How to Stop the Summer Sun Damaging Your Hair and Skin

While most of us can’t wait for the summer weather, your anti-ageing wellness certainly can. Summer fries your hair and damages your skin, so how can you enjoy the sunshine without putting your wellbeing – not to mention all the effort you’ve made on your beauty regime – at risk? Let’s take a look at the best skin and hair care tips for battling the summer sun:

 

1. Uneven Skin Tone: Francesca Fusco, MD, a dermatologist in New York City, advises, ‘Add a retinol serum to your regimen. It will increase cell turnover and lighten any freckles and brown spots on your face, the backs of your hands, and your décolletage.’ She adds, ‘While you’re waiting for your spots to fade, conceal them with a tinted mineral powder.’

 

2. Clogged Pores: ‘Wearing sunscreen is the best way to protect your skin, but there is one drawback: Layering it on can result in blocked pores,’ warns anti-ageing wellness expert Heather Muir. ‘Scrub with an exfoliant twice a day to clear pores and slough dull skin. Look for a formula with synthetic round granules, like Olay Fresh Effects Bead Me Up! Exfoliating Cleanser which is gentle on sensitive skin.’

 

3. Dull, Parched Complexion: ‘Apply a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid,’ Muir advises. ‘Each molecule absorbs 10 times its weight in water and pulls the hydration into the skin’s deep layers… Or use face oil, which contains potent antioxidants, decreases inflammation, and passes through your skin’s bilipid layer to help seal in moisture and plump fine lines without leaving your face greasy or causing breakouts. In fact, face oil will actually make your skin less oily. (That’s because your sebaceous glands overproduce oil when your skin is dry and decrease production when the oil is replenished.) Massage two drops onto clean skin, wait one minute, then apply sunscreen and foundation as usual.’

 

4. Rough Feet: According to Donna Perillo, the owner of the Sweet Lily Natural Nail Spa & Boutique in New York City, ‘The rubber material some [flip-flops] are made of absorbs moisture and dries out your feet.’ Therefore, Muir recommends, ‘Soak your feet in a basin filled with orange juice for five minutes, then exfoliate using a foot paddle. The alpha hydroxy acids in the juice will soften your skin, and the buffer will whisk away dead cells. Before bed, rub an oil on your heels and sleep in cotton socks; you’ll wake up to baby-soft soles.’

 

5. Sunburned Scalp: ‘Use a hair mask once a week; it’s more concentrated than regular conditioner,’ Dr. Fusco suggests. ‘Apply it all over your scalp after you shampoo, using the balls of your fingers. Comb it through with a wide-tooth comb, put on a shower cap, then heat it up with a blow-dryer for a minute to help your hair absorb the moisturizing ingredients better.’

 

6. Dandruff and Brittle Texture: Hair and scalp expert Philip B instructs, ‘Before you shampoo, use a boar bristle brush to move oil off your scalp and loosen dead skin cells,’ and then apply a hair-oil treatment. ‘Your natural oils will combine with the treatment and heal your hair with intense moisture.’

 

7. Dead Ends: Philip B points out, ‘Chlorine bleaches your hair and salt water dries it out, so after a summer spent in the pool and the ocean, strands look fried.’ Get those dead-ends trimmed, then use an oil treatment once a week.

 

8. Brassy Colour: If your blonde highlights are going a bit orange, Celebrity colourist Marie Robinson suggests, ‘Wash with a violet-based shampoo to tone down brassiness.’

Categories: ageing wellness, anti ageing, dead ends, face oil, hair, oil treatment, skin, skincare, Summer, summer sun, york city

How to Identify the Source of Your Tired-Looking Eyes

At what point in your life did the woman staring back at you in the mirror look so old? You don’t feel any older, so why is it reflected in those tired eyes? You might think all you need is to get more sleep, but according to New York dermatologist Charlotte Clark, even a full-night’s sleep isn’t enough to get your anti-ageing wellness back on track. While sleeping more is good for your wellbeing, and may help to diminish the appearance of tired eyes a little, to truly target tired eyes you need to first consider their source.

 

So why do you get tired-looking eyes? Anti-ageing wellness expert Jolene Edgar explains, ‘Genetics are the biggest culprit. If you inherit fair or thin skin under the eyes, it’s more obvious when blood pools there (often because of slower circulation from lack of sleep). This accumulation causes fragile capillaries to stretch and leak. Age is another factor. Over time, skin loses collagen and thins, so veins show through more prominently. Sunbathing speeds up this process by breaking down collagen and mottling skin colour.’ Your eyes may suffer even more if you have seasonal allergies. Ranella Hirsch, a dermatologist in Boston, points out that seasonal allergies ‘trigger the release of histamines in the body, which in turn inflame blood vessels and cause swelling.’

