Is your skin feeling hot and bothered? With summer temperatures heating up, your skin–the connection between the outside world and your body–is the first to respond. Whether it’s a change in moisture level (sweat), color (sunburn) or temperature (heat rash), when life happens, skin reacts. Use our strategies in this summer skincare survival guide to maintain healthy-looking skin long after after the mercury rises.
While most people know that skipping sunscreen when lounging at the pool is a bad idea, few realize that incidental sun exposure, even on gloomy, cloudy days, can be more damaging to our skin. Whether sitting in an office with a window, commuting on the freeway, or walking the dog, if we neglect to protect ourselves from daily sun damage, our skin and our health will pay the price.
UVA light in particular is responsible for photoaging because it causes damage to both the epidermis and the dermis. When UV rays from the sun or a tanning booth strike the skin, they initiate reactions, including inflammation, sunburn and pigment cell activation (also known as a sun tan). The UV rays also kill some cells and alter the DNA of others. Over time, with repeated exposure, collagen and elastin fibers break down, producing wrinkling and sagging. All of these reactions working in unison result in premature aging and the formation of precancers and skin cancers.
Take the cautionary case of 69-year-old Bill McElligott, who is seen in the above photo, which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. During the 28 years McElligott spent driving a truck for a living, the UVA rays he received through the window of his vehicle severely damaged the skin on the left side of his face. As the photo shows, the left side of McElligott’s face looks decades older than the right side, which had been protected from being inside the truck, away from direct sunlight. McElligott’s doctors have now ordered him to use sunscreen and topical retinoids and to undergo monitoring for skin cancer.
Unfortunately, with fewer than 10,000 dermatologists in the United States serving more than 300 million people, most of us will never see a dermatologist. However, that shouldn’t make you powerless in the battle against the signs of sun aging. Following a daily skincare regimen can go a long way to reduce the signs of sun damage and make skin appear younger and more even-toned.
Regardless of gender, skin tone or ability to tan, we’re all under one sun. It’s never too late, or too early, to begin practicing safe sun so both sides of your face can be telling the same story … that of a healthier, younger-looking complexion.
If you experience facial redness that is more of a long-lasting flush than a brief blush, you may have sensitive skin. Studies consistently show that more than 50% of women experience sensitive skin at some point in their lives.
While redness is more visible in fair-skinned complexions, sensitive skin is equally prevalent in all races, genders and ethnicities. There are many causes of sensitive skin. A small percentage of people have underlying skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis, while a larger percentage are likely to have a genetic predisposition that makes them more susceptible to the impact of the environment, including stress, climate change, travel, sun exposure, cosmetic overuse and mechanical irritation, such as friction or rubbing.
Once the moisture barrier is compromised, there tends to be a downward spiral, as increased moisture loss causes a heightened inflammatory response and lessens the skin’s ability to self-repair. This, in turn, further increases moisture loss, and the cycle continues.
To heal sensitive skin, you need to repair and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier. Here are three tips to get you on your way to healthier skin!
Tip 1: Take a look at your daily regimen and remove anything that could compromise the barrier, such as irritating substances, exfoliation and peels. Note: If your skin is itchy, treat the underlying itch with an antihistamine.
Tip 2: Identify and avoid factors that trigger reactions, such as heat, sunlight and certain food products.
Tip 3: Look for a regimen that shields against the biological and environmental aggressors that can trigger inflammation, calms visible redness, reduces irritation and helps fortify skin’s natural moisture barrier. Ingredients such as dimethicone, allantoin and lipids fill in and repair the barrier, allowing the skin to heal, keeping moisture in and irritants and microbial agents out.
Remember that nobody knows your skin better than you do, so when you find something that works, stick with it. With consistent, daily use of the right regimen, you can take comfort in knowing that a healthy, youthful glow can be yours for a lifetime!
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