Is the skincare regimen of you and your clients ready to handle the summer sun? Being prepared for anything is always wise, especially since UV rays can damage the epidermis in as little as 15 minutes! You can prepare before you go out by following simple care steps for keeping skin strong and healthy, and you can do this with vegan ingredients.
Most sunscreens are off-limits for vegans, as they use animal-derived ingredients in their formulas; some of the most common ones include beeswax, chitin from insects and crustacean shells, collagen from fish and cows, and lanolin from sheep’s wool. None of these ingredients are necessary for skin safety, and you can take the proper precautions and protect your skin with vegan-friendly ingredients!
Natural Ingredients That Enhance Your Skin
Sunscreens are always an important part of spring and summer skincare, and vegans can find a few options that use minerals instead of animal-derived ingredients. These don’t get soaked into the skin, but rather reflect UV rays off the skin. But it’s not enough to have a good lotion – the skin itself should be strong and healthy.
The best ingredients include aloe vera, tea tree oil, and plant-derived vitamin E. All three provide antioxidant and anti-ageing properties that help your skin resist damage and heal from sun exposure. Studies show that applying aloe vera a full day before sun exposure can improve the skin’s immune system.
Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer with extra benefits, too, as it has antimicrobial qualities that make it a protective barrier for the skin. Coconut includes lauric acid, which helps the oil fight both bacteria and fungi. What’s more, coconut oil may even help heal wounds and protect the skin from UV rays.
Drink Water!
One of the best ways to keep your skin healthy is also vegan: drink more liquids. Staying hydrated keeps your skin supple and the cells performing at their best. The best beverage for skin hydration is, naturally, water, and the recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water each day is still good advice. If you are going outdoors, drink more water than usual to keep your skin hydrated and your body cool.
Protecting Healing Skin
It’s important to protect healing skin before going out into the sunshine. UV rays, while stimulating the creation of vitamin D in the skin, can also weaken the immune system. Keeping skin moisturized with vegan products that don’t amplify the effects of UV rays is very important.
While we make our balms with calendula oil to soothe, moisturize, and reduce post-treatment pain, they also protect vulnerable skin with coconut oil, aloe vera, and tea tree leaf oil. Our brow balm, for example, can also be used on chapped lips, dry skin, and minor scrapes and sunburns. To stay safe, have your clients use gauze to cover up the treated area after applying the balm to protect it from UV rays while it heals. Luckily, the ingredients in Crushed Aftercare balms speed up post-treatment healing, helping clients enjoy the sun sooner than later!