Summer Cleansing

Summer is a time for paring down, and skin care is no exception. The ideal routine focuses on cleansing away summer perspiration. Begin with a fluffy cream cleanser formulated for your skin type, rinsed off with repeated splashes of cool, clear water. If your skin tends to be a bit oily, follow with a gentle toner and a light moisturizer. If your skin is dry, a richer moisturizer is best.

Be aware that the cleanser you use in the wintertime may not be up to the job in summer, when perspiration and humidity combine to act like magnets drawing dirt to the skin. Aside from switching to a somewhat stronger cleansing formula, remember that you may need to step up your skin cleansing routine. In winter, simply washing your face once in the morning and once at night is enough; if you are active in hot weather, you may want to cleanse your skin at midday as well. If your skin is oily, you'll want to follow each cleansing with an astringent or toner. While it might seem best to use one with a good deal of alcohol in the formula, this is not so. Alcohol can eventually overdry the skin, so choose a formula in which alcohol is not the first and most concentrated ingredient.

Deep cleansing can boost the look of your complexion at any time of year, and summer is no exception. The best way to achieve it is with a professional facial. Many women mistakenly shy away from facials in the summertime out of the false fear that the masks and cleansers used during a facial will somehow cleanse away their tans. In fact, having a facial, with its cleansing and moisturizing benefits, may actually be the best way to extend a tan! Likewise, many women skip facials at this time of year because they believe that a little bit of sun is all the deep cleansing, complexion clearing exposure their skin needs. Although this may appear to be true on the skin's surface, it is not applicable to the skin's underlayers, which is where blemishes actually begin. While the sun seems to be clearing up the skin, oily pockets are collecting under the surface, often leading to postsummer breakouts more severe than ever. You need the thorough cleansing that a professional facial can provide, cleansing that can act as a blemish preventer all year long.

If your skin is oily, beware of pampering a tan too much. Many women with oily complexions switch to richer moisturizers once they get a tan, in an effort to prevent skin peeling. After a while, these moisturizers eventually clog the pores, leading to skin breakouts. If your complexion is prone to breakouts, stick to a nongreasy moisturizing lotion (not a cream) all year long. Consult a skin care professional if you are unsure of the formula to choose.

At every time of year, remember that skin cleansing does not stop at the neck. In summer, when more of the body is exposed to sun, wind, and water, it's a good idea to give body skin a thorough cleansing and defiaking by using a body sponge or loofah when you're in the bath or shower. (An alternative is one of the new exfoliating cleansers specifically formulated for body skin.) Don't neglect shoulders, back, ankles, and feet. Once you're out of the tub or shower, lavish on a rich body moisturizerperhaps a fragranced formula, as long as you don't have a sunburn and some skin smoothing, moisturizerrich body powder. Remember to pay special "moisture attention" to the shoulders and neck.