My 15 commandments for forever glowing, radiant, summer skin!

Good morning, dolls!

This post is primarily for the ladies, but men- indulge if you wish! ;-) Today I want to share with you my top 15 commandments (yes, there are 15 now) for glowing, radiant, summer skin! Now that the warmer months are approaching, you may be getting heated under all of those layers of clothing, and perhaps might need to remove a few. This post is about putting your BEST skin forward in 2012, embracing the bronze goddess within you, and learning how to properly take care of the largest organ in your body for years to come- your skin!

Now, a lot of individuals swear by sun-bathing, tanning beds, and triple bronzers as the only way to achieve a true, glowing, summer tan. I am here to educate you and let you know that you know that you do not have to damage your skin to achieve an incredible tan! This post is about covering the do's and don't's of gorgeous skin, and getting your skin to look and perform on a whole different level this summer. Celebrity status, anyone? If you want a gorgeous tan this summer, but still want to see beautiful, glowing, even, and baby smooth skin in the mirror 20 years from now, KEEP READING!

The most useful piece of information that I can give anyone looking to gain or keep glowing, radiant, summer skin, is that one of beautiful skin's biggest faux paus (besides smoking) is sun damage and exposure! Now if you are like most sun worshipers, you may choose to block this fact out just for summer, not care, and/or find reasons to believe that this information does not apply to you. I am here to assure you that the science behind this information is SOLID and CONCRETE. It does apply to you, and more than ever before it is important to take protective measures (diminishing ozone, anyone?). ALL radiation from the sun- in large quantities or small, in controlled forms or uncontrolled- BREAKS DOWN the collagen and elastin fibers in our skin, accelerates the break down of our skin's plump and taut structure over time, damages skin from within, beginning at the base of our dermis (the second main layer of the skin), and can lead to cancerous skin freckling. By 40 years old (or sooner!), we can say hello to our first signs of sun damage: uneven pigmentation, a freckled face and/or chest, fine lines, minor crow's feet around our eyes, and/or rough or ruddy cheeks.

Test yourself for sun damage right now:

Look at the skin on your inner, upper thighs, your inner, upper arms, or at the skin of a baby if you can. Most of this skin has not seen the light of day like the skin on our neck, chest, and hands. If this hidden skin looks different from the skin on your face, neck, chest, and hands, you can bet that you have superficial and dermis-deep sun damage that has been accumulating for years!

If you have no signs of damage that have surfaced yet, consider yourself lucky to have been educated so soon, and start protecting your skin today! If you do, I am here to assure you- there is still hope for you! :-)

To achieve glowing, radiant, summer skin and to preserve the integrity of our skin for as long as possible, we must bring out our skin's natural glow, and find healthy ways to intensify that by a shade or two.

If YOU want forever glowing, radiant, summer skin, read the 15 commandments that I have listed below. Follow them religiously, and you can say hello to fresh, glowing, summer skin that can be achieved all-year-round, and that will last you DECADES into your future! ;-)

Enjoy. :-)


1) Hydrate.

Staying hydrated is essential to achieve glowing, even, radiant skin, and is the basis for any gorgeous summer tan! Part of the reason many people want a tan in the first place is to achieve this look. Rather than covering up the problem, target it at its source. Radiation from the sun creates uneven pigmentation from deep within our skin, erupting as freckling and/or uneven pigmentation much later after our tan has already dissipated. This gives the illusion that another tan is needed to achieve even, glowing skin again, and thus a cycle begins. One of the best ways to achieve TRUE gorgeous skin is to do it from within! Stay well hydrated with 8 or more glasses of water a day, and your radiant glow will last far beyond your 2 weeks post-tanning bed or beach. :-)

2) Exercise.

Exercising brings blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to our skin. Have you ever wondered how celebrities always seem to look so gorgeous on the red carpet, with their glowing, pink cheeks and radiant complexion? Their secret is at the root of any human body's real inner glow- one of health! One of the best "gorgeous skin" secrets I have ever heard came from a celebrity- Kimora Lee Simmons (ha!). She said that one of her best "look your best, red carpet skincare tips" is to work out the morning prior to any major event! ;-)

3) Apply a retinoid at night.

