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Winter brings its own set of problems with it, namely cracked skin and lifeless hair, but if you are not careful, the summer sun can also give you a nasty sunburn in no time. To keep skin discoloration, red spots, and infectious breakouts at bay, here’s a set of five effective tips for maintaining blemish-free skin across the summer months.
Blot, Don’t Wipe
Summer is the ideal time for sweat, oil, and bacteria to come together in the most inconvenient manner possible, leading to frequent acne breakouts. The more susceptible one is to acne in general, the more likely it is to happen during the hot, sweaty, summer months. However, it has been found that those who blot sweat from their face, rather than wiping it off like most of us do, experience far fewer breakouts during summer.
The reason behind this is simply the fact that every time we wipe our faces with a towel, a handkerchief, or just our own hands, the susceptible skin gets further irritated, resulting in more frequent breakouts. Blotting, on the other hand, doesn’t have that abrasive aspect to it.
Get to Know the Term Non-Comedogenic
Non-comedogenic refers to any skincare product that doesn’t clog your pores. Most oils are comedogenic, including our own facial oil unfortunately enough! When the natural oil, the bacteria, the sweat, and the comedogenic products come together, the results can be truly devastating as far as maintaining blemish-free skin is concerned. Before you buy any foundation, moisturizers, face packs, etc. do make sure that the packing clearly specifies the product’s non-comedogenic nature. Mix a few drops of squalane oil to the product to make it even safer for summertime use.
Cleanse and Exfoliate
We have already discussed the role of sweat, dirt, bacteria, oil, etc. in causing acne breakouts and rashes, so it should be clear that in order to prevent spotty, blemished skin, we need to cleanse and exfoliate all that grime away regularly.
Micellar water is an excellent cleanser and exfoliator, because the micelles in it are highly potent in attracting, trapping and ultimately, removing the built-up grime from our skin. This post covers micellar cleansing water benefits in excellent detail, so do check it out. Also, you may want to use an exfoliating brush to further clear out clogged pores.
Use Sun Protection
Light skinned men and women have a higher chance to develop melanoma from sunburns, but people with darker tones to their skin are not immune to the harmful effects of our sun either. Whatever your complexion may be, never go out into the blazing summer sun without proper sun protection. Also, make sure that the sunscreen provides actual protection against UV-rays (SPF). From acne breakouts, red spots and eczema, to uneven skin tone and melanoma, the sun does more skin damage than almost anything else that the average individual may come across in their lives!
Regular Washing and Breathable Clothes
Good hygiene is necessary for healthy skin in every season, but the points below are particularly essential for hot, sweaty summers, especially if you happen to live in a state such as Florida or Texas:
- Change and clean underwear often
- Never wear anything that’s drenched in sweat, before putting it through the washer first
- Tight-fitting, non-breathable clothes and summer months are a bad combination for the skin
The truth is that humans have many different skin types, which is why it is difficult to administer universal solutions. However, as far as preventing breakouts skin blemishes are concerned, these tips should keep most people from experiencing them. They should be enough under normal circumstances to keep your skin looking healthy and even-toned, all summer long.