Don't regret your summer sun

If you’re off to the beach or the lake this summer, and you know you’re going to see more than your usual dose of sunshine, here are a few tips to keep your skin glowing…

Invest in sun protective gear.

I loathe the chore of applying sunscreen, and I loathe even more the experience of missing a spot on my shoulder and getting a nasty burn. My solution to that is sun protective clothing. The SPF long-sleeve shirt is a no-brainer for me even on the hottest summer days, because as soon as it gets wet it keeps you cool as a cucumber. I don’t even wear sunscreen under it!

Also remember your wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, which not only protect your skin from harmful UV rays, but keep you from squinting so much that you revive the frown lines and crow’s feet we’ve been trying to soften with botox.

Keep up with your vitamins.

It’s an old wives’ tale that you can’t use retinol (vitamin A) in the summer. You absolutely should continue applying it, because it can scavenge up the bad guys that UV light lets loose in your skin. If you do end up with a burn, take a break from the retinol until it’s healed.

Vitamin C is a powerful vacuum for sun damage, and can even reverse mild burns when applied early on. When you’re freshening up for dinner or bed and find that pesky spot you missed, apply some vitamin C and the burn will be gone by morning.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

If you don’t do your whole skin care regimen every morning and night while you're on vacation, the skincare police will not be coming for you. If you’re in a good routine, slacking off for a week isn’t going to make or break you. So don’t stress about packing every ounce of skin care if you can’t get them past TSA to board your flight. Stick to the essentials and wear sunscreen, and when you get back hop back on the wagon. It’s more important that you rest and connect with friends and family, than worry about your skin.

When I travel, I bring SPF, my “unicorn” product (which has vitamins A, C, and E), and a vitamin C serum.

Plan for a fall reset.

There’s no way we can avoid the sun all the time, so fall is a great time to plan for a reset using chemical peels or laser treatments. These treatments reduce pigment caused by sun exposure, but also build collagen and elastin to slow down the aging process. Stay tuned this fall for a deal on peels!

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