Keeping summer skin hydrated is a real challenge, especially if you spend a lot of time and outdoors. The task becomes harder still then more active you are. Athletes know to stay hydrated, but what about gardeners, swimmers and parents chasing around little ones? Even water activities dehydrate your skin to the point of exhaustion (skin exhaustion.) When your skin is tired it’s weakened. Weak skin can’t fight pollutants, dirt and aging like strong, hydrated skin can. To keep your skin looking and feeling great, and to help keep it healthy and strong, here are four tips for boosting your skin’s hydration in the summer heat and sun.

The first is a no-brainer yet we fail to do it time and time again – drink more water! You are already dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty and this means trouble for your sun exposed skin. Ladies should be drinking at least four 20-ounce bottles of water and men should be drinking at least seven bottles of water during a long day outside. While flavored waters and sports drinks can also help to renew the lost nutrients and fluids that, when missing, can damage and dry the skin, nothing can replace the value of plain H2O, especially not alcohol. While water flushes out toxins to keep your skin healthy, alcohol dehydrates the skin, strips it of vitamins and minerals and pumps toxins back in. It also damages the blood vessels and capillaries in the skin, leading to a red, uneven, sagging face. Cut out the high sugar content drinks like soda and energy drinks. Sugar also lends a hand to reversing the benefits of water and leaves you feeling thirstier.

The second thing to do is to slather on sunscreen repeatedly throughout your time outside. This helps to hydrate skin in two ways: the first is to provide a barrier between your skin and harmful UV rays, by doing this your skin is able to retain the moisture you put in every time you take a drink of water. Second, your skin is less likely to burn when you’re applying sunscreen. Healthy skin is not forced to work as hard to repair itself during sleep and stays hydrated longer.

Tip #3 is to moisturize… a lot! If you’re skin is hydrated both inside and out you’re helping it to combat the dryness that causes redness, itching and irritation. You’re also improving you chances of winning the fight against lines and wrinkles. Using a moisturizer that contains vitamin C is a great idea in the summer. Vitamin C helps to remove free radicals from the skin while it repairs past damage and helps to hydrate it better. Supple skin is better able to absorb the nutrients in your skincare products and in the foods you eat. For optimal summertime results stick to water based moisturizers and use them often for a great looking tan and healthy, firm skin.

Speaking of the foods you eat, the last tip is to stop and have a snack when you’re spending time outside, especially if you’re always on the go. Your body needs certain nutrients to replenish the skin with collagen. Foods like green leaf vegetables, berries, fruit and fish contain protein and other nutrients that will keep the skin hydrated and at its best. When your body lacks the food it needs, it will begin to run down and lack energy to renew itself and repair damage.

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