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Everyone knows there’s no hotter place to be in the summer than Scottsdale both figuratively and literally! With the soaring temperatures, you’re bound to want to wear your shorts and those cute skirts. Gentlemen too will be sure to be showing off their arms or maybe even going shirtless. So here’s some tips to shed that winter dullness and get some sizzling Scottsdale summer skin.

1. Water

It’s the life force. In fact, our bodies are made up of more than 60% water. One of the single best things you can do for your body, and health in general is to drink water. We all know how important it is to stay hydrated in the Valley of the Sun with uninitiated hikers being rescued from dehydration on our mountains each year. Besides just hydration, it helps your skin stay beautiful by flushing toxins out of your body, helping to guard against wrinkles, and if you drink enough of it, you’re likely to feel more full during the day, which will cause you to eat less. Sometimes when you feel hungry, it’s actually because you’re thirsty, so have a glass of ice cold water, and if you like, jazz it up with lemon or lime wedges which also helps to cleanse.

2. Sunscreen

Doctors have been urging us to use it for decades, and for good reason! A sunburn actually alters the DNA of your skin. Too much of the sun’s harmful UV rays can lead to things like melanoma (skin cancer), wrinkles, sunburns, and a host of other nasty things. Sunscreen (or block) is a great tool to avoid all the harmful effects. Put it on at least half an hour before sun exposure, and reapply it every few hours. Also, try to avoid the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are at their harshest. Don’t buy into the hype though. SPF 30 is the best you can get. After that, it really doesn’t make a difference, so if you think that buying that special, expensive high number SPF will protect you, you’re better off getting the regular stuff from Wal-Mart. Something else that can help is wearing a hat, and a stylish cover up over your bikini. A daily face moisturizer with sunscreen can help also, which brings us to the next point.

3. Moisturizer

I can’t stress enough how important moisturizer is for those of us living in this dry climate. For face, I love a brand I’ve been using since high school. Olay Complete. It’s the old school Olay, not the fancy new anti aging stuff. Since I have combination skin, I use the kind for oily/ combination skin, but there is a variety for normal skin, and sensitive as well. The oily/ combination is getting harder to find lately, and I don’t know why. I chatted online with Olay once, and they tried to tell me that they are still shipping just as much, and it should be on the shelves everywhere. Well, I wish they would try to find it in my neck of the Valley. It has SPF 15, and I use it year round on my face and my neck. For the body, you can find a wide array of body moisturizers from light to heavy. Lubriderm even makes a kind that has sunscreen in it for your whole body. Moisturizer just helps to seal in your body’s natural moisture giving it a fighting chance against pollution, free radicals, and the sun’s rays. It also helps to keep your skin soft, flake free, and young looking.

4. Sleep

Adults need between 6 and 8 hours of sleep a night for good health. I could write a completely separate article on the benefits of sleep, but here, we’re talking about skin. Good sleep will nix those bags under your eyes, and heals your body to help prevent signs of aging. Research also shows those who get enough sleep are less likely to want to binge on sweet snacks during the day to keep themselves awake, so put down that Butterfinger bar, and hit the sheets an hour or so earlier than normal. To make sure you’ll sleep when you lie down, make sure all your electronics are off, and do something low key, and screen free an hour before you go to bed like reading with a book or traditional ink look Kindle (not your phone or iPad), doing some light yoga, or taking a relaxing bath.

5. Spray Tans

We all want to look tan. In the Valley, it’s almost a necessity so that we don’t burn. Spray tans have come a long way since the days when Ross turned himself orange on “Friends.” Today, there are many options from organic airbrush, to spray booths that will give you a realistic looking glow. Our favorite is Bronzmopolitan (see article here) where you can get tanned and be social while having a drink. It’s the only tanning salon of its kind in Scottsdale!

6. Manicures and Pedicures

When you’re showing off your gorgeous skin, you’ll want the icing on the cake. Make sure to get monthly manicures and pedicures so you can show off your skin in style. You don’t have to get fake nails to have this done, and it’s a relatively inexpensive way to stay looking your best. Most salons will use an exfoliating scrub on your legs or arms plus moisturizer. You can also use a sugar scrub at home. This is even important for the guys. Don’t worry guys, they won’t put color on your nails.

Just follow these tips, and you’ll have the best skin at your next pool party, or lounging at the resort. If you have some other beautiful summer skin tips, feel free to share them in the comments below. We love to hear from our readers.

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