 

But how do you workout your individual source of tired-looking eyes? ‘To determine why your circles happen, gently stretch the skin under your eyes,’ Edgar advises. ‘If that area becomes darker, the circles are probably due to genetics or ageing. If the colour doesn’t change, UV rays or allergies are probably the cause.’ Once you’ve found out the culprit behind your tired-looking eyes, you can then move on to treating them. Luckily, we’ve got the solutions you need:

 

1. Vascular Issues: ‘If your circles are the result of vascular issues, double up on pillows at night to stop blood from building up under your eyes,’ recommends Edgar. ‘In the morning, apply a cold compress for about five minutes to constrict the blood vessels…Use an eye cream with caffeine, which helps constrict vessels (try Lancôme Rénergie Microlift R.A.R.E. Intense Repositioning Eye Lifter; $72, lancome-usa.com for info). Other smart alternatives: Arnica-based creams (found at health-food stores), which are considered to have anti-inflammatory properties, may reduce the appearance of darkness. And eye creams with green tea or grape seed oil help strengthen capillary walls (try Replenix Intensive Eye Lightening Serum, $59, dermstore.com). You can tweak your diet, too. Flavonol-rich dark chocolate (an ounce a day) and foods full of omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts) may improve blood flow to the skin.’

 

2. Seasonal Allergies: Edgar suggests, ‘For allergy-induced circles, consider taking an over-the-counter antihistamine before allergies begin to abate shadows.’

 

3. Thin Skin: Using a collagen-building cream can help to conquer your thin skin issue. Hirsch notes, ‘One of my top go-to ingredients is retinol. It helps increase collagen production.’ For this, you might like to try ROC Multi-Correxion Eye Treatment. Edgar adds, ‘Vitamin C also encourages production and can help brighten skin tone (find it in a product such as Renée Rouleau Vitamin C Eye Serum). And wear sunscreen daily…or you’ll cancel out the benefits from any of these treatments.’

 

Once you’ve got these foundations in place, don’t forget to conceal any under-eye problems with clever make-up! Edgar comments, ‘For quick circle camouflage, apply eye cream and let it dry for a few minutes. Then pat on a creamy concealer that matches your skin tone. Top with a layer of loose powder, which helps prevent makeup from caking in creases.’

Categories: ageing wellness, allergies, anti ageing, blood vessels, Eye Cream, eyes, seasonal allergies, skin tone, thin skin, tired eyes, vascular issues

Don’t Go Down Without a Fight: Combating the Ageing Process

Ageing is an inevitable process, but that doesn’t mean you have to go down without a fight! It’s never too early or too late to start taking care of your anti-ageing wellness, and, luckily, there are several steps and products that you can use.

 

1. Alternative Treatments: Although alternative treatments are by no means a replacement for a healthy diet and exercise programme, they can help you to feel your best, which encourages you to take better care of your wellbeing. A better term would be “complementary wellness” rather than “alternative,” as these treatments should be used in partnership with your healthy lifestyle. Start off with a good overall system cleansing treatment, as this can get rid of any toxins that may be dragging you down. This lays the groundwork for other treatments, such as acupuncture and hypnosis. If you, as many of us do, suffer from more aches and pains as you age, acupuncture and hypnosis can be a great substitute for using prescription drugs, with none of the associated side effects.

 

2. Your Look-Young Diet: To fight off the effects of ageing, as well as disease, you need plenty of antioxidants, fibre and vitamins. For this you can’t go wrong with fruits and vegetables, but nuts, cereals and spices are also excellent choices for a little antioxidant power. Specifically, you’re looking at:

 

• Vegetables – Kale, red cabbage, peppers, beets, broccoli, chilli pepper, artichoke


• Fruits – Berries, kiwi, pineapple, orange, plum, grapefruit, pomegranate


• Nuts – Pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts


• Cereal – Barley, corn, oats, millet


• Spices – Oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves

 

In addition to this, or, should I say, perhaps more importantly than this, you need to drink a lot of water. The big guy upstairs certainly knew what he was doing when he created helpful H20, as water has monumental wellness benefits. Aside from looking young, drinking lots of water throughout the day can help you lose weight, energise your muscles, aid your bowel function and generally help you to feel better – not bad for something you get out the tap for free.

 

3. Don’t Stray into Temptation: Not only does alcohol and smoking have a disastrous impact on your health, it basically leaves you looking rubbish. This is because indulging in both of these vices significantly dries out your skin, which leads to premature wrinkling. Plus, as we’ve previously covered, your body needs plenty of nutrients to stay young and healthy, but smoking and drinking heavily robs you of these much-needed nutrients, as can some prescription medications. You should avoid alcohol and smoking but you shouldn’t come of the meds if you doctor doesn’t advise it. If you are on medications, make sure to drink plenty of water and try some anti-ageing skin products to combat the skin-drying effects.

 

4. Soak in the Great Outdoors: Getting outside into the fresh air and sun does wonders for your anti-ageing wellness – as long as you do so safely. I’m not saying you should sit outside until you look like an extra from TOWIE, as this will have the opposite you’re looking for. However, while too much sun exposure can have you looking more wrinkly than Yoda, a healthy dose of sunlight can provide some natural vitamin D to your body and mind, which is vital for good health. If you spend more than 15 minutes in the summer sun, or 40 minutes outside in winter, whack on some sun cream, or even sun block. It may not seem necessary in this country, but wearing sun cream every day can be the best thing you do for your anti-ageing wellness.

 

Categories: ageing, ageing wellness, alternative treatments, anti ageing, effects nbsp, nbsp, Sun Cream, Vices, Vitamin D, Water, Wellness