We have to keep our skin healthy by getting rid of the dry, flaky bits and keeping our circulation going. We have to hydrate our skin or suffer the consequences (aging, wrinkles, dull and lackluster appearance). We also have to put on the SPF!
What are your routines when it comes to skincare on vacations?
Some of mine are after the jump.
The keys to sexy summer skin:
- Exfoliate dry skin
- Take extra care with face, neck and throat
- Hydrate all skin
- Illuminate
- Hands and feet are people, too
- Don't forget your SPF!
Exfoliate
We talked about this a bit in Getting Beach-Ready, but it's worth mentioning briefly again. To exfoliate is to encourage the natural skin shedding process by either scrubbing (always gently!) or applying a chemical. The reasons we exfoliate are ultimately all vain, though "sexy skin" is the most obvious vanity. Instant results are smooth and soft skin, but the long-term benefits shouldn't be overlooked. Unclogging your pores also helps prevent blackheads and acne as well as improving issues on the body (eg, it can minimize keratosis pilaris and help exzema). Also, many assert that exfoliation can help stave off the signs of aging, though most likely it's a temporary and superficial result (fine lines appear minimized when fresh, plump skin cells are unearthed). How to go about this gorgeousity...
- Exfoliate those feets.
Read this.*** - Let's Face It - facial skin is different.
In fact, it's important to remember that the skin on your face changes from day to day! Just because you're normally "normal" doesn't mean you can't wake up and have an oily day. Evaluate skin before doing anything - in fact most dermatologists and estheticians recommend that you have a little arsenal of products so you can handle anything your skin throws at you. (They're rich) Also, what works on your knees and heels isn't appropriate for the face (and throat and chest).***- Exfoliating turns over skin cells, but it can only do so much. Exfoliating too much or too roughly causes more problems than it solves. Normal skin- exfoliate once a week, oily and dry skins twice a week (but with different products!).***- If it hurts, stop. I avoid anything with "crushed shells" in the ingredients. First of all, those are better for exfoliating the larger cells of the body, not the small, delicate cells of the face (even if they do make products like that for the face). Using large, uneven abrasive scrubs can actually cause micro-tears in the skin! Um, no thanks. I also skip any chemical exfoliant that burns. I'm no doctor, but that seems to be a bad sign...***- EXFOLIATING MAKES YOUR SKIN SUSCEPTIBLE TO SUNBURN AND SUN DAMAGE.
So be careful, especially on the face, throat and neck.
Incredibly detailed scientific drawing of skin cells, demonstrating why we exfoliate:
Products to try:
- Body: I tend to use mechanical exfoliation for the body (scrubs). I love Lush's Sugar Scrub* (yum!), and Buffy Body Butter* (decadent!), the elusive Organics by Noah's Naturals sugar scrub (can't find it online but I think Walmart sells it), and my beloved Yu-Be scrub (great especially for extra-dry skin)(reviewed here). Then there's the Red Door Spa's Spa 7/52 scrubs! Oh, and that damn La Mer's The Body Refiner that's so amazing (but spendy - $110) (reviewed here). I like scrubs. :)***- Face: I use both mechanical exfoliation and chemical exfoliation for the face. For chemical exfoliation, I liked Zia's Papaya Enzyme Mask (though if you have sensitive skin like me you may have issues - I only use it on my nose) (reviewed here), and I use a foaming cleanser by a company called esolutions - I let it sit on my skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off. As far as I know that line is only sold through Red Door Spa, though I saw a few (bootleg?) via Google. It has glycolic acid in it and it's probably fairly similar to this product, though I've never tried that one. For mechanical exfoliation, I like using my Clarisonic brush daily. No, I love it. :) Boscia Smoothing Face Polish is also nice.***
Face, throat, neck...
A quick note to remind you that the skin on your throat and neck is incredibly delicate. I advise skipping the body exfoliants there, instead using whatever you use on your face. I also use my face creams here (or you can try items specifically targeted for that area).
Hydrate
If you don't moisturize and hydrate your skin, you end up looking like an alligator - and not in a good way. Don't make me pull out the sketch I did again. It's even more important to hydrate when you've been in the sun or out in the heat. Moisturizing is pretty basic, concept-wise, so I'll skip the long "how-to" and give a few tips then share my favorite hydrating products with you.
Tips:
- Your face is not the same as your knees and butt. It doesn't want the same products.
