Summer Skin 101

by Judie Bizzozero

You've been working on your gorgeous tan for months and turning heads all over town with your beautiful golden skin. Yet, too many hours spent in the summer elements can take its toll on your skin and tan.

The following are some helpful hints to keep your skin looking healthy and feeling soft and supple throughout the rest of the summer.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Healthy, moist skin tans best; therefore, it is essential that you nourish your skin with high-quality moisturizers to keep your skin looking healthy and feeling great. Many of today's tanning lotions--including accelerators and intensifiers--are packed with essential oils and nutrients to help the skin retain moisture.

Moisturizers add moisture to the skin and keep it soft and supple. They are absorbed into the upper layers of the outer skin called the epidermis and cannot penetrate into the dermis or muscle. The purpose of a moisturizer is to protect the lower layers of the skin by forming a seal on the upper layers.

You should use moisturizers daily and apply them to the skin when it is still damp. Oil-and-water based moisturizing lotions on the market coat the skin with a film to bind water to the skin and also to maintain a smooth look and feel.

Vitamins also are a popular addition to moisturizers and many of the lotion companies are using more advertising and marketing programs to inform the public about the benefits of vitamins. Among the most commonly used vitamins in creams and lotions are A, C, D and E. Vitamin A helps keep skin soft, lubricated and healthy looking. Vitamin C is supposed to act as a preservative; vitamin D is believed to have certain skin-healing and UV-blocking properties; and, vitamin E is used primarily as an antioxidant to help maintain product freshness. Antioxidants also may slow down the skin's aging process.

Harsh chemicals--such as chlorine--can dry out skin and hair. If you spend a lot of time in the pool or Jacuzzi, you must remember to condition your hair with a quality hair conditioner to keep the pH balance in line and moisturize your skin to keep it from the chemicals' drying effects.

To complete your skincare routine, drink at least eight glasses (or 1 gallon) of water daily. This not only rehydrates tired and stressed-out skin, but it also clears up facial blemishes and helps shed unwanted pounds.

Kiss Me

Heat and wind can lead to some pretty sore lips--especially during the summer months.

The production of melanin results in the golden tan look that we all desire. However, it is important to remember that melanin is not found in certain parts of our bodies, including our lips, palms of our hands and soles of our feet. Although these areas do not tan, they can burn and blister--sidelining your fun and romance.

Pay special attention to your lips. Even if they don't feel dry, moisturize them. If they are sunburned and swollen, treat them with a quality lip balm. The majority of lip products on today's market contain some type of sunscreen--typically an SPF 15 or higher--so use them daily to keep your lips in tip-top, luscious condition.

After The Sun

After sun products are wonderful formulas that moisturize and replenish skin that has been dried during the tanning process.

After-tan products include moisturizers and cooling products enriched with vitamins, tan enhancers and botanicals to provide the ultimate in feel and function. These products help to minimize peeling and flaking while keeping skin moist and healthy. Some products even contain a light tint that accentuates a tan and helps to even out skin tone.

The following products can be found in your professional tanning salon and are ideal for helping maintain proper skincare, whether you are tanning indoors, outdoors or do not tan at all.

Pucker Up

John Abaté International™ wants to protect your lips from the drying effects from exposure to indoor or outdoor UV, wind and cold with its new SPF 20 Lip Balm Compact.

Formulated with an SPF 20, this new JA™ formula keeps lips protected and prevents burned, chapped lips resulting from exposure to the sun, climate or tanning bed. The special formula also contains Z-Cote®, the latest technological advance in broad-spectrum protection against damaging UV rays.

Z-Cote® is an innovative zinc oxide processed into a microfine, transparent form that effectively filters the sun's UVA and UVB rays without the tell-tale white, opaque coverage normally seen in sunblocks containing zinc oxide--ideal to protect lips and tattoos when tanning indoors or outdoors.

Hydrating formula contains emollients and conditioners in a luscious banana scent to effectively improve and maintain soft, supple and healthy-looking lips, says the company. Unique, easy-to-carry .85-ounce capsules are fashionably translucent and are available in teal or violet for $4.99.

Rehydrate That Tan

After a long day in the sun reach for SUN Ergoline's Bermuda Gold, an exclusive line of rehydrating lotions for indoor tanners. For the fastest, deepest tan ever Bermuda Gold's Tanning Accelerator has Maximum Tyrosine that jumpstarts the tanning process. The maximum tyrosine interacts with melanocytes to help create melanin and a natural tan. The core of this unique formula consists of super rehydrating rose hip to keep your skin hydrated while tanning.

Bermuda Gold's Rose Hip Aloe Rehydrator After Exposure Lotion is formulated with essential natural oils and pure aloe vera gel. Daily use restores moisture balance in your skin, rehydrates the basal cell area, minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and keeps skin soft, supple and tan.

The products are available in 8-ounce bottles and 2-ounce Bermuda Bullets.

Spice Up Your Tanning Experience

BreeZe™ Products entices you to spice up your tanning experience with its new Spiced Ice and Bronzing Spiced Ice formulas. The revolutionary Tingle Cooling intensifying lotions--with a wave of intense "cold to HOT tingle and then back to cold" sensations--from BreeZe Products has to be experienced.

Both Spiced Ice and Bronzing Spiced Ice are fast absorbing to create fast results. At level 8.5 they are also the hottest in the BreeZe line to date. The 8-ounce tube retails for $49.95.

The Forbidden Tan

New from Supre is Hempz Cannabis Sativa, a revolutionary organic formula for the ultimate forbidden tan enriched with natural Tannabis Sativa Hemp Seed Extract and THC-drug free. Hempz contains hemp seed extract to nourish your skin with vital hydration and is enriched with vitamins E and C to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Hempz Ultra Dark Tan Maximizer is available in regular and hot formulas. The 2-ounce bottle retails for $12; the 8-ounce bottle retails for $40.

Insure Your Tan

For those of you who may have overdone it in the sun, California Tan provides you some relief with its Insurance. This ice-blue skin saver is an essential item for any tanner looking to refresh sunburned skin and help prevent peeling and flaking. Insurance contains chamomile, cucumber and calendula extracts to soothe and moisturize sunburned, windburned and dry skin. The 6-ounce bottle retails for $17.

Invest In Smooth Lips

Body Invest wants you to keep your lips in prime shape with its LipInvest™ intensive lip moisturizer. The natural lip balm contains apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera and vitamin E to naturally soften and protect your lips from exposure and chapping. Retailing for $2.50, LipInvest features an SPF 15 and a delightful, sunny flavor. It does not contain any petrolatum.