Post-summer must-haves

By Bahar Krahn, Founder NOELIE

did you have a nice summer We also really enjoyed filling up our sun tanks. This year the summer was again long, hot and particularly full of hours of sunshine, which posed a special challenge for our skin and hair.

That's why we're now receiving many inquiries about suitable care routines in our Be Organic institute. How do I regenerate my sun-stressed skin? Why is my hair so brittle? Everything is tense and crackling, what do I do now?

Our long-standing customers know: After summer is before summer. Of course it's great to be able to give you special care. So that you are perfectly prepared next year, we will also tell you how you can protect your skin and hair directly from the sun - and why.

Sun protection is individual

Dark hair, light hair, more or less pigmented skin - the proportion of melanin and the type of composition are responsible for how much sun we can tolerate. We differentiate here between eumelanin and phaeomelanin: Blonde people with a more distinguished paleness have a mixture of a lot of pheomelanin and rather less eumelanin - and are therefore less well armed against the sun. If your hair is rather dark and your skin tans quickly and without redness, the eumelanin content predominates and you can stay in the sun longer.

When exposed to sunlight, the melanin in the epidermis gradually tans and acts like a pigment parasol. The more melanin, the denser the screen. This is what determines who gets sunburned quickly or almost never.

If you also use sunscreen, you can extend your sunbathing a little longer. They come with chemical and physical protection: With chemical protection, the sun's rays penetrate the skin and are converted into heat there to cause less damage. A physical protection uses mineral titanium dioxide or zinc oxide pigments to reflect the sun directly away from the skin, preventing the sun's rays from reaching the skin.

When choosing the right sunscreen, you should not only pay attention to chemical or mineral, waterproof or caring: Unfortunately, these sunscreens also contain ingredients that can potentially be carcinogenic, cause allergies and even change hormones. Our DNA can also be damaged by mutagenic INCIs and some drugs are even suspected of promoting Alzheimer's. And even if we repeat ourselves endlessly here: Of course we also find the dear microplastic in sunscreens, both in the supposedly high-quality ones from the pharmacy and in products from the supermarket.

Protection and regeneration must reach deep into the skin

Our skin is overloaded long before a sunburn even occurs. Sooner or later, the UVB radiation gives us visible, superficial sunburn – cell toxins are formed, the skin swells and blood circulation increases, the itchy and at the same time painful reddening occurs. Vessels that cannot withstand this increased blood flow dilate, often even bursting and becoming visible.

Do you know those annoying little veins around your eyes and nose that won't go away? They are called telangiectasias and can be promoted on this particularly thin and sensitive skin area by extensive sunbathing, among other things. Getting rid of them is difficult if not impossible. You can get quick protection and remedy here with our Illuminating Crystal Eye Cream : The contained bush clover extract protects preventively against the demonstrably damaging blue light. We mainly know this blue light from smartphones & tablets, but it is also contained in natural daylight. Wrinkles, shadows and puffiness around the eyes are actively reduced and you can even use the natural lifting ingredients against the famous frown lines and wrinkles around the mouth and nose.

The long-wave UVA radiation even penetrates into the subcutaneous tissue. It changes the structure of your skin in the long term and damages the connective tissue. Existing wrinkles become deeper and new wrinkles appear because the skin's elasticity is lost. The so-called "light calluses" - a thickening of the upper horny layer to provide us with additional protection when we are in the sun for a long time - makes the skin dry and also makes it appear saggy and leathery. Of the Herbal Infusion Hydrating Toner acts as an immediate help throughout the day: Sprayed on as often as you like, it is a true all-round talent, as it moisturizes, relaxes and regenerates the skin at the same time. The goji berry extract it contains protects against premature skin aging, supports cell renewal and contains more antioxidants than oranges. Free radicals are bound and the complexion is refined. Dryness caused by the sun and feelings of tension have practically no chance here. This toner should always be where you are.

With frequent exposure to the sun, your skin pigments can shift, intensify and form unsightly spots. Premature age spots are a common late effect (or early sign) of extensive sun exposure. So that your skin is now strengthened and regenerated in depth, you should definitely include our Prebiotic Skin Recharge Treatment in your routine. It regenerates your skin in depth to counteract all cell and pigment damage. Acacia collagen, natural retinol and our "Green Botox", spilanthol, unleash your skin's self-healing powers, lifting and plumping up. You can use it for 7 days or support your skin's entire cycle for 28 days.

The Hydrating Skin Repair Serum complements this treatment perfectly: Precious oils and powerful active ingredients regulate your lipid balance, plump up, rejuvenate and support the natural luminosity of your skin. The texture is ultra-light and the karanja oil it contains also acts as a natural sun protection factor.

