WHAT IS YOUR SKIN CRAVING?

NATURAL LIGHT

In the warmer months where the sun shines on your skin and soaks up vitamin D, protection is crucial. While sunscreen is needed all year long, it's crucial during the sunnier months. Sunlight contains UVA (95%) and UVB (5%) rays which can damage the skin long term. UVA rays are year-round which is why we should be wearing sunscreen year-round. These UVA rays are what damage the DNA in the skin, cause sun aging and increase the risk for skin cancer. I like to call UVB rays --the burning rays. This is what gives you that either nice sun-kissed tan (with protection) or tomato red burn (without protection). Make sure that you are reapplying your sunscreen every 2 hours if out in the sun for long periods of time.

Types of sunscreen: Chemical vs Mineral

Chemical

Most Korean sunscreens are chemical, which is what makes them so lightweight, thin and what gives you that glass skin look. These actually sink into the skin and turn UV rays into heat. These are ideal for every day use and for layering makeup on top but must be applied 15-20 minutes before sun exposure.

Mineral

This type of sunscreen sits on top of the skin so that it can reflect UV rays and works immediately after applied. The con with mineral is that most of the time, they give you that white cast on the face and can feel 'heavy' on the skin. Because it sits on top of the skin, the heat from the sun can wear off the protection easier. The main ingredients to look for in a mineral sunscreen are titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

HYDRATION

There's no doubt that your skin craves hydration whether it may look like it or not... but how do we get that hydration?

First, you can hydrate internally by drinking water or eating water based foods (watermelon, cucumber, soups, strawberries, etc). 2-3 liters of water daily is sufficient, but make sure that you don't over-hydrate as it could lead to salt and electrolyte imbalance.

As far as hydrating the skin from the outside, make sure you never skip moisturizer (it's a must whether you have oily skin or dry skin!). A lot of my oily skin girls never hydrate their skin because they think that oil = hydration. It's not true! You could have oily/dry skin in that case. Sometimes the skin senses that your skin is so dry that it will overcompensate the dryness by creating more oils on the skin.

Hyaluronic acid could be a staple in your skincare routine as it is a humectant that can retain up to 1000x its weight in water. The key to that is to make sure to apply hyaluronic acid to damp skin immediately after washing or after toning to retain those water contents on the skin. Another great humectant is glycerin that helps to create that plumping effect that water could give you as well. Ceramides are another great way to hydrate the skin externally because they are a part of your skin's natural skin barrier and help retain water moisture contents.