Summer Skin Myths and Facts

We all want radiant skin during the summer, with a beautiful healthy glow and with less makeup. The sun feels great on our skin and is good for the soul, but is not great for your skin. There are do's and don'ts you need to know for healthy skin during the summer months.

Out of the box summer skin myths and their truths:

Myth: squeezing lemon and lime juice on your hair is a safe and natural way to create highlights.
Fact: It is natural but, it is definitely not safe! It can create blistering burns in the skin on other parts of the body even after only a short time out in the sun.

Here’s why: Lemons and lime, among other fruits and vegetables, help get you those highlights because they accelerate the bleaching effect from the sun due to an ingredient they contain called psoralen (pronounced soralen) that makes you exquisitely more sensitive to UV rays from the sun and also some wavelengths of visible light like blue light that are also emitted from devices like your cell phone or computer. That is how they create highlights in the hair, by accelerating the effect of sunlight on bleaching hair. It takes about 10 minutes to activate and become light sensitive and 24 hours for the chemical to deactivate. Once it’s activated in the skin, you can’t wash it off. I see blisters on the backs of hands an on the arms where the juice splatters on the skin as the lemon is squeezed onto hair, or into a drink or on the salad while sitting outdoors in the sun. The rash/burn comes out a day or two later and can take months to resolve.

Myth: Sun exposure will make your pimples go away faster.
Fact: Sun exposure will evaporate the water out of your skin which will make it feel drier but it will also increase oil production from the sebaceous (oil producing) glands in the skin, which will ultimately make your pores bigger and will make you get more blackheads and whiteheads. Also, the sun breaks down collagen which not only ages your skin but also makes acne scarring worse.

Bottom line: tanning is bad for your skin, especially if you have acne.

Summer Skin Care Tips

1. Be sun smart:

👒 wear a hat with a broad rim

👚 wear sun protective clothing

🕶 wear sun glasses

🧴 apply spf 30 or higher and reapply every 2 hours or more often as needed

I love the Vitamin E-Sential Sunscreen https://dorisdaymd.com/collections/store/products/vitamin-e-ssential-sunscreen-by-doris-day-md-skincare. It's pure mineral, benzene free and also has antioxidants for added skin rejuvenation value.

🧴 apply sunscreen every day, all year round

🌥 try to avoid midday sun and seek shade when possible

☂️ consider carrying a sunbrella when shade is not available

👩🏻‍⚕️ look at your skin regularly and see a board-certified dermatologist for a full body skin exam every year or right away if you see anything new or changing

2. Eat a high antioxidant diet: berries, pomegranate, citrus fruits, nuts and fish like salmon and other fatty fish. This helps give some sun protection and helps repair from within.

3. Get enough sleep: The days are longer making it easier to sleep later and wake up earlier. Try to use black out shades or eye masks to help create a dark environment for optimal sleep. Studies show that you lose weight more efficiently if you sleep in a dark environment rather than in the light, Avoid excess alcohol. It affects metabolism, hydration and sleep.

4. Use lighter products during the warmer summer months: You may not need the heavy creams from winter. Instead try lotions and serums to keep your skin smooth and breakout-free

5. Exfoliate more often: You may need to up your exfoliation routine, especially if you’re using plenty of sunscreen, in order to keep your pores clean and clear.

Prevention Tips:

1. Be sun smart even when you’re away from the beach. The suns’ rays don’t know if your at the beach, exercising outdoors, gardening or Mother Theresa doing charity work- it's burns you the same in all situations. Make sure to protect your skin every day all year round.
2. A simple way to know if the UV rays are especially strong: The shorter your shadow, the stronger the UV rays. So, for example, at noon or in the middle of the day, if you look down, you’ll see that you have little to no shadow (on sunny or cloudy days). This means that the UV rays are strongest and most likely
to cause sunburns. Make sure to reapply sunscreen more often during those hours.
3. Those with skin of color are more likely to get melanoma skin cancer in non-sun-exposed areas, like the palms, soles and nails rather than other parts of the body and have a later diagnosis, which can lead to higher mortality.

Bottom line: Please get your skin checked from head to toe by a board certified dermatologist, no matter your skin type.

Why you need to be sun smart:

☀️ Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US and melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer
☀️ Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in women aged 25-30 and the second leading cause of cancer death in women 30-35
☀️ In ages 15-29 melanoma is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer
☀️ Nearly 90% of melanomas are thought to be caused by exposure to UV rays, a.k.a. sun and tanning beds
☀️ Indoor tanning beds are proven to cause cancer and are classified by the WHO as the highest risk cancer causes
☀️ Exposure to tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75%

… but if you do get a sunburn
How to treat a sunburn

• Aloe gel
• Cool bath with oatmeal and whole milk
• Emollients

When to see a doctor: If your body temperature goes high, or low, severe headache or change in vision- that could be a sign of a life-threatening burn and you should go to the emergency room right away.

Easy DIY Summer Skin care : Buttermilk face mask

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbs aloe
• ¼ cup honey

Tropical antioxidant mocktail/smoothie

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop collagen powder
• 1 tbs flax seeds
• icecubes