Don't Let Summer Be A Bummer

It's getting overly hot and humid here in Kyle. Every day seems hotter than the last. It's crazy! The piercing heat just makes me want to do a "take the plunge" Nestea commercial where people dive into the water dramatically by doing a sort of a back flop splish-sploosh.  



Our community pool just recently opened and I could not be happier. So we go there often to cool off our overly heated bodies and minds. 

Me and my sister lounging by the poolside. 

And those, those are my weird looking pasty feet. I try to get enough sun but obviously, not enough. 


Having sensitive skin can be a total bummer since I can't enjoy a lot of things like other people can. But that won't stop me from having a little fun, right?






Here are some tips I've learned to help our skin while having fun in the sun: 
1. Don't forget your sunscreen! Very important. Make sure the label says UVA and UVB protection to help prevent sun damage. Smear on thy skin generously and reapply as needed. Don't forget your feet!
2. Have a little sunshine. Early morning sunshine = Vitamin D. Yummers (that's the skin and bones talking right there hehe).  
3. The weird, strong smell in swimming pools is chlorine. Chlorine is used in swimming pools to help keep it clean. That is a good thing. We don't want to swim in water that is bacteria-ridden, which, is also used by other people. Only Big Billy Bob From Up In The Sky knows where they've been. 
4. But, but, but! There's a big but here! (Still cracks me up!) Too much chlorine can be irritating to our skin. It has a strong drying effect. And again, dry is not good. And of you're acne prone like me, chlorine is not something we want to be exposed in too often. 
5. After swimming, make sure to rinse well to help wash away the chlorine. Moisturize your skin. 
6. I found that it also helps to exfoliate once in a while. A mild and cheap way is to use baking soda! Baking soda not only helps in sloughing off the dead skin to keep it smooth and soft, it also helps get rid of the bleach-y smell out of hair and skin. But remember, exfoliating too frequently can cause more harm than good so don’t overdo it. I repeat. Do not overdo it. 
7. Drink plenty of water to rehydrate.
8. Most importantly, enjoy.