Beat the Heat.

Beat the Heat

We sometimes feel our love for summer is unrequited -- how else to explain the season's frizzy hair, finicky skin, and streaky tans? Think of this guide as relationship therapy. By Mary Rose Almasi

There's a reason they were called Baywatch Babes (OK, a third reason, after the two you're probably visualizing): At the Pacific Palisades beach where the show took place, the hair was always smooth, the tans flawless, and the wilting humidity nonexistent. In the real world, hair frizzes, tanner streaks, and humidity wreaks all kinds of havoc. But the solutions to these summer problems needn't be as dramatic as a Hasselhoff line reading. "There's no beauty catastrophe that can't be worked around," says makeup artist Alison Raffaele, who prevents sweat from ruining her makeup by carrying blotting papers from May to September. And that's just to start. Whatever beauty emergency rolls your way, consider the following advice and products your personal lifeguards.

FACE Your skin is radiating -- with a sunburn from hell. "The devil made you do it" is no excuse for baking in the sun, but at least you can redeem yourself after committing sins of the flesh. First, pop an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. "It will help prevent inflammation from progressing," says Fredric Brandt, a cosmetic dermatologist in Coral Gables, Florida, and New York City, and author of 10 Minutes, 10 Years (Free Press). Next, cool skin with cold compresses until the stinging subsides: Try cotton balls soaked in milk or straight plain yogurt (the proteins are soothing and hydrating) or refrigerated, wet chamomile or green tea bags (both have natural anti-inflammatories). Or smear on cold aloe-vera gel (store a bottle in the fridge, or freeze an aloe plant leaf and massage the pulp on skin). "The burn's heat destroys skin cells, so the faster you can cool down, the better," explains Jeannette Graf, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical School. "It will also help prevent blistering and peeling." Before applying makeup, mix a pea-size dab of 1 percent hydrocortisone cream with your face moisturizer to soothe skin, advises Diane Berson, assistant attending dermatologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "Use a larger-size glob with body lotion for below the neck." For the next few days, lay off any acne or anti-aging treatments and choose plain moisturizer such as Purpose Dual Treatment Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 -- anything with vitamin C, acids like …