In this monthly blog, Adrienne, a Licensed Medical Esthetician for John Fasano, MD, lays out the key points, for you to develop a thoughtfully assembled Summer skin-care routine.

Protect Your Skin

For those of us living in Florida, we are beginning to experience the onset of summertime, the warm sunshine and increasing heat reminds us that our skin needs to be protected.
I recommend using a tinted broad-spectrum moisturizer with a broad spectrum SPF like “Image Prevention SPF 30”. It’s one step that will give your skin a little concealing coverage, protects your skin from oxidation and sun damage, and it won’t melt off in high heat and humidity like makeup can.
Always wear your sunglasses! Not only do they protect your eyes, and the delicate skin surrounding them from the sun’s damaging rays, they keep you from squinting which over time leads to the formation of fine lines, including crows feet.

Hydrate Your Lips

I love the ImageMD Lip Treatment with SPF 15 which helps to hydrate and protect your lips. The formula is not only ultra-hydrating with its polypeptide formula, but it volumizes the lips while diminishing the appearance of fine lines. There’s no other lip treatment like it.

Skin Care Creams for Summer

The Iluma Brightening Cream is a great night cream for the summer. It helps counteract the damaging summer UV rays while hydrating the skin without feeling heavy. Its unique formula lightens sunspots without causing irritation or excessive sensitivity to the sun, like most lightening creams.
In the daytime, Image’s Vital C hydrating cream is a great moisturizer with antioxidants to help counteract the damaging rays and can withstand heat and humidity without feeling heavy or greasy.
You should always have a day cream and a night cream. Your day cream should contain a broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and your night cream should have antioxidants and/or anti-aging ingredients. A lot of people think it’s unnecessary or too expensive to buy two creams, but it’s not! You will be using half the product because you are only using each of them once a day.
If you are worried about creams being too heavy for summer, don’t make the mistake of skipping your creams or serums, just choose one with a lighter texture. Your skin is always at rest at night and is ready to absorb all of those wonderful ingredients, no matter what time of year. The same goes for a day cream. You always want to protect and hydrate your skin to keep it in great shape.

Acne-Prone Skin

Even Acne-prone skin needs to be protected and moisturized. If you have acne, try a mattifying moisturizer such as ‘Image Clear Cell’ Moisturizer. It is a lightweight formula that soothes and moisturizes. It contains ingredients to balance your skin while visually minimizing pores and decreasing shine. This amazing formula is great year-round, but during the summer it stands out for its ability to revitalize your skin while absorbing surface oils.

Laser Treatments in the Summer

You should not expose IPL or laser-treated skin to the sun’s harmful rays. Here in Florida, we actually tend to spend more time outdoors when it’s slightly cooler! As long as you protect treated areas with sunscreen and a hat or protective clothing, there’s no difference between whether you have laser treatments during the summer or winter. Having said that, if you spend all your summer weekends on the beach or boat, then it’s better to wait. Just remember, you still will have to protect your skin when it’s time for your treatment either way. The bottom line with IPL and laser skin treatments is that if you want to minimize sun or age spots with IPL or lightening treatments of any kind, you have to be dedicated to protecting your skin or they will just come back. You can’t minimize the appearance of sun damage if you continue to let the sun damage your skin!

Glow & Tan

Whatever you do, don’t use the tanning bed unless you want to come to see Dr. Fasano for Skin Cancer removals! Tanning beds use UVA rays and remember the “A” is for AGING. If you want a healthy glow, there are amazing self-tanning products out there including “drops” that have little to no smell. Tans aren’t as cool as they used to be anyway!
Pro-tip! – I never leave the house without a bronzing powder! This will give you the summer glow you want, without having to damage your skin to get it.