Sheri Levine
Province
Ah, summer. A time of hot weather, late sunsets and chilling out at the beach or by the pool.
It’s also a time for frizzy hair, sunburnt, peeling skin and blisters from breaking in those new sandals. If you suffer from any of these summer afflictions, there is help.
Flare magazine has a list of quick fixes for some common summer beauty woes:
1. Dry, faded hair: For bottle blonds and reds, the hardest hair colours to keep from fading, the sun is not your friend. As for chlorine, forget about it. Sun and chlorine do a brilliant job fading your hair colour and drying hair out, too. If you’re swimming in a chlorine-filled pool, a bathing cap is your best option to protect your hair.
But there is another option. Before taking a dip, wet your hair and add a deep conditioning treatment. As for the sun protection, nothing works better than a hat or umbrella.
2. Blisters: They’re annoying and can sometimes be pretty painful. Regardless of how good you feel in those sexy, strappy sandals, it’s not worth the blisters they’re giving you. Heat, and especially humidity, cause your feet to swell, so it’s imperative your shoes fit properly. Tana New Gel Strappy Strips stick to the straps of sandals and slingbacks for invisible protection from blister-causing rubbing and ensure a secure fit. The best time to shop for shoes is at the end of the day when your feet are more swollen. If you do have a blister or two causing you grief, Epsom salts are your friend. Add some to warm water and soak your feet. This will not only help to dry out blisters; it will also soothe tired, sore feet.
3. Frizzy hair: In Flare magazine, Daniel of Toronto’s Salon Daniel suggests making the best of your curls. As a member of the frizzy hair-club myself, I must agree. Making peace with what you’ve been given naturally is the best way to deal with this because when the humidity hits, there’s not a product in the world that’s going to tame your frizzy mane. Daniel also suggests shampooing only twice a week and conditioning daily. Careful not to massage your hair too much as you’ll encourage more frizz. If you blow-dry your hair, use a curl enhancer and a comb — not a brush — comb through before blow-drying. If you prefer to go with straight locks, comb a smoothing cream through your damp hair. The best advice, however, is to simply let your waves or curls air-dry.
4. Ingrown hairs: The best way to deal with this is to simply leave it alone. Trying to remove ingrown hairs will only aggravate the problem, possibly leading to an infection. Make Vitamin E or tea-tree oil staples in your bathroom and apply them to the bikini area after waxing or shaving. To prevent ingrown hairs, exfoliate the skin with a mitt (available at The Body Shop and most drug stores) or a body scrub.
5. Sunburned skin: Try not to get burned by the sun to begin with by using a good sunblock with a minimum SPF 30 and be sure to reapply throughout the day, especially after swimming or perspiring. If you do end up with a sunburn, anti-inflammatory drugs — such as ibuprofen — will help. Applying ice-packs to the areas that burn the most works well, too. Skin lotions will help soothe the burn. Just make sure they’re fragrance-free. Aloe-vera as a lotion or directly from the plant itself is great for easing sunburnt skin, as well as being good for your skin in general.
© The Vancouver Province 2007