Summer Skincare Guide
A holistic & non-toxic skincare routine
The best way to protect our skin from breakouts, pre-mature wrinkles (wrinkles are natural, perfect, and amazing), hyperpigmentation, and texture, is to treat it kindly, especially in the sun. With summer finally here, I wanted to create a collection of internal and external summer skincare essentials to help your skin glow all summer long.
Let me start off by saying that a little bit of sunshine is amazing for us, in fact, we need it to synthesize adequate vitamin D. However, we are like cookies in the oven, we only need to bake for 20-30 minutes, beyond that we get burned and cause damage to our cells. Overexposing ourselves to the sun causes oxidative damage (like the burning of a cookie, or the browning of an apple).
So, how can we optimize our time in the sun for our health and the integrity of our skin?
Healthy sun exposure tips:
Get 15-20 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen
Focus on exposing your stomach, back, and thighs (biggest surface area to absorb UV light & synthesize vitamin D)
The optimal time to soak up the sun this way is between 10 am and 2 pm
Apply mineral sunscreen to your whole body after 15-20 minutes (more on mineral sunscreen next)
Reapply every 2 hours or so (more frequently if you’re sweating or swimming)
Add a hat! Protect the face and chest region from sun exposure (they are the most delicate and sensitive to sun exposure)
What’s in your sunscreen?
Consciously choosing your sunscreen this summer will do more than protect your skin from burns. Our skin is our largest organ, and although it serves to protect what’s on the inside, it is quite permeable - we absorb about 60% of what we put on our skin. This is extremely important considering most conventional sunscreen brands contain synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, preservatives, and dyes, and that’s not to mention the hormone-disrupting chemicals (according to EWG) found in chemical sunscreens - such as oxybenzone, homosalate, and octocrylene.
In short, we can absorb these harmful chemicals, even if they were applied with the intention of protecting our skin. These lab-made chemical compounds — like synthetic fragrances or oxybenzone — are foreign to our bodies, therefore our bodies see them as exogenous and work hard to get excrete them. This puts extra pressure on the already busy detox organs like the liver, kidneys, lymph, and skin. This holds true for all (non-clean/toxic) skincare, INGREDIENTS MATTER. You can read more about sunscreen ingredients on EWG’s website linked here, you can also search for the safety and effectiveness of your current sunscreen on their website.
What’s the best kind of sunscreen to use?
Mineral sunscreens are my go-to, they make a physical barrier on the skin to deflect UVA and UVB rays. Chemical sunscreens work by using active ingredients to absorb the UV rays, turn them into heat, and then release the heat through the skin. The active ingredients in mineral sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are the only two chemical compounds determined to be safe and effective by the FDA. But not all mineral sunscreens are treated the same. We must be conscious of the supplementary ingredients formulated in our sunscreen because we absorb those too. Some of my favorite mineral sunscreen brands are:
Kinship - for the face
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint - for summer foundation (I’d recommend layering on top of another mineral sunscreen if you’re planning on being outside for longer)
Ava Isa for lip
Babo for face and body - really good for people with sensitive skin
*quick note on tinted sunscreen serums: usually, these formulas provide less than ideal sun protection (this typically depends on the texture of the formula and the amount applied). I like using something like the Babo face sunscreen first and then layering it with the tined Ilia Super Skin Serum if I’m going outside to soak up some rays.
What if you get burned?
If you have overexposed your skin cells to UV rays you may experience erythema (superficial reddening of the skin) a sign of too much sun. Although not ideal, it happens and there are a few remedies - both internal and external - worth having on hand for spontaneous summer burns.
Aloe, straight from a plant (THE BEST) or a non-toxic aloe gel or spray
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) - it might sound scary, but it’s a naturally occurring compound in white blood cells that helps soothe inflammation and promote healing (it’s also a great thing to have on hand for minor cuts, stings, and/or rashes) I like the one from Active Skin Repair and Tower 28
Drinking lots of water with electrolytes (the sun is dehydrating) or coconut water - rich in antioxidants and electrolytes
Consuming antioxidant-rich foods like berries, vegetables, dark chocolate, beans, and green and herbal teas - to fight the free radical damage caused by sun overexposure
Happy Sunning <3