WHY SUMMER HAND CARE MATTERS

June 21, 2021

Taking care of hands in the winter when they are dry and chapped is a given, but in the summer hands suffer too just for different reasons, during the day the sun creams and moisture from sweating deceives your skin into feeling soft and hydrated, but actually its the opposite happening and at night your hands can feel tight, dry, the skin start to flake and nails become dry and split.

WHY?
EXCESSIVE SWEATING: Not only causes the body to dehydrate but also the skin. Lack of moisture in the skin will causes dryness and speed up the signs of ageing.

Drink plenty of water at least 1.5 Litres a day.
Wear breathable fabrics with plenty of ventilation.
Avoid spicy foods that make you sweat,
Eat fruit and vegetables such as watermelon, strawberries and cucumber that have a high water content.
Moisturise hands at least 3-4 times a day and before you sleep.

AIR CONDITIONING: Draws humidity from the air and moisture from your skin, drying out the epidermis (top layer) of skin, hands can start to feel tight this means you are loosing elasticity from your skin and skin can start to shrivel up, unless you replace the moisture throughout the day wrinkles will start to appear and speed up the ageing process. Hands are our biggest indicator of age!

Avoid washing hands with hot water as this dries the skin further.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables especially with Vitamin C which is important for collagen production. Avocados are a great source of healthy fats to keep skin supple.
Moisturise hands at least 3-4 times a day and before you sleep.

CHLORINE FROM SWIMMING POOLS: Swimming is so good for exercising many muscles at the same time but the chlorine and other chemicals in the water can irritate the skin, they strip the seban and natural oils from the top layer causing skin to become dry, itchy and wrinkly. Not only that they leave an unpleasant scent on the skin and can cause skin conditions like eczema to worsen.

Shower immediately after swimming and reapply sunscreen.
At night treat your hands with a rich hand cream, the Shea Butter in SEAMS will help to soothe and moisturise skin. whilst the Biomimetic Lipid Complex can hold in the moisture and help restore the skins lipids offering an extra layer of protection ready for the next day. Our signature scent will also help with the Chlorine smell.

THE SUN: Dries the skin and can cause excessive flaking, your skin will feel tight as the elastin is broken down then wrinkles and sun spots will quickly appear, not a good look! Its not always possible to cover the skin whilst in the sunshine, gloves are not an option like in winter! If at the beach then hands are constantly in water, touching porous towels, sand although a natural exfoliator it will also dry the skin, generally the moisture will be zapped out all day long.
I used to love lying in the sun the UK is so wet that when the sun did come I rushed out to soak in the vitamin D. I now cover up and stay in the shade and have noticed a vast difference to my skin as the collagen is naturally replenished without being broken down. If you already have sun-damage stay out of the sun a much as you can and wear a factor 50 SPF, you will notice that your skin starts to look younger and feel softer.
Eating vegetables such as carrots and spinach which are full of antioxidants will also help to protect skin.
Eat chocolate (the darker the better) it’s not only high in antioxidants but can help to reduce inflammation!

Use SEAMS Couturiers Hand Cream at night the Macadamia nut Oil will help to restore, Rosehip Oil nourish and Oat Bta-glucan moisturise so you will wake with hands feeling soft and supple.

There’s lots you can do for your skin in the warmer months, get to the stage where keeping skin soft is just a daily ‘up keep’ ritual’ that you can enjoy.

Karen J.