How to: Summer Glowing Skin & Shiny Hair
The weather’s warming up, and we’re packing away sleeves and hats for a while… Which means time for some exposure – sun exposure and skin exposure! Are you ready? Here are my top five tips for glowing skin and shiny hair to go along with your perfect sundress!
1. First and foremost, you must hydrate. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! The best glow comes from within, and while I’d love for that to only mean your pure heart, I also mean treating your body well, and the first step to that is hydration! A great goal is to drink the number of ounces of water you get from dividing your weight in half. So if you weigh 200lbs, 100oz of water is perfect! Of course, you can include other caffeine-free and alcohol-free beverages toward your water intake, but keep in mind that water and caffeine are are diuretics and dehydrate you, so drink extra water to make up for it! Make sure that if you steer away from straight water that you are mindful of sugar, since it helps tastebuds but not health! You can also eat hydrating foods, like fruit, or jazz up your water with fruit in it, or drink herbal tea if you want more flavor!
2. Another way to support glowing from within is to focus on gibing your body key nutrients, like Omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamin C. Omega 3s are found primarily in fish/fish oil, but you can also get them in flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts and other healthy high-fat foods. They are anti-inflammatory and help protect your skin from the sun and fights the release of substances that cause a decrease in collagen in your skin! Omega 3s are also fantastic for healthy, shiny hair. Yes, please!
Most people think of oranges for vitamin C, but a red pepper actually has five times the vitamin C and far less sugar! Vitamin C boosts collagen production, reduces brown spots, and is an antioxidant, which means it fights free radicals – all great things for your skin!
3. Speaking of skin, using the right skin products is key! I strongly recommend oil cleansing (and don’t forget – this isn’t for those with dry skin only, as adding healthy oil and moisturizers to skin actually helps regulate oil production). Gentle exfoliation a couple times per week is also invaluable. You can’t show your glow if you have a bunch of dull, dead skin covering up the vibrant and healthy skin you’ve been working on with your great nutrition and hydration! Stay tuned for some of my favorite travel skincare items in an upcoming blog!
I also love to co-wash my hair mid-week. If you’re not familiar with the term “co-wash,” it’s actually washing your hair using only conditioner (preferably silicone-free), which is perfect for anyone with hair that would be described as afro, mixed-textured, very dry or super curly! It helps retain your natural moisture, and hey – who doesn’t want to eliminate a step from their beauty routine? If you don’t feel great about not using shampoo, you may want to use one that is sulfate-free, as that’s one of that motivations behind co-washing!
4. Prevention: Have you ever heard someone say “the best offense is a good defense?” It applies to glowing, too! Sunscreen is paramount for protecting against premature aging, even if you are eating tons of foods with omega 3s! Make sure you wear it daily, even if you don’t plan to spend a ton of time in the sun! Anyone who wears the same jewelry item every day can probably tell you about their goofy tan lines just from driving or being near windows!
Anti-aging applies to hair, too! Since it’s technically dead once it’s grown enough to see, it’s important to take care of what’s there – because once it’s damaged, all you can really do is chop it off! That’s where a great thermal protectant comes in! Make sure you use it before you use a blowdryer, flatiron, wand, or curling iron to keep that hair strong as long as you can! Conditioning masks are also a great way to add moisture, improve texture, keep hair healthy, and boost shine!
5. While you’re waiting to see the benefits of your super hydration habit and the nutrition glow up, there are some ways you can “fake it ’til you make it” with some shine-enhancing tools! On your face, use a great highlighter to give you a sun-kissed shimmering glow! Copper eyeshadow is a great way to give extra oomph to any Summer makeup look, and is an absolute must for my blue-eyed babes!
In addition to the deep conditioning hair masks, adding shine spray and/or hair oils is a fantastic way to give a gorgeous sheen to your hair to make it looks way healthier, and to continue protecting it from the sun and anything that might in in what you’re swimming in (chlorine, salt, etc).
Alright, babes! Those are five easy steps to Summer glowing skin and shiny hair! You glow, girl!
