getgorgeous
Undo the effects of a sun-drenched season— redness, spots and fine lines—with these smart tips and switch-ups. By Ayren Jackson-Cannady Photographs by laura doss
summer skin rehab Damage from just one accidental sunburn—something that surveys show half of us get each year—can stick around for months. And our daily exposure to UV rays accounts for 90 percent of the signs of aging, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Target your skin issue on these pages, and learn how to make it vanish with the season.
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getgorgeous
get the red out
Heat from the sun’s rays can swell and damage capillaries, leaving skin ruddy for weeks. “It can even trigger the onset of rosacea, resulting in chronic sensitivity and a permanent flush,” says Ronald Moy, M.D., a UCLA clinical dermatology professor based in Beverly Hills.
Your goal: a healthy glow Try: RoC Multi Correxion Skin Perfecting System ($49.99, drugstores) Editor ’s Pick The claim: Soy, hyaluronic acid and retinol—packed in a cleanser and a day and a night cream—lighten spots. The confirmation: “My skin tone brightened dramatically in a week. By the second, there was less freckling.” —Leah Wyar, beauty director Your goal: an even surface Try: Neutrogena 14-Day Skin Rescue ($25.99, drugstores) The claim: An alpha hydroxy
acid system of face wash, lotion and night cream nixes rough patches. The confirmation: “It smoothed my skin, helping my makeup go on better.” —Tayva Martinez, Winslow, Arizona Your goal: clearer skin Try: Dr. Denese 15 Day SkinScience Booster ($74.76, drdenese.com) The claim: The single-use serums, packed with retinol and peptides, improve skin’s overall appearance. The confirmation: “By day three, I saw fewer pimples.” —Aisha Gayle, New York City
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Exfoliating cleansers made of beads, seeds, salt or sugar can exacerbate redness and contribute to unwanted stinging or itching, says Melissa Lazarus, M.D., a dermatologist in Miami. “Rough textures can damage the skin’s natural defense layer, allowing irritants such as dust and pollutants to sneak in,” she adds.
Lather up with a gentle, nonsloughing cleanser that’s creamy or low-foam. (Check the ingredients list. It shouldn’t contain super-sudsers such as ethanolamide or lauryl glucoside, which can be drying.) Anti-inflammatories such as feverfew (found in Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser, $6.99, drugstores) can cut down on redness. For max benefits, leave it on for two minutes, like a mask.
Antiaging and antiacne moisturizers, souped up with salicylic, alpha hydroxy or glycolic acid, cause sensitive skin to burn and itch. The addition of fragrance (check ingredients labels) can have the same effect.
Fragrance-free lotion with sunscreen is a must to protect against further damage. Look for those with dimethicone, ceramides or glycerin, which help rebuild the skin’s protective barrier. A great all-in-one: Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50 ($13.99, drugstores).
Antioxidants in creams fight skin-damaging free radicals created by UV rays. But some of the good-for-you ingredients are too powerful for delicate skin. One to watch out for: idebenone. “It’s very effective but can cause irritation,” says Naila Malik, M.D., a dermatologist in Southlake, Texas.
Thiotaine, commonly found in mushrooms, plus green tea and bamboo, are effective antioxidants that also soothe irritation. (Try a moisturizer like Grassroots Research Labs Bamboo Leaf Ultra Soothing Anti-Redness Cream, $32.50, kohls.com.) Before applying, cleanse with a soft washcloth to gently remove dead skin cells, which can block absorption, Dr. Malik suggests.
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getgorgeous
see spots run
smooth out wrinkles
Collagen keeps skin supple, but it breaks down with sun exposure. Moisture minimizes the effect. “Skin is like a paper towel. If you fold and unfold a dry one, the crease stays, but if you do the same to a wet one, the fold isn’t as evident,” Dr. Moy says.
When left unblocked, the sun’s UV rays can stimulate melanocytes, the pigment-making cells located in the epidermis, which can make your moles darker and cause freckles and large dark patches. “These marks are your skin’s attempt at shading and protecting itself,” Dr. Moy says.
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A day cream without SPF is like an open window, allowing UVA and UVB rays to enter and spur the production of skin spots. And anything below SPF 15 is like a screen with random holes, sometimes blocking the sun’s rays, other times not, Dr. Colbert explains.
“SPF 15 or higher prevents further darkening from the sun,” Dr. Colbert says. Make sure your moisturizer offers broad-spectrum protection against both types of rays: UVA (the aging, spot-creating ones) and UVB (the burning types). A good one: Murad Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 ($60, murad.com), which is also made with freckle-fading vitamin C.
Applying self-tanner at night will get you glowing by morning. But dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the darkening ingredient in self-tanner, can also intensify sun spots. “They sit high in the epidermis and contain clumps of dead cells, attracting DHA,” Dr. Colbert says. (A few exfoliating sessions, however, bring skin tone back to normal.)
Instead of going darker with a tanner, brighten trouble zones with a lotion made with 2 percent hydroquinone, a melanin blocker, Dr. Colbert says. You’ll see results in eight to 12 weeks. If skin is sensitive, opt for natural lighteners like vitamin C (look for airtight packaging, which keeps it stable) and yeast extracts. Find both in Origins Brighter by Nature Skin Tone Correcting Serum ($39.50, origins.com).
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Once a day, reach for a cleanser with both microbeads and chemical buffers like citric and salicylic acids. “These ingredients help loosen the ‘glue’ that holds the damaged, mottled skin cells together,” Dr. Colbert says. (One that packs a double punch: Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub, $6.99, drugstores.)
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A basic wash whisks away dirt and oil, but it can’t lighten pigment. “Without active ingredients, dark spots can take months to fade away,” says David Colbert, M.D., a New York City dermatologist and a FITNESS advisory board member.
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Bar soaps can be packed with hydrationstripping detergents, and gel cleansers often contain alcohol, which can be drying. “Both can remove the natural oils from your skin, making fine lines even more noticeable,” Dr. Lazarus says.
Clean up your complexion with a face wash infused with glycerin (find it in Burt’s Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser, $8, burtsbees.com). The ingredient, often found in creams, pulls in extra moisture from the air, Dr. Colbert says. Finish your face-washing session by rinsing with lukewarm, not hot, water.
Lightweight gels or lotions made with sodium hyaluronate or aloe leave skin feeling fresh and cool. Unfortunately, they aren’t moisturizing enough to truly hydrate skin and plump up creases, says Casey Gallagher, M.D., a dermatologist in Boulder, Colorado.
An SPF-enriched moisturizer loaded with fatty acids such as shea butter, linoleic acid or sunflower seed oil (found in Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correcting Lotion SPF 15, $54, clarinsusa.com) will minimize fine lines. Concerned about breakouts? Choose something noncomedogenic, which won’t clog pores, and limit yourself to a pea-size amount, Dr. Gallagher says.
Oil-absorbing products such as astringents, clay masks and mattifying creams are great for controlling shine in the summer. But because they are formulated to pull moisture off the skin’s surface, they can lead to excessive dryness and skin tightening— and ultimately an increase in wrinkling, Dr. Gallagher says.
Hydrating masks or lotions made with peptides have dual benefits. The megadose of moisture plumps skin, while peptides from amino acids or yeast extract (like those in StriVectin Instant Facial Sculpting Cream, $79, sephora.com) smooth wrinkles in about a month. “Apply to damp skin. The water helps you absorb the cream more,” says Jeanine Downie, M.D., a dermatologist in Montclair, New Jersey.
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