I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Summer!  I love the easiness of eating fresh foods, of sandals, of leaving the house without a coat.  It’s all good by me!  But the Summer heat and sun can do a number on your skin and hair, so let’s talk through some simple things you can do to hold on to your loveliness all season.

 1. Sunscreen. Do I even have to say it, friends?  You have GOT to wear sunscreen.  Buy a moisturizer with sunscreen and wear it on your face every day. Every. Day.  My favorite facial moisturizer is Arbonne, but you can find perfectly great products at Target or the grocery store.  And when you’re going out to play ball, or take a bike ride, or hit the Farmer’s Market, put on some sunscreen all over!  We did all sorts of damage to our skin in our youth (Baby Oil, anyone??), so we need to do whatever we can now to protect what we’ve got!

2. Exfoliate.  In the Winter, I cautioned you to be gentle with exfoliation, so that you didn’t rob your skin of important moisture.  Now’s the time to break out the sugar scrubs and loofahs and polish up your skin.  You can even use a gentle exfoliant (I like Perfectly Posh’s Best Face Forever) on your face in the summer.  You do still need to be a bit careful and not scrub yourself raw, but a bit of buffing in the shower can give you a nice glow, head to toe!

3. Love on your feet.  Speaking of toes, they’re really on display in the summertime.  So when you’re exfoliating, don’t forget your feet!  If you tend towards calluses, you might want to invest in a pumice stone or other tool specifically to go after those dry heels.  I’m also a huge fan of pedicures.  It’s totally worth the expense to have someone else love on my feet, go after my heels, and put a pretty summery polish on my nails.  Not up for the cost?  Get together with a buddy and have a pedi-party!  You can scrub up, and then give each other a nice coat of polish.

4.  Water, Water, Water.  You didn’t think I was going to let an opportunity go by to remind you about water, did you?  If you’re a big soda drinker, I’d like to challenge you to switch a soda (or two!) a day for a big glass of water.  As a former soda drinker, I know that water can taste pretty blah at first, but you’ll soon see how refreshing a cold glass can be on a hot day.  And how about livening up that water with some cucumber or orange slices?  Or I love these add-ins for a fruity treat in the afternoon.  Ahh!

5.  Summer Hair. It’s not just your skin that needs loving in the summer; your hair is also getting exposed to sun, chlorine, and wind.  We tend to spend more time outside in the elements in the summer than winter, so our hair is vulnerable.  So what to do?  Just like your skin, you can put sunscreen on your hair.  If you’re outside a lot and your locks are suffering, look for a conditioner with sunscreen.  If frizziness is a summer problem, try a leave-in oil.  My favorite is an Argan Oil from the Sexy Hair line.  You can find it online or at most beauty product centers.

 6.  Don’t Tan.  Just, don’t.  You know it’s not good for you.  You know that years of tanning is going to leave your skin looking like shoe leather.  And you know that chances skyrocket that you will get skin cancer. Melanoma can be fatal, friends, taking the lives of nearly 10,000 people in the US each year.  Please, please.  Go invest in a nice sunless tanner to get that overall glow. You can still look beautiful—maybe even MORE beautiful!—while preserving your skin from needless damage.

  7.  Wear your Sunglasses.  First of all, you will look awesome sporting a cute pair of shades this Summer.  Pretend you’re a superstar going incognito behind an oversized, dramatic pair!  Or get a zippy pair that make you feel like you’re driving a sports car!  More important than looking marvelous, however, you need to protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays.  My optometrist found a “freckle” on my retina that isn’t concerning (yet), but was most likely caused by the sun, so I’m going to double-down on wearing my sunglasses year round.  BONUS:  When you wear your sunglasses and don’t squint as much, you’ll lessen the chance of fine lines around your eyes!

 So.  Fill up your water bottle, rub in some sunscreen, and pop on those fabulous shades!  It’s time to get outside and enjoy Summer!

Becky Eason, PhD, is an Associate Certified Coach and Certified Leadership Coach.She would love to come with you on your journey for wellness and a happy heart.Learn more on her website: wequestforwellness.com