As with most things in life, the grass always seems greener on the other side. When it’s snowing and icy cold outside, we long for spring and summer days, and when it’s sweltering hot out, we can’t wait to see the leaves start changing in fall and the weather gets crisper. One thing is for sure about the cooler months – our hair and makeup tend to look better and stay in place.
If you’re like most people, summer tends to mean less makeup (because we’re sweating it off), ignoring our perfect evening skincare routines for late-night gatherings, and tons of frizzy hair as the humidity wreaks havoc on our tresses. Thankfully, there are some ways to combat the high heat’s toll on our beauty routines if you put in a bit of work.
While work is the last thing many of us want to do during the lazy, carefree days of summer, when you look good, you feel good. So, let’s review some ways to look and feel your best with the sun is a-scorchin’!
Eat Seasonally
One of the best things about summer is all the delicious fruits and veggies in season. Part of looking beautiful is nourishing your skin and hair from the inside by consuming a healthy and balanced diet. Enjoy fresh berries, melons, and all the other produce summer lends itself to. If you struggle to eat mindfully, create a summer challenge like trying to eat plant-based for most of the season. Eating healthy will give you the energy you need to partake in all the fun activities during the summer.
Staying Hydrated
Thankfully, when the temperature is nearing the triple digits, you want to drink all the water anyway, but it’s a good reminder that staying hydrated keeps you looking great. Sure, drinking water is one way to stay hydrated, but you need to hydrate your skin and hair as well. Make sure that you’re using a moisturizing body cream each night to nourish your skin after the long days in the sun.
Additionally, you want to apply a hydrating cream to your facial skin to keep sun damage at bay – sun damage can cause premature fine lines and wrinkles. Switch up your skincare routine for fine lines by adding deep, moisturizing treatments.
Lastly, make sure you’re hydrating your hair. While some people enjoy the “beach waves” aesthetic, salt water air can dry out your hair and make it frizzy, knotty, and coarse. Using a hair mask weekly and applying oils to your hair is a great way to keep humidity issues at bay.
Targeting Products
For some people spending too much time in the sun can cause dark spots like melasma or unwanted freckles to form. For others, it can be just a bad sunburn. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of damage the sun can cause your skin, it’s good to have a strong regimen of targeted products at the ready.
Treat yourself to a face mask for dark spots, and use under-eye patches for puffiness and dark circles during your vacation after a long night. Keep pimple patches at your bedside if you tend to break out from sweating a lot during the summer. While an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, having targeted products for your specific issues ready to nip problems in the bud is a gamechanger.
Catch Those Z’s
One of the first things people feel after too much time in the sun is exhaustion. The wind comes right out of your sails when it gets sweltering hot outside. Whether it’s making sure to get your eight to nine hours a night or sneaking in a midday catnap, staying well-rested is one of the best ways to look and feel beautiful. Prioritizing sleep can be difficult while on vacation or when your invite list is a mile long, but get it where and when you can. They don’t call it beauty sleep for no reason!
Summer days are long, and the nights are longer, and it’s easy to neglect your day-to-day skin and hair routines in the midst of all the fun. By incorporating the tips mentioned above and having the right beauty products on hand, you can feel put together and ready for any event. Now get glowing!
Images from DSCENE Magazine Winter 2019 Beauty Cover Story by Takahiro Ogawa – See the full story here
