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The tan is slowly fading, and with it the marks that summer has left on the skin start to show. It can become drier, rougher and less supple, hair can look dull and nails weakened. This is no coincidence. Sunshine, high temperatures, salt and chlorinated water, and the holiday shift in everyday habits all act on their condition over many weeks. September is therefore a good moment to look at the skin not only from the outside, but also at what it needs from within.
What does summer leave behind on the skin?
Sunlight is one of the most important factors affecting the condition of the skin. UVA radiation matters in particular: it reaches the deeper layers of the skin and takes part in the processes that lead to photoageing. Prolonged exposure to UV encourages oxidative stress and may affect the skin's supporting structures, including collagen and elastin fibres.
Collagen is one of the basic structural proteins of the dermis. It forms a kind of scaffolding that helps maintain the skin's structure and mechanical properties. Elastin, in turn, is responsible for the ability of tissues to stretch and return to their original shape. When the degradation of these structures begins to outweigh their rebuilding, the skin may gradually lose its firmness and elasticity.
Summer also makes it harder to maintain proper hydration. High temperatures, air-conditioned rooms, frequent swims in the sea or the pool and intensive cleansing can weaken the hydrolipid barrier. When it is not working optimally, water loss through the epidermis increases and the skin more easily becomes dried out and more prone to irritation.
Not only the skin – hair and nails feel summer too
UV radiation, salt water and chlorine also act on the hair shaft. They can damage its outer layer, which is why after the holidays hair is more often dry, rough, less shiny and harder to comb through.
Nails may need more care as well, especially if the holiday weeks meant frequent contact with water, styling products or a change in the way you eat. It is worth remembering that hair and nails alike are structures built mainly from keratin – a protein. Their condition therefore depends not only on the care they get, but also on the general state of the body and on diet.
Recovery also begins with everyday choices
After summer it is easy to focus on what can be applied to the skin. A serum, a cream or a mask can support skincare and the protective barrier, but recovery is worth looking at more broadly.
The foundation remains adequate hydration and a varied diet supplying protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Protein is a particularly important part of the daily menu – it provides the amino acids the body uses to build its own proteins.
Collagen is one of them. It is synthesised naturally in the body throughout life, although this gradually decreases with age. Processes linked to collagen are also influenced by environmental factors, including the exposure to UV radiation mentioned above.
Collagen on a plant-based diet too?
People following a plant-based diet are increasingly looking for options suited to the way they eat. One of them is Collagen Vegan by Gorvita – a product containing hydrolysed plant collagen type I, produced from brown rice and legumes. It comes in plant-based capsules, and the recommended daily portion of two capsules provides 560 mg of the ingredient.
It is worth remembering that supplementation remains a complement to a varied way of eating, not a substitute for it. Looking after skin, hair and nails is therefore best treated as a whole – a combination of the right nutrition, hydration, skincare, sun protection and everyday habits.
After summer the skin needs consistency above all
There is no single September ritual that will undo the effects of many weeks in the sun in a matter of days. The skin does not work at that pace – its renewal is a process, just like the growth of hair or nails.
So instead of intensively ‘repairing’ what summer has changed, it is worth going back to regularity. Gentle care, protection from UV radiation after the holidays as well, enough sleep, hydration and a well-composed diet create the conditions in which the body can carry out its own natural processes of renewal. Sometimes it is precisely that calm, everyday attention that the skin needs most.
