Get Your Outer Glow This Summer

 

When it comes to your face, nothing beats that natural glow and having clear, hydrated and radiant skin, especially throughout the summer season. But with temperatures hotting up, humidity rising and long sunny days spent outside our skin can be prone to clogged pores, sunburn, dark spots and/or loss of hydration.

It is especially during summer months that our skin is put under a lot of everyday pressure. Increased temperatures and intense sunshine can lead to redness, ageing skin and hyperpigmentation. Exposure to air conditioning which can cause the skin to become dry and dehydrated. And what's more, pollution and sunscreen overload can trigger symptoms such congestion and breakouts

With factors such as these, it is at this time that we need to take extra special care and like other aspects of our health and wellbeing, getting the basics right is key to the appearance and overall quality of our skin.

Our skin is the body’s largest organ and whilst you can spend time searching for the right miracle cream to help, it is often a reflection of what’s going on inside. A combination of the foods we eat, the lifestyle we lead, as well as other factors such as the weather, our environment and of course our daily skincare routines.

By following some key summer skin essentials you can give your skin the chance to glow from the inside out.

To learn more, our resident Nutritional Therapist, Katie Skrine is offering her expertise and advice to help us find out how to keep our skin looking its best throughout the summer season — and beyond.

 

 

Essential Summer Rituals for Ultimate Summer Glow

 

HYDRATION IS KEY 

Staying hydrated is crucial to helping keep our skin healthy, especially in the summer as we often lose fluid through sweat. Drinking plenty of water can help to keep the skin fresh and plumped up. When we are dehydrated, our skin can start to suffer. Most people who drink regularly throughout the day will notice a difference to the overall appearance of their skin in terms of hydration and elasticity. What's more, there is also the knock-on effect that when we’re drinking enough water we feel more alert, maintain energy levels and are less likely to reach for sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks for fuel. 

Another great way to hydrate your body and replenish key nutrients is boosting our bodies with mineral rich electrolytes. Electrolytes help regulate a variety of our body’s most essential functions, including nerve signalling, pH balance, muscle contraction, and are a wonderful way to hydrate. Coconut water is a great alternative to water as it contains many of the key electrolyte minerals which help support aid hydration. 

In addition, it is a good idea to consciously reduce your intake of alcohol and highly caffeinated drinks as these can often lead to dehydrated skin, loss of vitality and also cause a dull complexion.

TRY: Enhancing your daily water by infusing refreshing ingredients such mint and cucumber, basil and lime, or lemon and ginger into your water bottle to make drinking water less of a chore and more enjoyable.

 

PROTECT WITH SPF 

We all know that daily sunscreen is a must and it is one of the easiest ways you can protect your skin. Yet many people still don’t prioritise this daily ritual. Without question, if you are looking to protect your skin from harmful rays and avoid premature ageing, including hyperpigmentation (think dark brown spots on your skin) using a good quality full spectrum factor 50 sunscreen to avoid both UVA and UVB should be used everyday, even when it is cloudy and cool outside. 

There are lots of great 'clean' chemical free sun creams available that are light in texture and offer great protection. And if you’re someone who craves a sun glow, using a little self-tan or a good quality tinted moisturiser in addition to your sunscreen throughout the day could be a healthier and safer option than heading out and risking skin damage.

Make SPF your non-negotiable in the summer. Apply all over your face and neck and reapply throughout the day. Helping to protect your skin from the sun damage is the best way to keep fresh and healthy in the long term. Failure to protect your skin from sun damage not only leads to premature ageing, but is the biggest contributing factor to skin cancer.  

Whilst protecting our skin is super important against harmful rays and premature ageing, we must not forget the all important sunshine vitamin…..Vitamin D. This essential vitamin is most easily absorbed from a sun exposure on the skin and plays an important role with our immune system but also the health of our bones and our mood and wellbeing.

