If you’ve been following my posts, you read here that I have fallen head over heals in love with my new skincare routine! Holly Tanella is the founder and medical esthetician at Boho Med Spa in Allen, Texas. She has helped transform my skin and it is looking better than ever!

Since we are entering summer and spending more time outside in the hot summer sun, I asked Holly what tips she has to help keep our skin safe. Here are Holly’s top four summer skincare tips:

Avoid UV damage as much as possible.

UV rays can actually damage your DNA when you get too much sun exposure without any protection (over 15 minutes from 11 am – 3 pm). UV damage causes premature aging and sun damage that shows up on the skin as brown spots and fine lines. UV damage is one of the top reasons that cause our skin to age prematurely.

How to avoid UV damage:

1. Wear SPF as it blocks the rays which cause damage to your skin. While in the sun, you should re-apply your SPF every 2-3 hours depending on how much you are sweating. Choosing the right SPF is critical. ​Wearing a physical block sunscreen, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, is better for you as the SPF ingredients do not mess up your hormones like chemical-based sunscreens. Avoid sunscreens that have ​avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. My personal favorite SPF’s are ​Zinc It Over, which is a mist that is super easy to apply and even use on the kids, and Rhonda Allison’s ​Daytime Defense SPF 30, which is a lightweight cream.
2. Wear hats and sunglasses to physically block the sun. Find the biggest, floppiest hat you can and sit in the shade as much as possible. Wearing sunglasses outside is also a must. Not only will this protect your eyes but it will also prevent you from squinting which can cause crows feet (lines around our eyes). Get spray tans instead!

Add a vitamin C serum into your skincare regimen.

​Vitamin C is high in antioxidants that reduce free radicals that cause your skin to age. This is a great ingredient to add to your skincare regimen for it will reduce premature aging that we commonly get from the sun. The best forms of vitamin C are ​magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, both of these forms are converted to natural acid vitamin C in the skin causing no irritation, unlike most vitamin C’s on the market. These forms are also the most potent and high-grade you can get. My two personal favorites are Circadia’s Vitamin C Reversal Serum ​and BOHO’s ​YTH Serum.

Stay cool as much as possible.

For years it was thought that direct UV exposure was the only thing that increased pigmentation. We now know that heat also makes pigmentation worse by increasing the activity of melanocytes. This could be from being outside on a hot day. These all increase the skin’s internal temperature. Try to avoid these as much as possible if you’re serious about avoiding getting pigmentation.

To correct pigmentation, Circadia’s White Veil Brightener ​is a must-have product. This product tells your body not to make pigmentation. It inhibits your body from sending messages to the melanocyte to create pigmentation. So if you get too hot, your hormones go crazy, or you get a little too much sun, your body will not form that unwanted pigmentation. Another idea is to use a mister fan to help stay cool while outside.

Drink plenty of water.

Water is the cheapest form of skincare. When we are dehydrated not only do we feel bad but we also look bad. Being dehydrated, which easily happens in the summer, causes dehydration lines. These show up as tiny lines that look like elephant skin close up. Fear not! They are not here to stay as long as you drink the amount of water your body needs, they will go away immediately. You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces every day. If you work out that day, add an additional 20 ounces. If you are outside, make sure you are drinking water every hour!

I hope you found these summer skin care tips as helpful as I did!!

Don’t forget to check out Holly’s gorgeous spa in Allen and tell her I sent you!

Have a blessed, beautiful, glowing summer friends!