Scientific studies have produced results suggesting that people are 5X more susceptible to sun damage when sun bathing in the afternoon, as appose to in the morning. The study shows that afternoon sunbathing raises the risk of cancer development.

This is thought to be because the protein (XPA) produced in the body to repair UV damage cells is more active in the morning. Suggesting that bathing in the sunshine or visiting a tanning booth could is supposedly safer before lunchtime.

In scientific tests, mice (with internal body clocks exactly opposite to humans because they are nocturnal) developed five times more skin cancer tumours when exposed to UV rays in the morning, compared with those in the afternoon.

Professor Aziz Sancar, has shown in other studies that levels of the XPA protein differ throughout the day and seem to be controlled by the body clock. It is believed that XPA levels in humans would be at its greatest at 7am.

The research would suggest that restricting sunbathing or visits to the tanning booth to morning hours would reduce the risk of skin cancer in humans. However, it is still highly dangerous. Malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, kills around approximately 2,000 people per year and specialists urge ‘sun-tan seekers’ to find alternatives to sunbathing and sunbeds.

His team now plans to test human volunteers to confirm that morning sun is safest for people.

Sunbathers

Picture courtesy of AnnieGreenSprings

Part two

Scrub up well

How do you get the healthy glowing celebrity skin that you admire so much? Body scrubs are perfect for achieving this look, along with making your bod silky smooth to the touch. It’s very important to exfoliate your skin. Your body sheds skin cells at an amazing rate every minute of every day. If you don’t get rid of them, they’ll just keep lying on your skin making you look dull. No matter how much lotion you use, you’re will never achieve glowing skin if you don’t exfoliate. Grab a body scrub and hit the shower! Gently rub your exfoliator in circular movements on your entire body from the shoulders down, focusing on the legs. (You’ll want a facial exfoliator for your face and neck.) After this, rinse clean. Continue to do this 2-3 times a week for beautiful shiny skin.

Fake tan

Ok so here it is, you knew this one was coming, but if you’re a fake tan virgin fear not. Now technology is so advanced and the products so diverse (gradual self-tan moisturisers, wash-off, gels, sprays, lotions) that a fake tanning is virtually foolproof. But, just in case. We have included the top tips of how to apply fakebake successfully!

-Exfoliate properly- Exfoliating is important as a patchy tan is simply due to the skin flaking off at different intervals. Exfoliation gets rid of the dead skin cells and provides an even canvas for a tan to be applied to.
-Avoid waxing- If you’re waxing, do it the day before. Not only will it take off the tan if you do it afterwards,
-Pick your spot! – People always put fake tan on in the bathroom where the light is not particularly great.
-Take your time! –The key to perfect coverage is to give yourself enough time for the entire process including: moisturising, application and, crucially, drying time. This might be as long as an hour.
-Moisturise- Dry areas of the body, such as the knees, elbows, wrists, ankles, feet and hands, soak up more fake tan, making them darker. So apply a moisturiser to make sure your tan is as even as possible.
-Equip yourself- Only a beginners use bare hands to apply a tan. Always wear latex or vinyl gloves to protect my hands and to ensure that you get a streak-free finish.
-Work upwards-To avoid smudging the bits that you’ve already done, work from your feet upwards and do your arms last of all.
-Let it dry- Your tanning product will tell you how long you should leave it to dry. Mousses will generally dry quicker than creams or lotions.

TIP: If your tan is still tacky, use a hairdryer on a cool setting to gently blast your body and help it dry.

Spice up your life

They say, “You are what you eat!” so be a hottie in more ways than one by eating that natural fat burner, chillies. Chillies are really easy to incorporate in a meal, whether you blend them for a spicy chillie sauce or chop them up within a pasta dish!

Oils

From body oils to give you a hot glow to hydrating oils to leave your skin silk smooth, there are many oils out there available to buy which can help enhance your appearance… just get looking!  Feeling stressed? Why not try a healing balm? And for irritated skin, try adding a few drops of pure lavender, tea tree or myrrh to plain lotion, witch hazel or aloe vera gel to soothe everything from spots to sunburn. At this rate you’re going to be scrum-diddly-umpcious on that beach!

And finally…

Body envy affects us all even if you say it doesn’t (and even the celebs!) so resist the urge to keep comparing yourself to other women laid on the beach. Whether it’s your soft skin, gorgeous smile or your strong legs, be happy for the things you do have and try and forget about the other things that you’re maybe not so happy about. Always remember the important rule, as long as you feel beautiful, you look beautiful!

Part one

For most of us girl out there, the summer holidays and the sunshine is what we crave. Whether you chilling on the beaches, or shopping in the sun, it’s important to look your best. Here’s some tips and advice that we have put together to ensure you look as hot as you possibly can this summer!

Size wise

Firstly, the right suit for your shape is essential to looking killer on the beach. Which is easier said than done, right? Has anyone else had the awful experience of searching for that one swimsuit/ two piece that’s just right for you, but instead spent hours trailing around shops and trying on endless alternatives that all make you look disgusting?

The key is understanding what body shape you are and what type of bikini looks good on you.

For those who are small on top; you may not want to try the smaller Brazilian-type swim suits as they seem smaller on top,. You could also look for a top with underwire, padding, or a top with a demi-bra style. Avoid tops with too much fabric or tops that don’t fit properly and try to look for separates because then you can mix-and-match your top and bottom sizes. The perfect alternative for you is the ruffled tops or tops of the bandeau band style.

For those who are big on top, what you need is support! Underwire and halter tops are perfect for providing this whilst providing you with cleavage! Look for a one-piece with a structure bust, this style really compliments your body shape and helps balance out your body. Avoid strapless and bandeau tops and again, it is a good idea to buy separate top from bottom sets.

Those with short legs or short bodies look best in suits that are high cut on the thigh, this makes your legs look instantly longer! Vertical stripes and block colored bottoms paired with printed tops are perfect for attracting attention upwards and adding instant inches onto your height. Alternatively, a bloc swimming costume with a ‘plunge’ neckline can also achieve this look! It is very important for smaller people to avoid boy shorts and ‘frilly’ bikini bottoms.

Long body shapes look brilliant in horizontal strips or block bright colors- very ‘in’ right now! Boy shorts are beautiful bikini bottoms are just the thing for you! Although If you prefer wearing a costume rather than a bikini, go for one which has ‘cut-out’ areas as it will break up your body.

If this all seems like a bit too much, why not pass the stress onto a professional? Debenhams Personal Shoppers are the perfect people to search and bring you the best alternatives and are experts in matching up body shapes to swimsuits. They also stock a great range of sizes and best of all the service is free with no pressure to buy.

Get groomed

Great grooming is a sure way to look good and feel confident. A wide range of treatments are available and practical to achieve at home and a variety of methods mean there is something simple and easy out there to suit everyone. If you don’t fancy doing all the work yourself, or you have enough cash to splash-out and book an appointment at a beauticians where a wide range treatments are available ranging from eyebrow waxes to cellulite and stretch marks.

Grab a brew

Throughout the day, try to sip green tea as appose to the regular earl grey. Green tea helps rid your body of fluid and make you feel less bloated. If you can’t stand the bitter taste, you should try a blend made with citrus, which helps promote cleansing in the body and the removal of toxins. Green tea has many other long term benefits such as helping prevent conditions such as: cancer, arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infections and immune problems.

Yoga

Even after just one class we can guarantee you on your way to a firmer stomach, not to mention relaxed body and mind. Along with classes before you go, why not see if there are any at your holiday destination. Otherwise learn a few simple moves so you can do some stretches before you hit the beach!

When you go on holiday, you find yourself with a whole list of travel essentials you need to take and if you’re travelling abroad, especially to hotter climes for your summer holiday, well the list just keeps on going! For your ease we have a list of travel health essentials that you should make sure you have before you go.

Sunscreen – Very important for hot holidays and anywhere where your exposed to sunlight, you should make sure you have enough to last your holidays and that it is a high enough factor.; For children you should be putting on factor 50 and similarly as adults if you have fair skin, experts say factor 30 is suitable for most adults and anything lower should be avoided.

Sunglasses – Not just to finish off your holiday ensemble, sunglasses protect your eyes from the harmful UVA’s too  many cheap fashion pairs do not provide adequate protection for your eyes and should be avoided, look for pairs which have a at least 70% UVA protection, however 100% is best, especially for young eyes.

Medication – If you are on medication it is advisable to speak to your doctor before you go to make sure there isn’t anything you should be avoiding and also make sure if you’re visiting certain countries that your vaccinations are also up to date. You also need to make sure that you have enough medication with you, that you need, and a reminder for women who are on birth control pills make sure you take enough to last you and some spares if you lose any. It’s also advisable to make sure you pack basic drugs such as paracetamol, laxatives and diarrhoea tablets just in case.

First aid – It may not be first on your list for holiday essentials but a first aid kit is can come in handy, especially when you’re out and about, small scissors, bandages, antiseptic cream/wipes and plasters will probably be enough, even if you’re staying in a resort. Blisters anyone, from new sandals? Insect repellents and insect bite cream also will be useful especially if mosquito’s like to dine from you. 

For the airplane – If you’re travelling by air even just for a couple of hours you need to be aware of DVT, flight socks are an easy travel essential that can be packed into your hand luggage, ready for your flight and they can help prevent DVT and are a must on long haul. Also avoiding alcohol or anything that dehydrates you will also help.

A summer holiday is all about relaxing, putting your feet up and having some fun, however when it comes to the later, you have to be careful. Everydaysale.co.uk recently conducted a survey about holiday flings and found that 43% of British travellers would have a holiday fling if the opportunity arose, so if your single and looking for love, or a bit of fun in a foreign country then you need to be careful.

If you’re a part of a small group of women, then you will be high on a target list for many local men, not to mention other randy tourists, so you should always be aware, sometimes because of our reputation abroad locals can often misinterpret what women are after, often think all women want casual sex. This obviously isn’t the case.

However if you do want some fun on holiday, (sex) then you need to be equally as careful, making sure that the people you are travelling with know where you are and who your with. You need to make sure you know where you are as well, it’s no good going off with some stranger when drunk, if the next morning they just dump you on the street, leaving you to find your weary home in a foreign country which you’re not familiar with. Always try to stay on familiar ground, I know it may not that pleasant for your room mates but if your desperate for some fun go back to your room and get your roommate to keep out for an hour or ten minutes!

Finally if you’re having some holiday fun, you also need to make sure you don’t come home with more than the usual tacky souvenirs, i.e. a STD or even an unwanted pregnancy. So always make sure you use protection of condoms, whether you’re on birth control or not.

So we had a look in the last post on how to get your skin summer ready, so now we will look at other details that will get your body ready for its summer holiday and what to do while your away to keep it in tip top condition.

Hands and feet

Normally before I go away I like to have a pedicure and manicure, if like me your feet have been hidden away all winter in boots and in pumps over spring then there is a good chance your feet will need some attention before your bare them on holiday. When you have a pedicure all your dead skin is scrubbed away leaving them softer and brighter, your nails will be filed and polished making them look nice and tidy and then you can be finished off with a coat of polish For holidays I always like to have a French style manicure and pedicure as its simple and goes with anything you wear so you won’t have clashing colours with your holiday wardrobe.

Hair

I also like to make sure my hair is in tip top condition before I go away especially if I am visiting hotter climes. A trip to the hairdressers to sort out my ends, a hint of colour and a conditioning treatment normally does the trick! Whilst I am away I also look at keeping my hair conditioned and I cut down on the styling, so the extra heat and chemicals are kept to a minimum. One product I will be taking with me this summer is Kerastase Huile Céleste, which is their new summer sun hair care protective spray. It is conditioning oil which protects against the damaging properties of UV and other chemicals your hair is exposed to over summer it also enriches your hair and leaves it with a soft and shimmering finish.

Protection

Finally whilst you’re away its important you protect your skin from harmful UV rays and avoid burning your skin. When applying sun tan lotion you should be looking to use a shot glass full for your body and a full teaspoon for your face. Some lotions last all day with only one application needed however these tend to have a protection of 20, so if your fair skinned you need to look for something higher to get better protection.

Some people enjoy an action packed holiday full of excitement and adventure and some people like a relaxing lounging around holiday. If you prefer the latter you could find yourself fully enjoying a spa and health holiday, whether in this country or abroad choosing a hotel with good spa amenities can leave you feeling relaxed and invigorated.

Some more basic spas in hotels offer massages, saunas and some beauty treatments however larger more specialise places can offer a whole range of treatments, like specialised massages, body scrubs alternative treatments and healthy eating options for your stay, plus many more.