Top 5 Summer Skin Products to Have!

Summer is here!!! That means plenty of things: school's out, picnics, bar- b-ques, pedicures, maxi dresses and hot temperatures. The hot temperatures can make our skin act crazy, whether it's sun burn, oily skin or just plain hot and sticky skin. So, I thought of my top 5 summer skin products that I love to use in the summer to help your skin stay beautiful and healthy.

1. Moisturizer and SPF- Moisturizer is needed all year around. It helps your skin to stay hydrated. It protects the skin against premature aging like lines and wrinkles and it keeps your skin soft and glowing. If you don't moisturize your skin it will eventually start producing excess moisture in your skin by way of oil. Excess oil in the skin leads to breakouts and pimples. If you have oily skin in the summer (like I do) moisturizer is still needed but it's best to use an oil free moisturizer. A great moisturizer that I'm using now is The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Cream $16.

SPF is equally important because it protects the skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays that can lead to skin cancer. Spf is not just for the lighter and medium beauties, it's also for the darker beauties because even though you have a lot of melanin in your skin-you still need protection from the sun's harmful rays. It's best to have a 2 in 1 moisturizer that provides spf. If not, sunscreen can be purchased at drug stores and department stores.

2. Mattifier- If you have oily skin in the summer then mattifier is EXTREMELY important. It stops your skin from producing so much oil in the summer time which makes you look greasy, shiny and ruins your makeup. I apply my mattifer before I put on moisturizer and makeup. I just learned of an inexpensive mattifier which is milk of magnesia. To use it as a mattifer -mix it with several drops of your favorite moisturizer and apply it to your skin and any oil is gone. Milk of Magnesia can be purchased at your neighborhood drugstore starting at .99!
                                                                   

I actually use Mac's Oil Control Lotion $29.50. It's pricier but I absolutely love it! It can be used day or night, I put it on in the morning and my face is oil free for the entire day.

3. Baby Wipes- Yes, baby wipes :) I was reading another blog ( http://makeupbykim-porter.com/) and she suggested that baby wipes are excellent in the summer if you sweat a lot and tend to feel sticky because of perspiring. I use baby wipes to remove my makeup because they're gentle and inexpensive but they're also good for sweat removal. CVS and the Dollar Tree have travel pack baby wipes for $1.

4. Oil Absorbing Sheets- Oil absorbing sheets are great to carry for excess oil. I keep them in my cosmetic bag for touch ups on days that I forget to use my mattifier.  I rave a lot about Elf's Shine Eraser sheets $1 but they are the best!                        

5. Bronzer- Enough about skin care, now for the pretty stuff! I love wearing bronzer in the summer time! It gives you that nice golden, sun kissed glow. It looks good as an all over body highlight for your face, arms and legs. Bronzer looks good on ALL skin on ANY complexion, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!! My favorite bronzer is Mac Refined Golden Bronzer. The Body Shop, Cover Girl's Queen Collection and Wet n Wild's Bronzers are excellent as well, they start at $3.99 and higher.

The goal of applying bronzer on your face is to apply it anywhere the sun naturally hits like the crown of your forehead, cheeks and nose. To apply it to your arms or legs, mix it with your favorite lotion or oil for a bronzed shine.