Summer’s finally here on the east coast and yes, you can expect some changes to your skin. And who best to help us with some good, sound advice than Durban skin expert, Shana Sandri.*

ECR Life has chatted to her on how to be skin savvy this summer:

So what’s the deal with the environment?
Shana says during the hot months, you can expect your skin to produce 10% more oil for every degree the outside temperature increases! Now, a dry skin will absolutely love this as they’re oil parched but if you have oily or problematic skin, this could trigger a breakout or blackheads or even make a dormant acne-prone skin, active!

Why do I need protection?
With more daylight hours you’ll naturally migrate outdoors and being “Durbanites”, many of us live for the outdoors! Although the sunlight makes us feel free and alive and increases our body’s production of Vitamin D, there’s always a down side to it :sun damage, increased pigmentation and ageing.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), we need a minimum of 15 minutes of natural light a day. (Sunlight, by the way, also triggers our feel-good hormones.) But too much sun-time can damage our skin, causing wrinkles, sun spots and more scarily, cancer.

How do I play it safe?
Remember how your mum always slapped on the sun protection cream before you went out to frolic on the beach? Well, as is most cases, mum was right about how important sunscreen is.

Shana says we need to protect ourselves from the moment the sun is up, to the moment it goes down. She says: “It’s not good enough to just apply sun protection when we fully expose ourselves, like when we go running on the beach or surfing. It must be as routine as brushing your teeth!”

According to Shana, a sun protection factor is the best investment you can make in your skin before you even consider spending money on expensive anti-wrinkle or pigmentation creams. Experts agree that a minimum of SPF 15 and a maximum of SPF 30 is all you need consider.
Don’t be fooled with a higher SPF – they don’t protect you more. All they contain is more chemicals but these do nothing to offer further block out.

Where, how and how often?
To best protect yourself while out in the sun, reapply your SPF every two hours.
Guys, you need to remember to apply sun block to your ears and lips as the highest incidence of skin melanomas in SA occur in these often-neglected areas.

Fast face fact: What you’re seeing in your skin in terms of pigmentation and ageing is 20% genetic and 80% preventable! So, what you did in your youth, will tell its story now and you have to work double as hard to get rid of it, well perhaps 80% of it if you’re lucky!

I’ve done the sunscreen, now what?
If your skin is looking and feeling dull and devitalized, Shana says you should consider upping your exfoliation to three times a week. And don’t forget to indulge with a mask afterwards.

Shana adds: “Now is the time to relook your skin routine for specialist serums and booster type treatments to meet the needs of your demanding and ever-changing skin.

If you’re in the habit of regular skin treatments, your therapist should be analyzing your skin changes and navigating you through it. It’s not good enough to have the “same-old-same old” type treatment. If you’re  serious about your skin, so should she be!”

WIN! WIN! WIN!
Stand a chance to win a complimentary Dermalogica Face Map with Shana and her team. This will give you a detailed skin analysis over 14 zones so you’ll know what’ll work on your skin and what won’t.
Enter by sending an email with “Face Map” in the subject line to life@ecr.co.za
The winner will be notified via email.
Please bear in mind before you enter, that M.E.G is based at Umhlanga, north of Durban.
Competition closes Friday, 29 January.

If you have a question for one of our Skin Care experts, drop us a line at life@ecr.co.za
Be sure to include Skin Care Expert in the subject line.

* Shana Sandri is owner of and therapist at M.E.G (Men’s Executive Grooming.) She has a SAAHSP (SA national Diploma) in Somatology and Cidesco (International) diploma in Somatology. Shana is also a postgraduate in Sports Injury Massage, trigger point therapy and Facilitated stretching techniques (Dr. Sean Lewis); Aromatherapy and Reflexology. Shana can be contacted on 031 5665895.