By Hannah Schenker
Planning on hitting the hot sand at the beach this summer? Lazing about on rocks, river-side? Having long picnics on friends’ lawns? Barbecues by the sea with your whole raucous, riotous family? Your precious skin is going to be with you, wherever you go and whatever you are up to. Perhaps it’s time to think about how you can keep it hydrated and protected, so you will be rocking your beautiful bod in your bikini or togs, showing off beautiful skin all summer long.
Good skin starts from the inside out, so give yourself a head start by loading up on plenty of quality, filtered water. A glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon first thing in the morning will have you off and running, and from there it’s a matter of toting around your favourite reusable drink bottle and sipping on it all day. Summer festivities generally involve crisp glasses of rose or champagne, if that’s your kind of thing, so make sure to double up on the water if you know you will be drinking alcohol. For every glass of champers you enjoy, make sure to drink a glass of water. Your skin will thank you by staying clear and radiant. Better yet, find a delicious non-alcoholic drink like semi-sparkling kombucha or water kefir, which will boost your skin hydration even more, thanks to its probiotic cultures.
Then it’s time to think about what to put on your skin, to lock the moisture in, especially if you are luxuriating in long swims in the ocean. Here in New Zealand, you don’t need to look further than nature to find the best solution. Our country is home to around 30 million sheep, according to Statistics NZ in an article in 2015, and they all have something rather incredible in common: lanolin. Lanolin is a waxy substance on the sheep’s wool that helps to shed water off their coats and lock moisture into their skin. Lanolin has been used in skin care for two millennia thanks to its deep moisturizing properties. Certain products like this body wash, oil and lotion, using purified, high-grade lanolin oil which is able to penetrate the skin deeper than normal moisturizers to repair, replenish and protect your beautiful skin.
If you are feeling a bit insecure about baring your aging or post-pregnancy skin, don’t be. First of all, nobody is judging you. Everyone is so wrapped up in their own little world; they really aren’t looking at your lovely soft rolly stomach with critical eyes. Confidence is probably the biggest factor at play in what makes someone beautiful, so don’t hold yourself back and play small. But if you are looking for specialty products that will go some way to firming and tightening your beautiful skin, you might like to give a body scrub a go. Sloughing off yesterday’s worries and stress and stimulating collagen production may give you the boost you are looking for. Follow it up with a luscious body butter and you’re good to go.
