Keep Your Summer Glow: Essential Tips for Protecting Your Skin from Sun and Heat

Summer is the season when we all want to look our best. To ensure that the long-awaited warmth brings only joy and not skin problems, it’s crucial to take special care of your skin. According to Lyubov Zinovieva, a dermatocosmetologist and beauty expert for Herbalife, our skin requires unique attention during this period.

How Does Summer Affect Our Skin?

In our climate, bright sunshine is a rare guest. We experience cloudy autumns and cold winters that seem to never end. Therefore, the abundance of sun that suddenly appears with the onset of summer is the most significant change our skin has to deal with. Moreover, most of us are eager to soak up the sun as much as possible. But what happens to our skin when we do this?

Our skin is exposed to intense ultraviolet (UV) rays. While 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day is relatively harmless, how often do we limit ourselves to this? Exceeding this safe limit can lead to various unpleasant consequences, from redness and swelling to photoaging of the skin (the breakdown of collagen and elastin in its composition).

Additionally, prolonged sun exposure can lead to pigment spots. And these are not always cute and harmless freckles. Therefore, the first thing we should remember with the onset of summer is the need to protect our skin from the sun using special creams and emulsions with SPF.

It is optimal to use products with an SPF of at least 30. It is worth paying attention to clinically tested face and body care products that prevent ultraviolet radiation from penetrating the dermis. For example, Herbalife SKIN sunscreen not only meets these criteria but also moisturizes and nourishes the skin.

Is the Sun the Main Threat to Skin in Summer?

The heat and dry air are also not beneficial to the skin. On the one hand, the skin actively loses moisture and dries out; on the other hand, due to the heat, sweating increases, the sebaceous glands become more active, and an unpleasant oily sheen, clogged pores, and inflammation appear. Therefore, basic care—cleansing, moisturizing, and nourishing—is essential for the skin in summer, perhaps even more so than in winter.

How to Properly Cleanse, Moisturize, and Nourish Facial Skin in Summer

Cleansing the skin is necessary not only in the evening after a workday but also in the morning. After all, the sebaceous and sweat glands work at night too. The daytime moisturizing cream should be light in texture and contain antioxidant vitamins such as C and E (which protect the skin from the harmful effects of the environment) and sunscreen filters that protect against UVA and UVB rays.

If you visit the gym during the day, you should wipe your skin with a toner after your workout. You can also do this if you notice an oily sheen in the middle of the day. It is better to choose alcohol-free products to avoid over-drying the skin.

After evening cleansing, do not forget about the night cream, which softens the skin well. You can try the Herbalife SKIN overnight renewing cream, which is applied before bed and provides a good moisturizing effect. Also, in the evening, twice a week instead of cream, you can use a nourishing mask for 20 minutes.

Is the Sun Beneficial for Problem Skin?

Within reasonable limits (as mentioned above, 10-15 minutes), ultraviolet rays have a beneficial effect on the skin: they stimulate the production of vitamin D and the “hormone of vigor” serotonin. However, if you sunbathe longer and without sunscreen, ultraviolet rays can exacerbate existing problems: acne, rosacea, photodermatitis. So, I would not advise testing your body’s strength. It is better to apply sunscreen and not take risks.

For more information on skin care, you can visit Herbalife.