Banish Blemishes, Fight Flaky Skin and 8 Other Ways to Get Gorgeous Skin This Summer!

iVillage

By Brenda Kearns

At least 62 percent of women struggle with complexion problems when the temperature soars -- these 10 clever strategies can erase your worst hot-weather complexion woes in as little as one week.

1. Heal Blemishes with Turmeric

Dab this popular East Indian spice on your pimples once daily, and you could tame even severe acne flare-ups in as little as one week. According to University of Texas researchers, turmeric is packed with curcumin -- an antioxidant that penetrates deeply into pores, where it kills bacteria, squashes inflammation and speeds healing.

Try it: Mix two tablespoons of turmeric with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to make a thick paste. Spread it onto pimples, leave on for eight minutes and then rinse well. Don't leave the paste on longer than eight minutes or it could leave a slight yellowish stain. If the area around your pimple is left with a yellow tint, rub with a little lemon juice then rewash to remove the color.

2. Prevent Flakiness with Coconut Oil

Ultra violet sunrays and hot, humid weather can be rough on delicate skin, leaving dull, flaky patches. But if rub coconut oil onto your trouble spots twice daily, you could erase those beauty flaws in as little as one week, according to researchers at India's Mumbai University. Credit coconut oil's lauric acid (a unique plant compound that kills rash-causing yeast), kick-starts the growth of healthy new skin cells and can even smooth fine lines and wrinkles by 42 percent, says biochemist Mary Enig, Ph.D., author of Know Your Fats. "Coconut oil is so healing, it provides better results than even today's pricey skin creams."

Try it: You can find coconut oil in grocery stores, health food stores or online. Just use a little, twice a day.

3. Improve Tone with Colorful Veggies

In a recent British study, women who ate two heaping cups of bright green, orange or red vegetables a day were rated as the most youthful and attractive. They were even rated prettier than women who had tans! The reason: These veggies are packed with carotenoids, plant pigments that quickly soak into your skin, giving it a warm, healthy, completely natural glow. They also can cut your risk of cancer in half, according to Harvard studies.

Try it: Toss your favorite green, orange or red vegetables into eggs, salads, soups and pastas as often as possible.

4. Erase Puffiness with Chamomile

Tea Does your skin get puffy and doughy-looking as the temperature soars? Join the club! For up to 60 percent of women, this beauty blight pops up every year right at the peak of swimsuit season. "That's because your body responds to high temps by stashing excess water in your skin, thinking that it will help keep the heat away from your core," says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, Calif. But chamomile tea, which contains a powerful natural diuretic called apigenin can flush out trapped water, explains Dr. Haas.

Try it: Sip two cups of strong chamomile tea -- hot or cold -- daily. Other safe, natural bloat-busters: Cucumber, parsley, lemon, papaya, asparagus, celery and grapes.

5. Fight Rosacea with Rosanil
At least 16 million Americans -- and three times more women than men -- struggle with rosacea, a common inherited skin condition that leave your skin ruddy and rashy, with pimply patches that spread like wildfire during the summer months. It tends to flare up when UV light slams into sensitive tissues. If you're suffering from rosacea, ask your doctor about Rosanil Cleanser, a face wash laced with sulfur -- a powerful anti-inflammatory that speeds healing and reduces redness (the toughest rosacea symptom to treat) in as little as two weeks, say University of Texas researchers.

Try it:
Talk to your dermatologist to get a prescription.

Click here to get more tips on getting flawless skin this summer

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