One of the biggest secrets to looking youthful is to maintain glowing skin with the right skin care routine. After wrinkles start to appear, you can use injectable treatments to conceal them—but it’s much easier to stop them from occurring in the first place, so you won’t have to undergo more invasive anti-aging treatments later in life. BOTOX®, according to Westlake Village’s Pierre Skin Institute, is the ideal choice for relaxing the tense and active facial muscles that make creases and wrinkles develop and appear more prominent.

But wrinkles aren’t only caused by our habitual facial expressions! They’re also linked to a variety of other factors that we’re exposed to during our daily life. Sometimes we don’t even realize that our skin is being harmed. Follow these techniques to keep your skin in its best shape and avoid wrinkles, especially as you enjoy common late-summer activities.

Remove Chlorine from Your Skin

Chlorine from pools and hot tubs can be stressful for your skin. When you spend many hours in the pool, the chemicals in the water strip your hair of its natural oils, causing the strands to become thin and brittle while also causing rashes, irritation, dryness, or flaky skin. When skin is dehydrated, wrinkles and lines show up more prominently. Want to avoid the worst of this? Fifteen minutes before you get in the pool, apply waterproof, SPF sunscreen to your skin. After swimming, remember to shower with fresh water, and moisturize to protect the skin’s barrier, especially on the thinnest and most fragile areas of skin, such as around the eyes.

Avoid Direct Smoke Exposure

If you have seasonal allergies, it’s possible that you could have an allergic reaction to cedar, oak, mesquite, and hickory or charcoal burned in a campfire or barbecue. The allergen can remain in the smoke or even be transferred to food, causing symptoms that affect the respiratory system and skin. The best way to avoid allergic reactions is to not have direct exposure to smoke, and to cook food with a gas or electric grill instead. Be sure to mow your lawn several days before you enjoy any smoke-creating activities in order to avoid kicking up pollen, and clean all furniture or other surfaces after.

Upgrade Your Sun-Protection Habits

People who are going to be spending most of their day working out in the sun need more than just one coating of sunscreen or a moisturizer that contains SPF to prevent burns and reduce the risk of skin cancer. Apply waterproof sunscreen, even if you’re not planning to swim, since you’re less likely to sweat it off. Make a habit of reapplying it every one to three hours if you’re going to be spending all day outside exposed to sunlight. But don’t just depend on sunscreen! Wear clothing and accessories that are designed to shield you from UV damage as much as possible, such as hats, visors, sunglasses, and dark-colored nylon clothing.

Choose Alcohol Wisely

Many of the warm weather activities people enjoy tend to involve drinking, so it’s no surprise that alcohol consumption usually increases during this time. Just be careful not to overdo it as the heat and sun exposure will make you more likely to become dehydrated or suffer from heat stroke as your body temperature will rise when you’re spending a long time outside. Drinking excessively can cause acne breakouts because of oxidative stress. Alcohol consumption can also age your face by making wrinkles look more pronounced and causing dryness, redness, and puffiness. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water to replenish what is lost, choose light-colored alcohol, and eat some vitamin-rich food before you go out. Tequila, beer, vodka, and gin are easier on your skin, while red wine can be one of the worst drinks.

Ready to find out more about skin care? Westlake Village’s Pierre Skin Care Institute will help you get started and find treatments that are right for your skin type, no matter the weather. Call 805-496-9190 or submit a contact form online to request a consultation.