Healthy Skin From Within! Get The Glow And Skip The Sunburn

 

Tomorrow is July 4th and all over America, folks will be slipping into swimsuits and packing picnic baskets, and preparing the meat for the grill. It’s fireworks and watermelon slices and backyard BBQ’s and the beach. For many of us it’ll be a full day of outdoor fun. And that means you need three little letters. SPF.

Sun protection is essential every day of life, but especially on the days where you’ll be out in the elements. Whether you’re laid out and soaking it up, or rocking in a hammock under the shade of a tree, the sun’s rays are beaming down and affecting your skin. You’ve got to take a multi-pronged approach to sun survival, if you want to get the glow and skip the sunburn. Don’t wind up like me, just crispy for no reason.

 

 

Here’s my top tips for summertime skincare on this holiday weekend.

#1 – Stay hydrated! If you’re going to be out in the heat and humidity you need to replenish your body with water throughout the day. We’re supposed to be getting in around 8 glasses a day anyway (depending on what studies you’re reading), but on hot days you need to be sure to keep up the internal hydration. It’s for healthy skin as well as internal health in general.

#2 – Seek shade. When you’re choosing a spot to park your beach blanket – or heck, even headed to the beach to begin with – make sure you choose wisely. Even when you want to soak up the sun, consider the proximity of shade for when you need it. Bring an umbrella – there are even cool beach umbrellas with SPF built in. Take a hat or for my big-haired sisters in the struggle who can’t find a hat to fit, get yourself a sun visor or beach hat that rolls up.

Like this. Hats like those are my best friends during hot weather.

#3 – Wear sunscreen, duh. Obvious point is obvious. You should be wearing sun protection on a daily basis, but if you’re headed out to truly soak it up, you should apply before leaving the house and also take your broad spectrum sunscreen with you on the road. For my daily protection I need at least an SPF level of 15. Aveeno’s Daily Moisturizing Lotion includes SPF 15 for great day to day protection, and they’ve got a variety of face moisturizers that range from SPF 15 to 30, to give you the sun safety level you’re seeking.

#4 – don’t be dumb about it. Sure, it looks bright and sunny outside. But you can handle it like a champ, right? Please listen and learn from my mistakes. Having grown up in the islands, I found myself underestimating the power of the sun. And then last year, on the hottest day of the year in Chicago, I found myself going on a bike ride to the beach with my husband. We didn’t bring water. We didn’t bring sunscreen or an umbrella. So basically I got to the beach and almost passed OUT, because I was dumb about it. I knew how hot it was and I didn’t plan accordingly. Take it from me and take your outdoor excursion seriously. Bring everything you need to protect yourself from the elements. And also, drinking too much alcohol in the sun is a bad idea. It makes you feel sick, plus it makes your skin look terrible. For healthy skin and an overall feeling of awesomeness, drink water in between whatever else you’re sipping on.

#5 – Reapply/replenish as needed. People always want to do something once and be done with it. Well don’t think one glass of water in the morning will be your key to lasting hydration. And don’t think just because you slathered on sunscreen once for the day, that you don’t need to do it again. You do. If you’re sweating or swimming, even moreso. Reapply as needed and stave off the sunburn!

Following my handy tips will keep your skin healthy and glowing and prevent you from being totally fried on the Fourth. And if you DO get a sunburn, click here to read my tips for getting over it!

 

AVEENO® Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Give your skin a naturally beautiful fresh start. This nourishing lotion improves the health of your skin in just 1 day! It contains ACTIVE NATURALS® Colloidal Oatmeal and is blended with rich emollients to help protect and soothe dry skin.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®.