1. Eyelids and eye contour
The skin around the eye is 10 times thinner than that of the rest of the body, so you should pay extra attention to keep dark circles and wrinkles at bay in summer. During the hot months, the “crow's feet” are accentuated by squinting due to excess light, the bags are more marked because the heat makes circulation difficult and the brown circles (due to excess melanin) are darkened by UV rays .
What can you do to take care of this area?
- Wear sunglasses with CE approved lenses. They are the best shield against radiation and you will avoid squinting, so your skin will thank you.
- Broad spectrum contour. Apply a cream around the eyes that includes not only UVA and UVB photoprotection, but also protects from infrared (it appears on the packaging as Infrared or IR). There are formulated specifically for this area. This prevents tearing, itching or swelling of the eyelids.
- And at night … Repair the skin with a fluid eye contour (gel or serum), which includes antioxidants and vitamins. Apply with gentle touches of your fingers.
2. Nose, stop irritation
The nose suffers more than you imagine, especially the lateral folds. The friction produced by the use of products, such as facial scrubs, or the handkerchief, when you have a cold, irritate the nose and make it more fragile. It is okay to insist on your nose to remove blackheads, but do it with a gentle scrub, without granules, so that the area does not become red. Better choose the milder enzymatic ones, which you can find in cream or mask format.
To protect your nose, use a light, transparent sunscreen and, if you have combination or oily skin, have a mattifying finish so that your nose does not shine.
3. And what about the ears?
This area is really one of the most neglected of the face, and it should not, because the incidence of skin cancer in this area has increased, especially in men. To avoid going to these extremes, protect them from the sun. You will avoid the annoying redness of the ears and you will avoid the burning sensation and itching that appear as a result of reckless exposure to the sun.
In the city, hair is your best ally, so if you have a good mane and are not going to be outdoors, comb your hair so that it covers your ears: the sun will not reach the skin and they will not burn. If you have it short or you wear it up, apply the same sunscreen that you use for the face or the eye contour on the ears. Do it on the outermost skin, without forgetting the lobe.
On the beach, in addition to the sunscreen, a good help is to cover the ears with a scarf, a hat or a band to give them extra protection. Then, when you get home, remember to remove the traces of sunscreen with a cleanser or micellar water. And if they have reddened a bit, apply aftersun to the area.
4. The lips
The lack of melanin and the absence of sebaceous and sweat glands cause the lips to be more unprotected. Hence, if you spend more time outdoors, it is very likely that they will end up dry and peeled.
Before putting on makeup, apply a lip balm with sunscreen (SPF 15, minimum). In addition to preventing burns, it provides a protective film that promotes hydration and softness of the lip. It never hurts to have the lip sunscreen on hand to be able to reapply it several times a day and before retouching the makeup.
If you are a smoker or the vertical wrinkles above the lip (“barcode”) are very marked, apply the sunscreen around the eye contour around it. Avoid wetting your lips and dry them well after drinking, as saliva and fluids wash away the lip balm. Also, do not nibble or tear the skins, because they weaken.
