powder. BaeBlu pressed powder is a lightweight creamy powder that easily blends and builds to achieve desired level of bronze. It’s organic, vegan, paraben-free, gluten-free, and fragrance-free. And if you are looking for a good mascara, consider Tarte Cosmetics Lights Camera Lashes 4-in-1 Natural Mascara. It’s a bestselling mascara that is free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, preservatives, oil, gluten, dye, talc, and fragrance.