After the cooler winter days, we’re finally welcoming summer and it’s time to get our skin ready! We ask Jacqui Parangi, beauty therapist and independent consultant for Tonic Health stores, how to nurture and protect our skin as we prepare for the balmy days ahead.
How can we help our skin recover from winter?
Skin is often dehydrated, dull and devitalised after winter. I recommend moisture-binding serums, oils, moisturisers and masks. Hyaluronic acid has the ability to capture water 1000 times its weight within the skin, so look for products with this amazing ingredient. Exfoliating the skin one or two times per week, or more if there are underlying issues such as dryness or oiliness, can help to increase cellular turnover. This increases the supply of nutrients and oxygen in the skin and the removal of carbon dioxide and waste, leading to an overall healthier appearance.
Living Nature’s Ultra Rich Body Cream can help. It’s a luxurious, nutrient-rich cream with active manuka honey for its humectant, moisture-loving properties, along with Cupuaçu and Murumuru butters to deeply nourish, and natural oils to soothe and condition the skin. It also smells divine!
Increasing essential fatty acids in our diet from good fats or by taking a high quality oil internally (such as hemp seed oil or high EPA fish oil) can help increase skin hydration and elasticity, while also balancing oil secretions and flow. A good internal cleanse for our liver is a great way to rid skin of unwanted impurities and toxins. Chlorella is a fantastic natural detoxifier from a microalgae source. It not only has powerful cleansing properties, but it makes for an excellent daily tonic to support the liver to help balance skin prone to congestion and breakouts.
What is your number one summer skin tip?
Sunscreen! It not only protects our skin from the burning ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) rays, but also from ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) rays, which have ageing effects on the skin. A broad spectrum sunscreen with UVA and UVB coverage is the best choice, as well as avoidance of direct sun between the hours of 10am and 2pm, when the UV rays are at their most potent.
For internal support, and to use in combination with your sunscreen, Lifestream AstaZan™ contains astaxanthin, which has the remarkable ability to help limit sunburn and help support the skin in its defences against external damage from ultraviolet radiation (UVR). It is a systemic sunscreen active throughout the body that strengthens the skin’s natural defence system during exposure to. It also has added anti-inflammatory properties as well as antioxidant support, way higher than vitamins A and C.
How can we achieve glowing skin?
The key to glowing skin is to supply our body with the key building blocks it needs for healthy skin. However, there are a few tricks of the trade! Living Nature’s Summer Bronzer Pressed Powder delivers a radiant, sun-kissed complexion, is fragrance-free, and suitable for all skin types. Just brush some over the cheeks and through the T-zone for a dash of summer in an instant. The Ecotan range is my go-to for that natural golden glow. All products are certified organic without any nasties and give an amazing end result.
Mineral makeup is ideal for giving a flawless base, without being comedogenic or pore-clogging. It also contains minerals as zinc that help to heal and balance our skin, and is the perfect choice for skin prone to oil and breakouts.
What are some of the best ways to ensure our skin and bodies stay hydrated?
For our skin to retain optimum hydration it’s important to increase our fluid intake and offset water loss. Tea and coffee both contain caffeine, that despite having other benefits, can be very dehydrating. Try and keep these to a minimum of one or two cups per day, and offset each cup with one or two glasses of water. Herbal teas that don’t contain caffeine can be put in the fridge with ice to steep, creating a fresh iced tea. Hydrating mists kept in the fridge can make an ideal companion for a quick pick-me-up.
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