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When it comes to skin, healthy is in
By Savis Irandoost, Contributor & Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor
Welcome back, Douglas College! For our special May edition of Style Roundup, Savis and Sophie share some indispensable beauty tips to prepare for summer. Our tips focus on the largest part of your body: your skin. Cleanse, protect, and prefect to put your best face forward this summer.
The bare minimum
There’s nothing that gets under my skin more than hearing that women don’t wash their face twice a day. If this concerns you, listen up, because this is the bare minimum in beautification: Beautification 101. I’m going to break this very important issue down to key things. The reason you should wash your face when you wake up in the morning, other than feeling more awake, is to cleanse any oil that has moved from your scalp, to your pillow, and then to your face as you sleep. Oil creates acne. The reason you must wash your face before going to sleep is to wash away any makeup, dirt, pollutants, and general grime. This is even more important than in the morning! I cannot stress how imperative it is to fully take off your makeup every night, as it’s not even good to wear makeup in the first place. Do not sleep with your makeup on, ladies! These things clog your pores and create skin imperfections, but they also give you acne and prematurely age you! The average cleanser does not clean deep down, no matter what they promise in the commercial, but it will still help you significantly. For a deep down pore clean, I suggest devices like Clarisonic, or investing in a facial every six weeks. Know that washing your face too much will cause it to be tight and dry and not washing it enough will result in it being oily and shiny. No matter what you do, glam girls, don’t sleep with your makeup on! –Savis
Here comes the sun
When the sun finally comes out in the Lower Mainland, and we’re treated to May temperatures that soar above 20 degrees, we all want to make up for lost time and blast our precious skin cells with unholy doses of UV and vitamin D. Like pasty sun junkies, we’ve spent the winter starved for a good dose of rays, but like any junkie we need to make sure not to imbibe in too much, too fast. While prevailing beauty wisdom might suggest that bronze is beautiful, baking your body is not the best idea. With careful sun safety, it’s possible to look like a tanned goddess in a few months without doing too much harm to yourself. Here are some basic tips: Stay out of the sun. If you must go outside, stay in the shade. Cover up: a hat and sunglasses are helpful, as well as stylish. Sunscreen is your friend! Get two different kinds, one for your body, and one formulated specially for your face which should be oil-free, and make sure you reapply every 30 minutes, or after you go in the water. Pay special attention to your face and chest—these areas tend to soak up the most sun, and also fare the worst from years of abuse. If you must tan on the beach, limit the amount of time you spend in the sun danger zone, which is 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. UV rays are much more dangerous at this time of day, so dawdle on your way to the beach. And if you absolutely must darken your dermis quickly for an important May event, remember that spray tanning these days is a healthy alternative to tanning beds—when done right and by a professional, spray tans can look 100 per cent real, all while saving your skin. -Sophie
Under where? Under there
When it comes to beauty, there’s almost nothing more annoying than dark under-eye or puffy circles. They can age you significantly or just make you look tired. I went on a mission to gather different methods to treat these pesky things. First and foremost, sleep! If your eyes haven’t rested, it’s going to show. If you’ve fallen behind on your eight hours, catch up; there’s a reason they call it beauty sleep. Treat your allergies, as particularly dust allergies can be causing your dark eye circles. Nasal congestion can also cause this as your sinuses are all connected. Incorporate vitamins C, D, and E into your diet. As always, water is your best friend, but not directly before bed– this can result in puffiness in the morning. Here are some natural remedies to combat dark eye circles: cucumber slices, ice cubes wrapped in a cloth, cool tea bags, and frozen spoons. You can also apply eye creams. Finally, be careful when you’re in contact with your under eyes—this is the most delicate skin on your body! Remember that your face is a reflection of your diligence and health. -Savis
