How can I look after my skin when I get home from the beach?
Summer, the sun and above all the beach require specific skincare practices. This is due to a series of things we should consider in summer when increasing our exposure to UV radiation. Enjoying the beach is also related to two important factors: salt and sand, both of which can affect our skin.
What happens to our skin when we go to the beach?
Spending a day at the beach produces a series of changes in the skin's structure. Basically, we must consider that sun and sand cause dehydration and increase the risk of dryness and peeling.
If our skin is not properly protected, solar radiation causes immediate damage in the form of redness or sunburn. We also have to consider the evaporation of the water concentrated in the upper layers of our skin. If to that we add the fact that, after coming into contact with mucous membranes, salt aids the flow of water to the surface, we can understand why our skin dries out after a day at the beach.
What do we recommend?
The first thing your skin is going to need to recover its barrier function will be more in-depth and appropriate moisturisation.
Before the skin can begin its repair process it is important to carefully clean it to avoid irritation on top of the damage it suffered during the day:
- Deep-cleanse the skin to remove salt and other residues such as sand, other substances and oils or lotions.
- Use mild face and body exfoliants to aid in the elimination of impurities and devitalised cells.
This phase is important to prime the skin for nutrition and subsequent repair; if not it will lose its absorption capacity.
Then, after a good cleanse, moisturise the skin. We advise the use of a body moisturising cream to boost the skin’s ability to absorb and increase the concentration of water it lost during the day due to the effects of the sun.
- Body and skin folds: it’s important that the emollient you choose has strong moisturising and cell-regeneration capabilities as solar radiation principally destroys the fibres that sustain the extracellular matrix. That's why the sun accelerates aging because as the cells lose their structural capacity they stop contributing to skin's the firmness.
- Face and eyes: use a specific cream for your face and eye contours. Choose products that calm as well as nourish. Some products, like aloe vera, can do both.
And don’t forget...
- Apply calming lotions or creams to the area you didn't protect properly to reduce the symptoms of sunburn.
- Drink water and increase your intake of vitamins (A, C and E) so that your skin recovers its structure as quickly as possible.
- Check your skin: this is the ideal time to check spots, lentigines and freckles in terms of shape, colour and development. As always, if you have any questions, ask your dermatologist.
