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Squeezing into a bikini or wearing short shorts or skirts still strikes fear into some. I’m here to help with this summer guide to prep you up for the beach. If you want to tan…safely A tan is great but only if you are not damaging your skin in the process. No tan is worth a horde of wrinkles or pigmentation (or skin cancer) later in life. Since tanning beds also pose wrinkling and skin cancer risks, fake tans are the best option for a summer tan. Today’s fake tan (or sunless tanning) formulations have come a long way. Gone are those horrid 80’s orange hues. With the right preparation, your tan can look gorgeous, natural and prolonged. Before putting on the sunless tanning agent, always start by exfoliating the surface of the skin on the body with a loofah or a scrub. You always exfoliate beforehand to ensure a streak-free finish. If you have sensitive skin, fine powdered scrubs mixed with a cleanser or moisturiser works wonders. As for the face, use a suitable AHA or BHA gel to exfoliate (always try a low percentage one if you’re unsure about the irritancy potential). AHA and BHA are very effective exfoliating agents which are - believe it or not - better for the skin than physical scrubs. Now remember, don’t use any of these exfoliating agents right AFTER you rub on the tan or you’ll scrub off the layer of the skin with the tan. Select the right type of tanning medium and shade (start off lighter if you’re unsure). These days, they come in sprays for hard to reach places, lotions and creams for dry skin, mousses and gloves for quicker drying times and lotions with bronzer or colour so you can see where you’ve rubbed your tan. Pick the one that suits your skin or preference. Apply moisturiser to the hair line, the back of hands, the knees and elbows as skin will absorb more colour there if you don’t - this will give you a more even tone rather than dark patches on the knees etc. Once you’ve applied, make sure you let the skin dry according to instructions before putting any light coloured clothing back on. Any mistakes or stained hands can be corrected with AHA or BHA gel. Remember that fake tans do not protect you from UV rays. Even the ones with bronzers in it. I know that some creamy sunscreens make tans look lighter or ghostly. Buy sheer lotion sunscreens or spray on sunscreens as they go on the skin like a light veil without lightening it, plus they’re easier to apply. To prolong the tan a few days after it’s been applied, moisturise the skin everyday to extend the tan. Voila! Sexy, sultry, summer tan. 
If you want to maintain lighter skin… With the popularity of Twilight or due to cultural preferences, some of you may want to maintain a porcelain complexion during summer. To do that, firstly to prevent the skin from going darker due to tanning, always use a sunscreen of SPF15 or higher whenever you’re heading outdoors. Long term, it can reduce pigmentation (freckles and brown spots) and formation of new wrinkles. If you’re sensitive to chemical sunscreens, sunscreens made from zinc oxide is less likely to irritate. If you don’t wear sunscreen, any lightening cream cannot get the opportunity to work if you’re reversing its effects every time you go under the sun. Lightening creams made with vitamin C, arbutin and bearberry are great but only if they’re used in high concentrations in good formulas. Hydroquinone has the best track record of being able to effective lighten pigmented areas, however, it’s not suitable to be used continuously long term on large areas (get it from your doctor or dermatologist if you live in the US) available in Australia as OTC drug. Unlike hydroquinone, azelaic acid can be used in higher concentrations with less irritation, however mild skin irritation will occur during the first few weeks of application and unlike vitamin C, cannot be used for more than 6 months. Azelaic acid also doubles as a treatment for acne and rosacea, available as OTC drug in Australia. For the full face or on the body, stable form of vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) is a good choice if you want to use a lightening cream / lotion everyday. You can use an AHA or BHA together with these treatments to speed up skin lightening (but don’t use it together at the same time - use one during the day and the other at night). A non chemical treatment would be lasers. KTP green lasers can improve pigmented skin and provide good results if done by an experienced and qualified doctor. If you want beach hair… Love that summer beach hair look? Don’t spend money on expensive hair sprays or gels. You don’t even need to go to the beach to get the look. How? Mix 1 tablespoon of salt with ½ a glass of water and a few drops of chamomile essential oil. Pour mixture into a clean spray bottle. Spray a bit at the roots (flipping hair forward helps) and spray some on the ends. Don’t over do the spraying, try a bit at a time until you achieve the look you desire. Scrunch the ends of the hair for a