Hello, lovelies!

I hope you are all staying healthy and happy! Summer is quickly approaching us here in Toronto! As we have already experienced a few scorchers, I thought I should share some of my tips and tricks for how I survive the summer with a ghost-like complexion!

I don’t know about you, but I still remember those high-school summers of laying in my parents backyard trying to become a bronzed goddess - no sunscreen, no hats, just soaking up the sun. Did this ever actually work? HECK NO. I always turned into a burnt lobster and felt like absolute crap afterwards.

Now at the “wise” age of 24, I have an intense regimen that I follow (even on cloudy days) in the summer to ensure that the burnt lobster version of myself does not make a comeback. You see, back in those days, I was so NOT concerned with the aging, wrinkles, or skin cancer risks associated with sun bathing. Now, on the other hand, THAT IS ALL I THINK ABOUT. Seriously… I wear SPF on my face every single day… even in the winter. So, with the hot sunny days fast approaching, I thought to myself… “I can’t possibly be the only girl with a complexion as pasty as a ghost who requires a little T.L.C. during this weather?!” SO. Here we are. I hope that if any of you can relate to the words I have said you will find solace in this post full of useful tips and tricks for saving us from burning to a crisp!

1 - Tinted Facial Sunscreen

Listen… if you take nothing else away from this post let it be this one point: TINTED SPF for your face. If you haven’t been following along with my PCOS journey, I suffer from HORRIBLE and painful hormonal acne (or should I say USED TO SUFFER- but that is a story for next time). This becomes extraordinarily difficult to manage in the summer when it comes to SPF, makeup, sweating, etc. SO about 4 months ago I decided to stop wearing foundation - this was the best decision of my life. YES… I still wear makeup BUT in a much different way than I used to (I will get into these details in another post that will be arriving very soon). BUT the main thing I do to help ensure I am taking care of my skin in the summer is wear a tinted sunscreen as my base.

I am a die-hard fan of La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Mineral Tinted Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 50. They say that it is “100% mineral sunscreen + universal shade for an instant natural glow” and I am sure that is the case for most people BUT I must be transparent (no pun intended) with you all - it is a little bit darker than my natural complexion. HOWEVER it does not oxidize and turn an unpleasant orange-ish colour. AS long as I take a minute to blend it down the neck it looks EXTREMELY natural. It does not offer much coverage, but rather evens out the complexion which is all I need right now! I have been using this product for 3+ years and absolutely swear by it! I am sure other brands offer something similar but I have no desire to stop using this product for the foreseeable future!

2 - Cute Hats

I will be the first to admit that I have always despised hats… I used to think that they made my head look funny and so I never wore them. BUT FRIENDS… there are some REALLY FREAKING CUTE hats out there! Believe me, I know it might sound scary but just give them a try! They are a secondary defense against the suns harmful rays hitting your face and they don’t have to be ugly! I am so obsessed with this cute little “dad-cap” that I purchased at FanExpo 2019 (I cannot remember the name of the vendor, but if I do I will post it in the comments down below!)

3 - Faux-Tan

I know, I know… there is a LOT of controversy surrounding faux tanning BUT I am NOT talking about laying in a tanning bed and cooking your skin. What I AM talking about is cream /self-tanners. I was EXTREMELY apprehensive at first because I am usually super careful about what I put on my skin (after-all… 60% of what you apply to your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream) BUT I honestly believe that this has been much healthier for me compared to laying out in the sun for hours.

Look… this may sound vain to some people but to me it is just a comment from a confident woman… I feel my best when I have a little bit of a tan going on. I won’t apologize for that. I am a huge advocate for self-love and this is one thing that I like to do to make myself feel good. When I have a bit of colour I just feel better.

I would personally rather apply a mostly natural self-tanning lotion like my current favourite from L’Oreal, than soak up UV rays and risk skin damage/cancer from laying directly in the sun. If I have a slight tan from this product, I don’t feel the need to lay out in the sun to gain a tan. I also find myself applying SO MUCH more sunscreen to my body when I go outside after self-tanning. My go-to routine when I want a bit of colour is: exfoliate my skin with Lush’s Scrubee while in the shower, apply the Aveeno Active Naturals Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion, then apply the L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Luminous Bronzer. 3-steps to bronzed boosted self-confidence.

As a side note, I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin and I have NEVER had a bad reaction to this lotion. It is the only one that I have tried, BUT I would be open to trying other brands as well as I would love to find a more natural solution.*

*Also… I have used this self-tanner for 2 years now but have never applied it to my face. As a result of my hormonal acne/sensitive skin, I have always been too scared to put self-tanner on my face, SO when I apply the product, I make sure to be extra careful blending it up my neck area and have never had any issues with “orange” stripes or “fake” looking areas.

4 - ALOE, ALOE, ALOE!

You’ve heard it before, and I will say it again anyways: ALOE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! We all get a little carried away sometimes - we are having a glorious day in the sun, making memories with loved ones and forget to reapply our SPF or take off our hat for a few minutes too long. Been there done that. THAT’S OKAY: I GOT YOU. I highly recommend that all of my ghost gals out there have a healthy Aloe vera plant on hand for those little mishaps with the sun. If you spend too much time soaking up the rays, fear not! Simply slice off one piece of your aloe plant, place it in the freezer for 30 mins to cool it off, slice it open and apply the cool-inner gel to your burns. You will feel instant relief (although the smell is not very pleasant).

Well, that is all for today, friends! I hope that you found this post helpful and found some new tips and tricks for tackling the summer with pale, sensitive skin! Be sure to share your tips for dealing with the sunshine in the comments below!!

Stay healthy and happy, lovelies!

Yours, happily,

Kristyn xo