By Guest Blogger, Cassie Brewer.
For mums, the summer can be an especially busy time. With kids off from school, keeping them busy and entertained – especially on rainy days – can be a challenge, leaving very little time for self-care throughout the season.
Furthermore, the summer and its abundant sunshine can take a toll on one’s skin, which means that it should be tended to throughout the season. To help even the busiest mum do so, we’ve compiled a list of our best tips and tricks to make skincare a cinch and to leave your body feeling soft and smooth.
Take a cold shower
Especially after a day in the sun chasing around kiddos, you probably worked up a sweat. Once you return home, hop in a cold shower to keep your skin smooth and even. The cool water will work to keep skin unoccluded, reducing the chance of a breakout. Warm or hot showers aren’t a good idea after a day in the sun, anyway, as they promote dry skin. Not to mention, taking a cold shower boasts a laundry list of other benefits, too.
Sip some red wine
Who says skincare has to be boring, right? Jazz up your evening or dinner with some red wine and bask in the comfort of knowing it is helping promote your summer glow. Red wine contains resveratrol, which is a naturally occurring phenol found in the skin of red grapes. This substance can decrease redness from acute sunburns and it also an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. Bottoms up!
Eat your way to healthy skin
Your diet could have an effect on the health of your summer skin, believe it or not. Fruits like melon are known as one of the best to promote a healthy summer glow, as this snack delivers a unique hydration to the skin and contains antioxidants that can promote radiance. Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon are all considered in this category. Berries also make the cut as they contain antioxidants and pineapple is known to fight inflammation because it contains bromelain, which will help a sunburn. The omega-3 fatty acids in seafood work with skin cells to regulate oil production, putting that on the top of the list and coconut water’s potassium levels and hydrating properties make it a grocery list must for the summer.
Don’t scratch bug bites
Sunburn and dry skin aren’t the only conditions plaguing your skin over the summer as bug bites are always an unwanted annoyance throughout the season. To remedy a bug bite without scratching them and causing scabbing and even scarring, try using essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil to find some relief from the itching and swelling. Icing the bites can also relieve itching and work to bring down the swelling of the bump by constricting the blood vessels and decreasing the body’s natural histamine release.
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate!
When you are in the shower, take advantage of the time to exfoliate your skin as much as possible. This will help to get rid of the dreaded “lizard” scaly skin that can sometimes come from too much time in the sun. To effectively exfoliate, use a cleanser specific to the task (with the exfoliating scrub or beads), a loofah, body brush, or exfoliating gloves, a pumice stone, and lotion (for after the fact). Scrub away, being especially gentle around your face and eyes. A pro tip is to use an electric powered face cleansing brush all over problem areas, as it is a pro at exfoliation. Remember to lather up with lotion after your shower and your body will feel much smoother than it did before.
Even with little ones in tow, summer skincare doesn’t have to be a chore or inconvenience. These simple tips make it easy to maintain that sunkissed glow without any of the annoying side effects. Happy sunning!
