With summer just around the corner, most people have the sun, the beach and the warm weather to look forward to however there are several things that we need to do to prevent future damage to our skin. It doesn’t matter how old you are, protecting your skin during these sunny months are essential to maintain healthy fabulous skin for years to come.
Protect
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The higher the number of SPF you use, the more protection you will have. You may also want to look for the words “broad spectrum protection” on the bottle because this protects you from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Look for ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and octyl-methoxycinnamate because this will mean your sunscreen is actually a “broad spectrum” sunscreen. Not only does SPF prevent sunburns and damage to your skin, it prevents premature wrinkles from occurring, premature sun spots and skin cancer. Remember, even if the day isn’t really sunny; wear your SPF because you can still get a sun burn during cloudy days. To those patients who love having a beautiful glowing tan remember, you can still get tanned when you wear SPF but you just won’t get a yucky burn so lather up, your skin will thank you!
Eat
Believe it or not, antioxidants can actually help fight off free radicals in the air and they can also help provide you with protection from the sun. You can take antioxidants in the supplement form or simply eat (which is my favorite) these delicious treats!
Foods that are antioxidant rich are:
- Apricots asparagus
- beets
- broccoli
- cantaloupe
- carrots
- corn
- green peppers
- kale
- mangoes
- nectarines
- peaches
- pink grapefruit
- tangerines
- tomatoes
- watermelon
These are just a few of antioxidant rich foods so eat up and enjoy a lovely antioxidant rich fruit salad before your day at the beach and you can ensure that along with your SPF, your skin will have a beautiful glow on the outside but will also be happy and non-damaged on the inside.
Drink
No, I’m not talking about a Pina Coladas or Strawberry Daiquiris….I’m talking about H2O! Drinking water while you are in the sun is an essential part of preventing dry, sunburned flaky skin. Actually drinking a cocktail while you’re in the sun will dehydrate your body thus dehydrating your skin of the necessary moisture it needs while in the sun. So, when you go for that delicious cocktail make sure you’re drinking plenty of water afterwards to prevent dry peeling snake skin days later.
All in all, when you’re headed to the beach, in the garden or simply enjoying a day outside remember to protect your skin with a broad spectrum SPF, eat plenty of antioxidant rich foods and skip the cocktails and instead go for a nice glass of ice water. Your skin will thank you by staying youthful, fresh and revitalized for years and years to come.
