How To Stay Cool

If you live in an area where the temperature is starting to soar, your skin is under stress and duress. Dry skin, eczema, acne-prone skin, and sensitive skin are all especially problematic. Here’s what Dr. Obagi recommends to get through the summer heat.

• Sweating is your body’s way of regulating temperature. Wear fabrics that allow your skin to breathe properly, like linen and cotton. Spandex, lycra, and other such fabrics are comfortable, but they may trap sweat, congest pores, and cause breakouts on your back or neck.
• Hold off on facial waxing, glycolic peels, microdermabrasion, etc. Avoid or reduce the use of products that contain high concentrations of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, retinoic acid, or retinol. They all work to expose new, younger, healthier skin cells, but in so doing, shed the dull, dry skin cells that have been blanketing your skin.
• Drink plenty of water or a sports drink. When your skin is not properly hydrated, it will appear more wrinkled, dry, and damaged.
• Apply a good sunscreen, such as ZO Skin Health’s Oclipse SPF30, about 30 minutes before going outside—it can take that long for it to be fully absorbed by your skin—and reapply it throughout  the day. Sunscreens with physical blocks, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are better than chemical sunscreens.
• Avoid the use of products that are fragranced.
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat. Not only will it shelter you from the UV rays, it will provide some welcome shade (and protect your hair color!).
• Opt for a treadmill instead of your favorite jogging path. Now is the time to enjoy an air-conditioned fitness center.