Follow the Sun: Here Are a Few Essentials to Get Your Skin Ready to Explore the Great Outdoors - Mirror,Mirror

Safe travels!

As we start to round the corner to the hottest months of the year—and as COVID restrictions begin to ease—many of us will be heading to the beach or somewhere in the great outdoors.

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But as we have fun under the sun, we should never forget to take care of our skin. There are a lot of concerns relating to increased exposure to UVB rays alongside with UVA radiation like hyper pigmentation, break-outs and premature aging. We wouldn’t like that, would we?

There are a lot of products available out there that can help us prevent or at least minimize the harmful effects of sun exposure to our skin. How do we keep our skin feeling healthy and looking its best? Here are a few of my go-tos:

Exfoliators

Since we will be outdoors most of the time. We will be more exposed to dirt, debris and other environmental pollutants. That’s why exfoliation becomes more essential during summer. Exfoliators ensures replacement of dead cells with younger ones and of course removal of dirt and debris that might cause skin breakouts.

One of my favorite exfoliator is Murad Vita C Triple Exfoliating Facial. Inspired by professional microdermabrasion facial without feeling that your skin is being scratched.  It uses a mix of physical, chemical, and enzymatic exfoliants to remove dead cells and vitamin C to brighten skin and even tone. I love exfoliators as they help smoothen and make my skin glow.

Effective cleansers

Most of us are probably already using cleansers in the morning and before we sleep.  Cleansers becomes more important as we use extra SPF.  We have to make sure that everything is removed thoroughly and effectively before bed. The build-up of makeup, sun protection, and all other things we put in our face can clog our pores.

SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser this famous facial cleanser amongst the discerning is one of the most effective cleansers I have tried.  This foaming facial cleanser gently removes impurities for clean, silky, and soft skin. It is formulated with SK-II’s signature ingredient PITERA and skin conditioning ingredients.

Anti-oxidants

Like we drink anti-oxidants vitamins to prevent us from getting sick by strengthening our immune system, it’s the same with our skin. Anti-oxidants are ingredients that protects our skin from free radicals from exposure to UV rays, pollution, and other external aggressors. It will also help prevent the appearance of visible signs of aging and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Moreover, it will lessen also the appearance of hyperpigmentation and brown spots. The most popular anti-oxidants are Niacinamide, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum has become a cult favorite and for good reason. It has become the gold standard for an anti-oxidant serum as it contains vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. Combined, this improves the efficacy of Vitamin C.

Light moisturizers

Oil control is a major concern for us living in tropical countries, and has become an impediment in using moisturizers. But as we all know, moisturizers are a must. Perhaps light formulations are the solution, and will address concerns of using moisturizers when the weather becomes too hot to handle.

I have been a fan of La Mer’s Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream. It is a light gel, that calms and refreshes skin. The key word is cooling.  In a humid and hot weather like the Philippines, cooling is a most welcome attribute of a moisturizer. This product will make skin naturally vibrant and restored to its healthiest from Lamer’s legendary healing elixir, “Miracle Broth.”

SPF

Now, the most important skincare that you should not miss during summertime is SPF. In fact, not just during summer time, but all year round. I must admit that I take SPF for granted.  Wearing sunscreen not only reduces risk of skin cancer but also protects our skin from UV rays causing wrinkles and fine lines. Some experts and my own dermatologists even advise wearing sunscreen indoors to protect from UVA light. We have to choose sunscreens that explicitly states that it protects from both UVA and UVB with at least 30 SPF.

Clarins UV plus Anti-Pollution Sunscreen Multi-Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 50, is everything in a sunscreen that you can ask for. This silky, oil-free day screen helps protect skin from skin damaging UVA/UVB rays, pollutions and free radicals. It shields the skin from the appearance of dark spots and the early signs of skin aging.

This story was first published in the March 2022 issue of Lifestyle Asia.

Banner Photo by Mert Kahveci on Unsplash

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