FRESHEN UP!

Ahh, the sweet scent of coconut SPF, floral body scrubs, and vanilla body butter. Summer is here, and it’s hot – very, very hot. If you live in southern California, it’s no surprise the summers here are grueling. Depending on where you live, your skin will have different needs. In the desert, which is where I am from, my skin longs for moisture. I mean, makes sense, right? After using loads of sunscreen, being in the sun (and perhaps some body of water), then coming home to wash it off, your skin will naturally crave a restorative cream to not only rehydrate your skin, but lock in the moisture. When applying oils, creams, and the like, I recommend doing so when your skin is damp. Once stepping out of the shower, grab a body oil such as vitamin E and lather it on parts of your body that you feel needs the extra moisture. Then, go in with body butter. This ensures further hydration and keeps your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated. For vitamin E, I like the brand Jasōn.

The Kopari Body Butter is my go-to, specifically the Tahitian Vanilla scent. It smells incredible and you feel like a vanilla cupcake after putting it on.

O kay, we’ve covered body care for the summer. Let’s chat about the skin on your face. If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I am a sunscreen stickler. Like, I’m putting on SPF every day, rain or shine, and that is because sunscreen not only prevents skin cancer, fine lines and wrinkles, and uneven skin tone/texture, but also has been linked to decreasing visible signs of aging. Who wouldn’t want that? A randomized controlled trial published by the National Library of Medicine conducted a study on the relationship between sunscreen and the prevention of aging. The results indicated that those using sunscreen daily showed no visible signs of aging after 4.5 years. Moreover, skin aging from baseline point to the end of the trail was seen as 25% less in the daily sunscreen group.

What’s the take-away from this study? Wear sunscreen. And wear it every day. My tried and true SPF for the face is the

Pipette SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen. It truly is the best on the market, and I say this because many sunscreens have tried and given a fair shot in recent years; however, nothing compares to Pipette. It’s light, leaves no white cast, and is noncomedogenic (won’t clog pores), clean and nontoxic. The pistachiocolored packaging is also beautiful. You can find the Pipette SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen at Target or Amazon!

So, this summer, treat your skin with love, hydration, and attention.

Part of wellness is physical self-care, and it's important to prioritize your skin, especially in this heat. Put on some music, drink your favorite drink, and freshen up!