How To Get Your Skin Ready For Summer
When it comes to your skin, a little pre-planning can make the world of difference, especially before facing the detrimental effects of sun, sea and air travel. NEWBY HANDS shares her tips on what to do now to ensure a healthy, glowing complexion later
Pull back on peels…
…as well as retinols, strong scrubs and anything that degrades the skin’s protective surface barrier. That said, summer skin is usually drier than normal, which makes it look dull and ‘flat’, so for healthier, fresher-looking skin, swap to a gentle (sting- and tingle-free) peel or peel pad, but use it no more than two to three times a week. Even better, look for a PHA-based peel (containing polyhydroxy acids), which gently polishes your skin and helps to hydrate it. This approach means your skin looks bright throughout summer without any damage.
Take vitamin F
Confusingly, there is no official vitamin F, but it is the name given to a blend of essential fatty acids that can help provide a stronger membrane to our skin cells. This means vitamin F is key for healthier and more hydrated skin (stronger skin cells and skin barrier reduce moisture loss), especially in the summer, when skin becomes parched from a combination of sun, air travel, air-con, seawater and chlorine. While you do find it used in skincare, vitamin F can also be taken as a supplement, which helps to provide your skin with the omega oils it needs when new cells are forming. Much as it’s a good idea for everyone to take vitamin F during summer (aesthetician Sarah Chapman always ups her intake pre-vacation), if you have dry, flaky skin all year round, taking a daily vitamin F supplement can be a long-term game changer. Also, it’s good to know that, while fish oils are the most popular choice, opting for algae oils also makes sense, as fish get their omega oils from eating algae.
Up your antioxidants
No matter what the beauty companies may say, there is no single antioxidant ‘star’, so we need serums that offer a cocktail of protection. Use them morning and evening and, within a few days, your skin will build up an internal ‘reservoir’, which means it is protected both inside and out. Plus, as no SPF gives you 100% guaranteed coverage, using antioxidants daily ensures your skin is protected from the UV that invariably penetrates skin.
Bank your collagen
While collagen found within your skin (which provides its structure and gives it that plumped up, pillowy appearance) naturally degrades with age, the added intensity in UV rays during summer can actually speed up this process, too. Here’s where Sofwave – a non-invasive, FDA-approved skin-tightening treatment (using ultrasound) – is ideal as a pre-summer process. It works to lift drooping brows, tighten jawlines, and smooth fine lines and wrinkles by boosting collagen levels – all without targeting pigment or breaking through the skin, so it’s safe for sunny weather (even so, wearing an SPF when outside is always a good idea). The whole treatment takes just 45 minutes, and you’ll see the full effects of your newly boosted collagen levels within three to four months. Even better? It’s recently been approved to work on the appearance of cellulite, too.
LAST-MINUTE BODY CARE
We see nothing wrong with stepping onto the sand just as you are, but if you would like some extra beach-ready confidence, these targeted body buys really deliver…
BEST FOR PRE-SUN Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Body Cream
This zesty and invigorating lotion was designed to do one thing: ready the skin for the sun. It’s laden with antioxidant vitamin C, which has been shown to boost the skin’s defenses against UV rays, and it has the added benefit of making skin feel silky-soft. Use it daily in the run-up to your vacation.
BEST FOR HYDRATING Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Aging Serum
If the skin across your shins feels tight and itchy, it is almost certainly lacking in moisture. This active-packed body serum has the ability to transform dry legs while boosting the skin’s elastin and collagen levels at the same time. It’s blended with protective antioxidants together with a special hyaluronic acid, brown algae extract and a peptide complex for intense moisture. Massage it into damp skin after showering to see the best results.
BEST FOR A GLOSSY SHEEN 111Skin Rose Gold Radiance Body Oil
This sink-in formula is an excellent skin-finisher, as it hydrates and strengthens while leaving a pore-blurring, glossy (not greasy) sheen behind. You can use it daily to lock moisture into skin and then top it up before hitting the beach for an added natural-looking glow. Use it along shins, collarbones and the backs of arms, where the sun naturally hits.
BEST FOR EXFOLIATING Tata Harper Smoothing Body Scrub
If ever there was a time for a thorough top-to-toe exfoliation, it’s pre-beach. Tata Harper’s exfoliator contains a combination of sea salt and apricot seed powder, amongst other exfoliators, and is abrasive enough to slough away dry and dull cells without stripping the skin of moisture. We like to use it all over the body concentrating on dry, rough patches such as the elbows, knees and shins – one generous scoop is enough to do a thorough job all over.
BEST FOR PERFECTING SKIN U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound
If bumpy, uneven skin texture (often found on elbows, knees and upper arms or thighs) is an all-too familiar state of affairs, you need this in your life. It contains a whole host of antioxidants, a combination of glycolic, lactic and mandelic acids, as well as retinol, so it really packs a punch, smoothing uneven texture and brightening skin. Use it every day for two weeks before your vacation (though don’t use it once you’re in the sun), and you’ll be amazed at the transformation.
The model featured in this story is not associated with NET-A-PORTER and does not endorse it or the products shown.