Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Get Ready for Summer

If you are worried about bathing suit season, join the crowd.  It is best to start a month or two before swimsuit season thinking about your skin texture and tone so that you'll look better without makeup at the pool.  A few chemical peels, skin lightening creams, or Retinol/Retin-A creams help with blotchiness.  The chemical peels and Retinol/Retin-A also help with pore size and fine lines.  A good daily sunscreen is a must, but you may wish to switch to a lighter daily sunscreen than you might have used in winter.  Elta MD's UV Physical is a good one, but if you have acne or blotchiness the UV Clear is a great choice.  For the day at the pool, consider a waterproof one such as UV Sport 50 and reapply often, at least once an hour if you are swimming. 

A second big problem at the pool/beach is the runny mascara.  Try Latisse, a lash lengthening medication, for 4-6 weeks and you probably won't even need mascara any more. 

If daily shaving is a problem, schedule a consult for laser hair reduction for the bikin area or underarms.  You'll be glad you did when you spend more time at the pool and less time shaving!

Finally, don't forget to get your feet in shape for the poolside.  Start with a foot paddle to exfoliate dry skin around the heel.  Consider using a cream with lactic acid or urea in it to keep the dry skin at bay.  I like AmLactin cream or Eucerin Intensive Repair Body Creme, both available over the counter.  If that doesn't do the trick, prescription products are available with stronger ingredients.