Dare I say it?! Summer is here, loud and very clear! Hoorah! After what seems like a decade of grey skies and cold weather we’ve all welcomed with wide arms that yellow shining ball in the sky. Whilst this is obviously amazing news for our spirits and vitamin D intake, it does however mean we need to be on top form with our skin.
Here are No.6 Clinic’s top tips for how best to look after our skin this summer.
1) Wear SPF all the time!
(Tip 1 taken from CancerResearchUK.org)
“The sun protection factor (SPF) shows how much protection the sunscreen gives against UVB radiation – as long as you apply a decent amount. Anything above Factor 15 will filter out 93% of the sun’s harmful rays. The highest protection you can get is factor 60, which filters out 98% of the sun’s rays. Most people put sunscreen on far too thinly and this means that they don’t get as much protection as they should from it. It is important you put on sunscreen generously and regularly.
You also need to use a sunscreen with good UVA protection. Sunscreens in the UK may have a star rating of up to 5 stars. The higher the star rating, the better. Some sunscreens may have a symbol of a circle with the letters UVA inside. This is a European mark and shows the sunscreen has good UVA protection.”
Available to buy at No.6 Clinic a product we highly recommend Heliocare Advanced SPF. Heliocare is widely accepted as the best sunscreens in the world. Manufactured in Spain, the products are easy to use, non-greasy and the gel virtually invisible when applied to the skin.Heliocare provides advanced anti-ageing UV protection. The range consists of ultra-smooth, easy-apply advanced sunscreens combining high technology mineral & non-mineral filters with photobiological protectants, featuring Fernblock, a natural fern extract unique to Heliocare.
2) Remember the rest of your body
Make sure you apply SPF to your neck and chest too, your skin is thinner on these areas and more prone to sun damage.
3) Dig out the shades
Protect your eyes and reduce the development of crow’s feet and the lines underneath quite dramatically by simply using a great eye cream and wearing your sunglasses.
4) Drink Plenty Of Water
This is good advice for fresh-looking skin in any weather, but in this heat it is easy to become very dehydrated very quickly. Even if you don’t feel as though you have been exerting yourself or sweating much, you should be regularly drinking water in order to keep your skin (and indeed the rest of your body) as healthy as possible. Dehydration causes spots, frown lines, dry skin and make you appear to have a sluggish complexion.
5) Try to stay out the sun between 10am and 3pm.
10am to 3pm is most damaging in terms of radiation and skin damage in the day. The longer you’re outside during these hours, the longer you’re exposed to harmful rays.
6) Keep Make-Up To A Minimum
In this heat, when your body is doing its best to keep you as cool as possible through sweating and opening up your pores, it pays to keep your make-up very simple. In the evening, make sure that you carefully clean off any make-up that you do wear, to avoid clogging up your skin and causing outbreaks.
7) Be beach ready this summer!
Avoid the hassle of having to wax or shave this summer. Turn to Intense Pulsed Light, the most advanced technology offered for hair removal and at No.6 Clinic we offer a free pre- treatment consultation and post-treatment consultation. All treatments are carried out under medical supervision. Client’s dignity, confidentiality and safety are maintained at all times. See results in just a few sessions. You really can save yourself time, embarrassment and money.
8) Treat sunburn as soon as possible
If you do find yourself experiencing sunburn at any time, try and treat it as quickly as you can. Depending on its severity, you could use aftersun or an aloe vera solution, though if it is very painful you may not want to rub the area at all. In this case, you could simply apply flannels soaked in cold water to sit on the skin and remove the heat, and then take some ibuprofen (which reduces inflammation) for the pain.
9) Avoid, avoid, avoid sun beds!
You don’t need to get a “good base colour”. Sun beds increase your chances of damaging skin and the risk of cancer. Sun beds also add years to your age and dehydrate it.
So there we have it, our top tips for looking after your skin in the summer sun. For any further advice on skincare or products please call us on 01892 506930 to book in for a free consultation.