When we are young, these consequences seem so distant. However, sun damage causes our skin to age 10-20 years faster. This effect can occur sooner than we would like. We don't even want to start here with light and black skin cancer, which is favored by any excessive exposure to the sun.

Hair doesn't get sunburnt, does it?

The good news: no, hair cannot get sunburned. The bad: They become straw and dull if you don't protect them appropriately.

You have to imagine what happens on a beach vacation, for example, when you alternate between sea and sun bathing: your hair gets wet, dries in the wind and sun, gets wet again, and so on. Each time, the protective lipid layer of your hair is roughened and the connections between the hair fibers are destroyed. The result is limp hair without bounce, lackluster and difficult to comb. Due to this constant drying process and the heat, your hair also uses up its vitamin and moisture stores, making it brittle and dry.

There is the chlorine water: The chlorine it contains causes far more damage than salt water and often even gets permanently stuck in the hair. It will never be the same again. It doesn't matter whether your hair is undyed, bleached, conventionally dyed or dyed with herbal hair dye: If you are exposed to chlorine frequently, the color will fade or fall out completely. In addition, unsightly, often irreparable color changes from orange to green are not uncommon. Chlorine doesn't belong in your hair and the best protection here is not letting it in in the first place. This is where you definitely need our aforementioned superhero couple to make sure none of it gets in your hair.

It doesn't matter whether you have taken the best possible precautions or now need a rescuer in an emergency because you didn't know all this: The Smooth & Repair Hair Mask cares so intensively that you can hear your hair sigh comfortably if you listen carefully when applying it. The seeds of the Sacha Inchi fruit bind the oil proteins they contain to your hair and give it back its suppleness. Here, too, the moisture is firmly anchored in the hair with hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and Jericho rose extract. We have combined an elite of active ingredients here to regenerate deep damage and prevent any damage. And - if your hair is already very stressed, bleached or open-pored - you can use the mask under the Elixir instead of the Protein & Vitamin Leave-in Conditioner.

Basically, we would recommend tying your hair up and exposing it to the water as little as possible. And if it does get wet: Grow & Shine Hair Treatment Elixir . Apply it generously to your hair, sweeping it from the roots to the tips to enclose your cuticles in a nourishing way. The contained liposomes envelop it, blocking out water-damaging factors and moisture. In addition, you provide your scalp with everything you need for fast, healthy and strong hair growth.

You can imagine salt crystals on your hair like a magnifying glass: the sun really burns into the structure. The 2-3 shades that your hair looks lighter after vacation may look charming. The radical scavengers of your hair, called pigments, are located in the middle layer of your hair - that's how deep the sun's rays come to bleach them. And it does that even without salt water, albeit less quickly. Therefore, our Protein & Vitamin Leave-in Conditioner is the right side kick under the Grow & Shine Hair Treatment Elixir . Before heading to the beach, shower and apply a generous amount of our leave-in conditioner. This all-rounder protects against heat, regenerates and prevents split ends and hair breakage before they occur. Jericho Rose extract gives your hair its resilience on the beach: moisture stays where it belongs, no matter how hot it is. Now comb the hair well. The protein & vitamin leave-in conditioner saturates your hair deep down and ensures that seawater no longer finds room - like a well-saturated sponge. Now you can pour our elixir over it to really give salt crystals no chance.

Small measures for the best possible protection

Sunbathing should be fun again next year - but please in moderation. As you now know, you can protect yourself wonderfully, strengthen your skin and prepare and finish your hair so that the holiday is still relaxing for body and soul.

A stylish straw hat, colorful hair towels and long, light clothing can protect you from unnecessary sunburn when you are outdoors. Wash your hair out with fresh water after a swim in the sea or, despite care, use a bathing cap over it. Especially with dyed, fine or damaged hair, as little as possible should get to the structure.

A special tip: get your tips trimmed! They are the oldest part of your hair and suffer particularly from wind and weather. Since even the best care cannot completely stop the aging process, we recommend removing the few millimeters in autumn that remain somewhat dry despite care. In our Be Organic Institute, we would be happy to advise you on a care cut or an individual new style and, of course, on optimal care for your hair.

We also recommend that you always wash off sunscreen and sea water for your skin and give it plenty of care afterwards. There is no excess here - do yourself a lot of good at the end of the summer. Your skin will drink it and appreciate the support.

Did you know that fall hair loss can be caused by sunburn on the scalp? The acid balance on the scalp is completely thrown off balance and the cells & follicles that make your hair grow can also be affected.

Good that in the next post we will talk about where hair loss can come from, how to prevent it and what you can do about it if it catches you.