Soothe. Hydrate. Brighten. Renew.
Summer sun and surf can work magic for your well-being but wreak havoc on your skin and hair. Celebrity skin expert Kate Somerville (katesomerville.com) shares tips on how to replenish and restore your skin to vibrant health and transition into fall beautifully.
Replenish: Hyaluronic acid
Target: Dehydrated skin and hair
“Hydration is also key. Hyaluronic acid gives skin hydration to bring it back to natural health,” says Somerville.
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber De-tox Hydrating Serum ($65)
:: peterthomasroth.com
Soothe: Aloe
Target: Sunburned skin
“If you have a sunburn, the first 48 hours should be focused on calming the skin. Use cooling agents like aloe, cooling gels and cold compresses that allow skin to breathe,” Somerville says. “After heat is gone you can apply moisturizers and nourishing oils. The post-summer repairing process is about six weeks. By the end of October, you can add more exfoliation with retinol, vitamin C, glycolic and lactic acids.”
Coola ER+ Radical Recovery After-Sun ($32) :: sephora.com
Glow: Lactic or glycolic Acid
Target: Dry skin and restoring luster
“Dry skin is dead skin cells. In the sun the radiation is killing cells at a more rapid rate,” says Somerville. “Vitamin C is not going to exfoliate skin whereas glycolic and lactic acids are delivering AHAs to give exfoliation. Lactic acid helps with surface dryness, and glycolic acid goes deeper to help get rid of damage left on skin. If you are peeling or burned, do not use glycolic acid (also avoid hydroquinone and licorice). Retinol also helps to turn over skin cells.”
Nurse Jamie’s Dermalase AHA Exfoliating Mask ($84) :: nursejamie.com
Even Out and Brighten: Vitamin C and lasers
Target: Brown spots and discoloration
“Vitamin C reduces the appearance of age spots by decreasing the formation of melanin, helps brighten skin and gives skin a barrier to environmental damage … You should use at night because you don’t want sun exposure,” Somerville says. “I’m not a fan of hydroquinone or licorice. Lasers and light therapies can get rid of brown spots in just one to two treatments, whereas you need to use these chemicals for a long time. We have a new laser at our Skin Health Experts Clinic called Global that targets brown spots and redness in just one to two treatments.”
Kate Somerville Mega-C Dual Radiance Serum and in-clinic Mega-C Radiance facial
($90, $285) :: katesomerville.com
Tria Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser ($249) :: sephora.com
