Help your skin
survive a dry summer
by Wendy Fitos

Your mouth is parched, your skin feels like leather, the bottom on your heels have dirt caked in the cracks and your deodorant feels like is absorbed right through the pores. Have you ventured the Sahara Desert?

No, unfortunately, you haven't left your back yard! We wait for summer and when it arrives we don't know how to handle the pleasures it brings.

All the good habits you practice the rest of the year for your skin seem to vanish as you head for the lounge chairs by the pool to soak up the sun.

The answer-HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION! Hydration is to the skin as location is to a retail store; vital to survival.

As our skin is the largest organ, keeping it protected and hydrated will prolong aging and keep us healthier. It only takes a few minutes to stay properly moisturized which makes more time for enjoying your summer.

• A shower gel or cream will clean the skin as well as soap while not stripping moisture off the surface of the body.
• Exfoliating the body and the face at least two times a week sweeps away dead skin that can build up from sunscreen, sun exposure and peeling skin that can clog the pores. Cleaner pores allow moisturizers to soak into the skin which will keep the pores cleaner and smaller in appearance.
• Slather the skin with moisturizer in areas that tend to be drier like the feet, legs, elbows and arms. There is nothing like snakeskin feet to match those sexy sandals you have been dying to wear since you bought them in March. Moist skin will also keep a tan looking radiant.
• After soaking in the sun, remoisturizing the face and body will keep the skin from peeling. Many cosmetic companies make tan extending moisturizers that lengthen the life of your tan while adding a little color.
• Deep conditioning your hair at least once a week will keep your hair color true to color and feeling soft and shiny as chlorine from the pool and the sun beaming on the scalp can make the hair have a straw-like appearance and fade color.
• Using a lip conditioner at least three times daily will keep the lips feeling soft and protect them from sunburn and chapping.
• Much like your American Express, never leave home without a bottle of water to keep your body hydrated from the inside. Water will help keep your body temperature balanced and allow the skin to breathe.