Summertime (and Skincare!) in Santa Rosa
Summer is here my friends which means my soul has thawed and I have fully surrendered to vitamin D. Whatta feeling. I snuck away to Santa Rosa, Florida for a much-needed break with my best friend during the first week of May (no rain, no crowds, no worries baby). Check out our beachfront + poolside Airbnb we snagged here!
No real tips or tricks for this getaway! Just good food, rest, and finishing an entire book. The makings of a perfect beach trip. Here are a few things I brought along!
Skincare
My best friend who came to the beach with me is none other than aesthetician and make-up extraordinaire, Baylee Ballinger (BeautByBay for the real ones). She’s gathered some helpful & useful tips for skincare as we head into summer - enjoy!
SPF
My number one summer skin care tip is to wear your sunscreen. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month — Please protect your skin! It’s important to wear an SPF all year long, but especially this time of year as we all enjoy the outdoors a bit more. Find a sunscreen that offers at least SPF 30 and is reef safe (look for sunscreens without the ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate)! Don’t forget to reapply and don’t forget to protect your lips! Two of my favorite brands are Supergoop and Sun Bum. PCA also has a range of sunscreens that you can cater to your skin type.
Wash Your Face!
Morning and night. Be careful though, your skin is probably going to feel more dehydrated than normal in the summer so don’t overdo it! If you wash it too much it can strip your skin of its natural oils and do more harm than good. And follow up with a moisturizer always at the end of your routine.
Self Tanner
You want a nice summer bronze? Self tanner! I know laying in the sun and getting a tan is nice and easy, but it is still sun damage. I wish I had known about self tanner in middle and high school, because I can already see the effects of me abusing time in the sun from when I was younger. Give Loving Tan or St. Tropez a try! Make sure to continue wearing sunscreen and apply an antioxidant.
Less Make-Up
It’s hot! We are sweating, our makeup is moving around, the extra shine will show more texture on our skin — there is just no need for a full face of makeup. Instead of going for a full coverage foundation, opt for a tinted moisturizer. Your skin will be able to breathe more and our pores are less likely to get clogged causing breakouts. A few I have tried and loved are the Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer, the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, and the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.
Hats
Always wear a hat by the pool or on the beach. Find a couple cute ones to go with your swim wear that you’ll be excited to show off and more inclined to wear!
A Regular Facial
Routine facials can be beneficial for everyone. To maintain the quality of anything you have to take care of it! Even if on the surface everything appears great, there is still wear and tear and over time it will start to show. Our skin is our body’s biggest organ. There are so many things we can choose to invest in and our skin should be one of them. It is a part of you forever. Nourish it! A routine facial will only help your skin to be stronger and healthier. A good deep cleanse, focused treatments, and deeper exfoliation is going to do you extra good in the summertime! If you’re in the Nashville area - you can come see me at Face Foundrié in the Gulch starting in June!
Vitamin C & Exercise
Incorporate a Vitamin C. The ingredient I believe pretty much everyone should be incorporating into their routine. There are so many benefits including: hydration, reducing redness, protecting against sun damage, brightening, and soothing sun burns. You want that glow for the summer, and really all year round, try Vitamin C baby.
Molls and I love a good evening walk in the summertime. It can be as simple as that! However you choose to exercise, you’re gonna give your skin a healthy natural glow from within. Increasing blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to the skin which can give ya that post workout glow! It can help improve sleep and reduce stress which indirectly helps your skin!
Eat Your Greens!
Everything we ingest affects our skin. Eating greens can help so many skin conditions. Veggies are nutrient dense and can help plump, soothe, and strengthen skin. Stick to whole foods this summer and your skin will be so happy. Everything tastes better in the summertime too so take advantage of it. Try experimenting with some smoothies. Spinach is perfect in smoothies because it adds nutrients without changing the taste! If you want to try a recipe I am a big fan of this one.
Sauna Visits
I have fallen in love with infrared saunas the past three years. Again, so many benefits. Whether you just want to relax, detox, or improve circulation — you are going to help your skin. I always feel like I came fresh off the beach every time I visit. I go to the Pure Sweat Sauna Studio in Nashville. Definitely check them out if you live in town!
“Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.”
— C. Day Lewis
