Summer can be a great time for our skin. The cracked, dry-skinned issues of winter are a thing of the past when summer rolls around and we’re free to bask in the warm weather to our hearts content. There’s nothing quite like spending time in the sun – at the pool, at the beach or otherwise, it’s nice to finally have the chance to dress for warmth and take advantage of the suns’ rays!

However, the warm weather and the sun are not always great things – warm weather means bikinis, shorts, and other skin-exposing clothing that leaves us prone to all kinds of negative effects from the sun if we’re not properly prepared. If you want to really take advantage of the summer sun and get that perfect tan, there’s more you need to do than just spend time outside!

Not only do we need to make sure we’re protecting our skin, we need to make sure we’re doing all we can to maximize its potential. Read up on these 10 tips for happy and healthy summer skin and make sure your skin protection game is on point!

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10 Best Summer Skin Care Tips

Tip 1: Sunscreen Isn’t Just for the Beach – It happens far too often – someone checks the forecast, notes the overcast prediction and assumes that it’s okay to head outside for the day without applying sunscreen or protection. At the end of the day, he or she is covered from head-to-toe in sunburn!

Never underestimate the power of the sun! The suns rays are deceptively and remarkably strong in the summer, so make sure you’re prepared even on those overcast days. Look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ if you have more delicate skin, but watch the temperature to make sure you’re using the right kind – Remember higher SPF doesn’t always mean better!

Exfoliate

Tip 2: Exfoliate to Maximize Your Potential – The last thing you want is for your beautiful bronzed summer tan to be covered up by dead skin. Try to exfoliate as often as possible to scrub away dead skin so that your summer tan can really shine through. Exfoliating even improves new skin by preventing congestion and dehydration, which means your new tan will shine through even clearer than the last.

As if that isn’t enough, exfoliating even helps makeup last longer! Look for natural exfoliators to ensure the best results.

Tip 3: Water is Your Friend – Unsurprisingly, spending more time outside in warmer weather and under a hotter sun will inevitably lead to more sweat and dehydration! This can in turn lead to a duller, paler complexion in addition to a myriad of other problems. Make sure you’re combating the heat by getting at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day to stay ahead of the game.

Remember, even if you’re not losing fluids yet, drinking water preemptively can help to cut off these problems before they even start. Try to adjust for your caffeine intake accordingly – the more caffeine you consume; the more water you need to drink! You can even try to get your water intake increased by indulging in water-based summer fruits, like delicious grapes or watermelon.

Tip 4: Properly Treat Sunburns and Other Sun Damage – Even the most prepared and diligent can end up with a sunburn or sun damage, especially if they’re spending lots of time in the sun. UV light can cause brown spots, coarse and dry skin, and wrinkling, regardless of whether or not you’re actually suffering from a sunburn.

Make sure you combat these effects by using natural anti-aging products as well as moisturizer, and especially moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy – both of which are very effective at healing sun damage. In the case of sunburns, try taking cool baths or showers as well as a regimen of aspirin or ibuprofen to help combat the redness, swelling, and pain.

Reapply or you’ll fry!

Tip 5: Once is Not Enough – We’ve all experienced those long summer days spent outside – barbeques, trips to the pool, beach days, etc. – the summer isn’t meant for wasting away indoors. However, lots of time spent outside means more time for your skin to absorb your initial sunscreen applications. Applying sunscreen once in the morning before you leave the house or once when you arrive at the beach will not keep you protected all day!

Make sure you pay close attention to the rate at which your skin is absorbing sunscreen – it should be easy to tell when it’s time to lather on some more. Additionally, make sure you always re-apply after swimming, too – that stuff does wash off, so use a natural sunscreen that isn’t harmful to our ocean!

Tip 6: Moisturize with the Good Kind of Oils – As previously mentioned, the warmth and sun of summer are going to leave your skin dry and vulnerable. One of the best ways to help fight dry skin is by moisturizing with natural, effective oils like avocado oil.

Loaded with Vitamin-E that helps repair, revive and sooth your skin, avocado oil is one of the most effective substances available at keeping your skin healthy, smooth, clear. Just apply the oil directly once a day and watch as your sun-induced dry skin becomes a thing of the past.

Tip 7: You are what You Eat – and Drink! – Skin needs vitamins like Vitamin-E in order to stay healthy, and it needs skin-promoting substances in more ways than direct application. Eating the right kinds of vitamin-rich foods can help to stimulate the growth of healthy skin as well as repair damaged skin. Summer is a great time for eating fresh vitamin-rich foods and vegetables, so be sure to take advantage of that by keeping a clean and healthy diet.

It’s also important to avoid foods and drinks that can have a negative effect on skin, specifically aerated drinks. Featuring high sugar content, aerated drinks can weaken skin, increasing vulnerability to sun damage. When it comes to beverages, water is your best option.

Tip 8: Protect Your Lips – Although they might be easy to overlook or neglect, your lips are covered in skin, too! And make no mistake, the skin on our lips is most certainly prone to sun damage just like the rest of the skin on our body. More so, drier summer climates can cause lips to shrivel, dry, and crack even worse than you might find in the cold of winter.

Make sure your lips are covered by using moisturizing balms as opposed to gloss – balms will keep lips moist and fresh, as opposed to gloss that can have a drying effect ( check out our EOS Lip Balm Review for a look at one such product). Also, be sure to use lip care with an SPF of 20 or higher, or even a lip sunscreen if your lips are particularly sensitive.

Tip 9: Wear Practical Clothing – Protecting your skin isn’t just about applying products directly onto the skin, it’s about what kind of clothing is covering the skin, too! Wearing hats with wide brims can provide enough protection to your skin to significantly cut into risk of sunburn or skin damage.

Additionally, when it comes to the rest of your wardrobe, stick to loose-fitting, tightly-woven clothing that strategically cover areas of your body that might be most prone to sunburn, like the back of your neck or shoulders. Some clothing companies have even introduced summer lines of clothing that feature specially made, sun-protective fabric that helps fight UV rays.

Proper beach attire.

Tip 10: There’s No Such Thing as Being Too Careful! – The most important thing to remember when getting your skin ready for the summer is that natural skin care is never a bad thing! Even if your skin seems healthy, that doesn’t mean the precautions you’re taking are unnecessary – it means they’re working.

Make sure to examine your skin regularly to try to determine its exact needs as well as the effectiveness of the remedies you’re employing – always read and react to your skin, and learn from it too. The more trial and error you go through, the easier it’ll be for you to determine your skins’ exact needs as well as what works best for it and when.

Conclusion

Summer can be the most fun time of year – make sure you don’t ruin it by risking or damaging your skin! By no means does this mean stay indoors, you should be outdoors enjoying the summer sun like everyone else – but do make sure you’re doing it safely. If you take care of your skin, it’ll take care of you – not only will you avoid the unpleasantness of sunburns and sun damage – you’ll have some great, healthy, attractive skin too!