Preparing Your Skin For Summer

It’s Party Time!!

The next 2 months for most of us are chock full of entertainment. Whether it’s the Spring Racing Carnival, the office Christmas party, or with friends and family, there are more opportunities to wear that fancy frock, stay up late, drink more wine and eat “yummy” foods which you pretend are green! It’s all in the name of fun and we do love it. However, combined with the wonderful onslaught of Summer, it can take its toll on our skin. We thought you’d enjoy our tips and tricks, so your skin on New Year’s Day looks and feels as good as it does now! Preparing your skin for summer is a great start to the season.

Preparing your skin for summer is really all about de-stressing your body, your mind and therefore, your skin!

Breathe

It’s such a busy time, so practice taking power naps, meditating and deep breathing – these can all be done in the car, waiting for your next appointment or in the supermarket queue. Find time. Research has shown that just taking three deep, slow breaths changes not just how you feel, but how your body responds to stress. Your skin needs time to rest, recuperate and heal.

Ease back at the gym

You have enough pressure on you without adding extra physical work. If you don’t regularly exercise, find time for a daily walk to add extra nourishment and oxygen to your skin; it’s also a great way to relax and de-stress.

Add some supplements

If your life is very stressful, incorporating a set of good quality Super Foods during the festive season will help your energy, your clarity, as well as your skin. Taking these before or after a big night out will help keep your body (and your gut) healthy and you’ll recover faster.

Eat well

Fill your pantry and fridge with good food to avoid last minute, easy, processed meals. It’s too easy these days when we’re tired, having partied throughout the weekend and worked all day, to grab a takeaway on the way home. Instead, prepare some simple meals and freeze them. Your skin will love you for it and, after all, that’s why we have a freezer.

Use de-stress strategies

Imagine an evening at home; run a bath, add some (toxic-free) calming salts such as the Miessence Darling Salt Glow Bath Salts, light some candles and play your favourite soothing music. By the way – shshhhh for someone who loves a bath these salts are a glorious way to enjoy a luxurious soak. – thinking great Chrissy pressy?

Be prepared

Pack a little bag with freshening-up products to save you going home between the office and parties. Have it ready in a handy place, such as the car.

Meagan – our “go to girl” for all things needed in a hurry, especially to do with beauty and saving time suggests your pack contains just a few essentials:

A Hydrating spray – CosMedix Mystic,
Osmosis Colour Concealer stick with its special hydrating end is especially helpful to help plump out those under eye areas.
Then pressed or loose powder (mineral is best), eye shadow and brow touch ups can all be whizzed though quickly using the Colorescience Beauty on the Go palette. – another great pressy!
Alternatively if you are a little red and flushed or want o even out your skin tones, or if you have many events when you’ll be outside the Colorescience Even up is your go to friend – easy superb cover and SPF 50 and its just one product!
Lipstick is a must! if they’re using a pinky tone can double up as a cream blush.
Add your favourite mascara

The only extras needed when Preparing your skin for summer are

Dry shampoo is always a winner! Have a hairbrush which only lives in this bag and then you never have to remember to add it.
Deodorant – did you know the Certified Organic Miessence Deo is alumnium free?
Perfume – Meagan suggests the Organic Nation Body Moisturiser because it smells so nice it’s like adding perfume!You are now ready!
Summer is also a great time to enjoy an exfoliating clinical facial and a new start. Take an hour and have your skin analysed and examined by trained staff and let them develop a skin care program for you. Medically orientated aesthetic clinics have such staff and the expertise. Make it clear you are not after fancy expensive treatments at this stage, just good effective products to use at home.

SKIN ESSENTIALS

It is more important than ever during this time that you choose products with a proven track record. Preparing your skin for summer is about using ingredients with delivery systems attached. This ensures the right ones can reach deep in the skin and that they have no nasties to inflame your skin. An inflamed skin dehydrates faster which, over time, ages you faster. So, looking good is about you being smart and choosing wisely. Most over-the-counter product ranges only work on the top layers, just under the surface of the skin. You want your look to be more long-lasting than that. And, of course, never forget your daily sunblock.

Cleanser and weekly mask: one based on lactic acid will heal, exfoliate, stimulate, nourish and increase blood flow. The time to do this is during your weekly de-stressing bath. If you do, heaven forbid, have a pimple erupt, dab a spot of mask on it overnight.
Antioxidants: A Vitamin C and B serum twice daily will brighten, lighten and heal. If it also contains vitamin E, the vitamin C and B will work more efficiently. We can’t stress this enough! If you are expecting to spend a lot of time outdoors, invest in super Vitamin C crystals and add them to your current C serum or any other cream or serum, expecting an A serum – they’ll super change your UV resistance and increase the efficiency of your skin. We love the CosMedix Pure C crystals!
An eye cream to blow away the dark circles, puffiness and fine lines. Use it morning and night during these frantic few weeks.
A Vitamin A serum, I hear you ask? Usually vitamin A is an essential part of a great skin care regime, however sometimes it’s best to back off a little. When the skin is stressed, it becomes dehydrated more easily and the extra stimulation of an A serum may cause you some redness and irritation. If this is likely to be you, either use it 2^nd nightly instead of nightly or have a break altogether. It does depend on your skin and the type of Vitamin A you are using. If based on retinaldehyde, you should be fine. These include all the Osmosis MD A’s and the CosMedix Serum 16 from our ranges. If you do cut back on your A, ensure you replace it with antioxidant serums and its certainly not the time to up your % of A serum. If you change brands choose an equal or lower % of A rather than thinking more is better.

WHILST YOU PARTY

Use a good quality mineral makeup, which, like your skin care contains no nasties, and every night allow your skin the opportunity to recover: cleanse it off. Using a specialist eye makeup removing product will save this delicate area.
Limit your alcohol and guzzle water. No-one needs to know what you actually have in your wine glass. You can even have a ‘cordial’ glass: 1/4 wine and the rest soda or still water. This is easy if you’re a G&T girl. It’s called the ‘pretend’ game!
Choose your party foods carefully, staying away from the fats, carbs and sugars. Load yourself up with greens before you go out. An unhealthy gut creates an unhealthy skin and up pop those pesky pimples or that dry, irritated patch again. Taking super foods, as in a pro- and pre-biotic for your gut, is a really sensible thing to do.

Looking radiant is as much about the inner glow as it is about a healthy skin, so step out in your party frock, shoulders back, head held high. Preparing your skin for summer makes your fun times more relaxed.

ENJOY!

Still not sure?

If you need more help or would like personalised advice, book now for your consultation with a skin care advisor. Offering information on what skincare products are best for you. Check out our range of in-clinic services today.

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