TREND TUESDAY- Healthy Sunkissed Skin

I wanted to share a few of my secrets for achieving healthy, sunkissed skin. Summer is the time of year when we all want to wear less makeup, but it's also the time of year when we can do the most damage if we don't protect our skin. First, you should all know, there is no such thing as an anti-aging product. The only way to keep the skin looking youthful is to wear sunscreen! If you are blessed with good genes that helps too and, of course, not smoking is a big advantage. However, there are a few tricks that I have learned over the years that can help to improve your overall complexion.

First, you want to make sure you wash your face twice daily. During summer months, we spend more time outside, so think about all of the sweat, dirt, and sunscreen that can build up on the surface of your skin. Also, changing your cleanser from a lotion to a gel is a really big help! The skin tends to be a little more oily during the humid months. A gel cleanser does a much better job of breaking down dirt, oil, and debris!

You also want to make sure you exfoliate the skin but not too much ( aggressive exfoliators like retin A are not a good idea in the summer because they will sensitize the skin and you could get a serious burn if you go in the sun while using this type of treatment). I like to use a wash cloth to wash my face. The cloth is a gentle way to remove any dead skin cells from the surface, hence allowing the skin to glow and look more even.

I always wear SPF 30 or higher on my face. I will go to the beach and play in the sun but I am always protected. My best kept secret is Jergens Natural Glow Face with a pinch of powder bronzer (ask a professional makeup artist to match a color for you). I always look even and no one (until now) knows that's my face is actually a faux tan. I trade in my daily moisturizer for this one and I am golden! Trust me, it's natural, easy to use and affordable. You can't go wrong. You might not thank me right away but in ten years when the sun spots start to appear on your friends faces and not yours, you'll be grateful and glowing.

Some other items I like to keep in my beach bag are:

SPF lip balm (Burt's Bee's makes a good one!)

Evian Facial Mist

Trident Chewing Gum

Ray Ban Sun glasses

Moist wipes

US weekly Magazine ( sorry, guilty pleasure!)

Xo