It is therefore important to strike the all important balance of protecting our skin on the outside whilst enhancing our health and wellbeing on the inside. Other ways to help boost our ‘internal sunscreen’ is by nourishing our bodies with the foods we eat. By consuming antioxidant-rich foods such as omega-3s (oily fish, walnuts and flaxseeds), resveratrol (blueberries and red grapes), astaxanthin (salmon and fish oil), catechins (Coffee + Collagen, Cacao + Collagen, green and white tea), vitamin E (avocados, spinach, kiwis) and beta-carotene (carrots, squash) we can support our complexion from inside out.

TRY: In terms of a great SPF, a firm favourite with no nasties is the broad-spectrum SOS SPF 50 Sun Cream. With active plant stem cells, it delivers ultimate UVA and UVB protection to help prevent premature ageing skin. It is also infused with gorgeous antioxidants to help fight the effects of damaging free radicals and has a non-greasy & non-whitening formulation.

 

COLLAGEN RITUALS 

Another great way to support and boost your skincare routine and help get the all important ‘glow’ is to incorporate a good quality collagen supplement into your daily routine. Collagen has huge total body health benefits but in terms of skin, it really does help to nourish our skin from the inside out, helping you achieve a more radiant complexion.  

Ancient + Brave collagen is my absolute go to and all time favourite collagen. Not only is it made from pure ingredients, giving your skin the best chance to glow, but it contains the most carefully selected ingredients making it powerful and potent. Incorporating collagen into your daily skincare routine is so important for long term skin health.

TRY: Ancient + Brave Wild Collagen - this beautifully pure and sustainable marine collagen helps to effortlessly nourish and hydrate your skin and body from within. 

Another favourite is Ancient + Brave Radiant Collagyn which is the perfect blend for indulgent and urban lifestyles and to deeply nourish your skin from within - it tastes delicious too!

 

 

NUTRITION FOR SKIN 

Like many aspects of health and wellbeing, our diet plays an important role in our skin health and nothing beats radiating skin from deep within our bodies. It is therefore important to start loading up on nutritious foods that help promote cell regeneration, reduce free radical damage and keep skin clear and beautiful.

Eating a diet rich in lots of vegetables, fruits and legumes (broccoli, berries, chickpeas, beans, lentils) plus zinc and selenium (pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts), plenty of good healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds), antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E) and polyphenols in the form of vibrant, colourful foods ( sweet potato, red peppers, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, apples), omega 3 to keep skin cell membranes supple (salmon, mackerel, sardines, chia seeds, flax, walnuts) and, of course, plenty of water.

Heavily processed foods, which are highly inflammatory, can have a damaging effect on the appearance and vitality of our skin, preventing the all important healthy glow. Adding as many key nutrients into our diet on a daily basis can make a big difference to our skin health long term.

TRY: Increasing your intake of colourful, antioxidant rich berries, which contain anthocyanin, a potent ingredient used against oxidative stress, one of the main causes of ageing skin.

 

SUMMER SLEEP 

Sleep is our superpower and one of the most crucial ways to help to boost radiance and improve the appearance of your skin. When we sleep our body rests, restores and repairs itself. Sleep is when some of the most important internal and external (epidermal) recovery takes place. During sleep, the blood flow in our skin increases, which allows our body to rebuild collagen and repair damage from UV exposure and pollution and therefore reducing wrinkles and age spots.

Although achieving a good night's sleep when it's hot and sticky can be a challenge. It is therefore important you prepare your bedroom for the night ahead. Closing the curtains during the day to keep your room cool is really helpful, as are fresh clean cotton sheets to keep our bodies cooler and help to create a relaxing and peaceful space for you to switch off. 

A good night sleep really does help to give your skin a mega glow whilst repairing any damage. 

TRY: Enhance your sleep and moisturise your body by rubbing the amazing and sleep soothing Livvy B Magnesium Plus body cream. This wonder cream will nourish your skin whilst boosting your body with magnesium for a great night's sleep.

It really is so important that we take the time to care for our skin and especially over the summer to help protect it, help repair it and help boost the appearance to achieve clear, glowy skin that looks and feels fresh.