Moisturise Your Body After Dehydrating Summer Months
Summer can be a great time for skin, giving it a good dose of vitamin D, a healthy glow, and reducing swelling and redness.
However, the dry months can also be dehydrating for the skin, which is why it is important to spoil your body now autumn is on its way and bring it back to tip-top condition.
According to Harvard University, photoaging from the sun’s exposure is a big culprit in making skin feel rough and dry. What’s more, it can cause wrinkles - and that’s without the constant squinting you have to do in the bright sunlight!
So as September creeps by, the nights start to draw in, and the weather is expected to turn more autumnal, you should treat your skin to lots of soothing creams to rehydrate it again.
The most important area to focus on is your face, as this is exposed to the sunlight day in, day out. Use natural face creams in both the morning and before bed to lock in moisture.
Don’t neglect the rest of your body though. Legs, arms, neck and chest are likely to be more exposed to the sunlight during the summer months, so use organic body butters to ensure these stay hydrated.
It is important to look after the neck as much as your face, as it is subject to wrinkling, drying, and losing its elasticity too.
As you age, the skin can begin to sag as well, so making sure it is well moisturised and looked after will keep it looking as tight and young for as long as possible.
Dermatologist Shereene Idriss from New York told Real Simple magazine readers to always use sunscreen on their neck.
Looking after it will help avoid the condition poikiloderma of Civatte, which is when sun damage leaves broken capillaries and pigmentation around the neckline.
Another dermatologist, Mona Gohara added: “Neck skin is subject to the same external factors such as UV light and environmental free radicals as the face, so it deserves attention at baseline.”
Dr Gohara also recommended applying creams in upward strokes, as this will prevent the skin from sagging. If you go downwards, this could pull the skin further south, causing it to stretch more.
It is thought that the neck ages before the rest of the body, thanks to having thinner skin. Therefore, if you want to stay looking young and healthy, it is sensible to look after it well, particularly during and after the summer months.
Other areas of the body that are prone to being dry are the upper arms, elbows and knees.
Therefore, it is sensible to keep these lathered in moisturising cream, applying it soon after a shower or bath to trap in moisture.
Ashy elbows and knees can look unsightly too, so while it is still warm enough to wear short-sleeved tops and bare your legs, make sure you apply cream to these areas.
The upper arms are often prone to rough skin, so protect these with your favourite choice of body butter or oil, so you can feel confident to wear a vest top or summery dress for as long as the weather allows.
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