How to Repair Summer Sun Skin Damage

I would like to introduce you to my biblical frogs… Cain and Abel.

Here’s Cain. He ignored all my advice about sun protection and facial rejuvenation. And look what happened to his poor skin. It’s all discolored, flaking, dry, blotchy, wrinkled and literally weathered!

But this is his brother, Abel. Abel protected his skin with sunscreen, while swimming and insect hunting in the sun all summer long, and has virtually no sun damage and has kept his pre summer luster.

While I know we’d all like to welcome in the Fall like Abel, there’s always a little Cain in us. So after a summer of the sun’s harsh, damaging, and drying rays… which even I admit feel good… It’s time for some needed skin rejuvenation to repair both the visible and invisible damage.

So first, let’s repair the top most visible part of your skin, the epidermis, to restore luster, remove brown spots and blotches, and even your skin’s tone.

And then let’s repair damage to the second layer, which will improve the texture and fine lines that weren’t there pre summer.

Also, while sunscreen is usually your friend, did it play a mean trick on you, by clogging your pores and causing blemishes because it wasn’t matched to your skin type?

Lucky for you, the following regimen will help with everything I just mentioned, whether on your face, décolletage, back of your hands, arms, legs or trunk. So let’s discuss the steps of this post summer repair regimen.

First, every day, exfoliate gently with physician strength glycolics. For your face, start with an 8% glycolic and for all the other areas, a 10-12%. This will restore luster by removing clogging and matting dead cells (killed by the sun) and will also plump up fine lines by adding volume.

Second, use antioxidants, especially STABLE forms of vitamin C, to stop continuing damage from dangerous, hidden sun induced free radicals, lurking inside your skin.

Third, if you picked up brown spots or blotches… helloooooooo… who didn’t… it’s time to use bleaches in addition to gentle exfoliants to fade unwanted color…

Last, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize…

Do you remember what the sun did to your wet bathing suit? Well, it did the same thing to your skin: it dried it out! Also consider using a super rich emollient eye cream and lip balm for those sensitive areas.

And of course, use a sunscreen every day, because there’s no point in trying to return your lustrous, even-toned and healthy skin unless you also commit to preventing new damage. And there’s no better time to begin than this Labor Day Weekend. Have great one.