The sun is shining and it's pouring with rain, the summer must be somewhere around the corner! At least according to an old Finnish song and to the weather we've been having in Germany lately. It has been pouring with rain and we haven't really had any good summer days so far - and it is already August! Nevertheless, I think it's never too late to share some tips on how to prepare your skin for a hot summer day outside. And that is exactly what my blog post will be about today!
Being born in northern Finland where the summer is quite short and not the hottest, I tend to struggle a bit when the weather gets really hot. My skin can't stand the heat so well, so if it gets to more than 30 degrees celsius, you'll most likely find me hiding in the shadows or in my flat with the blinds closed. Sad but true. My skin has always been pretty pale and no matter how long I stay in the sun, I never seem to get that perfect even tan. Well, much of a tan in general. This used to bother me but lately all that matters is that I don't get a sunburn which is why I always wear at least 25 SPF sunscreen when I'm outside. Here are some tips on how I prepare my skin for a hot summer day outside. Enjoy! :-)
1. Sunscreen before moisturizer
My skin tends to be a bit dry even during the summer months, so before I put my moisturizer on I put some sunscreen on, let it set for awhile and then put on some moisturizer. Moisturizers with SPF do exist, so if you have one that's great, So far I haven't been able to find one from a natural cosmetics brand that I like or one that doesn't cost a fortune. Also, if the moisturizer only has 10 SPF in it and you're going to be outside a looong time, it's better to be safe than sorry and put some real sun lotion on your face before you head outside.
2. Mix moisturizer with tinted moisturizer
Lately I have been mixing my moisturizer with a tinted moisturizer to get more colour to my face. If your tinted moisturizer is a little bit too dark or it doesn't moisturize your skin enough on its own, I definitely recommend you to mix it with a little bit of your normal moisturizer and you're good to go!
3. Makeup
In summer time I don't like to wear much makeup on my face, because I want my skin to be able to breath. Also, if I have too much on I sweat more and I'd rather try to avoid it the best I can! Especially when I'm going somewhere and will be in overcrowded places like in the underground. If I'm going to sunbathe all day then I might just put on some concealer and do my eyebrows and that's it. But if I'm going to a beer garden or a picnick with friends, I will put a bit more effort into my makeup. I like wearing gold and copper eyeshadows during summer, I especially like Alverde's baked eyeshadow in colour Elegant Beige. If your eyelids tend to sweat you should definitely put on some eyeshadow primer beforehand. I also just like to tap some dark eyeshadow on top of my eyeliner to set it more and to stop it from smudging into my grease. Sometimes when I'm really lazy or I'm just going to lay in the sun all day yet still want to define my eyes a little bit, I like to just carefully tightline the inner rim of my upper eye lid with a black or dark brown kohl pencil and put some mascara on. It's an easy way to define your eyes without having to spend ages on getting your eyeliner perfect.
If you are like me and want to look at least a little bit sun kissed in summer, bronzer is your best friend! Apply it with a light hand onto your temples, cheeks, top of your forehead and also little bit on your nose and jaw line, so pretty much everywhere the sun would naturally hit. If you're having trouble in finding the right shade, here is an easy tip I learned on how to pick the right shade according to your skin tone: hold the bronzer onto your face and pick a shade that is one or max. two shades darker than your skin tone.
I have also been loving a tiny bit of highlighter in the inner corners of my eyes and above my cupid's bow. You wouldn't think but it makes a huge difference. Give it a go!
I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen when you're out and about! Sun makes us feel good and happy but at the same time it can also damage our skin, cause us wrinkles and age spots. Sure, most of us love a good tan, but if you don't want your skin to age faster, don't forget to put on some sunscreen! However, spending 15-20 minutes a day outside without any sun protection is also perfectly fine as this is great way to boost your D-vitamin intake especially right before autumn/winter time. Of course, if you are planning on staying outside longer than that, please have a sunscreen at hand. Usually you should put your sun lotion on about 20-30 minutes before you head outside so it has time to set into your skin. But, if you're using a mineral sunscreen, it is effective right after you have put it on as it stays on the surface of your skin and doesn't soak into your skin like chemical sunscreens do.
There are two types of sunscreens, ones with chemical and ones with mineral filters. Chemical filters are more common, i.e. are the bad ones, whereas mineral filters are used in natural cosmetics. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are ingredients used in mineral filters. Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate are the active ingredients used in chemical filters and the ones you should definitely avoid. As I mentioned earlier, in comparison to natural sunscreens, chemical sunscreens soak into your skin where its chemicals eventually find their way into the bloodstream and start doing their mischiefs. These chemicals poison the body from within which can lead to interference with your hormonal function, can contribute to the development of breast cancer or other cancer, or even cause infertility. Pretty harsh stuff, right? So next time you're choosing your sunscreen, please keep this in mind and pick an all natural one!
At the end of the day, I'd rather be pale than get skin cancer or suffer from sun caused premature aging. So please all of my fellow sisters, embrace your snow white skin! And if you really, really hate to be the palest, there are plenty of self tanning lotions in the stores for you to choose from - even all natural ones.
All you need now is a nice pair of sunglasses and a hat, and you're ready to go!
Until next time...
Enjoy the summer and talk to you soon! ☀
Mia
If you are like me and want to look at least a little bit sun kissed in summer, bronzer is your best friend! Apply it with a light hand onto your temples, cheeks, top of your forehead and also little bit on your nose and jaw line, so pretty much everywhere the sun would naturally hit. If you're having trouble in finding the right shade, here is an easy tip I learned on how to pick the right shade according to your skin tone: hold the bronzer onto your face and pick a shade that is one or max. two shades darker than your skin tone.
I have also been loving a tiny bit of highlighter in the inner corners of my eyes and above my cupid's bow. You wouldn't think but it makes a huge difference. Give it a go!
4. Don't forget the sunscreen!
I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen when you're out and about! Sun makes us feel good and happy but at the same time it can also damage our skin, cause us wrinkles and age spots. Sure, most of us love a good tan, but if you don't want your skin to age faster, don't forget to put on some sunscreen! However, spending 15-20 minutes a day outside without any sun protection is also perfectly fine as this is great way to boost your D-vitamin intake especially right before autumn/winter time. Of course, if you are planning on staying outside longer than that, please have a sunscreen at hand. Usually you should put your sun lotion on about 20-30 minutes before you head outside so it has time to set into your skin. But, if you're using a mineral sunscreen, it is effective right after you have put it on as it stays on the surface of your skin and doesn't soak into your skin like chemical sunscreens do.
There are two types of sunscreens, ones with chemical and ones with mineral filters. Chemical filters are more common, i.e. are the bad ones, whereas mineral filters are used in natural cosmetics. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are ingredients used in mineral filters. Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate are the active ingredients used in chemical filters and the ones you should definitely avoid. As I mentioned earlier, in comparison to natural sunscreens, chemical sunscreens soak into your skin where its chemicals eventually find their way into the bloodstream and start doing their mischiefs. These chemicals poison the body from within which can lead to interference with your hormonal function, can contribute to the development of breast cancer or other cancer, or even cause infertility. Pretty harsh stuff, right? So next time you're choosing your sunscreen, please keep this in mind and pick an all natural one!
At the end of the day, I'd rather be pale than get skin cancer or suffer from sun caused premature aging. So please all of my fellow sisters, embrace your snow white skin! And if you really, really hate to be the palest, there are plenty of self tanning lotions in the stores for you to choose from - even all natural ones.
All you need now is a nice pair of sunglasses and a hat, and you're ready to go!
Until next time...
Enjoy the summer and talk to you soon! ☀
Mia
