By Jane-Ellen from Jane’s Salon
Well how do I start my first of the Hair & Beauty tips monthly column is the question running through my mind as I sit at the computer staring at the screen feeling too hot and too clammy to think,
then it dawned on me we are all too hot and clammy and that does nothing for our skin, make-up and hair. As summer approaches and the temperature rises, there are some great ways to keep us feeling fresh and looking good, rather than someone who has been thrown in the pool dripping of sweat.
Heat Solutions
Using mint, peppermint or menthol products will help keep your skin feeling cooler. Use a peppermint soap or a pedicure with minty foot soak. Mint refreshes the skin leaving a cooling sensation (the mojito cocktail can also go down a treat).
Steps to Avoid Melting Makeup,
1. Wash your face in something gentle; harsh products with too much soap will cause your skin to over-produce oil.
2. Invest in a mattifying sunscreen, as a good sunscreen will soak up skins oils for quite a while, (Neutrogena produce a breathable one for skin).
3. Use powder foundation instead of liquid. It doesn’t run.
4. Waterproof mascara is your friend, or better still have your lashes tinted and apply clear mascara when you’re going out, for a longer lash effect. It doesn’t run and is great to look good at the beach or pool.
5. Stick to powder for eye shadow – it won’t run.
6. Use an oil-absorbing setting powder to finish over your entire face. Loose powder tends to look most natural.
Hair Natural is easier, but like for most of us, not always our best look. If you must straighten, invest in a really high quality, high-heat ceramic flatiron. This, combined with a very light shine serum, will keep hair from looking frizzy. Don’t overdose on ‘smoothing’ products, as they will only make hair oilier and limper looking. If oiliness is the problem, start using a shampoo with tea tree oil, which is a natural scalp regulator. You can always call in the salon for your personal hair tips. If you blow-dry, be certain to do it all the way. Semi-damp hair breeds frizz if it’s only half air-dried.
Clothes Wear natural fabrics (cotton, silk, linen) rather than polyester, rayon, or other artificial fibres (with the possible exception of performance fabrics). Darker colours will absorb the sun’s rays and be warmer. Also wear summer clothing that is natural.
Shoes Take off your shoes or hat while indoors! Much of the body’s heat is released through the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, and the scalp. Keeping these areas cool makes a surprising difference. A pedicure weekly is a great way to keep your feet fresh and feeling good.
Eat spicy food It’s not a coincidence that many people in hotter regions of the world eat spicy food. Spicy (hot to the taste) food increases perspiration, which cools the body as it evaporates. It also can cause an endorphin rush that is quite pleasant and might make you forget about the heat.
1. Be low maintenance. Summer is not the time for a complicated routine. When possible, skip foundation, let hair go natural, etc.
2. Wear sunscreen! Skin cancer isn’t cool. Wrinkles are unpleasant as well. A good sunscreen is actually the ideal base, because titanium/zinc dioxides (the active ingredient in some sunscreens) are oil absorbers.
3. Don’t cleanse more than normal, even if you feel a bit dirtier. It speeds up oil production even more.
4. Primers are definitely your friend. This is the only sure way to get eye makeup to last for more than eight hours. You can make your own primer as well, by using concealer on lids, and then setting them afterwards; or buy one.
5. Don’t overdo the silicones in hair products — they just make hair greasier.