While many enjoy spending time outside during the warmer months, the summer heat can cause skin to dry out. When you prepare for this season’s activities indoors and outside, taking extra precautions can help keep your skin moist. It’s best to identify factors that cause your skin to dry out. Below are three main summer-related activities that skin surgeons say cause your skin to lose its moisture.

3 Drying Factors Skin Surgeons Suggest to Avoid

1. Swimming in Chlorinated Pools

Swimming laps or splashing about in a pool filled with chlorinated water is refreshing, but it can lead to dry skin. Chlorine helps keep water safe for swimmers, but the chemical destroys sebum, your skin’s natural barrier. Before jumping in, apply an oil-based moisturizer to shield your skin from the chlorine.

2. Dehydrating Activities and Beverages

If you lose hydration, it shows in your skin. Indoors or outside, engaging in summer activities that make you perspire and drinking beverages such as coffee, sodas, or alcoholic drinks cause you to lose precious moisture. Whether you consume it plain or add natural fruit flavoring, drink plenty of water before, during, and after your activities to keep your skin and body hydrated.

3. Time in the Sun

Exposing your skin to summer sunlight produces vitamin D, an essential nutrient for the body’s functions. However, those rays can dry up your skin’s natural oils. Wearing moisturizer protects your skin from losing those precious liquids. Skin surgeons recommend adding a sunscreen lotion with a 30 SPF or higher to help screen out harmful ultraviolet rays that can lead to skin cancer. Check product labels and avoid spray-on sunscreens that contain alcohol. Its drying effect on skin can make your condition worse.

Drying effects of summer sun and activities can take their toll on how your skin looks and feels. Lauren A. Daman, MD, PC, offers treatments that help restore your skin to a youthful appearance. A skilled skin surgeon, Dr. Daman leads a team that treats residents throughout Hartford County, CT. Their services include scar removal, chemical peels, Botox®, and microdermabrasion. Visit their website to learn more about their services. Call (860) 246-3533 to schedule an appointment.