Skin Care in Summer: How to Protect Your Skin from the Sun and Maintain its Natural Radiance?

Hot weather, sunlight, the sea, chlorine, and dust - in the summer, our skin needs special protection. While the sun offers our body energy, a good mood, and vitamin D, its effects on unprotected skin can have serious consequences. The skin's natural barrier can be significantly damaged, leading to premature aging, pigmentation, dryness, and sometimes more serious problems, such as skin melanoma.

But there is also good news: if you know how to protect your skin correctly, you can maintain healthy, firm, and naturally radiant skin all summer long.

What Damage Do Sun Rays Cause to Unprotected Skin?

Sun rays - especially UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays - can penetrate deep into the skin's layers over time, causing structural damage. This contributes to skin aging and the formation of pigmented spots. High temperatures also reduce skin moisture and inhibit its natural restorative processes. If left unprotected, prolonged sun exposure can become a risk factor for serious skin diseases, including skin cancer.

How to Tell if Your Skin is Already Damaged by the Sun?

• Skin dryness, peeling, or a tight feeling

• Pigmented spots or rashes

• Tired, dull skin tone

• Increased sensitivity or a burning sensation even after a short time in the sun

What Does SPF Mean and Why Do We Need It?

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a substance that absorbs ultraviolet rays and protects the skin from harmful effects. Protecting your skin with SPF is important in any season and in any weather. The SPF number tells you how much longer it will take for UV radiation to reach the layers of your skin.

It is known that:

• SPF 15 - blocks about 93% of UVB rays.

• SPF 30 - blocks 97%.

• SPF 50 - blocks 98%.

• SPF 100 - provides maximum protection.

According to statistics, people who use sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) daily reduce the skin aging process by 24%.

Vitamins and Minerals for Skin Health

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is a major structural component of the skin, bones, muscles, and connective tissues. With age, starting at around 25, the body's production of collagen decreases, and we lose about 1% of it every year. By the age of 40, collagen levels drop sharply, and by this time, the results are already visible:

• The skin loses elasticity.

• Wrinkles appear.

• Skin tone decreases.

• The skin becomes dry and more sensitive.

Collagen deficiency increases especially quickly under conditions of sun exposure, stress, and an unhealthy diet.

The natural production of collagen can be stimulated by both a proper diet and food supplements. Natural sources of collagen are: meat, fish, broth, eggs, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, citrus, berries, bananas, and pineapple.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a clear substance that is naturally produced by the body and acts as a natural guardian of cellular moisture. One gram of hyaluronic acid can hold about 6 liters of water, which helps with deep skin hydration, a smooth surface, and natural radiance.

From the age of 30, the natural production of hyaluronic acid decreases, which leads to:

• Skin dryness and a change in texture.

• The deepening of superficial wrinkles.

• A feeling of tightness and discomfort.

Sun exposure, moisture loss from sweat, and dehydration particularly reduce the body's hyaluronic acid reserves.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants for the skin, especially in summer, when the sun causes an excess of free radicals. The effectiveness of vitamin C is manifested in several ways, for example:

• Stimulates collagen synthesis.

• Reduces pigmented spots.

• Protects the skin from cellular damage.

• Strengthens the skin's barrier function.

Natural sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons), berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black currants), cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is especially effective when taken in combination with Vitamin C - together, they significantly enhance each other's effects. In turn, vitamin E provides the following effects for the skin:

• Protects it during stress caused by sun rays.

• Soothes inflammatory processes.

• Strengthens its ability to moisturize.

• Fights photoaging.

Its natural sources are: potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, spinach, beets, pumpkin, cabbage, almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds.

Zinc and Selenium

Zinc is essential for both skin regeneration and the regulation of oily balance. It is involved in cell renewal and prevents inflammatory skin conditions.

Zinc ensures:

• The healing of micro-injuries.

• The normalization of sebaceous glands (especially for oily skin).

• Skin protection with antioxidant properties.

• The reduction of stress caused by UV rays.

Selenium also acts as a powerful antioxidant that protects skin cells from damage, reduces stress caused by sun exposure, and slows down the aging process. In addition, it strengthens the immune system, which also has a positive effect on skin health.

How to Protect Your Skin Properly in Summer?

• Use SPF cream every day. It is best to use at least SPF 30 on the face, neck, and décolleté area, as these zones are the first to show signs of photoaging from sun exposure. Also, if you are in the sun for a long time, regularly reapply SPF to your skin. This reduces the risk of pigmented spots, wrinkles, and skin cancer.
  

• Take high-quality supplements. Collagen, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and fatty acids nourish the deep layers of the skin from within and help it retain moisture, restore elasticity, and maintain structural health. External skin care products often only work on the surface of the skin, while real skin health starts from the inner layers - exactly where cell renewal, collagen synthesis, and moisture balance occur.
  

• Drink a sufficient amount of water. This is the most basic and at the same time one of the most effective components for skin health. Drinking enough fluid helps with deep skin hydration, the removal of toxins, and the proper functioning of cells. Dehydration is reflected first on the skin - with dryness, loss of elasticity, and a tired appearance. In the summer, when additional moisture is lost from the body through sweat, regular water intake is an essential step for the skin's natural radiance.
  

• Regularly follow your skin care routine. Everyone's skin is different, and what works for one person often doesn't give results for another. That is why it is extremely important that your daily routine is tailored to your skin type and needs - whether it's oily, dry, combination, or sensitive skin. A skin care routine includes gentle cleansing, using a toner, deep moisturizing, and sun protection with SPF - every day. These simple but consistent steps create a solid foundation for skin health and beauty.

Don't wait for the first pigmented spot - discover supplements and skin care products tailored to you in our space and start taking care, because protecting your skin today means a youthful appearance in the future.