Tips for skin care

Summer requires a special skin care regimen and
extra protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.

Follow these 10 steps to beautiful, healthy, moisturized summer skin.

When you're in the midst of battling parched winter skin, it's easy to forget that summer presents its own skin challenges. Summer offers a reprieve from forced dry heat and lack of indoor humidity, but skin faces a different challenge during the summer. Exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can wreck life-threatening havoc in addition to causing skin to age prematurely.

Spring offers the very best environment for skin. Its moderate temperature range and the high humidity from April showers can lull you into complacent neglect toward skin care. Spring's optimal conditions provide your skin with a welcome rest between struggling to retain moisture during the arid winter months and the assault of the summer sun. When the temperature heats up and you start spending more time outdoors, it's time to rev up your skin care regimen again.

As the dog days of summer approach, the key to beauty from the inside out is to lighten up. As your mood lightens from extended daylight hours, it's time to lighten up on work, clothing, food and beverage, and lotions and potions. Follow our tips below, and pay special attention to the sun prevention tips and tricks.

* Beauty begins on the inside. During the summer months, trade your heavy stews and soups for lighter fare, including grilled fish and fruit salads. Retire the hot chocolate in favor of iced green tea, and say goodbye to the hot spiced rum for a few months, replacing it with a cool, refreshing wine spritzer or frozen fruit daiquiri.

* Summer signals the beginning of increased activity, which causes you to lose moisture through perspiration. Drink water before you feel thirsty. Once you feel thirst, you're already slightly dehydrated. Carry water with you everywhere, to eliminate the possibility of drinking tap water.

* Chlorine doesn't play nice with skin, hair and nails; it leaves them dry, brittle and flakey. It adds an additional load to your body—another chemical for your body to assimilate and eliminate. Wash off chlorine as soon as you step out of the pool or hot tub. Add a water filter to your shower to trap chlorine and other chemicals. You'll notice a difference in your skin within a few days.