This tip is huge for those who already show signs of sun damage. No matter what you read on any skin care cream bottle in a store, nothing you topically apply to your skin can reverse already-formed sun damage, fine lines, and/or wrinkles except a retinoid and/or antioxidants. Retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A- a vitamin needed in very small quantities by our skin cells to carry out healthy skin cell turnover, and the formation of smooth, healthy, new skin. Retinol is a common derivative that you can find in drugstore retinoid products for the skin. They are effective, however, not strong enough to produce major side effects and thus safe enough to be labled "over the counter" skincare products. Prescription retinoids, however, (often called trentinoin, isotrentinoin, or Retin-A) are much stronger and produce the same effect, but more intensely and with sometimes adverse side effects such as burning and/or peeling. All retinoids work to smooth and resurface the skin, and stimulate collagen growth. This helps to fade freckling, acne scars, uneven skin, and smooth and resurface the skin- revealing new baby skin after 6-8 weeks. Retinoids double duty as anti-acne agents as well, working to speed up our skin's cell turnover, slow down the over-production of oil, and clear out our pores. If you want gorgeous skin now and for years to come, consider purchasing, or getting evaluated for an over the counter or prescription retinoid to apply to your skin every night under a night cream!

Tips: 

• Retinoids need to be applied in a very thin layer to produce their maximum effect. A little over a pea-sized amount for your entire face is enough, more than that is excessive and can be toxic to your skin cells rather than beneficial. 

• When using topical retinoids, you need to be RELIGIOUS about applying sunscreen during the day or you will damage your skin back to the way it was or worse. Think of your skin as new born baby skin. You cannot use harsh scrubs on a newborn baby's skin, wax a new born baby, or put a newborn on the beach without protection! Be gentle! :-)

• Apply your retinoid at night to the areas on your body that see the most sun during daytime: your face, neck, chest, and hands, to help rejuvenate this skin. *Never apply a retinoid to your entire body thinking that you are going to fix everything, as this can be toxic to your blood stream!

• If you miss applying your retinoid at night, DO NOT apply your retinoid in the morning. Retinoids must only be applied once a day, and need to work while you are sleeping and when the sun is down to be effective. The sun and your activity during the day counteracts this with your skin, and can actually lead to skin damage due to retinoid's tendency to make us over-sensitive to the sun!

4) Exfoliate daily & shave regularly.

Exfoliating daily and shaving regularly is essential for smooth, glowing, & even skin. Many people believe that exfoliating and shaving 2-3 times a week, less, or not at all, will get them their best smooth, even, and gorgeous summer skin. Not true! Exfoliate daily, shave every other day, and you will see the difference! *Do not forget to follow your regimen with a tanning product (use a non-oily exfoliant such as body wash to avoid streaks!) and sunscreen during the day to maintain your tan and protect your skin, which I will talk about in a little bit! :-)

5) Apply topical antioxidants daily. 

Antioxidants protect our skin from the sun (in conjunction with a sunscreen) during daytime, and stimulate collagen growth in a similar way as do retinoids. Just as retinoids do their best work at night to rejuvenate the skin, antioxidants do their best work during the day! Applying antioxidants is more beneficial than just letting our diet do the work alone, because nutrients from within only flow to our skin (via diffusion) when sufficient quantities are available in our blood stream. Basically, whatever is not being utilized for vital life functions by our other organs, diffuses to our dermis to feed our skin cells and hair follicles. By applying antioxidants, you give the nutrients directly to your skin, and you will see the difference in your glow factor! When used in conjunction with a retinoid at night, the antioxidants are able to reach deeper, and you will notice an improvement in your overall skin-tone and complexion, and in the "plumpness" of your skin! :-)

Tips:

• Apply a body moisturizer that contains antioxidants (also known as vitamins, and phytonutrients) daily.

• Apply a face serum that is specific for your skin type (oily/combination, or mature) that contains a cocktail of antioxidants every morning.

• Apply your antioxidant serum before you apply your sunscreen. This allows the antioxidants to sink into your skin, before you seal everything with a heavier product (your sunscreen). :-)

6) Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen daily.

Sunscreen helps to protect the new, fresh, baby skin that you are working on for summer! It protects our skin from fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, and uneven pigmentation better than any skin cream on the market. Utilize it! Below are some of my favorites:

Tips:

• Look for sunscreens that provide protection from both UVA and UVB rays (example: Neutrogena sunscreen with "Helioplex").

• Apply a nickel-sized amount to your face, and a shot glass amount to your entire body if you're heading to the beach (including the tops of your hands and feet!). If you're just going out or running errands, apply sunscreen to your face and any areas of exposed skin.

