SOS! Summer beauty emergencies

IT’S SO HOT right now!

Our skin is overheating, our hair is falling out and our nails are brittle. Why? What’s happening might be a midsummer beauty emergency but it could also be the result of stress from the events we’ve been going through for the past 2 years. Stress from heat or from trauma are both deeply disturbing for our bodies, resulting in exhaustion. This will undoubtedly affect our sleep, our eating, and therefore most probably our appearance. Don’t panic. Here are a few dermatologist approved ways to help soothe our little beauty woes.

 

If you’re having a Skin emergency

For sensitive skin, hot weather increases water loss from the body, leading to dehydration, irritation and dryness. Let’s not forget the sun and the air conditioning, which lead to even more dry skin. Make sure to hydrate your skin: keep a micellar water mist in your bag and spritz it all day long to give a hydrating boost. If you’re overheating, seek shade quickly and let an ice cube slowly melt in your mouth. The cooling effect will sooth your skin as well as constrict your blood vessels. 

It’s even worse for combination to oily skin, where summer tends to mean more sweat and more oil. When dead skin cells mix with this excess oil and sweat, hello acne and breakouts. So keep your makeup to a minimum. A good trick for the summer months is to mix your foundation with your moisturizer, to achieve a very light coverage that breathes without blocking your pores. Of course don’t forget to keep your water levels topped up!

If you’re someone who always forgets to hydrate, you can download an app to help you remember when to drink (Water drink reminder).

You also need to deep cleanse with a face mask at least once a week, to wash away dead skin cells and pollution that increase irritation. And if you keep your mask in the fridge, it will be extra soothing!

And …don’t forget SUNSCREEN. Lips, ears, hands and neck.

If you’re having a Hair Apocalypse 

If you feel your hair falling out, it could be just a seasonal thing. Heat as well as heat styling have a dehydrating effect on your hair molecules, even affecting their growth. So while your hair is falling out at its usual rate, it is growing slower, leaving you with the impression that you’re losing more hair than usual. Heat, sweating and stress also make hair frizzy and prone to breakage.

Even hot water is NOT recommended for your hair in summer (nor for your skin). The best thing to do for soft hair is to keep your hair and scalp protected by regularly hydrating with a suitable oil. There are so many out there that you will surely find the perfect one for your hair type. We recommend using it either on dry or wet hair, before your shampoo. Also keep your shampoo as natural and hydrating as possible, shying away from any products that lather too much.

So keep it natural, stay out of the sun and let your hair air dry. That’s the best way to help it.

Finally for your Fingernail disasters 

A common side of dehydration/ stress, is having brittle or peeling nails (we hope you’re not biting them). Brittle nails can also mean that your body is not getting all the nutrients it needs so just review your diet habits. While it’s always best to consult your doctor, you can start by applying a restorative nail treatment.

As there is not much we can do, unfortunately, the best thing to do is just pay extra attention to your hands and wait until the stress has passed. Use a good cream morning and night, and just be careful where you put them :)