This year, the heat is reaching levels that only India, Pakistan, and some African countries are used to. It will be very hot, for several days, and the nights do not offer much respite as temperatures remain relatively high.
These conditions are very hard on the human body, and especially on the skin, which is the first line of defense against the sun and heat.
As a result, we are supposed to adopt certain habits to protect our bodies and skin from the ravages of this weather.
Avoiding ultraviolet radiation
Sunburn is caused primarily by the absorption of UV rays. The skin can receive a certain amount of radiation until it turns red. This amount of radiation that the skin can absorb before it burns is indicated by a minimum erythemal dose (MED). Erythema is a medical term for skin redness. It really reflects how much time you can spend in the sun without getting burned. Of course, this varies from person to person since everyone has a distinct skin type. The darker the skin, the more sun you can tolerate without protection, the higher the MED.
The quantity of UV radiation absorbed by the skin is influenced by a variety of environmental conditions. The ozone layer, which guards against the sun's harmful rays, is the most important. However, the ozone layer's thickness has diminished during the 1980s, resulting in an increase in UV radiation.
UVA is almost entirely transmitted through the ozone layer, making it the main form of UV radiation that reaches humans. 10% of UVB penetrates this barrier and does not reach the earth. The exact level of protection provided by the ozone layer also depends on your location on Earth, the time of year and your distance from the equator.
To protect your skin from UV rays, you can apply a cream with an SPF (sun protection factor). A product with SPF contains sunscreen. Depending on the type of sunscreen used, UV rays are reflected by the skin (mineral filters) or absorbed by the top layer of the skin (organic, synthetic, or chemical filters). The higher the factor, the better the product's protection against UV rays.
SPF 15 offers 93% protection against UVB rays, SPF 30 offers 97% protection, and SPF 50 offers 98% protection. Therefore, it is recommended to use at least SPF 30 for good sun protection.
It is not true that SPF 50 offers almost twice the protection of SPF 30; the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is only 1%! So it doesn't matter which of these two SPFs you choose, as long as you apply enough cream often enough. This is especially true with SPF 50, as this high factor gives the feeling of being well protected for the whole day. This is definitely not the case. Due to rubbing, sweating, or swimming, the factor decreases again after two hours.
So apply a sunscreen with SPF 30 or 50. Do this half an hour before going out, and repeat every 2 or 3 hours. Even if you are already tanned, keep applying it!
Moisturizing the skin continuously
Hydration is the watchword during hot weather. It is an essential step to having healthy skin in warm temperatures. To avoid skin dryness, you should apply a moisturizer every morning and night. Moisturizing your skin (face and body) should be done daily. Make it part of your beauty routine after cleansing your skin. This helps protect the skin from external aggressions, slows down skin aging and, of course, prevents the skin from drying out and the inconveniences it generates (tightness, tingling, redness...).
In the evening, applying a heavier moisturizing lotion to the skin before going to bed is a must. Indeed, the skin is more responsive to active ingredients and regenerates more at night than during the day. As a result, it is the optimum time to nourish the skin with a specific night care product, which is naturally richer in active ingredients since the epidermis absorbs them more readily. From the age of 25 (or earlier if you have dry skin), apply a night cream every night before going to bed for moisturized and nourished skin as soon as you wake up.
Some areas of the face and body are more fragile than others because the skin is thinner there. They require special attention. Especially the eye contour, the lips, the neck, and the neckline. In the evening, gently massage the area around your eyes with a vegetable oil (sweet almond, apricot kernel...). To take care of your lips and keep them moisturized at all times, always carry a moisturizing lip stick enriched with butter or vegetable oil. When you apply your moisturizer on your face, whether in the morning or in the evening, remember to go all the way to your neck and neckline.
Focus on water-rich foods
We often think that skin hydration comes only from the outside, and we forget that it also comes from the inside, thanks to our diet.
We can't repeat it enough: drinking enough water hydrates the skin of the whole body! The minimum recommended amount is 1.5 liters of water per day. However, you should increase the amount of water in hot weather, during physical activity, while breastfeeding and in case of illness, because the losses are more important. The ideal is to drink 2 to 2.5 liters of water per day. If possible, choose mineral-rich water.
Of course, internal hydration is achieved by drinking water but also by eating foods that contain a lot of water. The most water-rich foods are fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. It is therefore recommended to consume them regularly to nourish the skin. Among the most water-rich fruits are watermelon, grapefruit, lemon, and tomatoes. As for vegetables, choose cucumbers, green salads, and radishes. Don't forget dairy products! A glass of semi-skimmed milk is 90% water, and a pot of plain yogurt is more than 80% water. If you like cheese, opt for fresh cheeses (fresh goat cheese, ricotta, spreadable cheeses such as Philadelphia), which are very rich in water.
And now it's your turn to have glowing skin during this hot weather. Don't thank us.