The summer is here, and it is HOT!
The fans in the office and at home are on full blast, and your feet are enjoying the freedom of flip-flops. Everything feels fresh and exciting, and the long summer days make it possible to enjoy your evenings socialising outdoors.
But does your skin feel equally enthusiastic about summer’s arrival? Not necessarily.
Summer can be very tiring for even the most resilient and well-nourished skin. Fortunately, there are little changes you can introduce into your regular skincare routine to help your skin enjoy the summer as much as you do.
Protect
One of the best things you can do for your skin every summer is to protect it from the harmful effects of UV rays.
There are different types of UV rays, but the two most relevant for your skin are UVB and UVA. UVA rays are to blame for speeding up the ageing process of the skin by increasing wrinkling and decreasing skin elasticity. However, UVB rays also have damaging effects and have been linked to some severe skin diseases.
Scientists believe sun exposure might be to blame for a whopping 80% of noticeable skin ageing!
Stay in the shade & wear a hat.
A simple but limiting way to avoid UV exposure is to hide from the sun. Use beach umbrellas and always make sure you always stay in the shaded part of the patio.
You should also consider wearing a hat when you go for a long walk or to the beach - it will keep your face permanently shaded.
Sunscreen
It is not possible to avoid the sun all the time. Fortunately, there is a well-tested and effective way to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, and it’s wearing sunscreen!
There are many different sunscreens available on the market. Some are sold as lotions, others as sprays. Some are waterproof, while others will help you get a longer-lasting tan. No matter which product you decide to use, remember that the most important thing is the SPF protection level.
Most dermatologists recommend using products with 30 SPF protection in the summer. However, people with very light skin should consider using sunscreen with SPF 50, especially if they live in places with high sun exposure.
Sunscreen can protect the skin in two ways, depending on whether it is chemical or physical (aka mineral).
Chemical and mineral sunscreen - what’s the difference?
Chemical sunscreen uses chemical ingredients to prevent UV rays from damaging the skin by transforming the rays into heat through a chemical reaction. This heat then gets released naturally from the body.
Mineral sunscreen, also known as physical sunblock, usually contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which helps prevent UV radiation from reaching the skin.
Both types of sunscreen work well. However, the main benefit of chemical sunscreen is that it tends to have a light texture and absorb quickly.
Mineral sunscreen, on the other hand, is often recommended to pregnant women, as no chemicals are absorbed into your skin when used, making it safer.
Moisturise
You might notice that your favourite winter moisturiser feels different now that summer has arrived.
Heavy creams that create a barrier between the cold and harsh winter air might be too heavy when the thermometers hit 20°C. Instead, light face creams for the day and nourishing creams for the night might be a better choice.
It also makes sense to focus on creams that help your skin regenerate at night.
Hemp seed oil is known for its nourishing powers, and many hemp-based cosmetics contain ingredients such as Vitamin E or C, known for their antioxidant properties. These properties are especially helpful in supporting your skin in regenerating from the summer damage.
Fortunately, face creams with hemp seed oil don’t clog your pores. This is especially important for people with oily skin who struggle with breakouts during the summer months and who need a moisturiser with a light texture to let their skin breathe.
Repair
What would you do if you failed to protect your skin from the sun and are now worried about the potential damage it might have suffered? You focus on repairing!
One way to do so is by using highly nourishing skin care products.
Our hemp beauty products are made with the highest quality hemp seed oil. The oil is extracted from seeds, not from hemp leaves, and does not contain cannabinoids such as CBD.
One of the main reasons you might want to consider adding hemp to your summer routine is the fact that it has been shown to have some antioxidant properties. Such properties help repair the damage caused by oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress can be both internal and external, and the most common external oxidative stress is caused by UV, cigarette smoke and exposure to pollution.
Hemp seed oil is also full of vitamins and fatty acids (including omega-6 and omega-3), which your skin desperately needs after long-term sun exposure.
Body lotions with hemp and Aloe Vera are the perfect after-sun treatment.
Go a step further and add some Aloe Vera
If you have ever experienced sunburns and went to the pharmacy looking for sun lotion, you probably noticed that most of them contain Aloe Vera.
Research suggests Aloe Vera can be soothing to sunburned skin and may help speed up the recovery and healing.
Consider using our day cream or glowing toner to take advantage of both ingredients combined. Your skin will be truly grateful.
Go easy on retinol
Does retinol play an essential role in your regular skincare routine? If so, you might want to consider cutting down on it in the summer.
Retinol is known for its negative interaction with sun exposure and for making your skin more prone to the harmful effects of UV rays. This is why you are advised only to use it in the evening.
Yet, some people have reported adverse reactions to summer sun exposure even when they only use retinol at night.
A low concentration of retinol should be fine, but if you base your anti-ageing routine on retinol itself and see weird things happening to your skin in the summer - see if cutting down or entirely removing it from your routine helps.
Consider a thinner layer of makeup
If you get more spots over the summer than in winter, you might want to check the content of your makeup bag.
Heavy foundation or primer can make it harder for your skin to breathe.
Instead of your regular primer and heavy foundation, you could consider trying to improve the appearance of your natural skin. For example, try using a thinner foundation layer and skip the primer altogether.
Our beauty booster and the instant effect face serum were designed to make your skin feel and look better. Adding just a few drops of the beauty booster to your day cream or using our serum in the morning might be enough for you to cut down on foundation while maintaining an even and glowing tone.
Don’t forget about your hair
If you dye your hair, the colour might disappear quickly if you spend every day outside in the sun.
Your hair might also get dry, as UVA and UVB have been linked to damaging the cuticle of your hair. The cuticle is the outside layer of every hair on your head, and when it gets damaged, your hair tends to look dryer and become more prone to breakage.
You can use hair cosmetics with UV ray protection or focus on providing your hair with nutrition that helps it lock moisture and decrease the visibility of potential breakage.
This can be done with the help of a product such as hair oil, which moisturises stressed ends and leaves dry and tired hair looking smooth and shiny.
Protect your CBD cosmetics from the sun
Last but not least, remember that it is not only your skin that suffers the consequences of long-term sun exposure.
All CBD products in your house should also be kept away from direct sunlight, as UV rays have been shown to decrease the potency of CBD.
We do all we can to help you. We package our CBD products in dark glass bottles, which helps stop some UV rays from reaching the products. However, it might still be a good idea to hide your CBD products in the fridge if you are experiencing a particularly bright and hot summer.
