Long tanned limbs splayed out on white sand. Perfect beachy waves tumbling down bare backs at dinners by the water. Manicured hands grasping free-flowing rosé. Summer looks so sexy on our social feeds. But the reality is rather less glamorous — especially if you’re holidaying on the Med during a heat warning or riding the sticky Central line daily (I speak from experience).
There are the itchy mosquito bites, the frazzled hair which takes on a life of its own in the humidity — and even the most scrupulous of SPF appliers can’t avoid the odd dodgy tan mark. But help is at hand. Here London’s beauty pros share their fixes for all of your summer beauty woes.
Heat frazzled locks and chlorine-addled colour
“Intense and prolonged sun exposure can be damaging to hair. UV rays particularly affect the keratin found within the hair shaft, which will leave it weakened and feeling brittle,” explains Florence Johnson, co-owner of SIMPLY Gorgeous afro hair salon. Then there’s the fact that the sun dehydrates your hair. “This can be particularly harmful for curly or afro hair types which tend to be drier,” explains Johnson. So if you want to take a dip in the sea or the lido, bear in mind that “your hair is like a sponge,” explains Tom Smith, artist at Olaplex and international creative director at Evo. “Pre-saturating your locks with clean water and a rich leave-in conditioner, or even a reparative mask, will help ‘fill’ your hair up with goodness, meaning it will be less susceptible to absorbing chlorine and salt from the pool, and less likely to have its natural lipids and condition depleted by the sun.” Philip Kingsley’s Swimcap mask (£24 for 100ml, philipkingsley.co.uk) is a swimmers’ favourite.
As for when you’re on dry land, covering your crown and protecting strands with SPF is the best prevention. Smith suggests you pop on a hat or headscarf, and top up your UV hair protection throughout the day. Try Aveda’s sun care protective hair veil (£32 for 100ml, aveda.co.uk). Better yet, wear your hair in a braid so it can be kept out of the sun easily.
Or if your locks are already frazzled, Smith suggests: “Always start with a clarifying shampoo to remove residue of chlorine, salt, skincare and SPF.” I like Larry King Haircare city life shampoo (£18 for 100ml, cultbeauty.co.uk). Then a deep conditioning treatment should follow. Virtue’s restorative treatment mask is designed to repair heat-damaged hair (£67 for 150ml, lookfantastic.com).
“Steams are also a great way to help add back the hydration that may have been stripped,” says Johnson. This involves using moist heat to open the hair cuticle on curls and coils for deep cleansing and to aid maximum absorption of treatments. For an at-home treatment try Steam Bar’s steaming cap (£35, thesteambar.com) for a 20 to 30 minute steam over a hair mask.
And what if your formerly glossy blonde highlights have developed a greenish tinge from the pool? Celebrity colourist Amy Fish says you should reach for a brightening shampoo boosted with Vitamin C to “gently remove the tinge”, such as Redken Blondage High Bright shampoo (£21.51 for 300ml, lookfantastic.com). Then, she warns: “Stay away from home hair colouring and book an appointment with your colourist on your return.”
Flaky feet and muted manis
Are your feet looking parched after a summer in your Birkenstocks? “Wearing sandals can leave your feet exposed to the elements resulting in dry and dehydrated skin, particularly when in the sun, where moisture evaporates quickly,” explains Hannah Taylor, an ambassador for The GelBottle nail polish. “Sandals also lack the protection and cushioning of closed shoes, which can lead to dry skin from friction.”
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To stave off the unsightly look she advises exfoliating a few times a week: “It will help to remove dead skin cells from building up and creating calluses.” Plus, try treating your feet more like your face in the summer by moisturising daily with “a rich cream or butter, used after showering to keep your skin hydrated”. Margaret Dabbs’s exfoliating foot scrub (£20 for 100ml, boots.com) will do the trick nicely. “Using massage to apply these products can improve circulation and keep the skin supple,” adds Taylor. And if the peel is persistent, look for a cream with “urea or salicylic acid to aid exfoliation”.
And how do you make sure your mani doesn’t crack or peel? “Gel manicures are more resilient than normal polish and therefore are a good choice before a holiday,” suggests Taylor. Use The Gel Bottle’s salon finder (thegelbottle.com/salon-finder) to get your London appointment lined up. And apply a cuticle oil daily “to keep your nails and cuticles hydrated and maintain the flexibility of the gel polish to prevent cracking,” says Taylor.
As for DIY manis and pedis, to protect your nails be sure to use a high-quality base coat before your shade of choice. Beauty Pie’s Wonderlayer™ diamond powder base coat (£7 for 10ml for members, beautypie.com) contains vitamin B5 and Omega 3 oil to strengthen and smooth. And when it comes to the top coat, pick one with UV filters like Beauty Pie’s Flexiglass™ UV top coat (£7 for 10ml for members, beautypie.com). “This will protect the colour from sun damage and, when reapplied every few days, can provide added protection to maintain shine and colour,” says Taylor.
Scorched and itchy skin
There is no bugbear like insect bites, come summer. Cosmetic scientist Sam Farmer advises that once you’ve spotted the mark and cleaned the area, cooling it down is the best way to stop inflammation, alongside using allergy medication if required. “Apply ice packs on the affected area for a minute or two if you can, in order to bring down the swelling and [if it’s an arm or leg] keep it raised for periods of time as and when you can.” And if the site of the bite looks infected head to the pharmacy for advice.
Partial to sunbathing, but got carried away and forgot to top up your SPF? If you start to see you’re turning rouge, then “get out of the sun immediately” warns Farmer. Next, to calm things down, “take gentle, cool showers for about five minutes or use cold flannels on the affected area for a few minutes, but avoid applying ice packs or frozen gel pads directly to your skin.” It’s also important to stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, aiming for two to three litres over the entire day. If you need to go outside, wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. And of course reach for the aftersun and top it up as and when needed to prevent skin from drying out. Once the burn heals go back to using it once a day after sun exposure. Green People’s hydrating after sun (£21.50 for 200ml, greenpeople.co.uk) is natural, organic certified and contains soothing aloe vera, calendula, myrrh oil and peppermint oil.
Once your skin is healed, what of those unsightly straplines and telltale paler bits? You might want to wear them with pride like Sydney Sweeney and Bella Hadid, who have shown off their lines on the red carpet and Instagram, but if you want to fake an all-over glow then celebrity tanner James Harknett is on hand. “Where you’ve got tan lines, gentle exfoliation is key before tanning,” he says. Try Three Warriors Tasmanian sand scrub (£32 for 150g, threewarriors.co.uk) to smooth and hydrate.
Although it may seem logical to “fill in the gaps” left by your natural glow, Harknett warns this will also tan the edges and lead to harsher lines. “The best product to use will be a gradual tanner that adapts to skin tone.” He advises using a beauty blender or sponge. Try Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge (£6.99, lookfantastic.com) with Three Warriors natural gradual tan (£32.99 for 150g, threewarriors.co.uk). “You can be quite strategic with where you’re layering the tan, and ensure you’re not over-tanning your real colour and getting that darker border.”
“You will need to build up to get your perfect colour match, which you can either do morning and night, or over a few days,” he advises. He adds that you should keep exfoliating gently every two to three days to keep skin smooth and to ensure that it renews evenly, without flaking.
Now all that remains is to get back to enjoying your summer drink of choice.
