Beauty DIY
Liz’s top summer beauty tips
When summer arrives, it’s wonderful to be able to spend more time outdoors enjoying the longer, lighter evenings and the warming rays of the sun, but we need to be mindful too. Here are six of the best summer beauty tips to look after our skin and hair, helping us to stay safe, look more radiant and feel more confident all summer long.
Liz’s summer beauty tips
Sun sense
We all need to strike a sensible balance when it comes to sun exposure. We need to make sure we make enough vitamin D for healthy bones by baring our unprotected skin to the sun’s rays for approximately 20 minutes every day during the warmer months. But we must also be careful to protect ourselves from over-exposure and sunburn, which can be very damaging. Never allow your skin to redden (it’s our skin’s way of saying ‘Ouch!’) and reapply your favourite SPF frequently, especially after swimming.
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Head for a hat
When the sun is strong, hair dries out very easily. Use a protective hair oil to help lock moisture in. Liz also recommends always wearing a hat, especially when gardening or if out in the sun for a long time. Colour-treated hair is particularly prone to taking on a brassy tinge, so covering up is essential to keep tinted locks looking lovely.
Protective pigments
Most make-up is mineral based and acts as a naturally protective layer by reflecting the sun’s rays away from the skin. Most items in our make-up bag will have a natural SPF of about 15 or 20, depending on pigment density, so help shield the skin when exposed to the sun. Brush a little extra face powder on your upper chest too. This area is especially prone to sun damage and the powder gives an additional layer of natural-looking cover.
Water works
We lose a lot more water when it’s warm, so it can be wise to up your intake of water during the summer months. Aim for six to eight glasses a day. A number one tip if you’re drinking alcohol over summer is to match each glass of rosé or Pimms with at least one glass of water. This can help to keep alcohol’s dehydrating after-effects at bay.
Moisture marvels
Sunbathing and swimming are very drying on our skin too. Switch to a richer moisturiser during warmer months and apply more lavishly, paying extra attention to lower legs, elbows, backs of arms and knees – all of which have fewer sebaceous glands so are especially prone to dryness. Wearing sandals also gives feet a harder time and our heels can become cracked and painful, so take your moisturiser right the way over your feet.
In the buff
Many of us dread the wardrobe change as summer approaches and we’re forced to bare a bit more wintery skin. Exfoliating regularly not only helps buff and smooth the body so skin glows in sleeveless tops and shorts, but it also helps improve cellulite and keeps skin looking fresh and radiant. Invest in a loofah or exfoliating gloves and use daily in the shower to improve circulation and beautify areas of skin on show.
Bath-time bliss
If you do overdo the sun-exposure, or your skin starts to feel tight and dry, a few drops of pure plant oils can help soften and heal. Try a spoonful of almond or grapeseed oil in the bath, mixed with 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil to soothe and calm both body and mind.
Skin that has been mildly sunburnt will benefit from a little vitamin E oil. Simply pierce a natural-source vitamin E capsule and very gently rub the oil into the affected area. Dabbing on a little neat lavender essential oil or the sap from a freshly cut aloe vera leaf is also very soothing for sun damaged redness – or you could combine all three for maximim effect.
