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After a couple of weekends of fun in the sun, my skin is really feeling the affects. I has been fabulous having people comment on how tan I look. Or having my aunt say I look so sunkissed. But it equally wasn't fun when my mom told me I was getting freckles on my nose {which I have never had before}. Or The Hubby telling me my nose looked "fried". With all that, and the increase to my age each year, I have started to pay more attention to my skin than I ever have before. Gone are the days of a care free teenager who had the most amazing tan without ever having to put a drop of sunblock on all summer. Fast forward to today, and I am starting to worry about age spots and premature wrinkles!
With a new focus on being an adult and taking care of my skin, I have come up with 5 ways to keep my skin looking youthful, but still getting the nice summer color I desperately want!
1. Hydrate
Drinking more water is something I am constantly struggling with in my routine. Some days I rock the water train, and get all my ounces in. Then there are days that I sit back at 5pm and think, did I have any water today? Every day you should strive for half your body weight in water. Example, if you weight 160lbs, you should be getting a minimum of 80 oz. of water per day. I know there is a lot of concern about the increase in bathroom trips with this much water intake, but once your body adapts to this new water consumption routine, the bathroom breaks will become less frequent again. Its is all about training you body, and your routine! To make sure I get all my water in, I always have my Zulu Glass Water Bottle, within arms reach. I love that it is glass, so it doesn't degrade over time, and that it is hot pink! I like my workout accessories/cloths to be bold! The days I forget it, I suffer because I don't have anything to keep my accountable to my water intake. If you struggle with water intake too, go out and find yourself a water bottle you love. One that you won't want to leave the house without, there are so many fun colors and jugs with fun quotes to chose from. Find the one that matches your personality. Once you have your water bottle set yourself a schedule for water consumption. Example, by 10am, I will have 20 oz drank, by 3pm 20 more oz, by 6pm, 20 more oz, and by 10pm your last 20 oz. Hydrate people!
2. Moisturize Your Face
I was TERRIBLE at this for many, many years. I will admit, until 2 years ago, I never used lotion on my face. I know this sounds like a sin to most people, but when you have oily skin it doesn't sound like a good idea to add more "grease" to already greasy skin. Hello zit colony, move right in. After many years of fighting it, I found myself a moisturizer for oily skin, that doesn't leave my face looking like an oil slick, and I hate going a day without it. I have been using Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer for a few years now, and love that it gives me a tint of color, has SPF 30 and doesn't make my skin feel heavy {or clog my pores}. This one worked for me, but everyone has such different skin, you need to find one that works for you. Requirements for finding the right moisturizer should be that is doesn't clog pores or leave your face feeling heavy, has SPF in it to keep your skin protected even under the winter sun, and keeps those wrinkles at bay. If you don't have a face moisturizer in your daily routine yet, get on that!
3. Sun Block
I am was the queen of the saying "I don't need sunblock, my skin tans well." My skin sure does tan well, but it also burns like the rest of you I have learned. When you are an adult, working in an office all day, you notice that getting that golden sunkissed look doesn't just happen over the course of the summer. You need to set dedicated time to get your sun exposure and instead of many small bursts of sun, we spend 8 hours straight in the sun on a Saturday to accomplish what we did as a kid in a week. What happens with this plan, sunburns. I have finally come to the realization that I need some level of protection, not only to prevent the sunburn, but to prevent the aging of my skin. My favorite is Hawaiian Tropic SPF 15 because it smells so good. I am not a 30 or 50 SPF girl normally, as I mentioned "I tan well", but a 15 SPF is a great way to get in protection but still get the color I want. "Wear Sun Screen"-- Name that song!
4. Deep Clean
Recently I was sent a sample of the Adovia Dead Sea Mud Mask to try out, and it was just what my skin needed! My daily routine involves a good facewash in the morning and my moisturizer, but very little else. I go in for a facial maybe 2 times per year, and each time my skin feels so refreshed. Having not had a facial in more like 10 months, a good mud mask at home was truly in order.
What peeked my interest in the Adovia Mud Mask was that it was made from dead sea mud, and I swear that all the "fancy" and "expensive" mud masks have that same ingredient. Although, I received this mask as a sample, the price point is one that, when the bottle I have at home is gone, I will defiantly not feel guilty buying a new bottle. The mask also has aloe to help with any redness, and vitamin C, both additional perks in my mind.
Deep Cleaning the skin is a big one on my list, because during the summer we spend so much more time exposed to the elements that are skin can really get some gross build up. There are so many options in addition to the mud mask that help with deep cleans; a exfoliating luffa in the shower, sugar or salt body washes, exfoliating face washes, anything that can give you that rough scrub on the skin to clear out any grossness or dead skin. Bright skin during the summer is always the best. You got that tan to show it off, not to hid it under flaky dry skin.
Oh, and I should mention that deep cleaning isn't just for women, men can join the party too 😉 The Hubby has just as oily skin as me, and even though it took some convincing to get him to put the mask on, he really liked the feel of his skin once it was washed off. I wonder how long it will take him to notice this photo made the blog.... hehehe!
5. Sweat it out!
Of course exercise helps with your skin too. What doesn't it help?? Improved circulation from all that moving keeps skin looking healthy. But one thing you wouldn't think of is, all that sweat helps to flush out your pores of any build up. Yup- sweat helps keep your skin clear of grim-- that is if you shower properly after a workout! To get the best sweat on during the summer, take your workouts outside. Even if you are doing workout DVDs {like me}, you can take your computer into the backyard and sweat it out on the deck or in the grass. I have been doing this lately, and love being outside while getting a good sweat on. Or if you have little ones running around outside, why can't mom just pop in a workout DVD and multi-task? Or a nice game of tag gets that sweat flowing just fine. All in all, get your booty moving to make your skin look extra fabulous! If you are looking for a workout program check out the Monthly Specials page-- great deals happening this month. Remember its for your skin 😉
XoXo,
Rachel