4 Summer Fixes For Your Skin and Hair

Whew! This summer is turning into a scorcher here in Michigan. 90's every day and barely a cloud in sight. I can't imagine what some of you in the hotter climates are dealing with. WOW! 

Even if you aren't bronzing in the sun, and inadvertently damaging your skin, you can still suffer from the effects.

Take a look at your arm. If you look close can you see the lines that resemble scales? A hint of a lighter color or white in-between the crevices? Lightly pinch a bit of skin on your arm. Does it fall back into shape instantly or take a few seconds to return to normal? If either of these pertains to you, then you need to hydrate inside and out.

DRY SKIN PATCHES

1. You need to drink more water. It used to be the old 8x rule, but that has changed. Now it is more personal. In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.

*If you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. If you’re living in a hot climate and exercising a lot, you’d be on the higher end of that range; if you’re in a cooler climate and mostly sedentary, you’d need less.

2. You need to exfoliate your skin and hydrate it. The easiest was to exfoliate those pesky flakes from your body is in the shower. Grab a body puff. Apply 2-3 pumps of Glycolic & Lactic Body Wash to the puff. Create some lather and rub the puff on your body for 1-2 minutes.

Some people have many layers of dead skin that have been neglected. If this is the case, continue with the acid body wash daily to help get things in check. Your next step would be to apply a deep hydrating butter or more exfoliant. The 25% Triple Treat Body Lotion will not only exfoliate but hydrate. 

3. You need to make sure you are getting enough omega oils daily. Look for a supplement such as an emu oil capsule or put a teaspoon of MCT oil in your coffee or tea every morning. Cook with virgin olive oil, eat seeds and nuts. Do what you must, but make sure you are getting sufficient omegas in your daily diet. 

BODY ACNE

Pimples on the back and chest. Body acne can really be exacerbated in the warm summer months. Excess sweat, working outside in the elements, wet clothes sticking to the body all create a breeding ground for bacteria and clogs.

If you have had a long day outside and you have been sweating, it is always a good idea to take a shower. *I know that it can be the last thing you want to do, and now that you are dry and cool it doesn't seem like a big deal, but trust me... a shower will do you and your body good.

We suggest a natural Black Soap for body acne. Get a bar of DuDu Osun and a body brush. *The kind with bristles like a hair brush. Get that wet and suds it up with your black soap. Give your back a good scrubbing and then let it sit on there while you tackle your underarms and anywhere else that needs deodorizing. Wink. I also like to take my sudsy brush and scrub the bottoms of my feet before I rinse it off. It helps to keep them smooth!

PIGMENTATION

Sun damage - pigmentation - liver spots - melasma.... They are all the same in the end. Excess melanin deposited in your skin which makes you look spotty and splotchy. There is only one way to get rid of it 100% and that is No Sun.

Sounds easy, but very difficult to obtain. Your best defense is a great offense. So get your SPF on every day. We suggest no less than an SPF of 40. We carry 2 great sun blocks right HERE. One is mattifying and tinted. Great for oily, acne prone skin, and the other is traditional and great for even the most sensitive skin. If you don't already put this on daily, consider getting a bottle right now.

Prevention is the best solution. In order to prevent excess melanin in the first place, we need to amp up our antioxidants. Antioxidants help to stop a plethora of problems in our skin, but pigmentation is one of the big ones that they treat.

Antioxidants work by filling in the gaps that the (sun) creates in our molecules. A piece breaks of here and there and becomes a "free radical". Now those free radicals latch onto other clusters of cells. Both the clusters that are missing the piece and the clusters that now have an extra piece are damaged. Antioxidants swoop into the rescue and create balance in the groupings.

Antioxidants play a HUGE part in our skin's health, so apply them every day. What is the #1 antioxidant? Simple, it is L-Ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C. Everyone has heard of this. Not only does it prevent scurvy, but it helps your skin to look smooth and luminous. We suggest applying our High Octane Vitamin C Serum to your face every single day. *Even on the cloudy ones.

There are two more amazing products for pigmentation that you need to look at. The first is Fade Bright. FB is full of Alpha Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Licorice, Mulberry, Bearberry, Resveratrol and Lactic acid. Everything you need to balance out your pigmentation, whether it is just on the skin's surface or a deeper problem.

The second ingredient to treat hyper-pigmentation is vitamin B3, or niacinimide. You can find this in our daily face cream for all skin types, Vitamin B Complex. Personally I like to do 1 pump of Vitamin B mixed with a small dab of High Octane Vitamin C and 1 pump of Hyaluronic acid and apply that to my face. Ta da. Protection, acne control and hydration all in one.

I would be amiss to not mention chemical peels to treat pigmentation. The peels which target pigmentation best are 1 of the 3. Choose according to your skin type or tolerance.

1. Lactic Acid: Dry aging and pigmented skin. Ok for sensitive types.

2. Mandelic Acid: Acne, pigmentation aging skin. Ok for sensitive - normal.

3. TCA 13%: Acne, pigmentation lines and scarring. For all non-sensitive and normal skin types.


DRY, DAMAGED HAIR

Bleached out, crispy dry hair.... If you are spending time outdoors in the blistering heat, your hair will be suffering. Flyaways, split ends frizzy brittle hair.

The same UV rays that damage your skin can hurt your hair, as well. The sun breaks down the bonds that make the keratin of the hair strong. This leads to weaker strands and fading color. Opt for a hat when you are out for several hours. I have this amazing black hat that spans several inches out. I feel like a movie star in it, and wear it whenever I can. Looks great with a sun dress - but not so much with yoga pants? 

Found a picture of my hat!! <3

Cover your hair whenever possible. The next thing you should do is get some deep conditioning on your strands. Now, here is a secret - in case you are also having issues with hair loss???? Emu oil can help to stimulate your hair follicles to start growing again. There was a study by the University of Boston proving this very fact. So, if you are losing hair, have balding spots or your hair is thinning, think emu oil. .... Emu oil is amazing for your hair!!

Add a few drops into your conditioner and let it sit on your hair for a good 5 minutes, then rinse. Do this as often as possible. When you have the time, consider this treatment.

1. Massage emu oil into your scalp. Now comb through the strands to moisten the length and ends. If you need more, go ahead and add more.

2. Apply a hot towel or plastic cap and keep on for at least 30 minutes. **You can also leave on overnight - which I like to do. Wash in the morning. It will take about 3 washes to get the oil completely out. Now style as usual. 

If you have real problem hair, I suggest doing a treatment at least 1x per week if you can. It really makes a difference. Make sure to pass this along to your friends if you know they are suffering with summer skin issues. You can view a shareable version on our blog HERE