• No sunscreen will protect you definitively from the sun's harmful rays. However, sunscreen will protect you better than any other topical substance can from solar radiation's harmful side effects for up to 15-60 minutes in the sun. Many individuals falsely assume that sun-bathing is safe because they have applied Spf 50+ sunscreen. I've got disappointing news: even with Spf 100, some UVA and UVB radiation still reaches the depths of our skin. I can vouch for this, because with Spf 50 on, I still can get tan lines at the beach!

• Anything higher than Spf 50 is a sunscreen marketing gimmick (I was told this by a chemical engineer who has been working in the cosmetic industry with sunscreens for over 30 years!). No sunscreen is able to provide more than 30-60 minutes of protection from the sun. After that it must be rinsed off, re-applied and allowed to sink in away from the sun before it is effective again. Now obviously, this is quite unrealistic for most of us to do when we are out, so just apply your sunscreen every morning and reapply it when you can (or when you know you are going to be out in the sun all day!). :-)

7) Moisturize.

Moisturizing is key to achieving glowing, radiant, summer skin! Without moisture, your skin is going to look dry, patchy, and/or scaly. I don't know about you, but I do not know many people who find dry, patchy skin attractive! Make sure you are applying moisturizer to your body every day, preferably in the morning, on the areas of your body that do not produce sufficient amounts of oil or that produce too much oil (your face, hands, feet, elbows, knees, or entire body). Below are some of my favorites:

8) Eat a colorful diet.

This goes hand in hand with exercise and consuming/applying antioxidants. Taking care of your body by eating a colorful diet provides the nutrients that your body and skin needs to glow from within. These nutrients then feed your skin what it needs to rejuvenate and repair, and gives you that radiant "summer glow"!

9) Apply a bronzing self tanner every 3 days.

This is the key step to getting a gorgeous summer tan! Many believe that the only way to achieve a gorgeous tan is to get a real one. Yes, that may be true until you reach your mid-to-end twenties, but when you reach 30+, your "gorgeous" tan no longer looks gorgeous. The sun tends to make our skin look shriveled, dry, uneven, and wrinkled (a.k.a. not attractive)! This post is about keeping the integrity of our glowing, radiant, summer skin for as long as possible, and I have good news: self tanning has come a long way! Self tanners of the past have turned people orange, and smelled unpleasant after developing on the skin. Welcome to the 21st century- chemistry has advanced! I have tested many self tanners over the past few years and can give you my highest recommendations and tips. :-)

Follow the scenario that applies to you:


1) You want a deep, dark, easy-to-apply, & even tan and are willing to do and pay whatever it takes:

My recommendation is St. Tropez. My personal preference is St. Tropez's bronzing mousse. It is a tanning mousse that gives deep, dark, brown color, comes in an easy to spread, quick-drying and aerated formula, and has a deep, brown color guard so that you can see where you are applying it! 

Retail price: $40 for 8 oz. of mousse (lasts for about 4-5 full body applications).

Can be found at: Sephora, or online.


2) You want a deep, dark tan, are willing to do whatever it takes, but are on a budget:

My recommendation is the St. Moriz line (their mousse as well). St. Moriz is a knockoff brand of St. Tropez that is sold in the United Kingdom. So why do I recommend you a brand that is not sold in the U.S., you ask? Even with shipping, the price difference is incredible, and the results are even better! The only draw-back of using this formula is that you must apply a non-oily lotion first, to prevent streaking of the formula (this is a small feat, however, considering St. Tropez is more than 3x the price).

Retail price: $6-8 for 8 oz. of mousse (lasts for about 5-6 full body applications).

Can be found at: Ebay.com, Amazon.com, online retailers.


3) You want your skin to darken by a shade or two and glow, but want a fool-proof way to achieve a tan:

My recommendation is St. Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan for Body or Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy Daily Glow Gradual Tan Moisturizer Spf 15 (may or may not be discontinued :-( ). These formulas give amazing, and real summer color, are meant to be applied daily or every 2 days as a lotion, and gradually build and maintain a glowing tan. These formulas are fool proof because any application mistakes can be pointed out and covered up by your second application, and they are easy to apply like any other lotion. Basically, just like you apply your regular moisturizer, you massage the formula into your skin, allowing it to dry, and then you can get dressed and get on with your responsibilities! :-)

Retail price: $30 for 6.7 fl. oz. (St. Tropez), $12 for 6 fl. oz. (Victoria's Secret). 

Can be found at: Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Ebay.com, Amazon.com, and online retailers.


4) You want a deep, dark, even tan and are willing to do and pay whatever it takes, but you want your tan to last as long as possible:

My recommendation is to use your self tanner in conjunction with a gradual self tanning lotion. Try using your self tanner on day 1, your gradual tan lotion on day 2 and 3, your tanner on day 4, and your lotion on day 5-7. If you want a deeper tan, self tan more, and gradual tan less.


