How to have a skin friendly summer

Summer is here and it’s time you start to look after your skin, we all want glowing, luminous skin when the sun is shining.
Amanda Elias, beauty expert and founder of Bravura London wants to offer her top tips for a skin-friendly Summer.
1 - The first thing you want to think about is sun protection; the sun is the main cause of premature ageing which can leave your skin dull, dry, wrinkled and with hyperpigmentation (brown spots). Protect all exposed skin with a broad spectrum SPF (protects against both UVA & UVB) of at least 30, preferably a mineral SPF which acts as a sunblock to instantly block the sun’s rays. Look for a product that’s waterproof and don’t forget your lips, ears and the back of your neck. Re-apply frequently.
2 - You may know about cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising your face but do you spend as much TLC on your body? Ensure you exfoliate at least twice a week and if possible, slather yourself daily (after your shower) in your favourite body lotion.
3 - Do you find your skin flushes when you get hot? Keep a refreshing water spray or toner spray at hand to spritz your face and neck when you feel yourself overheating.
4 - Avoid wearing perfumes on your skin; when the sun hits the areas of skin that contain perfumes it can cause irritation. Fragrance your hair by spraying your hairbrush then brush through your locks, every time you swish your hair you’ll be surrounded by a beautiful fragrance.
5 - Sun and lip gloss aren’t a good combination, remember the days of people baking in the sun covered in baby oil? Same thing. Get yourself a good lip balm that contains an SPF, you can get plenty that have colour or line your lips with a lip pencil then top with a clear SPF balm.
6 - Parched skin after too much alcohol and sun? Intensely nourish your skin with an oil such as jojoba oil, this non-comedogenic (won’t block your pores) oil is more of a wax and is close to your skin’s natural oil. For sun burnt skin, help the healing process with pure aloe vera gel and apply 3-4 times a day.

7 - Don’t forget to hydrate yourself, to keep your body functioning properly and to aid in the removal of toxins from our body it needs to be well hydrated so be sure to drink 2-3 litres of liquid (sadly this doesn’t include dehydrating substances such as cocktails and coffee) per day.