1. Wash everything off

You wouldn’t believe all the things your skin can collect after a whole day out in the sun. Plus, skin tends to produce more sebum during the summer anyway.

So, start your after-sun skincare routine by washing off all the grime, sweat, chlorine, or salt, and residue sunscreen. Use lukewarm water, or even cool if you can.

2. Be gentle

While it is important to cleanse your skin as thoroughly as you can, you also need to consider how sensitive and fragile your skin is after excessive sun exposure.

So, just be gentle. Skip the scrub and anything harsh and abrasive. A gentle, non-striping wash will do the job just fine.

3. Hydrate a lot

One of the main symptoms of sun damage is skin dehydration. So, make sure to replenish the levels of moisture in your skin as much as you can.

There’s a variety of hydrating products that can help you with this, but my recommendation would be a hyaluronic acid serum, natural face mist or cooling sheet mask.

4. Vitamin C serum

Other than hydration, the thing your skin needs the most after the damaging UV rays are antioxidants. And vitamin C is one of the best antioxidants you can find. It protects the skin against free radicals, slows down the aging process, promotes collagen production and maintains the skin firm, youthful and glowing.

5. Moisturize your skin

Make sure to replenish the healthy fats in your skin and to seal in the previous products with a nice, quality moisturizer. Your product should also be soothing and repairing, to help your skin recover as soon as possible.

Look for ingredients such as aloe vera gel, oatmeal extract, green tea extract, chamomile, ceramides…

6. Take care of your lips

Don’t forget that your lips have been exposed to the same conditions as the rest of your skin. They too need some extra care. Nothing too much – just remove the dry patches with a gentle! lip scrub and coat your lips with your favorite lip balm.

7. Eat and drink your after-sun skincare

While wearing sunscreen and a proper after-sun routine are absolutely crucial, it is always a good idea to replenish your whole body (including skin) from the inside out.

Especially during the summer season, your diet should include foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and water. Some omega-3s are also more than welcome. Try to eat more watermelons, carrots, blueberries, green tea, tomatoes, olive oil, fatty fish, almonds, pomegranate, cucumbers…