Looking Good - June 11, 2018

*-- 7 Tips for Fighting Oily Summer Skin --*
Wash Right

Even if you don't tend to break out, switching to a cleanser that fights zits in the summer will keep your skin looking matte. Choose one with 2 percent salicylic acid, which helps break down oil in the pores but isn't overdrying.

Don't Scrimp on Sunblock

A healthy dose of sunblock (a teaspoon for your face), surprisingly, helps control oil and shine. Skip your morning moisturizer and slather on a mineral-based block or one with denatured alcohol, which makes the skin matte. (Look for "alcohol denat" or "SD alcohol 40" on the label.)

Scale Back on Makeup

Foundation not only feels heavy in hot weather�it melts into your pores and clogs them, and they produce more oil. Switch to a tinted moisturizer with silicone, like Elizabeth Arden Sheer Lights, which forms a shield over the skin, keeping makeup where it belongs. Or try a mineral powder foundation, which sucks up excess oil like a sponge.

Watch What You Eat

Cocktails and spicy foods may hit the spot on a hot night. But they won't do your skin any favors; they dilate blood vessels, and make you perspire. Limit yourself to one drink a night, and eat spicy foods no more than once a week. And consider loading up instead on carrots, cantaloupe, and spinach; foods like these that are high in vitamin A can actually slow oil production.

Become a Facialist

And by that, we mean give yourself this easy at-home facial:

1. Exfoliate once a week.

2. Follow with a mask.

3. If you're still greasy, get the strong stuff. Instead of the above exfoliators, try an at-home peel with salicylic or glycolic acid. Then apply the mask above a day later to avoid drying out the skin.

Lighten Up on the Night Cream

Take your bedtime beauty routine down a notch. If you use a cream, switch to a lotion; if you use a lotion, switch to a hydrating serum. Whatever the formula, be sure the product contains oil-zapping salicylic or glycolic acid, pore- shrinking caffeine, or anti-inflammatory niacinamide.

Blot Your Heart Out

Just don't use a powder puff, or you'll create a cakey mess. Instead, reach for blotting papers with a touch of translucent powder.

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