messy, come-hither “do”. The salt water recreates the fine mists of sea water that gets into the hair when we go to the beach. By adding the chamomile essential oil, you’ll also give the hair a pleasant smell as well as gently lightening it (if the hair is exposed to sunlight). If you have ingrown hairs… With so much shaving and waxing going on during summer, it’s no wonder that it’s so easy to get in grown hairs. How do we prevent them? Exfoliate! Use scrubs or loofahs on the body (never use them on the face). For sensitive areas, a low percentage AHA or BHA gel applied to the ingrown bump should do the trick. Don’t pick ingrown hair bumps as it can cause scarring. If you want smooth legs… The simplest steps can make all the difference. Whether you’re shaving or waxing the legs, preparation is key. If you’re shaving, buffing the skin before you shave can give better results. A loofah or cotton muslin cloth will do the trick. When shaving, always use a moisturising shaving gel, lotion or cream. Anything that foams and conditions will work well to make the razor glide better. After rinsing off the shaving foam, feel the skin and check if any remaining hairs are still there. Shave that area again if there is. After shaving, moisturise the skin with a lotion or cream that suits your skin type and you’ll be hitting the beach with smooth, silky legs in no time. If you’re waxing, make sure you wash the area you’re going to wax beforehand to ensure all sweat, personal care product residue and grime are cleaned off. Dry the area well and do not moisturise. Then wax the area. This provides the wax with better grip. Rinse waxed and irritated areas with cold water to reduce redness. If you have cellulite… Cellulite can be a confidence killer for most women. It is a problem that has given birth to a multi million dollar cellulite treatment industry. Cellulite affects mostly women, particularly those over 30 and are over weight. Women’s thighs have fats cells that are different to men’s. The matrix which holds the fats cells in place are also weaker compared to men, which explains why it’s easier for women to have dimpled thighs. Weight gain can also make the problem worse so a healthy diet with regular exercise can improve the appearance of cellulite. Here’s a myth that will save you money: cellulite creams don’t work. If they did, liposuction and cellulite machine companies would go out of business. Keep your money and don’t bother with the sensational cellulite cream claims. If you want to see if cellulite creams work for you, rub regular cream or lotion on your thighs everyday in a rolling motion. It’s not the actual cream but the rubbing and rolling of the skin that slightly improves the circulation and the rolling which evens the fat more. However, it’s not permanent. No peer reviewed, scientific proof exists for cellulite creams that actually work. Another treatment that makes me laugh are the spa treatments that wrap people up in mud, herbs and plastic wrap to “sweat out toxins” from the thighs to get rid of cellulite. What toxins? If mud and plastic can do that, science would hail it a miracle; classify it as a therapeutic drug device and cellulite would be cured. So back to reality. What are the treatments that work? From the research I’ve gathered, independent sources are pointing to good old regular exercise combined with healthy diet and cellulite machines as the answers. Now they’re not cures, nor do they prevent cellulite but they can improve on the appearance more so than the cellulite creams, mud wraps and steam baths. How does healthy diet and exercise help? Cellulite is fat and the less fat you have, the less cellulite you’ll have. Regular exercise and a healthy diet also tone the skin, improves circulation and builds more muscle. If you’re willing to improve your lifestyle, your cellulite should improve. Like I said earlier, it’s not going to make cellulite disappear but it’ll cost less than buying creams for the rest of your life and will add value to your health while improving the thigh area. Which cellulite machines actually improve dimpled thighs? Tri-Active is a machine which improves circulation and fluid drainage by using a suction massage action on the thighs with a low-level laser. Velasmooth is another machine which uses suction combined with infra-red light to smooth the dimpling. I don’t have financial ties to any of the mentioned machines or their companies, but these were the machines used in small trials which showed that they seem to work. Another small trial showed that treatments with Endermologie machines did not work as it didn't reduce fat but moved the fat deposits around to other parts of the thigh. Again, these machines are not cures but they do improve the appearance of cellulite more than creams and spa wraps. The downside to the machines is that it takes a few sessions before you'll see results and each session can cost a few hundred dollars. Copyright Cyren Organics 
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