Summer is predominantly a hot, dry, and humid season, and depending on your personal makeup and location, it can be a challenging month to acclimate to especially if you have sensitive skin. It is a season where we need to take extra precautions to protect our skin from long hours in the sun or excessive heat. Here are some RNM summer skin care tips to get you through the season:

• Wear sunscreen or SPF clothing. This is your first line of defense against long exposure to UV rays. Always opt for a mineral based sunscreen. Keep in mind that sunscreens are used in large quantities, all over the body and reapplied regularly. Thus, the (usually chemical) ingredients in sunscreens are absorbed into the skin and can be measured in the blood. When using a mineral sunscreen such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, these particles are larger and do not absorb into the skin (hence the white coating on the skin look). This ensures that mineral-based sunscreens are acting as a literal barrier between your skin and the sun, and not directly absorbed into your skin, or your blood. Here are some of the best sunscreens available recommended by the Environmental Working Group, and you can check your sunscreen ingredients within their database for safety.
• Apply skin soothing herbs to sun-irritated skin. Aloe vera gel, chamomile or calendula compresses are great options to calm inflamed skin.
• Avoid intense sun exposure during peak hours. Depending on where you’re located, this is usually between 11am-4pm. If you plan to be out in the sun, plan to do so earlier in the morning, or in later afternoon.
• Hydrate! Maintaining internal hydration is so important to keeping your summer skin healthy and balanced. As a general rule, consume about half of your body weight in ounces of water, not to exceed 100 ounces for women and 120 ounces for men. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, that’s 80 ounces of water per day!
• Nutrition: Focus on consuming colorful, seasonal berries (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and grapes); nutrient-rich greens (rainbow chard, kale, collards, beet greens); healthy fats (avocados, coconut oil, olive oils, organic dairy products, high quality fatty fish and seafood, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds); plant-based/organic proteins (lentils, kidney beans, nutritional yeast, black beans, mushrooms, and even collagen powders).

A Natural Approach to Dermatological Health

Depending on your skin color, your age, your location, and your skin sensitivity, all of these recommendations can be customized for you so that your skin health is optimally supported long term. If you have concerns about summer skin health, or how to protect yourself this season, consider making an appointment with a naturopathic doctor at Richmond Natural Medicine to go over some strategies specific to your needs. Check out our naturopathic doctors specializing in dermatological concerns: