The carefree days of summer often engender a simpler approach to life -- including our skin and hair care routines. It’s the perfect time of year for minimal makeup and a more relaxed approach to our hair as we take the time to truly embrace warmer days and the great outdoors.

Yet, the reality is that extra care and attention to the skin is essential throughout the summer months. The sun and wind can seriously damage your skin -- so certain preventative measures should be taken.

Here are seven ways to keep your skin healthy and glowing all summer long:

1. Don a wide-brimmed hat

The best protection against sun damage is to cover up and stay in the shade. An effective sun hat also provides coverage for areas that are susceptible to sunburn (and often overlooked when applying sunscreen) such as the hairline and scalp as well as the ears and lips. If wearing a hat is not your style, be sure to stay out of the sun when its rays are harshest -- from 12 to 3 pm.

2. Serve and protect -- your chest

The skin on your chest is thinner and more fragile than your face so nurture it with care. Sun damage is one of the main culprits that contribute to wrinkles on the neck and décolletage, so cover up! Be sure to take good care of thinner skin on your hands as well, it is, too, another part of the body prone to premature aging due to sun exposure.

3. Get excited about exfoliation

Feeling rather lizard-like? Erase the traces of the elements by sloughing away dry skin at least two times a week. Shedding unwanted dead skin will open the pores and improve blood circulation to the face. Try our Blue Diamond Peeling for an extra dose of collagen kindness and rich hydration. This unique exfoliator also helps restore your skin’s microbiological balance.

4. Drink up!

It is well known that water helps preserve the elasticity of the skin and prevents the premature development of wrinkles. During the warm summer months, you need to be even more aware of your water intake. Drinking an adequate amount of water each day will help keep your skin stay soft and plump. For extra glowing skin, add pieces of lemon, a slice of cucumber or a few berries to your water, for a triple treat of hydration, antioxidants and vitamin C.

5. Keep your collagen close by

The native marine collagen in Natural Collagen Platinum, Diamond Collagen, Native Collagen DNA and Collagen Vege not only strengthens and plumps the skin -- it also possesses many “summer season super powers.” Here are few lesser-known benefits and uses for native collagen:

Apply it to your hair. The hair can become damaged and dry by the sun’s rays. Apply collagen on towel-dried hair and massage it into the scalp. Leave it for a few minutes before drying and styling. The result? Soft, “de-frizzed” hair along with a boost in growth and overall thickness.
All-natural sunburn treatment. If you happen to stay in the sun too long, apply collagen to the affected areas, ASAP. This will aid in healing, ease any pain associated with the burn and provide much-needed moisturization.
Cute cuticles. Boost nail growth and improve your cuticle health with regular application of collagen to your nail bed.
Bye-bye bug bites. Whether it is a mosquito bite or bee sting that’s left its mark on your skin -- quickly apply collagen for instant relief.

6. Give ‘em some “shade”

A proper pair of sunglasses will help prevent wrinkles around the eye area. Make sure your shades have 100% UV protection to filter both UVA and UVB rays – and wear them on cloudy days, as well.

7. Amp up your vitamin C intake

Vitamin C is a most powerful antioxidant that helps protect the skin from the inside out -- and plays an important role in collagen production. Vitamin C has the amazing ability to undo photo-aging -- skin damage as a result of years of sun exposure. Reduce wrinkles and repair sun damaged skin with a daily dose of Vitamin C. The added benefits of biologically active marine collagen in the formula enhance and maintain the structure and suppleness of the skin, and contribute to optimum joint health.

7 Essential Tips for Glowing Summer Skin