Ahhhh, summer! Beach days, pool parties, water sports . . . . oh, and sunburn, dry skin, wrinkles and age spots.
Not to throw a wet blanket on your summer dreams, my dears, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t warn you about what long sunny days can do to your beautiful face. Here’s what UV and UA exposure can lead to . . . . . .
- Depletes skin of essential fatty acids, leaving it dry, flaky and wrinkled
- Slows skin cell renewal, causing build-up of old dermal cells that dull and congest
- Accelerates hyperpigmentation/dark spots
- Strips skin of moisture and destroys collagen and elastin
Whew! Now that the bad news is out of the way . . . . . here’s how you can enjoy sun, surf and pool while keeping your skin dewy fresh, radiant and healthy!
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GENTLE CLEANSING
Start and end summer days by removing impurities without stripping your skin of moisture and nutrients. Here’s what we use to achieve that:
Sensitive Skin: Botanical Kinetics All-Sensitive Cleanser
Acne/Breakout Prone Skin: Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser
Normal to Dry Skin: Botanical Kinetics Purifying Creme Cleanser
Normal to Oily Skin: Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser
Once or twice a week, exfoliate to scrub away dry, dull skin cells. For normal to dry skin, Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Exfoliating Creme Cleanser is your go-to; for normal to oily skin it’s Radiant Skin Refiner.
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MOISTURIZE STRATEGICALLY
Taking care of summer skin is more than just moisturizing . . . . . you have to replenish specifically what your skin is lacking! Here’s how we do it:
Step 1: Prep. Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Treatment Lotion amplifies the hydrating powers of your moisturizer. It’s a wonderful supplement to your normal skin care regimen to get extra moisturizing capacity from your products. Smooth on this light, sheer liquid first.
Step 2: Serum. Incorporate a lightweight serum to address summer skin issues. The Tulasara Calm Concentrate soothes inflamed or sun-scorched skin. Bright Concentrate reduces dark spots. Firm Concentrate tightens the look and feel of skin.
Step 3: Moisturize. Aveda has several excellent options, but the ones we recommend for summertime are from their Tulasara line.
Tulasara’s night creme, Wedding Masque, features a potent turmeric extract that specifically addresses sun exposure issues. Turmeric is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents; it’s rich in properties the sun saps away (like vitamin C and collagen production); and is known to diminish dark spots. Need we say more?
On summer mornings, reach for Tulasara Renew Morning Creme . . . . . again, it’s full of ingredients beneficial to sun-stressed skin. Licorice root and molasses extract reduce discoloration. A bio-peptide promotes collagen production. Oleosomes (natural concentrated oils found in plants) provide lasting, lightweight, all-day moisture. Certified organic ginger extract works with several other plant antioxidants to neutralize free radicals.
Step 4: Masque It! Once or twice a week (or any time after too much sun) apply Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Masque to calm and deeply hydrate.
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A LITTLE EXTRA LOVE
The dead of summer and dead of winter are the two must-do times when you should give your stressed skin more love than usual. But, here in Sarasota we’re not burdened by freezing temperatures, ice and snow (one of many reasons why we live here . . . . . !) BUT, we do contend with extra strong sun and intense heat and humidity in summer, and those do a number on your complexion.
We recommend our customizable Tulasara facials for EVERYONE, my dears, because we can tailor them to your exact skin concerns! Whatever havoc summer weather has wreaked upon your poor skin . . . . . dryness, acne/breakouts, fine lines/wrinkles, dark spots . . . . . . we can customize a facial specifically to what you need.
Then, we will likely send you home with a morning regimen, the Tulasara Radiant Awakening Ritual. Its gentle everyday exfoliation is a must-do if you’re consistently spending time in the sun.
This lovely, three-minute morning ritual involves dry-brushing your skin for gentle exfoliation, then massaging with 100% naturally-derived oleation oil to nourish. (Spoiler alert: You may get hooked on this ritual year-round, and who could blame you?)
PREVENTION! PREVENTION! PREVENTION!
Shields up! The best way to stop sun damage is to keep it from happening. Invest in a fabulous brimmed hat (or two)—not just for the beach, but any outdoor activity. Not to mention, it adds that extra je ne sais quoi to any summer outfit.
Hat or no, we never step foot into the Sarasota sun without applying Aveda’s Daily Light Guard Defense Fluid SPF 30 to face, neck and decolletage. This nourishing fluid provides UVA/UVB defense with non-chemical, 100% mineral-derived ingredients.
DRINK YOUR BEAUTY
You can’t achieve a clear, fresh and toned complexion without the proper nutrition. Here’s our favorite beverage for visibly improved skin.
Both carrots and pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants, and carrot juice is rich in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A (retinol) to fight wrinkles.
Amla (Indian gooseberry) puts the horsepower in this skin-enhancing beverage. Used extensively in Ayurvedeic recipes and Aveda products, amla has many health benefits. You can find fresh amla at Asian or Indian specialty markets, or buy it as a powder online. Amla specifically helps the skin because:
- It fights micro-organisms in the skin, preventing breakouts
- It’s packed with antioxidants and vitamin C
- It boosts collagen production
CARROT AMLA POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE
- 3 diced carrots
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3 diced amla or 1 tsp. amla powder
- 2 inches ginger
In a blender, add carrots, amla and pomegranate seeds. Grind to form a smooth mixture. Add honey, blend again and serve.
Remember, our Nuovo estheticians are always on-hand to answer your questions about skin care during the summer . . . . . or anytime during the year! We always love seeing your beautiful face come through our doors in every season.