Summer is here, and the sun is out! After months of cold wind and grey skies, the temptation to lie out in the sun is more than some of us can resist. The smell of sunscreen is constantly in the air (a good mineral-based sunscreen is your best friend – look for zinc or titanium dioxide as the active ingredients). But even when we try to be careful, the rays can be a little extreme, and sunburns aren’t always avoidable. Luckily, the skin has an incredible ability to repair itself if given a little extra help. Here are a few tips for after-sun skin care, whether sunburned, or just sun-kissed.

1. REHYDRATE: To speed the repair process, drink water with lemon or coconut water to help rehydrate skin. If sunburned, the skin will use a lot of water to help cool the burn and repair the tissue. If you don’t rehydrate often you will quickly get dehydrated. 
   
   
2. REPLENISH: Eat cool, watery foods, like green leafy salads, cucumbers, fruit and watermelon. Up your omegas too, with olive oil, nuts, salmon and other fish high in Omega 3, 6, 9. Follow a Mediterranean diet!
   
   
3. SOOTHE sunburned skin with a body lotion that contains Lavender or Chamomile. Aloe vera is also a good ingredient to look for.
   
   
4. NOURISH your summer skin with a thicker body butter that will offer more intensive, deeply hydrating results.
   
   

In the summer, cool baths and lukewarm showers are best for your skin. If not sunburned, a gentle exfoliation with your favourite scrub will remove the dry flaky top layer of skin and expose the healthier new skin underneath. Choose a scrub that contains a small amount of oil to help hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. 

Don’t forget the delicate skin on your lips!  Lips can get severely dried out with sun exposure. Make sure to carry a lip balm that contains nourishing shea butter in your bag.