Is that summer sun hard on your skin? How about the chlorine at your local pool, or the salty ocean water? These factors could be more damaging than you think!
Sunburn can have a lifelong effect on your skin, resulting in more unsightly age spots, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. As my chemistry teacher once told me: when your skin darkens (or especially when it burns), that is your skin's way of crying out in agony as it dies! Cheerful. So, stock up on the sunblock lotion, and be sure to give it 20-30 minutes to soak into your skin before going out in the sun. Most sunblock bottles will direct you how often the product needs to be re-applied, even if it says "waterproof" or "sweatproof." Bring out those sunglasses too, and cover up as much as you can with silly looking hats, or maybe a nice beach umbrella.
If you do get sunburned, the best cure is time. However, I also swear by pure aloe-vera gel. Work the gel slowly into your skin and apply as often as you need to-- especially before bed. It has a cooling, moisturizing effect, but still allows your skin to breathe. Remember how, if you get a burn from a hot metal surface, you're not supposed to put anything oily on it? That's because the oil in, say, butter, actually locks the heat in, and the burn will heal more slowly. When treating sunburn, go with pure aloe gel for the first few days, then progress to non-oil-based lotions. Many lotions advertise aloe as an ingredient, and that works pretty well, too.
Chlorine is a chemical that pools use to kill all the bacteria and germs that could otherwise collect in the pool water. However, it also has a very drying effect, and so, if you swim a lot, both your skin and hair will suffer. Check around for extra-strength moisturizing lotions, and apply lotion about one hour before swimming and after swimming. Look around for leave-in conditioners. If you have access to showers at your pool, rinse off immediately after swimming. Better yet, bring soap, shampoo, and especially conditioner, and wash up! You'll be glad for it later.
The salty ocean water has a similar drying effect. Most people shower anyway after swimming, to get all the sand off, but again, focus on that lotion and conditioner to prevent drying.
Or, if you live in the southern hemisphere, and it's currently winter, protect your skin and lips from dry, chapping winter winds with regular applications of your favorite moisturizing lotion and chapstick.
Stumble!