5) You want your skin to glow, and don't want to be bothered with applying self tanner:

Follow my other steps, and skip the self tanner & gradual self-tanning lotion! :-)

Tips:

• Always thoroughly exfoliate prior to applying self tan, let skin dry, apply a non-oily lotion if needed, and then apply your tanner using latex or vinyl gloves (to prevent your hands from absorbing the tanner).

• Apply preferably at or before bedtime, let your tan develop overnight to get the darkest results, and wash off with your regular body wash in the shower the next morning. Any self tan needs approximately 4 hours to begin to develop. :-)

• When exfoliating and shaving in-between your tan applications, make sure you follow up with a gradual self tan lotion and sunscreen to maintain your tan and protect your skin! Double up with your gradual tanning lotion on all areas that were just shaved and exfoliated, to make sure that your skin is even throughout! :-)

• Try applying your tanner in sections to make it quick and easy. If I apply self tan, I like to apply it to my back first, then my chest (avoiding the nipple area), stomach, upper & lower legs, backside ( :-o ! ), arms, and the tops & sides of my feet. When I am done, I pull my gloves off and using a tissue, I take tanning mousse and work it onto the tops of my hands and sides of my wrists- brushing any excess lightly over the base of my palms.

• Make sure you get all areas of your skin. A major self tan no-no is forgetting the face, hands, palms, ears, and the tops of your fingers. The idea is to have even, uniform skin, right?! 

• Never forget your gloves. I repeat, NEVER FORGET YOUR GLOVES!

• Do not apply self tanner directly to your knuckles, knees, elbows, or anywhere else an excess of dead skin cells may accumulate. This will leave you with gorgeous, glowing skin, and then dark elbows and knees, etc. Blend the edges around those dry areas, and then let your self tan surrounding it find it's way over that skin by itself!

10) Maintain your tan with a gradual self-tanning lotion.

This goes hand in hand with maintaining your tan for as long as possible, as I have discussed above. Applying a gradual self tanner in-between your tanning applications helps to prevent uneven fading, and to keep your color as dark as possible until your next application. I recommend applying a gradual self-tanning lotion to clean skin before bedtime, and washing it off in the shower the next morning! :-)

11) When going out, apply shimmer powder or lotion, to your body's focal points.

This helps to enhance your natural glow! :-) You can apply it to your collarbones, shoulders, above each breast, down the center of the front and back of your thighs & calves, and lightly over the tops of your arms. For your face, you can highlight your cheekbones, lightly down the bridge of your nose, above your cupid's bow on your lip, below your bottom lip, and underneath the arch of your eye brows. :-)

12) Utilize bronzing sticks to get Victoria's Secret- caliber legs!

I have learned this trick from a YouTube video! Apply this to your legs, use it to contour your shimmer powder (such as between your breasts in a V-shape or to your stomach to enhance any abs that you may have), or you can substitute this in for your shimmer powder or lotion that I have suggested above! :-)

13) Take time to de-stress.

Stress is a major glow zapper! Even temporary stress (*cough* finals *cough*), can make you look dull, lifeless, and dehydrated. Make sure you are taking at least 20 minutes each day to unwind- preferably before bedtime. Try doing yoga, taking a warm bath, reading by candlelight, having a cup of caffeine-free tea, meditating or praying, or ask a significant other to give you a massage. Doing this will not only help you look healthier, but it will help you to be healthier, and better serve yourself and your loved ones! :-)

 

14) Consume 1 serving of an orange or dark leafy green vegetable daily.

This goes hand in hand with a colorful diet!  Orange vegetables and dark leafy greens are loaded in carotenoids (compounds that get converted to Vitamin A within our bodies). Vitamin A is responsible for keeping our skin complexion smooth and even, and the pigments that these vegetables contain also tint our skin from the inside out! Have you ever heard the saying, "If you eat too many carrots, you're going to turn into one!"? There is a part of that statement which rings true. :-o

15) Drink green tea!

Green tea protects our skin from the sun, and promotes radiant skin from within! Have you ever heard of cosmetic agents containing green tea extract? There is a reason: green tea is incredible for the skin! The antioxidants in green tea basically float around in your blood stream, fighting off pollutants, toxins, smoke, alcohol, and drugs- working to detoxify your organs and skin. Drink up!

I hope this was helpful! :-)

Xo -Jess