HOW DOES THE HEAT AFFECT OUR SKIN?

The summer months are here - This means it's time to take those bathing suits out of storage and lay out by the pool or on a beach. 

Summer is great, however there are some not-so-desirable aspects - one of them being the HEAT. So the question becomes - how does the heat affect our skin?

THE HEAT-SKIN CONNECTION

With the fun in the sun comes the heat, and as the heat tops the charts our skin starts getting more irritated.Here are some ways hot weather can affect our skin health [1]:

• Dehydration: As the weather heats up, we naturallysweat more leading to overall dehydration. Although there are more dire health problems to dehydration - our skin is not immune to dehydration’s effects.When dehydrated the skin tends to feelmore dry, red, and irritated. It is important here to top off water levels to make sure you are staying hydrated for your skin health as well as your overall health. 
• Sebum Production: During the summer months we tend to sweat more, leading tomore oil production and ahigher skin cell turnover rate. Dead skin cells mixed with excess oil is the perfect storm for anacne breakout. 
• Related Factors:The heat also brings other related issues such as UV radiation and air conditioning that can wreak havoc on our skin. We are well aware of the research backing the use ofsunscreen to protect our skin fromUV radiation and its DNA damaging effects. However, we may be less aware that having ourair conditioning units on full blast can contribute to thedrying of our skin, worsening the cycle stated above. 

HOW TO COMBAT THE HEAT FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Although we can not control the weather, we can take steps to ensure that our skin is taken care of [2]:

• Stay hydrated: This is self-explanatory, butstaying hydrated is a holistic way to ensure your skin cells canfunction optimally. 
• Limit sun exposure: UV rays can exacerbateskin ailments such aspremature aging, wrinkles, and dehydration - not to mention increasing your risk for skin cancer. Make sure you stock up on thesunscreen before catching some rays. 
• Deep clean your pores: Since summer can bring about more oil, it may be helpful to do adeep cleaning mask about once a week to clean your pores and leave your skin feeling refreshed. 
• Ease up on makeup: Packing makeup on your face may not be the best idea when you are more prone to sweating - this spells disaster for your pores! Try tokeepmakeup to a minimum andcleanse often with micellar water to hydrate the skin while keeping oil at bay. 
• Store skincare products in the fridge: When it is balmy out,storing your skincare products in the fridge may be a well-neededcold therapy relief for your skin. 

1. Sun-and-heat.html
2. https://www.simpleskincare.com/us/en/skincare-tips/say-hello-to-your-summer-skincare-routine.html