Winter Skin, Summer Skin (II)
Part II: Everything your skin needs in summer!
By Dr. Huong Nguyen | Editor: Dr. Sabine Nunius | March 22, 2022
TIME OF TRANSITION: THE LEAP FROM WINTER TO SUMMER ROUTINE
We've answered the question of ideal winter skincare in our previous story. But what about the other seasons and, above all, the transition between routines? To help your skin transition, I recommend the following:
• Gradually reduce the richer oils in your winter routine – with Liquid Barrier, for example, perhaps 1 drop is enough now instead of 3. Note: This point varies from person to person. If you feel your skin still needs more, you can of course adjust this dosage accordingly at any time.
• Plan your final peeling treatments now – they make the skin more sensitive to UV radiation and are therefore better suited for winter.
Fact of the day
When the warmer months finally arrive, one thing is particularly important when it comes to skin care: protection from the sun and thus also from free radicals, which are increasingly formed by UV radiation.
RADIANTLY BEAUTIFUL SUMMER SKIN - UV PROTECTION AND DEFENSE AGAINST FREE RADICALS
In the warm summer months, one thing is especially important: protection from the sun and thus also from free radicals, which are increasingly produced by UV radiation. This important point can be effectively integrated into your summer routine with a few simple tricks:
• Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, astaxanthin (carotenoid), green tea extract or frankincense extract offer effective protection against free radicals.
• You should now incorporate these antioxidant building blocks into your daily morning routine (if they weren't already included). Here's a little sneak preview: the relaunch of our Vitamin C Serum, Glacial Radiance, is coming later this year.
• When it comes to "enjoying the sun's rays," an absolute must-have: sunscreen! SPF 20-30 should be an essential part of your morning skincare routine in the summer. This protects your skin from immediate damage while also preventing skin aging. Photoaging is one of the main factors that causes our skin to age (even prematurely).
APPLY IT THICKLY!
In reality, the sun protection stated on the packaging is only achieved if it actually gets onto your skin in sufficient quantities. According to the manufacturer, this usually requires at least 2 mg per square centimeter of skin. That would be clear, right?!
To make this clear and practical, here's a trick: Mentally divide your body into nine areas: head, chest, back, arms, upper and lower legs. For each of these areas, you need about two finger lengths (the length of your index and middle fingers) of sunscreen. This means we need about two generous finger lengths of sunscreen for our face, neck, upper décolleté, and the back of our hands.
You've probably noticed by now that you tend to use significantly less day cream with SPF—which is why it often doesn't provide enough sun protection. I therefore recommend using a regular cream and a separate sunscreen with SPF ≥ 20.
SEQUEL FOLLOWS
There are still many exciting details to come on the topic of sun protection – and summer is my happy season. Reason enough for a follow-up in the following stories! Until then, 'Happy Daily Sunscreening' to you!