If you speak with skincare experts, one of the most common things they say about the summer is that it is horrible where signs of aging are concerned. In fact, most agree that there are “four signs of aging that get worse in the summer”. These include:
- Pigmentation – Any sort of exposure to sunlight tells the skin cells to produce melanin to protect against further harm or damage. Melanin is a natural barrier against ultra violet rays. This is all well and fine, but sun exposure to areas of freckling, age spots and uneven pigmentation worsen in the summer unless there is protection against it.
- Crow’s feet – Did you know those tiny little lines and wrinkles at the corners of the eyes are actually due to photo aging. This is, as it sounds, aging to the skin due almost entirely to sunlight or ultra violet ray exposure. The skin in the area is very fragile and it loses a lot of its elasticity and firmness, causing the tugging (as gravity kicks in) that leads to those lines and wrinkles.
- Dark spots – Also called sun spots, they too are something caused by ultra violet exposure. They are due to uneven pigmentation that can be a natural part of the aging process for many. However, if you expose skin prone to spots to the sun, it can cue more and more of them to form.
- Wrinkles – Exposure to ultra violet rays causes materials known as free radicals to form in the skin. This can cause all of the signs of aging, but one of the worst is the loss of collagen levels. This is the substance we have in great abundance in our youth, but which is produced less and less as we age. Any damages done by UV rays of any kind will actually cause even less collagen – and this is why skin with a lot of sun exposure gets that rather leathery and wrinkled look.
In addition to these issues, remember that sun exposure is known to allow skin to bruise easily, cause vascular disorders in the skin, and harms every layer of the skin. Sun exposure also causes skin to dehydrate easily, leading to further signs of aging.
And if you read all of this and think, “well, I sit inside most of the time, so I have nothing to fear,” guess again. One study proved conclusively that people experience “photoaging differences between one side of their face and the other–due to overexposure of one side of their face to sun through a window… significant differences were observed for wrinkles, skin roughness, skin heterogeneity, skin hydration, and skin laxity (looseness) between the side of the face exposed to sunlight (UVA rays) through glass and the side that was not.”
What can you do about it? The best solution is to turn to high quality skin care products that block the sun and even work to undo damages already sustained by sun exposure in the past. Here are our suggestions:
Mediderm SunShield SPF 30 Cream – First things first, you need to block the sun from doing any further damage. An SPF of 30 is sure to do the trick (whether indoors or outdoors), and this moisturizing formula goes on light enough to wear beneath makeup as well as on its own. Apply to the backs of hands too!
Clinique. Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector– Next, you can start to rebalance your skin’s pigmentation with this powerful brightening formula. Ideal for all complexions, it addresses age spots as well as uneven pigmentation, melasma and all similar issues. It uses whitening products to achieve its goals and can even help with liver spots, light scars, blemishes and works even with aging skin.
Mediderm WhiteDerm Super Skin Fading Concentrate, B+ – If your pigmentation and dark spot issues are more severe, you need to introduce a serum into the mix. Apply this after cleansing and toning, but before the fading cream. It can be used on targeted areas or spread over the entire face and neck to help brighten and even eliminate some uneven pigment, freckles, spots and more.
Lancome Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-Foam Cleanser– Cleansers can strip the skin of the natural oils it needs, but this gentle daily cleanser removes all of the day’s grime and debris while also deeply cleansingit without drying, it leaves the skin clear and clean.
MeGlow2OH Dark Spot Toner– I never talk about cleansing without also talking about toning. This purifies the pores and eliminates even trace amounts of unwanted oil or debris. This formula, however, is supercharged with high-potency AHAs and enhanced with brightening and fading ingredients to ensure your battle against the signs of aging due to sun exposure is victorious.
Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment – The papery skin below the eye is prone to darkening over time. Sun exposure further thins this skin and makes any under eye circles even worse. To overcome this, this product offers many benefits. First, it boosts circulation and drainage of the blood vessels close to the surface. Second, it provides hydration that firms and helps to tighten the skin. It delivers peptides to the skin to ensure skin cells are healthier and it completes it job by reducing puffiness.
Estee Lauder Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant 24H-Moisture Creme SPF 15 and Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Global Anti-Aging Cell Power Creme – You must supply the skin with a constant source of hydration, and these two formulas do the trick. Use them after cleansing, toning, serums and other treatments to lock in moisture and improve the skin round the clock. These two Estee Lauder products are my go to for the last two years.
You now have several potent products for undoing some of the damages that summertime sun exposure can cause. They can form the basis of an optimal summertime skin regimen for all skin types, and whether you already have signs of aging or wish to avoid them, these are the products that can really protect you.