The August issue of O, The Oprah Magazine on newsstands now reveals the Summer Beauty Survival Handbook.
August is the peak of the summer season, and it’s also the height of summer’s beauty dilemmas – bug bites, TOO much sun, and frizzy hair! For every beauty problem – including the worst-case scenarios – O Magazine has the solution.
Minimize the Aftermath of Sunburns
Pop two aspirin, which inhibits the prostaglandin release that can increase redness.
Take a cool bath or shower. A sunburn increases blood flow to your skin; cold water reduces it.
Slather the affected areas with an aloe gel, but be careful to avoid products that contain alcohol, which can dry skin and increase peeling.
Solemnly swear to always apply sunscreen (and reapply every two hours!) when you’re in the sun.
Hide Front-and-Center Mosquito Bites
Dab a 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment on the bite as soon as you notice it to bring down the inflammation and redness. (An antihistamine, like Zyrtec, will also help reduce swelling.)
Once you’ve treated the bite, cover it as you would a pimple, using concealer and a translucent powder.
Sweat Less…Or Create that Allusion
Take a cold shower. The cool water will lower your skin temperature, actually impacting how much you sweat.
After showering, towel off and sprinkle powder over areas that tend to be particularly sweaty.
To cure slippery feet, blow dry your feet using your hair dryer’s cool setting, and then pat powder on them.
Consider using a deodorant with a higher antiperspirant power, like Secret Clinical Strength or Degree Clinical Protection. For best results, apply your antiperspirant to totally dry skin right before bed. If you need even-more-potent sweat prevention, ask you dermatologist for a prescription, like Xerac Ac or Drysol.
Conceal a Broken Out Chest
To hide any individual pimples, dab on a concentrated concealer using a fine-pointed makeup brush. Because body makeup often looks thick on the chest and back, use a face formula instead, like Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. Use a translucent powder to set the concealer. For more diffuse breakouts, apply a powder foundation (like Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation or Revlon ColorStay Aqua Mineral Makeup) all over the offending area with a large fluffy brush.
Prevent Hair from Wilting
Get to get rid of the grease that can weigh down hair at the roots. Shampoo daily, using products like Neutrogena T/Sal shampoo for oil control. Go easy on your conditioner usage, and try a product that has a gel consistency (like KMS California Add Volume Gel Conditioner) in order to keep hair smooth without flattening it.
To defy gravity all day, look for products billed as “root lifters” (like L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Pumping Volume Spritz). Spray at the roots when hair is still damp, or try flipping your head upside down while blow-drying for extra volume.
Cure a self-tanner hangover: streaky ankles, stained palms
In the shower, squeeze an exfoliating scrub (preferably one containing glycolic acid, like Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body) onto a loofah and rub it in circles over the darkest areas. This will buff away that surface skin, and will soften the color.
If you don’t have an exfoliator handy, the citric acid in fresh lemon juice can help slough away excess color (cutting a lemon in half and rubbing it directly on the splotchy areas will do the trick!).
Once your skin is dry, a tinted bronzer will help even things out; you can also minimize remaining streaks by applying a subtle gradual tanner (like Lorac SelfTantalizer body Bronzing Gradual Self-Tanner) all over.
Next time, exfoliate thoroughly before applying self-tanner; when you’re done applying, gently rub a damp washcloth over your elbows, knees, ankles, and feet (the areas most likely to streak).
