Summer Beauty Tips

With a new season comes different techniques

Justin Paul

During the summer, the heat and humidity can team up to dry out your skin and hair.  Read on for some strategies to combat summer dryness, friz and fatigue.

For Your Hair

• In summer, your hair soaks up a lot of heat, which can dry out the hair. To combat this, make sure to use a good-quality conditioner every time you shampoo.

• But, don’t shampoo too often. Every other day, give your hair a break from washing. Too-frequent shampooing can deplete the hair’s natural oils.

• Chlorine in swimming pools can damage your hair, so make sure to give your locks a good rinse in the shower as soon as you get out of the pool.

• If you’ve got a natural style, allow your hair to dry normally instead of using a blow dryer. Not only does this cut down on the heat in your house, but it also is gentler to the hair than blow drying.

• To keep your color rich longer, use leave-in conditioner that contains a sunscreen. Leave-in conditioners are also a good idea for people who don’t color their hair.

• Make sure your hair products don’t contain alcohol. This can be especially drying in the summer heat.

For Your Skin

• It should go without saying by now, but wear your sunscreen. It combats premature aging, sun damage and skin cancer.

• Keep yourself well-hydrated. In addition to other benefits, good hydration helps promote healthy, glowing skin.

• Eat plenty of green, leafy veggies like spinach and kale. They contain an antioxidant called lutein that helps protect the skin against sun damage, UV light and even aging.

• Make sure your lip balm contains sunscreen. Many people slather sunscreen on their faces and bodies but forget their lips.

• Keep makeup simple. A warm bronzy glow, a little concealer under your eyes and a splash of neutral lipstick is a perfect look for a lazy summer day.

• Remember to take off your makeup at night. Use a remover that does not contain chemicals, and follow with a hydrating night cream.

• Exfoliate, then moisturize. Find a great-smelling exfoliator and use it on your face and body three times per week to refresh tired skin. Follow it up with a light moisturizer and you’re good to go.

Justin Paul’s column will appear here next month.