Summer Skincare

Ah the summer months. A season of beautiful smells like fresh cut grass and the satisfaction we all get from looking up and seeing a deep blue, cloudless sky. It is easy to get carried away in the sun, to forget that the sun’s rays can be very damaging to your skin. Getting sun burnt just a week before your big day is never a good idea. Red skin plus a gleaming white dress equals disaster! So we have provided some simple and basic rules to follow, that you should already know, to avoid looking like a tomato, and being in a serious amount of pain, at your wedding.

Stay in the shade from 11am until 3pm. It is at this time of the day that the sun is at its most powerful and you are most likely to burn in these three hours. It is best to sit under an umbrella and work on your tan when it is safe to do so!

As strongly as we advise to stay out of the sun during the day, we also understand that the sun is an important part of our lives and can have a positive impact on our mood. If you are a bit of a sun addict and enjoy sunbathing, ensure that you always wear a high factor sun lotion. Cancer Care advise wearing SPF 15 at the very least and if you have fairer skin, SPF 25 should be the lowest factor you wear. Your sunscreen should protect against UVA and UVB rays. It should be waterproof to ensure it stays on longer, and you need to be applying it every two hours. Do not forget to cover areas such as your nose, feet, back of hands, eyelids, lips and so on.

If you have been unfortunate enough to burn, it may take up to 12 to 24 hours to properly show and several days before your skin starts to heal. Keep your skin moist; apply aloe or a rich moisturizer as often as possible. Apply a cold compress to the skin. Leave any blisters untouched, breaking them can leave them infected. Peeling may occur but this is simply your body’s way of getting rid of the damaged skin. The most important thing is to keep your skin hydrated.