Most of the country is going to be experiencing high temperatures in the next couple days, but as much as we love the summer sun, high temperatures can be not only suffocating, but they can be dangerous to your health.  So how do we stay cool when its HOT out? Read below to find out.

In your home (If you don’t have air conditioning):

• Keep your windows open overnight when it cools down and then shut them late morning just as it starts to get warmer, close blinds and curtains to keep cool air in.
• Find the West side of your home (this is where the afternoon sun gets in the most), plant a tree, a bush or purchase sun blocking shades to keep the sun out.
• Don’t use your oven – eat cold fruits and veggies or cold pasta salad instead of cooked food.  Frozen fruit is always a great snack, blueberries and grapes are my favorite!
• The hottest time of the day is between 10-4, try to stay inside during that time.
• Fans, fans, fans.  Fans help circulate the air, even when you do have AC.

On your Body:

• Wear light colors and loose fitting cotton clothes
• Store lotions in the fridge, hydrate your skin and cool off at the same time
• Take a cold shower! Its better for your hair and skin anyway.
• Put your hair in a ponytail, bun or braid.  Hair on neck and back = hot!
• Fill a spray bottle with water and spray yourself down whenever you’re feeling the heat.  This works great at the beach too!
• Stay hydrated – drink lots of water, keep plastic water bottles in the freezer, as the ice melts you’ll have ice cold water to drink.

For the Kids:

Its going to be hard to keep the kiddos inside so if they must be out in the hot sun, encourage activities that keep them cool.

• Water balloons
• Ice Skating
• Waterpark
• Sprinkler
• Ice Cream

We all know that our faces need to be protected from the sun. Even our makeup and daily moisturizer has sunscreen in it, nowadays. But did you realize that the skin on your neck and chest is just as vulnerable to sun damage? And did you know that it’s much harder to treat the skin of the neck and chest and erase signs of sun damage? There are fewer oil glands and hair follicles there, and the skin doesn’t regenerate as quickly as the skin on your face. That means it takes longer for signs of sun damage to fade and for skin tone to even out.

Believe it or not, sunbathing can make your cellulite worse. Yes, those thigh bumps can actually look worse in the summer sun. It’s a cruel joke that just when summer comes and you wear less clothing, you can actually make yourself look worse. UVA-induced collagen loss from too much sun not only makes your face wrinkle, it will also make the skin on your body sag. This means cellulite is emphasized.

What can you do to prevent this from happening? Sunscreen for faces is a must, of course. But not only do you need to apply sunscreen to your face daily, you need to apply it to the delicate skin of your neck and chest. Apply also to any other areas exposed to the sun. You don’t want crepey skin on your chest, and you don’t want sunspots or prominent cellulite. Rub on that broad spectrum sunscreen religiously, and make sure you don’t skip any areas.

And as for the cellulite? Regular exfoliation can help stimulate collagen production. That means you need to scrub your skin every day. A pouf is a great exfoliator, and it’s gentle enough to use every day. Daily exfoliation will also keep your skin from looking ‘leathery’. Leathery skin comes when your body tries to protect itself from the sun by thickening. Then your skin dries out. You can prevent this and also plump up your skin by using a moisturizing body wash and following it up with body lotion or moisturizer. Your cellulite will appear smoother, and your skin won’t dry out in the sun. Also, if you use a shimmer moisturizer (one that reflects light), it will make your cellulite appear reduced, even if it’s not.

What are you doing to protect your body’s skin from sun damage? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a comment here on the blog.