Now that the glorious summer that we Canadians long for all year is well underway it is time to ensure that we survive (and enjoy!)  the sun, heat, water, and the other elements.  I find that by mid-July, after a couple of weeks visiting friends at cottages on rocks and beaches my beauty regime can stand a bit of tweaking.  Our skin, nails and hair can all take a beating from our beautiful outdoor lifestyle that we are unaccustomed to – not that I am complaining one bit!

Here are a few tips that work well for me:

1. Use a broad-spectrum, natural sunscreen at all times with an SPF of 30 or higher.  Don’t forget skin on your hands and feet that are exposed most often.
2. Speaking of feet, many of us wear flip flops frequently and these can cause cracked heels and rough skin.  Use a good quality, paraben free moisturizer.  Certain vitamins can also help to maintain smooth skin (see below).
3. Hydrate frequently – think of water as moisturizer from the inside out. Your skin will thank you!
4. Make sure if you shave, wax, or laser hair that you do it several hours prior to sun exposure or else sensitive skin may get irritated.
5. Bug bites can be more than annoying – my best natural tip is to use Tea Tree Oil.  Works like a charm and stops scratching!
6. Hair can become very dry from the heat and sun.  Use a deep conditioner while IN the sun once a week then wash out after an hour or so.

When choosing vitamins for skin, nails and hair to stay looking their best and healthiest be certain these key ingredients are present in sufficient quantities.:

• BIOTIN  - research shows improvement in brittle nails and hair loss.  BONUS:  studies show improvement in blood sugar control
• SILICON – very important mineral for strong bones and good connective tissue to have healthy skin and hair. BONUS:  Maybe useful for atherosclerosis
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin – very important for maintenance of healthy skin and blood circulation.  BONUS:  can lower and control cholesterol levels
• Vitamin B6 – essential for amino acid conversions (protein) to make them bioavailable.  BONUS:  VERY good for our nails, skin, and hair

As always, I do my research and have found the femMED line of products to be of the highest quality and specific for OUR needs.  femMED’s Hair, Skin, and Nails formula has the key vitamins for skin, nails and hair I am looking for when choosing a supplement to improve my summer looks from the inside out!

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