A nourishing skincare routine supports your skin in all seasons, but we have some helpful tips to boost your glow all summer long.
First, it is important to remember that the way your skin reacts to the sun is dependent on several factors:
- skin tone
- base tan
- geographical location
- time of day
- overall nutritional status
- fatty acid composition
- inflammation load
- and most likely more beyond my understanding
The most important step, in my humble opinion, is to eat nourishing foods, and enough of them. Our bodies need fuel. They need good fuel. What do I mean by this? Animal based proteins, ripe fresh fruits, properly prepared grains, vegetables, well sourced dairy, raw honey, saturated fats like butter, ghee, tallow, coconut oil, etc. No skipping meals, running on a protein coffee for breakfast, or your kids leftovers for lunch. Three full meals a day, aiming for 0.8-1g of protein per pound of body weight and not fearing carbohydrates with your meals. This step alone can do so much for your overall health and wellbeing, hormone balance, thyroid function, and of course your skin.
I know this can feel hard, but try not to over complicate it. Meals can be simple as well as delicious and nourishing.
I have talked a little bit in a previous blog post about polyunsaturated fatty acids (aka PUFAs) and our skin, it is even more relevant to this conversation. PUFAs are susceptible to oxidation when exposed to heat and light. When the subcutaneous fat right under your skin contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, you are more likely to not tolerate sun exposure well. This is because they can oxidize leading to oxidative stress which then contributes to skin aging, damage, and even cancer.
When you use saturated fats in your cooking and consume an abundance of antioxidants from all the delicious, ripe summer produce, you will support a reduction in oxidative stress and improve your sun tolerance. You will also want to be mindful of seed/vegetable oils when dining out or purchasing pre-packaged foods.
Now on to the topical aspects...
Sunlight is good, it is necessary for vitamin D synthesis in the body, can help balance circadian rhythm, and more, but only at levels that do not burn the skin.
You will have to adjust how you handle your sun exposure depending on the time of day and your geographical location. UV rays are more powerful mid-day (approximately 12pm-3pm) and more powerful the closer you are to the equator. For example if you live in the Southern United States, your summers tend to be longer, and hotter than ours here in Northwest Washington. If you are at a beach, lake, ocean, pool, or waterpark you will also need to take more precautions, especially mid-day, because of the reflection of the sun on the water and because the cool water makes it more difficult to feel how hot your skin is getting. During peak UV hours, it is wise to limit your direct exposure and add a layer of protection. This can be physical with shade, hats, or clothing, or by applying SPF with non-nano zinc.
Obviously, your natural skin tone plays a big role in your resiliency to the sun. More fair skinned individuals need to be more mindful than those with deeper skin tones. It will take those individuals longer to build up their resiliency and base tan. To do this, you want to start with unfiltered, meaning no windows or SPF, sun exposure before or after the sun is at its peak, avoiding the stronger mid-day rays. Depending on your starting point, this could be anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Pay attention to how your skin feels, as soon as you start to feel hot, cover-up or head for shade. Gradually increase your time as you build up more resiliency.
Nourish your skin after time in the sun with our Hydrate and Moisturize or Tallow Oil and be sure to drink plenty of hydrating drinks like mocktails, herbal tea, mineral water, and even raw milk.
Applying layers of Hydrate can be very helpful for increasing hydration in your skin. It is normal to see a little bit of topical dehydration after time in the sun and this can make fine lines more pronounced. Mist and massage in Hydrate until almost completely absorbed, repeat several times, I typically do three or so rounds, then seal it in with your favorite facial oil, or even a balm like our Tallow Balm or Everything Balm. If you have any areas of over exposure, a combination of Hydrate and Everything Balm will help it heal and repair. Keeping the skin well hydrated and moisturized will help prevent peeling and speed recovery.
In a nutshell, here's how to boost your summer radiance:
- Nourish yourself well with fresh produce and plenty of protein
- Prioritize saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, ghee, tallow) over polyunsaturated fats like nut and seed oils (limit these as much as possible)
- Be mindful in your sun exposure, utilizing shade, covering up, or a non-nano zinc SPF during peak UV hours.
- Hydrate and moisturize well after time in the sun as well as each morning and evening.
- Drink plenty of hydrating beverages, like mineral water, herbal teas, mocktails, and raw milk.
Stay tuned for another post featuring our favorite summer beverages and enjoy your summer!