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Articles
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Summer Skin Care Tips
By Tara Pingle
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You can surely guess the first step to take in skin care
this summer! Yes, use sunscreen! You’ve heard this a
thousand times probably. Skin cancer is the biggest
danger and besides that, we can avoid those early
wrinkles, patches of discoloration, and thick leathery
texture.
Recent sunscreen improvements Sunscreen used to be goopy
and greasy and smelly. That’s history! In the past 10
years or so sunscreen companies have responded to our
complaints with lots of research so now we can pick and
choose –
§ scented or unscented
§ sticks
§ gels
§ light lotion
§ heavier lotion
§ sprays
§ oil-free
§ hypoallergenic
§ alcohol-based
§ waterproof or not
§ scented to appeal to
kids
§ tinted to match make-up
§ combined with
moisturizer
The SPF (sun-protection factor) ranges from 2 to 60.
These numbers refer the degree of protection from the
sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays, the harmful ones. Read the
label to be sure it will protect against both UVA and
UVB rays. Prices range from about $5 to $30 or so.
Pointers for effective sunscreen use
§ The minimum SPF you
should look for is 15, which provides 93% protection. If
you’re very fair in complexion, look for 30, which gives
97% protection and if necessary, go even higher.
§ Don’t skimp on how much
you use. Your skin needs to be well-covered, so use
about an ounce if you’re exposing most of your body to
sunshine.
§ If you’re on snow, sand
or water, be aware that these environments intensify the
UV rays by reflecting the sun. Remember too that UV rays
are most intense at midday, even if the sun feels hotter
in the afternoon. The heat comes from infrared rays, not
ultraviolet rays. UV rays are also more intense at
higher altitudes.
§ Don’t wait to apply
sunscreen until you’ve been out in the sun a while and
are feeling the heat on your skin. Apply it 20 or 30
minutes before you head outdoors to give it time to soak
in and start working.
§ Remember to re-apply
about every 2 hours. If you’re swimming or sweating to
any extent, re-apply even the waterproof varieties.
§ Don’t abandon your
sunscreen when the sky gets cloudy. About 80% of UV rays
penetrate light clouds, although heavy cloud blocks
mostly blocks them.
General summer skin care tips
§ Be cautious with
exfoliation products. They’re good for some parts of the
body but not necessarily for the face. Avoid facial
scrubs with coarse granules because they can cause tiny
tears in the skin, which lead to uneven pigmentation
after you’ve been in the sun enough.
§ As an alternative to
scrubs, use cleansers and moisturizers containing alpha-hydroxy
acids, as these will gently exfoliate and improve the
skin’s texture and tone.
§ Try using an oil-free
moisturizer if your skin feels too greasy in the heat.
§ If you don’t need any moisturizer, wear a
foundation with an SPF of 15 or more.
Other skin care tips
§ When possible, avoid
being in the sun
§ Buy some protective
clothing that blocks the UV rays
§ Use a moisturizer
containing an SPF of at least 15
§ Wear a sunhat
§ Use a lip balm with sun
protection
§ Keep a family sun care
kit in the car, with sunscreen, sunscreening lip balm,
hats and sunglasses
§ Drink at least 8 8-oz
glasses of water each day
For more information on skin care and other beauty
advice, feel free to contact The Salon Cabochon in
Sacramento, California -
http://www.saloncabochon.com/
Article Source:
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