We welcome the hot summer weather, but with the heat and humidity comes a slew of grooming issues to contend with. Not to stress out, though (after all, stressing may just worsen your grooming issues—hello, perspiration!); with few products and tweaks to your regimen, you’ll look and feel great through the rest of the season.
Sunburn
Even the most diligent SPF wearer can get too much sun some days—maybe you didn’t slather it over every bit of skin, or you forgot to apply some to the back of your neck. To help alleviate the sting, take a cool shower or bath and then gently put on a soothing, cooling lotion. You’ll want to reapply often so that you can minimize dry, peeling skin. Drinking lots of water will help, too (this also means you should lay off the alcohol as that’ll dehydrate you). If the burn is quite painful, you can take a pain reliever such as Advil to help with the inflammation.
Oily skin
You’re probably finding your skin’s oiler and shinier in the summer. To avoid looking greasy, pick up a mattifying moisturizer; these contain ingredients that absorb oil and eliminate shine. You could always check your girlfriend’s beauty stash and see if she has anything in her arsenal (look for a primer in her collection—these are designed to keep shine at bay, too). If you want something to cut shine on the go, blotting papers (a tiny packet of tissues you can even keep in your wallet) is something you can discreetly use to blot away oil.
Greasy hair
If the summer weather is making your hair greasier than ever, well, let us introduce you to dry shampoo. Keep some at the office or in your gym bag—it’s a great quick fix for absorbing any excess oil. You’ll also want to avoid running your hands through your hair, too, especially during the summer as touching it can trigger your sebaceous glands to produce even more oil
Body odour
It’s bacteria on your skin that, when mixed with sweat, stinks (sweat itself is actually pretty odourless). So you’ll want to minimize bacteria on your skin, so shower daily. Also, you might want to try a different product on your pits—a deodorant doesn’t stop you from sweating, but it masks the smell. An antiperspirant, on the other hand, contains aluminum choride, which helps to cut down sweating (although antiperspirants do typically also contain a deodorant to reduce odour). Monitor what you’re eating, too, if you’re finding yourself much more fragrant than you’d like to be—some foods (including onions, garlic and spice) can add to bad B.O.
