How to take care of your skin this summer?

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to make seasonal skincare choices. One regime does not fit all when it comes to skincare throughout the year. With sun-drenched days appearing again, it is time to take stock of your skincare and take a holistic approach to getting ‘summer ready’ as the season offers its own benefits and challenges for your skin.

Nature shows us a lot of love. Many people find that spending time in the sun during the warmer spring and summer months can improve their skin. This may be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of UV light helping to reduce swelling and redness in the skin. People often find they have an easier time getting enough Vitamin D during the summertime as well, and this builds the immune system, in turn strengthening the skin barrier and decreasing internal skin dryness and the likelihood of infections. The heat also speeds up skin cell production as your skin is responsible for helping to cool the body through the sweat process.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops. Hot weather increases the loss of water from the body which can lead to dehydration which makes the skin feel irritated, red and dry. More sweat and oil are secreted too, and this can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on your skin type. It might lead to breakouts, or it may keep dryness under control. Salt, chlorine, sand and wind exposure can also lead to discoloured skin because the skin’s response to any irritant is to increase the surface layer of dead skin cells as protection. The result is dull-looking skin with irregular patches of colour. On top of all this, is the risk of sun damage, from burnt skin, to pigmentation, wrinkles and skin cancer.

How do we soak up the good stuff and protect our skin from the bad? Our VM keywords for your summer skin care are the four R’s: Restoration, Renewal, Recovery and Respect for the environment.

Restoration:

Look for what the summer takes from your skin and put it back in. Take stock of how your skin responds to heat, water, air conditioning and sun exposure and think about how you can give it what it needs. Start with drinking plenty of water. Hydrate from within and your skin won’t be as prone to drying out. Clean your skin thoroughly and gently to remove all traces of saltwater and sunscreen. Our Petitgrain Cream Cleanser balances the pH levels of your skin leaving a clean canvas that can not only breathe but soak up restorative ingredients more efficiently.

Renewal:

Summer is often the time we have holidays, weekends at the beach and family vacations. Use this time to renew both your soul and your body. Use your downtime to give your skin renewing natural treatments full of potent natural ingredients. This will not only heal but also help slow down the aging process and help your skin protect itself. VM uses the food pantry of Australia with a focus on sustainability, the raw ingredients including Indigenous natural extracts pack a real skincare punch. Our Green Coffee & Gotu Kola Beauty Veil Lifting Serum is perfect to instantly plump, lift and firm the complexion. Full of naturally occurring phytonutrients called flavonoids, this serum fights off free radical damage and renews the skin from within.

Our Gold & Lime Caviar Coconut Membrane Sheet Mask is another deeply renewing treatment made from Australian Lime Caviar which is brimming with AHA’s to exfoliate the skin surface and antioxidant gold to calm and protect against sun damage.

Recovery:

If your skin is sun-kissed or, heaven forbid, sunburned, our Cryo Rose Ice Cube treatment will take the heat out of the skin and help it begin the healing process. And if your skin is struggling with sensitivities, inflammation or aggravation from salt or chlorine, our Silver & Hyaluronic Collagen Boosting Sheet Mask is deeply soothing and anti-inflammatory.

Respect for the Environment:

There are two important ways you can respect your environment. Firstly, understand and work with it. This means wearing a daily natural sunscreen in summer to protect the skin from too much exposure to UVA and UVB rays. The VM Vitamin A+B+C Daily Face Cream SPF 15+ is formulated using natural zinc that is protective but will not cause environmental damage if it washes off into the ocean. Secondly, use skincare that comes from and goes back to the environment without wreaking havoc at any stage of the journey.

VM believes we should be able to trust that what we are putting on our face, lips and body is not only good for us but is kind to the planet when it goes down the drain. Everyone deserves a toxic-free skin care regime, even the smallest starfish. You shouldn’t have to be a toxicologist to know how to find safe products and VM, with Vanessa as aesthetician and formulator, has learnt nature's love language: you should never put anything on your skin (or down your drain) that you couldn’t eat.