Okay, so here in Australia summer is well and truly on its way – and it brings with it a host of new skin care issues and changes in routine to meet the change in climate. So, we thought we’d get together all our summer skin-saving tips and compile them into a list for you – like a summer skin care bible. Enjoy – and make sure you let us know if you have any summer skin-saving tips of your own!

Summer Skin tip 1. Salute the sun for 10-15 minutes every day.
Research suggests that in order to get our daily recommended intake of Vitamin D, we should get 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight on our skin every day.
Now, this doesn’t mean being silly – when we say 10-15 minutes, we mean it! Spending 30 minutes, an hour or more under direct sunlight in the middle of the day shouldn’t be an everyday occurrence (if you want to be safe and healthy, that is!).
And it’s a myth that you need to spend hours in the sun without protection to catch any rays or get that summer ‘glow’. 10-15 minutes in the sun every day (with spf protection, especially if you’re sunbathing in the middle of the day, between around 11-3:30) is more than enough to give you a little colour – and it’s a much healthier way of catching rays than spending every weekend at the beach for hours on end.
So get out in the back garden, put down a towel and soak up a little Vitamin D every day. The sun can be good for you, if you’re sensible about it.

Summer Skin tip 2. Lighten up!
If you’ve been using a heavy moisturiser to soothe your dry skin during winter time, the summer heat and humidity usually means it’s a good idea to try a lighter moisturiser. Sweat produced by summer heat means your pores are more prone to clogging in summer, so you also need to make sure you’re still exfoliating and/or using a weekly mask to detox the skin. Here are our picks for glowing summer skin:

Mokosh Face Cleansing Powder/Mask – $27.50, Invoke Green Tea Moisturiser - $20.00,  The Little Alchemist Lime & Papaya Exfoliating Polish – $42.00, and our Raw Gaia Raw Chocolate Face Pack -$24.95.

Summer Skin tip 3. Look after your locks.
Summer is a scary time for hair, especially if you’re not doing everything you can to protect it from the elements. Hair needs protection from the sun too – particularly if it’s prone to dryness, or it’s coloured or chemically-treated. If your hair is coloured, the best idea is just to keep it out of the sun as much as you can (time to invest in a cute new hat!). The sun fades hair colour dramatically, not to mention the damage that can be caused to your scalp by excessive sun exposure.
Another way to protect your hair from the elements in summer is to spritz some leave-in conditioner through it before going to the beach – preferably one with a  built-in spf. Not only does this protect your hair from the sun and salt when you’re in the water, but it leaves it silky-soft when you emerge from the waves, instead of being tangled and sea-swept!

Summer Skin tip 4. Drink, drink, drink.
It’s so easy to get caught up in sand, sea and shopping during summer time, but at this time of year it’s more important than ever to stay hydrated. Sweating means the body is losing even more fluid than usual, which needs to be replaced – not just for inner health, but to maintain the condition of your skin also. Drinking enough water is an essential part of looking after your complexion. Two litres (around six glasses) of water a day is the absolute minimum for the summer months.

Summer Skin tip 5. Take advantage of the fruits of summer!
This is the time of year when the grapes, peaches, nectarines and mangoes come out – so take advantage, before they’re gone again! Summer is one of our favourite times of year for fresh produce – there’s just so much beautiful fruit around. It’s tempting to spend all summer eating ice creams and drinking iced coffees, but it’s still as important as ever to get your 2 fruit and 5 veg every day. And if you can’t manage 2 and 5 (it can be hard, we admit), then just make sure you’re having some fruit or veg with every meal. A bit of banana with your breakfast cereal, an apple after lunch, and some salad or vegies with your evening meal. A little fruit and veg every day and you’re well on your way to optimal health.
And, if you’ve eaten as much fruit as you can handle and you need to use some up – why not try some of our homemade skin care recipes, and absorb the nutrients through your skin instead!

So there you have it!
It’s not so hard to stay healthy and gorgeous during the summer months. If you have any summer skin tips of your own, drop us a line or leave us a comment – our readers would love to hear them!

Happy beaching, until next time.. xx