Picture this: you’re on a family vacation in sunny Florida. It’s the first day out at the beach, and you woefully underestimated how much sunblock you’d need. By the end of the day, you’re as red as the beach ball your little cousin spent all day playing with.
Guess what? Not only is the rest of your vacation ruined, but now your skin’s produced cancer-causing free radicals done some serious damage to your DNA.
Not the way you want to spend your summer vacation? Of course not!
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know how to keep your skin healthy this summer.
Slather On the Sunblock
First things first: prevent that damage in the first place. It’s important that you get the most powerful sunblock out there, and that doesn’t necessarily mean the highest SPF.
Dermatologists recommend picking up a sunblock no lower than SPF 30. SPF 50 is really the sweet spot, which blocks 98% of UVB rays.
UVB rays aren’t the only type that your skin needs protecting from, though. While UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburn, UVA rays can silently sneak past that SPF 50 to increase your chance of skin cancer beneath your epidermis. You need protection from both.
Look for the terms “broad spectrum,” “multi-spectrum,” or “UVA/UVB protection” on the sunblock bottle. This is arguably more important than the amount of SPF that the bottle boasts.
Moisturize Day and Night
Regardless of whether or not you sustain a sunburn at the beach, your skin is still taking a big hit, and it’s going to need some love after that.
Make sure you’re taking time to moisturize throughout the day. You should be using an aloe-infused lotion. Aloe is great for soothing burned skin, and it’s incredibly hydrating.
Do you know how to take care of your face? Once the day is done, give your more sensitive skin some love with a hyaluronic acid moisturizer.
Hyaluronic acid is awesome at helping your skin soak up every little bit of moisture it can from your moisturizer, so it’s an essential ingredient in post-beach day night creams. It also works to soften fine lines on the face and neck, which can be caused or deepened by sun exposure.
It’s Not Just About Sunburn
It’s easy to feel like sunburn is the only enemy when it comes to skin damage from sun exposure this summer, but there are other important tell-tale signs of skin damage that you should be keeping an eye out for, too.
You should check your skin regularly for early warning signs of skin cancer, like changing moles or unexplained skin irritation.
Besides skin cancer, there are a few other more mild skin diseases that still merit a check, like dermatitis and skin inflammation. If you see any of the following symptoms, stop by your dermatologist to be sure you’re in the clear:
- irritated, inflamed, or dry skin
- rashes
- persistent acne
While these don’t necessarily mean something larger is going on, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Do You Know How to Keep Your Skin Healthy?
Now that you know the basics of how to keep your skin healthy in the summertime, check out how to care for your skin in the winter, too!
Before you know it, you’ll be glowing all year long with healthy, radiant skin.
