Herbal Supplements and
Natural Remedies

6 Biggest Summer Skin Blunders

by Karen Yale, D.C. C.C.N., D.A.C.B.N, F.I.A.M.A.

We all tend to get more relaxed about a lot of things in the summer, including our skin care regimen. But now is not the time to let up.

Sun, heat, humidity and dry air can wreak havoc on our skin causing wrinkles, scaly skin, and rough patches, not to mention sun damage from overexposure. How many of these summer skin blunders are you making?

Blunder No. 1 - Applying sunscreen once daily. Apply a full ounce of sunscreen every few hours. Slather on even more if you've been swimming or working out. The higher the SPF number, the better. Because shelf life is limited on these types of products, throw out last year's bottle and buy fresh.

Blunder No. 2 - Not exfoliating in the summer. Use a gentle micro-dermabrasion, like Tea Tree Exfoliating Scrub to slough off scaly winter skin. Give special attention to your feet and heels.

Blunder No. 3 - Skipping the moisturizer because you think humidity and warmer temperatures naturally activate oil glands. Whether you live in an arid or humid climate, have oily or dry skin, you still need to moisturize. Try Collagen creams which can soften the appearance of wrinkles. Vitamin C cream also gives you anti-wrinkle and antioxidant benefits. For a lighter moisturizer look for lotions and creams that contain hyaluronic acid, which provide lightweight hydration

Blunder No. 4 - Replacing all your supplements with summer fruits and vegetables. Even if you're eating more of these antioxidant powerhouses, you're probably still not getting the recommended 5-9 servings daily. In fact, a mere 10 percent of Americans do. That's why I recommend my patients keep taking daily supplements like Vegetable & Fruit along with their multivitamin.

Blunder No. 5 - Continuing your Vitamin A skin care regimen. Vitamin A creams can make your skin much more sensitive to the sun. Vitamin C cream, a much better choice.

Blunder No. 6 - Using body lotion on your face. While you can use facial lotion on your body, it's not a good idea to use body lotion on your face. Body lotions may not provide enough of the protective emollients your face requires. For body lotion I like CoQ-10 Repair Complex, for face CoQ-10 Plus Wrinkle Cream.

For more information about natural skin and health care, visit Botanic Choice.