- Moisturize your lips, too.
- The area under and around your eyes needs to be hydrated and needs a product all of its own. The upside: hydrating this area plumps up the skin a bit (temporarily) and can minimize fine lines!
- Try slicking on a body oil right out of the shower or bath, then patting yourself dry. It locks in the moist and feels great!***
Try:
- FACE: I haven't really found a "holy grail" product here. Partly, I think, because skin changes so much! My skin is "normal", meaning sometimes it's fine and other times it's oily in bits or has dry spots. I spot-treat those areas. Reputable brands with solid products include Clarins, Neutrogena, Clinique among many others. I'm sort of just using whatever I grab... If you have suggestions for face creams, can you advise?
- EYES: My favorite eye cream ever is B.Kamins Eye Cream because it has little blue jojoba beads that burst when you rub it in and also because you can apply it right over makeup if you need "a hit" mid-day. I'm currently using Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, and it's good, too.
- LIPS: I love my Carmex and use a variety of products from their line. Also never far from my side is my MAC Lip Conditioner. I really believe in that stuff, plus it lasts awhile on the lips.
-BODY: Oh, I love to slip on some Neutrogena Body Oil in the summer. The chock-full-o-light-sesame-oil goodness is perfect, not greasy, and gives a nice sheen to the skin. The rest of my favorite body hydrating products are from LUSH*. Dream Cream* is my #1 choice, and it's great for resolving irritations and bumps, too. I also love Charity Pot* (and not just because its proceeds go to charity!).
-HANDS & FEET ARE PEOPLE, TOO: See my choices for hands here, and for feet here.
***
Illuminate
Hydrated skin looks sexy, but when you're going out at night you may want to give a little more kick. I suggest adding some shimmer... stick with silver shimmer if you've got a cool complexion, gold or peach if you have a warm complexion.
Tips:
- Highlight areas that you want to be prominent. On the face, try the tops of the cheekbones and the cupid's bow of the mouth. I also shimmer a bit in the inner corner of the eyes (around the tearducts). As long as you're not trying to down-play a large nose, you can also run a bit of shimmer down just the center of the nose.
- Highlighter on the collar bone is sexy!
- A bit of highlighter on the shinbones --- lightly! --- can enhance great gams.
- If you have amazing shoes, try a touch of highlighter on the top of the feet, just on the high points.
- Scooped-back dress? Try a bit of shimmer on the shoulder blades, but you may need some help with that one. ;)
- FACE: I find that in this category there are a lot of "holy grail" items or "cult classics" that are truly That Good. So pardon for naming the usual suspect here! MAC Strobe Cream gives a pinky iridescence, but please take a look at the note below to see why you need to be careful about it! My absolute favorite way to get shimmer are MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes. LOVE them. They're baked powder products, in case you're not familiar with them, and they can be swirled on before or after foundation. There are a few that are at the counter all of the time, and others that come and go in a limited edition way in various collections. NARS* makes some great creamy stick products called Multiples that can be used multiple ways (Get it?). I love Armani Fluid Sheers and Benefit HighBeam are liquid luminizers that I also adore.
- BODY: So here's the thing: anything that you can use to illuminate your face you can also use on your body. Shocker, right?! Here's where MAC Strobe Cream really comes in handy. It's perfect for that. I also love my MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes for that. You can even apply them with a wet brush! Also, you can take a bit of a shimmery powder mixed with your lotion or oil to shimmer things up. Genius!
SPF
With me not being a dermatologist, this is just the basics here to remind you when you need to put sunscreen on.
- Sunscreen absorbs or reflects (eg titanium dioxide) UV light.
- Sunscreen can help prevent certain types of skin cancers.
- Sunscreen can help prevent sunburn, which is skin damage.
- Sunblock is stronger than sunscreen.
- If you have a SPF 15 moisturizer on and top it with an SPF 30 spray, you do not have an SPF of 45 protecting you. Your SPF is only 30 - it's equal to the highest rated product you have on (it is not cumulative).
Here's the thing... there's a lot of debate out there about sunscreen and its efficacy. The few thing everyone agrees on is that it's not good to let your skin burn and it's best to wear sunscreen.
My advice, after culling through a lot of research that just all contradicts all of the other research is this:Wear a high SPF, put it on about 15 minutes before you go out in the sun, reapply in 2 hours, and keep reapplying every two hours AND after sweating heavily or swimming.