Every year, abundant sunshine, fresh air and the amazing outdoors make us fall in love with the summer. But nobody ever falls in love with the accompanying sunburns, especially for those of us who are aware of the damaging effects of the sun, from premature skin aging to forming freckles and even skin cancer.
Not to worry though, because we’ve got you all covered! Below are a few tips to prep your skin for the wonderful weather. Read on to learn the best way to get prepared for even the sunniest days!
How to prepare your skin for the sun in four weeks
4 weeks to go: Slowly prepare your skin by promoting melanin synthesis
Our bodies have an amazing ability to produce more melanin. To maximise this production, you need to eat certain fruits and vegetables that basically boost production from the inside out.
About a month before the trip, start consuming vitamin D-3 and beta-carotene rich foods on a regular basis. These foods include eggs, milk, fish, carrots, watermelon, oranges, pumpkin, spinach, strawberries, sweet potatoes and red currants.
They not only strengthen your skin’s sun protection abilities, but they contain pigments that get stored in the skin, thus intercepting a big portion of the sun’s UV rays.
An added advantage of these foods is that they help get rid of free radicals that build up when you sunbathe. An accumulation of harmful radicals can end up damaging otherwise healthy skin, leading to loss of suppleness and elasticity.
You may also want to use a tan accelerator that helps your skin produce more melanin when it’s exposed to UV from the sun.
3 weeks before summer: Moisturise and hydrate as often as possible
The more you expose your skin to the sun, the more you can expect it to become dry. And the drier it is, the more vulnerable it becomes to the damaging effects of UV rays. Three weeks before you greet the sun, it’s important to prevent dehydration, and this can be done in a number of ways.
First, you should regularly apply a light and breathable moisturizer on your skin after you bathe every day.
Additionally, you should drink at least eight glasses of water every day to keep your skin supple as well as flush out toxins. The moisture your skin gets will provide an added layer of protection against the sun. So ensure your stay hydrated and moisturised.
2 weeks before summer: Start spicing up your diet with calcium
It’s great if you have managed to incorporate your diet with vitamin D-3 and beta-carotene rich foods, but unfortunately, this two alone won’t quite prepare your skin for the sudden burst of heat and UV light.
About two weeks before summer, you should begin incorporating a few more ingredients to your diet, because your skin will need them. More specifically, you should begin eating foods rich in calcium.
Why?
Because calcium strengthens your skin cells and makes them less susceptible to any kind of external irritation. Kale, for instance, contains abundant amounts of calcium, as does sheep’s milk, arugula and sesame seeds.
If you feel you can’t manage to keep up with all these in your diet, a trip to the pharmacy for some calcium supplements will definitely do the trick.
One week to go: Start rethinking your exfoliating routine
To make sure your skin will be tanning perfectly once you are out in the sun, regular exfoliation beforehand should become a regular beauty routine. Exfoliation gets rid of old, dead skin cells, helping your skin remain shiny and rosy with a lot of moisture in it.
We recommend using a gentle scrub two to three times one week before summer arrives. You can even DIY your own scrub using your favorite essential oils, which will ensure you get a myriad of benefits for your skin.
When the sun finally comes: Expose your skin progressively
Especially after getting little to no sun exposure during winter, you’ll want to gradually introduce your skin to the sun. As the season begins ramping up, prepare your skin by engaging in frequent short exposures outside, slowly increasing the sun exposure each time.
Within no time, your skin will be ready to face the warm summer months for as long as you want to be in the sun. Just always remember to apply sunscreen for additional protection, regardless of how much time you’ll be spending outdoors.
- Read also: How to prepare your skin for makeup
Takeaway
It’s very important to know how to prepare your skin for the sun. Taking the above measures will not only prevent mean sunburns but will also reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. Keep your skin happy and your body healthy- and don’t forget to enjoy the summer sun while at it!
Here is a YouTube video with more information:
