This summer is all about protecting your skin and hair from damage due to the heat. We’ve collated our top 5 tips for healthy skin and hair with a few products to help. Find them at Northgate. 

1. Cleanse, then cleanse again

 Summer is well and truly here! Which means that with warmer days our skin needs extra love and care. In summer our skin releases more sebum, a type of natural oil to provide protection. Excess oil and sweat during summer, blocks pores and won’t allow your skin to breathe properly. This can lead to various skin problems like acne, pimples and rashes. Humidity can make oily skin oilier! The solution is to cleanse off the dirt, sweat and oil from the skin layer. If you’re particularly oily and have used sunscreen it’s recommended to cleanse twice! Make sure you’re washing your face morning and night too!

There are many different cleansers, here are a few stores where you can buy them. 
a.              Woolworths or Coles

b.              Chemist Warehouse 

c.              TK Maxx

2. Use a lighter moisturiser with SPF 

Although the air isn’t as dry in the summer as it is in the winter, your skin can still dry out. To lock in moisture during the summer months use a lightweight moisturiser. Ones with water-cream textures that will provide moisture without being too heavy. A general rule of thumb is that if a moisturiser is runny, it’s thinner. You can also combine your moisturiser with an SPF too. Sunscreen should be in your skincare routine all year round, but especially during the warmer months of summer.

Here are a few lighter weight moisturisers with SPF. 

a.              CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 15

b.              Cetaphil Pro Acne Prone Oil Free Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 ​​

 3. Exfoliate once or twice a week 

 Sunscreen is important but it can clog your pores, which is where exfoliation comes in. Exfoliation will help unclog your pores and reduce blemishes. Just don’t overdo it. Exfoliate once or twice a week and make sure to give your skin a break if you’re sunburned. You just want to remove the debris from the sweat, SPF, and oil. Even though the bottle says daily, stick to once or twice per week. Here are a few exfoliants, both gentle scrubs and chemical exfoliants.

4. Protect your hair 

Protect hair from sun, chlorine & salt water. Your hair takes a beating during the summer, especially if it’s coloured. We’ve got two main tips to protect your hair so you can have fun at the beach, in the pool and outside all summer long. Before swimming, wet your hair & apply a leave-in conditioner. Your hair will absorb the conditioner instead of the chlorine or salt water. Our second top tip is to spritz your hair with a UV protectant spray before heading out during the summer months. We love Sun Bum’s 3 in 1 Leave-In Conditioner because it combines both of our tips in one product! 

Here are a few products that will help protect your hair. 

John Frieda Profiller+ Thickening Spray

5. Summer hair cut 

The best thing you can do for your hair coming into the summer months is to give it a cut. Regular trims and freshly cut ends, will help your hair to appear healthier and fuller. Healthy and trimmed hair will grow faster and look more radiant. Knowing what your hair needs and sticking to it is the best way to keep your style looking salon fresh. And don’t forget to invest in the correct hair care products at your local salon.

And remember, a great way to stay out of the scorching sun is to go shopping instead.