Skin damage can be the result if you are in the sun for long periods of time. The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D—which is outstanding for strengthening your bones and immune system, but can wreck havoc on your skin. Unfortunately the sun breaks down the collagen and elasticity in our skin, leaving it looking more aged and wrinkled. Hyper-pigmentation (dark spots) is another condition that is caused by an enzyme in your skin, and when you have a loss of estrogen it gets even worse when exposed to the sun. Lastly, without protection, the risk of skin cancer is possible. I'm not recommending staying out of the sun entirely because I think there is nothing as great as being outdoors. But you need to be mindful as to how much sun exposure you are getting. The most amount of sun damage happens between 10 am - 2 pm when the sun's rays are the strongest. Keep your skin protected and remember to reapply sunscreen after swimming or excessive exercise.

These are some treatments that can help to rejuvenate and repair your skin:

* A Cabernet Peel is renewing and anti-aging. Think of your skin as an onion, the more you peel away the outer layer the smoother it is. This is an all-natural peel with the strength of a chemical peel. Benefits are a more radiant smoother complexion and will also help to improve stubborn hyper-pigmentation.

* A Lactic Acid Peel (from milk) with an Ultrasound lightening treatment helps repair more on the cellular level of your skin where real repair can start to happen. This is excellent for dark spots on the face, chest and on the top of your hands. An exfoliating cream and lightening gel used daily at home will help to improve the problem even faster for best results after treatments.

* The Anti-Free Radical Facial deeply nourishes dry, dehydrated and sun damaged skin. Powerful anti-oxidants are massaged into the skin and finished with a Lavender and Mint Skin Repairing Mask.

* The Extreme Rejuvenation Treatment has been featured on Oprah and Regis and Kelly. This not only helps to deeply repair but tones and gives you a lift to skin that has lost elasticity. I highly recommend this be done in a series. You wouldn’t only go once to the gym for a toned body, would you? It works!

* The Tropical Oasis Body Treatment has natural enzymes that exfoliate dead skin cells to renew your skin. It's followed with a relaxing massage packed with vitamins to repair sun-damaged skin on your entire body.

I recommend using topical vitamin C by Rain. This is an organic formula with the most powerful source of vitamin C from the camu camu berry in the Amazon Rainforest. This protects the skin from free radical damage caused by the sun and helps to stimulate collagen to keep your skin youthful. It can be purchased at Robin Walter Salon and Spa, or if you are from out-of-town go to christy.amazonherb.net

I provide all of these services at Robin Walter Salon and Spa in Ocean Pines, Md. Call 410-208-2576 to make an appointment. For specials and beauty tips follow me on Facebook - Christy Stone Trala, Esthetician.