Summerize your skin

Here are some tips to get a glow this season

The sky has shed off its big fluffy clouds, baring the suns unrelenting heat to microwave-hot levels. This is bad news for the skin, says Dr. Dara Angela Chavez, head doctor for Aesthetic Medicine and Stem Cell Specialist at Cathy Valencia Skin and Body Centre in Makati.

While we have been taught since grade school that it is healthy to get a daily dose of Vitamin Dwith the sun being the main source thereofthose who put a premium on maintaining a youthful look already know that UV rays play a big factor on skin aging. Sun exposure puts you at risk for several thingswrinkles, sun spots, pimples, pigmentation or melasma, and skin cancer, Chavez says.

Those with oily skin are more prone to have pimples in summertime because oil and sweat from the heat plus accumulated debris can clog pores. This leads to whiteheads, blackheads, and if infected with bacteria, pimples. She explains. Melasma, on the other hand, gives a map-like pigmentation, and she cautions that if you wait too long to treat it, it will become very difficult to remove.

Chavez lists down some things to remember to keep your skin glowing with good health as you have your summer fun.

Apply sunblock all the time. Even if you are indoors, UV rays will find a way. An SPF of 50 should provide enough coverage for you to stay outdoors for about an hour 20 minutes tops. If you are swimming, though, it would be a good idea to reapply after every so often, especially if your product is not waterproof. Investing in a sunscreen spray is a good idea if you wear makeup, she adds, you dont have to mess up your face paint when you reapply, all you have to do is spritz away.

Choose your products. During outings, you might notice that most Pinoys use the same sunscreen on their faces as on their bodies. This is a no-no, the doc says. There is a difference in consistency between products for the face and for the rest of the exposed anatomy. That tube of body lotion will clog your pores and can cause a zit outbreak.

Check labels. There are whitening products that one simply must not use when going to the beach. Ingredients like hydroquinone and tretinoin will make your skin more sensitive to the sun. If you are using a night cream with tretinoin as an active ingredient, make sure that you wash your face thoroughly before you leave home, Chavez warns.

Screen in the right way. Most people use upward strokes on their face when applying sunblock. You should use downward strokes, because the way that our pores are designed, the openings face down. If you put on your SPF coverage the wrong way, you end up clogging your pores.

Cover up. Pharell Williams has the right idea with that outlandish hat. Not only does it give off a unique sense of style, it can protect from the suns harshness and well, keep him Happy. Since this is a tropical country, Pinoys should get used to being hat-heads, the expert says. Covering up with headgear, along with long-sleeved tops are a good idea when heading out on too-bright days. An umbrella can give you coverage as well, so dont forget to bring one along. Sunnies not only make you look like a movie star, they will also prevent squinting, a culprit in crows feet.

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Summerize your skin