Tips For Fabulous Summer Skin

Summer is the season for skin. No one wants to spend the summer months hiding under heavy makeup or layers of clothes. From head to toe, you'll want your skin to look its best for backyard barbecues and afternoons at the beach.

To start the season with skin you want to bare, check out a breakthrough treatment in skin called Oxygeneo.

"It's one of my favorite treatments to reduce pores and improve texture," said Holly CaSaroll, founder and CEO of FACE Skincare~Medical~Wellness in Bingham Farms, explaining, "It uses an oxygen process in the skin for resurfacing ...It's a resurfacing and infusing system all in one."

It's not a harsh chemical peel, but it does go down into the cellular level, where microdermabrasion won't go.

"Instead of doing a chemical peel or anything harsh, we can do it in a
way that is great on all skin -- combination, dry, acne prone, rosacea," CaSaroll said. "Literally in 45 minutes you are going to have that summer glow.

"It's your carefree summer treatment, easy breezy fun, fun, fun."

Genesis Excel V is another stellar treatment option. "It will go in and shrink your pores by 10 to 15 percent," CaSaroll said. "It's one of the only pain free, comfortable lasers that exist."

One of the best parts? You can go right back into the sun with no downtime and no numbing required during the treatment. It's like a real-life airbrushing.

Here are more tips for keeping your skin in shape for the summer season.

Exfoliate Regularly

Sloughing away dead skin leaves your legs with a fresh glow. Exfoliating freshly-shaven legs can be irritating, so perform your scrubbing routine before shaving. In the shower, use a exfoliating scrub that contains grainy particles, such as diatomaceous earth, or an acid, such as alpha hydroxy acids, and rub it into your skin using a loofah, a washcloth or a brush.

Since smooth skin is essential for even application, exfoliation is particularly important before applying self-tanner, which we all know is a safer bronzing method than sunbathing. Just give your skin 24 hours to recover from exfoliation before applying the tanner.

Don't Scratch

Mosquito bites are irritating, but scratching will leave unsightly scabs and could open your skin up to infection. Start with prevention. When you go outside, use insect repellent, and if the weather allows, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. If you do get bit, apply a cold compress to the spot to help soothe the irritation. A dab of tea tree oil can help reduce itching and swelling, as well.

Stock Up On Sunscreen

You know that you should wear sunscreen religiously, but it's also critical that you apply it the right way. First of all, use a minimum SPF of 15, but 30 or higher is even better. Secondly, you may need to up the amount that you're currently using. Your face alone needs a nickel-sized dollop. For your face, plus the exposed areas of your body, two full tablespoons are required. That's about the amount that it would take to fill a shot glass. Then be sure to reapply every two hours. Finally, bottles of sunscreen lose their effectiveness over time, so pitch last year's bottles and purchase fresh ones.

Shade Your Face

Sunscreen is essential, but it shouldn't be the only tool in your skin-protection arsenal. Do your face an extra favor by wearing a wide-brimmed hat when you're out in the sun. Unlike baseball caps and visors, a wide-brimmed hat offers protection for your neck. The floppy brim also shades your face more thoroughly than a smaller brim does. As a bonus, a big summer hat is the perfect fashion accessory for pairing with a sundress and sandals.

Protect The Little Places

Your face and arms aren't the only parts of your body that need SPF protection. Your lips and scalp are susceptible to sun damage as well. Keep your kisser healthy by applying a lip balm that contains sunscreen. For your scalp, spritz spray sunscreen along your hairline and part. Spray bottles of sunscreen aren't ideal for all-over use, since they make it too easy to miss patches of skin, but they're great for protecting those hard-to-cover areas where traditional lotion won't do the trick.

Stay Moisturized

Your hands might not feel as dry and chapped during the summer months as they do over the winter, but that's no reason to let your moisturizing routine fall to the wayside. The summer sun and waves can be drying to your skin. Seal in your skin's moisture by applying lotion after every shower. Pat yourself dry with a towel, then rub in moisturizer. Unlike in winter, however, you don't need a heavy cream. Instead, opt for a light formula, preferably in a fruity or tropical scent, so you'll carry the summer breezes with you wherever you go.

Meghan Ross is a freelance writer covering all things home and living. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.