Purely Personal Skin Care

It’s summertime, and the days are both long and hot. During the hotter days of summer, it’s important for people to take the proper precautions to protect themselves from serious conditions like heat stroke and skin cancer.

To prevent heat stroke, make sure to drink plenty of water, and as much as possible, stay indoors and remain cool. It’s good to note that other drinks like juice, coffee, and soda don’t help hydrate the body, so drink water above all else in hot water. The most common cause of heat stroke is dehydration. In order to avoid skin cancer and sunburn, it’s a good idea to put on sunscreen whenever venturing outdoors. Make sure to get it on all the exposed areas of skin, and don’t miss the most commonly ignored areas including the tops of the ears and the back of the neck. It’s also a good idea to wear sunglasses to protect the eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. Taking these steps will ensure a more enjoyable summer with plenty of fun in the sun!

We do hear confusing things about the sun and its harmful rays.  Warnings of skin cancer are prevalent and for good reason.  However, when the sun’s rays touch our skin our bodies produce Vitamin D.  We know Vitamin D is extremely important for our health.  Studies have now verified that people with low Vitamin D levels exhibit higher levels of several common types of cancer, including colon and breast.

How much Vitamin D do we need and where can we get it?  Well we can get about 200 units a day from food and supplements usually contain about 400 – we need 1, 000 units a day to keep our cells healthy.  Spending 10 minutes a day in the sun in the middle of the day with our face and arms exposed can produce 1,000 units.  Believe it or not, with our air conditioned existence a lot of people are not in the sun even that long.   For that short amount of time, it’s actually good to be unprotected by sun screen.

So, science has confirmed the old wisdom that sunlight is essential to and beneficial for all living things. While you’re at it, slather up with sunscreen after the first 10 minutes, take a walk, dine on some fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water – now we’re talking healthy living!

Sugar is an ancient skin-care remedy.  It’s antiseptic and healing, making it an excellent exfoliant and humectant (helps skin hold water); with natural alpha hydroxyl acids that help perfect and smooth skin, won’t burn or sting like salt even when shaving.

Brown sugar is high in glycolic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid) and minerals.  Brown sugar imparts all the exfoliant and healing properties of white sugar but is softer and gentler, thus better for the face.

Essential oils combine with sugars and vitamins to create some exceptional body scrubs.  The reason they work so well…the dual action.  Fine sugar granules gently rid the skin of dead skin cells (exfoliate) while the oils are providing deep moisturizing.

Your gently scrubbed skin has just become rejuvenated…skin that is silky smooth and revitalized.  Your skin will actually tingle after a bath with some delicious sugar scrubs.

A zinc based sunscreen is a must.  You may find it in a daytime moisturizer that combines rejuvenation with sun protection.  Such a product will prevent damage from the sun and also age spots and freckles.  Zinc oxide calms the skin and reduces redness caused by hormonal fluctuations brought on by oral contraceptives, perimenopause and menopause itself.  Many women have found that estrogen supplements cause blotching of the skin.

In choosing a sunscreen, find one you really like – smell, thickness, texture and how it looks on the skin.  You certainly don’t want a sunscreen that burns your eyes or smells bad.  Be certain to look for zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as well as moisturizing ingredients.  Women may want to choose two sunscreens, one for the face, with a tint, and one for the rest of the body.  The active ingredients should be the same but a tinted moisturizing sunscreen works best for the face.

Often tinted sunscreens are the most popular since they give the complexion a more “finished” look in addition to protecting and moisturizing.  A tint works well with zinc oxide in order to avoid the chaulky white cast that often accompanies zinc oxide.  Knowing you should re-apply sunscreen every couple of hours when you’re in the sun – it makes a lot more sense to have the tint in the sunscreen in order to avoid having to also reapply makeup.  The sunscreen can deliver both – protection and a “finished” look.

You guys don’t have to worry about the same things women do – except the same active ingredients should be in your sunscreens as well – zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide and in a quantity of at least 3%, preferably higher.  We all have to worry about damage from the UV rays the sun delivers – skin cancer knows no gender.

Have you ever been anywhere in the summer where there was no air conditioning?  I’m talking about living and sleeping without it.  I suspect few of us have and yet years ago, there was no air at home nor in stores – no shop ’til you drop under those circumstances.  People were probably a lot more frugal then – they went to shop for what they needed, and quickly.  Shopping shoes sloshed and slipped and probably didn’t smell too great either.

We have so many conveniences that people didn’t have back “in the day”.  Some of those comforts include luxurious bath products like foot scrubs and heel rubs as well as practical shoe liners to absorb perspiration.  How about those wonderful Summer Soles open shoe insoles!  We now have shoe liners that are cut and fit for any shoe and , that are super absorbent.  They’re especially effective for sandals or shoes without backs .  We’re also favored with scented shoe insoles that actually emit a short spurt of lovely smelling oil rather than the nasty alternative.  Foot care is a lot different than it used to be.

