It's fun in the sun, as we welcome once again another two long months of blistering heat which means tanned skin lines and dry lips (oops!).
While for others, summer means summer class, for the rest it means a string of lazy, bum days at home or maybe a trip to the beach.
Our social media feed becomes flooded once more with photos of the the sunsets at the beaches, pina coladas or maybe the conventional bikini photos with a matching "I'm free!" pose. But like two sides of a moon, summer also brings us dry skin and chapped lips, something we obviously can't avoid. What essentials should be in your summer bag?
SUNSCREEN
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Whether you're going for a dip in the deep blue sea, or simply tanning yourself out under the sun, a sunblock is your ultimate best friend this summer. Sunblock gives you better protection than the regular lotion and leaves your skin feeling more hydrated under the unbearable heat. According to articles, experts recommend you use sunscreens with SPF 15 or SPF 30. SPF actually means Sun Protection Factor which indicates how long it protects your skin. If you go for sunscreen that has a higher SPF, there is a tendency for the cream to wash away easily. You wouldn’t want to suffer those painful red sunburns on your skin now, would you?
LIP BALM
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No, it’s not called ChapStick, because ChapStick is an actual brand of lip balm and not what you actually call “it”! And hey, your skin isn’t the only one you should protect; your lips are just as delicate. I’m not talking about those really REALLY red (sorry, Cheryl Blossom!) or REALLY pink matte lippies, I’m talking about the light-colored moisturizing lipstick that helps your lips stay fresh looking while you’re out pouting them for that Instagram summer post. Surprisingly, lips aren’t the only place you can apply lip balm on, you can rub it on your cuticles to moisturize them or tame your eyebrows (to keep the on fleek!). However, it’s advised to use different tubes for different uses to avoid cross contamination.
All in all, lip balms according to experts generally expire after two to three years so if by now you’re rummaging through your closet to find that old lip balm, DON’T! Or you can check to see if it doesn’t look or smell funny. Fungi can grow on old lip balms, which might cause you to fall ill (and you’ll spend summer in bed instead, yikes!).
SUNNIES
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Hey, your eyes deserve the same tender loving care you’re giving your skin and lips too! Sun’s out, sunnies on as the summer signifies another era of fresh designs from our local, national and international sunnies brands. Sunglasses provide a great way of protecting our eyes from the dangerous UV rays while making us look really cute at that!
However, not all sunglasses flatter how we look, because there’s a specific frame shape for every face shape. Some sunglass shops offer you brochures of samples. Either way, whichever design you choose, we have the Chinese of the 12th century to thank for inventing the first ever sunglasses.
FACIAL MOISTURIZER
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While it’s true that sunblock protects our skin, moisturizer helps our face stay hydrated and fresh. Being under the heat of the sun for countless of hours, our skin tends to dry up quickly causing our skin to feel rough and damaged. Facial moisturizers help us keep our face healthy and hydrated so we enjoy our fun in the sun worry-free of damaging our skin.
WATER BOTTLE
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Enough with all the skin summer essentials, what good is healthy skin without a healthy body? We’ve heard the conventional: “All your problems in life are because you don’t drink enough water.” Sometimes, it’s true. Being dehydrated can cause us to perform our daily activities weakly affecting the results we hope to achieve. Being exposed to long hours of the heat can also in turn dehydrate our body, making us feel weaker risking the fun we were supposed to have! Having a water bottle in your summer bag does not only prove useful but efficient because drinking a lot of water aids weight loss, which is a helping hand for those who aim for that perfect summer bod.
Think we missed something out? Let us know or tweet us @y101fm or facebook.com/y101fmcebu!