Summer and its elements take their toll on the skin and it must be reconditioned to regain hydration and its usual appearance.. Here we give you some tricks to repair the skin after the summer.
We enter the last weeks of summer. That means that many will have already said goodbye to the holidays, to the long days sunbathing, enjoying the beach or the pool. It's time to recover the routine and return to our life as always. Sin embargo, there is one aspect of our usual routine that should change after the holidays to repair the skin after the summer.
Skin care needs to be adjusted a bit, since we have spent many days in the rays of the sun, heat, to the air conditioning, to the salt of the beach water or to the chlorine of the swimming pool. These elements take their toll on the skin, and it must be reconditioned to regain hydration and its usual appearance.
¿How the elements of summer affect our skin?
The experts ofwww.nivea.es, the mark no.º 1 world in skincare *, explain how the sun affects us, salt and chlorine, to better understand why we should take care of ourselves a little differently after the summer:
The effects of the sun
Sunlight has multiple benefits, among the most important is its antidepressant power and that it helps the body produce vitamin D. Sin embargo, being exposed to solar radiation for a long time can be harmful. Sunlight is a spectrum of several different rays: visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared light.Ultraviolet or UV light is the one we are most familiar with and the one that, frequently, causes skin damage, and it does, among other mechanisms, by the production of free radicals that it generates.
Free radicals are oxygen molecules that are released in the body by the same natural aging process; pero, under certain circumstances such as sun exposure, toxins like tobacco and pollution, and stress, entre otras, they generatein excess, and produce an acceleration of the aging process, that in the case of the skin, cause the appearance of signs of aging such as wrinkles, flaccidity, spots and premature aging of cells.
It is true that the body is prepared to neutralize a certain amount of free radicals so that their damage does not accumulate, but its capacity has a limit, Hence, the care that we can provide is so necessary.If we have protected and taken good care of our skin during the holidays, the effects of these molecules will have been minimized. On the contrary, may have resulted in some type of injury, from burns, alteration in the texture and elasticity of the skin, wrinkles, lentigo, melasma or stains, moles and even precancerous lesions and skin cancer.
The effects of chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element used to disinfect and purify swimming pool water.. Its function is to kill viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms or parasites.If added in adequate amounts to pool water, does not pose a risk to people, but it still affects the skin.
If we bathe frequently, we do not rinse our skin with running water or we are in contact with chlorine for a long time, this can irritate our skin, this being especially important to take into account in the case of atopic skin.Además, chlorine attacks the natural hydrolipid mantle, so it dries and dehydrates our skin, while also leaving hair coarse and dull.
The effects of sea water
Sea water is rich in minerals and trace elements such as zinc, magnesium, sodium, iodine, potassium that our skin absorbs and producespositive effects such as anti-inflammatory and bactericidal that help to heal and heal small cuts and wounds.In addition to its bactericidal effect, salt acts as a gentle exfoliator, similar to apeeling superficial: removes dead cells and impurities.
This exfoliating effect is beneficial to treat certain skin diseases, like psoriasis, because it improves its flaky appearance. No obstante, the salt in the water also acts as an astringent, reducing the natural fat content of the skin and promoting dehydration. These effects are especially noticeable inmucous areas such as eyes and lips.
¿How to repair the skin after the summer?
To reduce the damaging effects and repair the skin after the summer, desdeNIVEA they have compiled some tips to modify the routine of face and body care after the holidays:
1. Wear sunscreen and reapply frequently:
It is advice to follow during and after the holidays. The sun's ultraviolet rays are present all year round, although they are more aggressive in summer.Sunscreens create a protective barrier between the skin and the sun's rays. The types of solar filters used in these products are mineral filters (or physical) that reflect ultraviolet light as if they were small mirrors on the surface of our skin and organic filters (or chemicals), that absorb the sun's rays on the skin, transforming them into heat and preventing them from penetrating inside and causing further damage.
Keep in mind that rubbing clothing or sweat reduces the effectiveness of sunscreen. Por eso, must be reapplied frequently (each 2 horas, más o menos) in body and face. Equally, it is important that they have UVA and UVB filters, to protect against the damage caused by both types of UV rays, and as a novelty, that also include protective agents against blue sunlight.
