The sun is both good and bad for our body. A long stay under the scorching sun can exacerbate old diseases and acquire new ones, but with moderate sunbathing, the body receives quite serious benefits. In small amounts, the sun strengthens the immune system, increases physical and mental endurance, helps to absorb proteins, fats, ascorbic acid and vitamins E and D. By the way, the sun is the only source of vitamin D. But you should not follow the example of people who come to the beach in the morning and return in the evening. Measure is everything.
So how do you prepare your body for a tan?
Remove dead cells
Regular exfoliation should be done regardless of the season, but especially before sunbathing. You don’t want to come home with a patchy tan, do you? In addition, healthy, glowing skin is more pleasant to the touch and to look at. Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to exfoliation with soft brushes, washcloths and natural scrubs, which will not damage the skin itself, but will make it smooth and soft.
The simplest scrub that removes dead cells well can be done at home. Mix half a cup of regular white sugar with two tablespoons of olive or coconut oil. Massage the skin for 10-15 minutes, rinse with warm water. The oil will remain on the skin, but you can wash it off with soap or shower gel and apply a moisturizer.
Get epilation right
In the summer, the female half of humanity resorts to a variety of ways to remove unwanted body hair. After shaving with a machine, the hair grows faster, so before the holidays, women prefer waxing. But if you do it at home and want to avoid unpleasant consequences like irritation or tingling, take care of proper skin care.
After epilation, you need to give the skin time to recover, and not immediately go to sunbathe. Epilation is best done at least 1-2 days before going out into the sun, as the follicles are prone to irritation and the skin can be sensitive to heat. Apply a soothing oil or cream after waxing, and be sure to use an oil-based sunscreen during sunbathing.
Choose the right foods
All preparation of the skin for tanning can come to naught if you do not protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation, which is especially strong in summer. Surprisingly, you can protect yourself not only with creams and lotions, but also with the right foods.
– says MD, assistant professor of dermatology Jessica Wu.
According to research, cooked tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps fight UV rays and the effects of redness and swelling. If you plan on spending a lot of time outdoors, eat more tomato sauce, grilled tomatoes, and other tomato-infused foods. But remember that this is not a substitute for sunscreen.
Cure acne
In hot weather, acne on the body can be more of a problem than acne on the face. The way to deal with acne on the body is the same as on the face: you need to gently exfoliate the skin, treat it with products with salicylic acid, which helps get rid of dead skin cells, and apply a specialized cream.
But home treatments can exacerbate an already unpleasant problem. The best option is to go to an appointment with a dermatologist and consult with an experienced specialist. You can be prescribed not only creams and ointments, but also medicines and procedures.
Start fighting cellulite
The good news is that some products can smooth out unwanted dimples and uneven ridged cellulite. The bad news: they won’t get rid of cellulite permanently. All you can do is constantly work on problem areas. Use scrubs, paying special attention to the “orange peel”. The most effective remedy is ground coffee, which can be mixed with oil and shower gel and massaged into the body with this scrub. But do not forget to moisturize the skin after such scrubs.
Cellulite also decreases with regular sports, drinking plenty of water, visiting a bath or sauna. Remember also about proper nutrition.
Take care of your feet
Many women are embarrassed to open their legs and put on sandals, so even in summer they wear sneakers, boots or ballet flats. However, this practice is very detrimental to the feet, which are forced to wear tight shoes. Moreover, in the summer, the legs often swell, which leads to an increase in their volume and, as a result, corns and corns.
The best way out is to go to the salon for a pedicure and finally put on beautiful, open and comfortable sandals. But if you don’t have time to go to the salon, get your feet in order at home. You can use the old “old-fashioned” way to steam the skin in a basin, or you can sleep in special socks with a softening cream, after which you need to remove the rough skin and treat your nails and fingers. Another option is to simply generously lubricate the legs with cream or ointment, wrap them in bags or put on cotton spouts and leave them overnight. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times a week and your legs will become soft and beautiful.
You have prepared your body for vacation, you can go to the beach!
No matter how much you would like to come back from vacation “chocolate”, remember that prolonged exposure to the sun causes a number of diseases and problems. Do not go out under the scorching sun during the hours of its maximum activity, it is better to do it in the morning and evening. If you are near the water and swim in the sea, do not forget that the water reflects the sun, which means you risk getting burned even faster and more. Renew your sunscreen every 2 hours, drink plenty of water, and wear a hat.