Beauty Buzz

Summer is here, and you can't wait to plunge into the pool or head for the beach. But before you rush out to sample the joys of summertime, make sure you are following a diet and routine that will help keep your skin in balance.

Here are some suggestions to keep your skin looking beautiful all summer long:

1. Drink lots of water through the day, not only to replenish moisture lost to the heat and sweat but also to help flush toxins out of the body and keep skin looking clear and lustrous. Herb or spice teas, made with skin-enhancing ingredients, offer added therapeutic benefit. Choose cooling herbs and spices such as mint, cardamom and fennel. Stay away from iced beverages because they hinder digestion and can create toxins leading to skin breakouts.
2. Eat fruits, vegetables and herbs, which supply the skin with essential nutrients and come with free-radical fighting antioxidant properties while they help keep your skin cool. Carrots, lettuce, summer squash such as zucchini, celery, asparagus and leafy greens are good vegetable choices. Sweet juicy fruits such as pears, grapes, watermelon and mangoes both nourish and cleanse. Fresh ginger, cilantro, mint and basil add flavor and aromas to dishes.
3. Go easy on spicy or sour foods, especially if you plan to go out and enjoy the sun for the day, to keep your skin from breaking out or getting inflamed.

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Many skin care products offer different formulas for dry, oily, or combination skin.  Do you know which type of product to buy?  If not, the About Beauty guide suggests this simple skincare test:

Wash and dry your face, and then press small pieces of tissue paper against your skin in different places – cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, jaw line, etc.  If the paper sticks and becomes translucent, your skin is oily.  If it refuses to stick, your skin is dry.  If it sticks in a few places but not in others, you have combination skin.

You can also tell if your skin is dry because it will feel tight and uncomfortable shortly after washing.  Oily skin, on the other hand, will extrude oil within half an hour of washing.

Knowing your skin type is important because each kind has natural advantages and disadvantages.  For example, oily skin is more prone to acne, whereas dry skin is more likely to look ashy because of dead skin cells and to develop wrinkles over time.

By correctly identifying your skin type, you can take the proper steps to keep your skin feeling healthy and looking great.  This includes buying the skincare products to enhance your natural beauty and counteract dryness or pore-clogging oils.

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