I guess life is a lot different than it used be – sigh.

Protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun is such an obvious thing to do – though few people do.  But it’s just as important to be vigilant to the needs of your skin when away from the sun.

We can assume many conditions can cause your skin to lose its proper moisture balance – wrong products containing damaging chemicals, aging and then there’s aging and maybe aging.  Anti-aging using the right products can be effective – not the whole answer but better than nothing.

How can you find the right moisturizer for you?  Unless you are very young, you probably know your skin type.  That narrows the quest somewhat.  Another part of the equation is the environment in which you live.  Summer sun rays or winter winds can factor in.  So does the way your home is heated or cooled and whether you live in a high or low humidity climate.  A humidifier can do wonders to help your retain moisture as well as facial steams and facial masks.

Moisturizers containing algae peptides, Vitamins and other natural ingredients are what you should look for.  Most over-the-counter products contain chemicals, some that can be harmful to your skin.  Your best bet is dermatologist formulated products using natural ingredients in proportions that can actually do some good to your facial skin.

When in doubt, find a good dermatologist and ask – ask each season as your skin’s needs can change with the environment.  Either way, moisturize in the morning and before bed.  Nightime is especially important to cleanse away the day’s accumulated grime and to use a night cream that will work with your body to rejuvenate your skin while you sleep.

Facials improve your skin and appearance, but they can cost anywhere from $50 to a couple of hundred dollars or more.

If you’ve never had a facial, these are the steps to expect:

Cleansing, skin analysis, exfoliating, blackhead extraction, facial massage, facial mask, application of toners    and creams.

A facial should leave your skin clean and refreshed.  If you’ve been treated to an oxygen facial and had your face painted with caviar, you know your skin-care budget has taken a major hit.

Here we come to save the day!  High level counsel and product advice is available and affordable.  Maybe you should give some thought to a facial spa at home.  There are skin care products to answer all you will get with a spa facial and at a much better price.  In place of a facial massage you can do facial exercises.  For example, try saying the vowels in the most exaggerated manner you can imagine.  Feel all of the facial and neck muscles contracting?  Do these exercises whenever you can – and when you are alone, unless you wish to attract an amused crowd.  Natural cleansers, exfoliation, facial masks for many different purposes, moisturizers, anti-aging products – for all different skin types are available in dermatologist-formulated  strength and you can enjoy them in the comfort of your own home.  Many facial masks for example can be beneficial if left on over night.  Hard to do at a spa.

Do a little surfing and some research or make an appointment for one visit with a dermatologist to get your skin analyzed and have products and/or specific product ingredients recommended.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body – pamper it.

Browsing through a Growing Bolder website, I gathered that the way to become a lively centenarian is just to have a growing bolder attitude.  I was really just surfing the internet looking for a new perspective on quality skin care for those growing older.  Maybe I found it. . .with Growing Bolder’s dictum: “It’s all a matter of attitude”.

In the summer months, often we flock to the outdoors for all kinds of fun activities, and this also tends to lead to a lot more use of our legs and feet. When walking on our feet for extended periods of time, it’s common to start to feel foot or back pain. While some of this is due to the physical activity itself, much of it can also be caused by not wearing the proper shoes. The fact is, our shoes can be the cause of much of the pain in our feet, legs, and lower back. It’s important to have comfortable shoes that are resistant to wear. Purchasing shoe insoles can also help to protect our feet, and relieve pain. In fact, there are even certain shoe insoles that can provide increased comfort and support for our feet, while also reducing the sweat produced by our feet. There’s nothing worse than having sweaty feet when outdoors!

Those engaging in exercise outdoors will find that shoe insoles are essential for reducing soreness and pain and also keeping feet dry.

All quality cleansers are formulated for people with different types of skin.  Cleansers with salicylic acid, for example, are better for people with oily or normal skin rather than dry.   They’re excellent for curbing breakouts.  However, they may overdry and irritate dry skin, thus making the skin appear and feel worse.  That can be alleviated with the addition of moisturizing and soothing agents.

People with such sensitivity should find cleansers that are pH balanced, contain few irritants, suit many varying skin types and don’t make the skin feel dehydrated directly after cleansing.  For example, an antioxidant moisture wash.  Chamomile extracts and algae peptides highlight the antioxidant moisture wash while soothing and hydrating the skin.  Daily use promotes softer, smoother skin and helps reduce surface dryness.

Another cleansing possibility for dry or normal skin would be lavendar and aloe uniting in a creamy wash that soothes and replenishes moisture to the skin, leaving it ultra soft and clean.

Obviously we urge…never continue using a cleanser that upsets the balance of the skin.  Cleansers should work with the skin , not against it.  A trial and error approach may be wise, but a trip to your dermatologist may save time and money.