2. Checking moles and freckles:
Moles and freckles are pigmented lesions that are due to an accumulation of melanocytes in the former and the pigment melanin in the latter.Melanin is the natural pigment that our body produces to protect us from sun damage and is also responsible for the color of our skin. En muchas ocasiones, the appearance of this type of lesion accelerates after sun exposure.
Melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, arises when melanocytes, cells that produce melanin, they grow out of control. Melanoma tends to appear more frequently in areas with accumulated melanin, like moles and freckles and on many occasions, though not always, appears on a pre-existing mole.
One of the main causes of melanoma is excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the number of sunburns that have been suffered throughout life.After several days of vacation, in which we have spent a lot of time in the sun, It is necessary to monitor that there are no changes in any mole or freckle: color alteration, Increase in size… So a visit to the dermatologist is highly recommended.
Equally, UV light from the sun activates free radicals, what are the culprits of skin damage, like stains. En este caso, after the holidays, it is advisable to add a depigmenting product to your beauty routine. These cosmetics will not only lighten and reduce blemishes, but they will help regulate the production of melanin so that they do not appear more.
3. Wash your face well in the morning and at night: Cleaning should be the first step of any facial routine, both in summer and winter. But it is even more important when we are repairing the skin.Cleaning is an essential step for the rest of the moisturizing products to penetrate well.
During the day and while we sleep, dirt and debris build up, clogging pores, and in summer even more from sweat. After cleaning, it's the turn of the tonic, the eye contour cream, the serum, moisturizer and, if it's daytime, sunscreen. This is essential to repair the skin after the summer.
4. Adding products with hyaluronic acid:
Hyaluronic acid it is a natural substance, present in different parts of the body, that fixes the water, es decir, retains moisture from the skin. Por ello, has multiple benefits: improves hydration, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, It stimulates collagen production…
Además, recently it has been discoveredits antioxidant capacity by reducing free radical damage to the skin. Thanks to all this, It is an essential component to regain hydration and the good condition of the skin after several days exposed to the sun, salt or chlorine. Actualmente, there are a wide variety of products enriched with hyaluronic acid, from creams to serums, blisters or facial masks.
5. An extra hydration:
To rehydrate the whole body, a mild, non-drying shower gel can be used (por ejemplo, enriched with natural oils such as almond oil, jojoba or shea manteca, with well known properties to nourish the skin).
Equally, to repair the skin after the summer and combat dryness on the face, it is important to do the complete beauty routine (cleaning, tonic, serum and cream) yadd a face mask once or twice a week for an extra hydration supplement (por ejemplo, one that contains hyaluronic acid).
6. Exfoliation to renew the skin:
Exfoliation removes impurities and dead cell debris, since skin cells are renewed every 28 días. Pero, además, exfoliating stimulates circulation to aid in cell renewal. It is an essential step to regain skin health after summer damage, both on the body and on the face.
The most sensitive skins should be more careful with exfoliation and preferably perform it every 10-15 days according to your tolerance. Instead, oily skin can do it more often, up to twice a week or even more times if you use a gentle exfoliator on your skin.The ideal time is at night, to let the skin rest and recover during sleeping hours. Además, it is not advisable to go out in the sun right after exfoliating.
Dr. María Agustina Segurado, NIVEA advisory expert has commented: «In summer the skin suffers a lot, and especially on vacation, when we are most exposed to the sun and the water of the swimming pools or the sea. It should be remembered that excessive exposure to the sun is currently one of the factors most related to skin cancer, that affects every year 5.000 new people. Hence the importance of maintaining sun protection habits throughout the year.. Además, From NIVEA we recommend intensifying your skin care routine to help it recover and thus reduce the appearance of spots and wrinkles and prevent their loss of firmness., turgor and elasticity. After the summer, you have to reinforce hydration using products that contain oils or hyaluronic acid., In summer the skin suffers a lot».
These are the best tips I could find, without any doubt I will do all the steps to regain my skin. The sea water has left my skin with many fine lines, besides dryness. Thank you very much for the recommendations.