Summer Skin Care - What You Need to Know (A Guide to Your Healthiest Skin)
Your straw hat and sunglasses game are strong. Now, what about your skin care situation?
Like seasonal wardrobe and diet changes, making a few adjustments to your skin care routine in summer months offers big time benefits. Summertime comes with its own set of skin care situations and you need to be ready to tackle them.
Learn what you need for healthy, vibrant skin all summer long. A few product swaps and usage tips, and a bit of hot weather ingredient know-how, and you’ll be all set for the steamy season.
Skin Care Product Swaps for Summer
How important is it to swap out your skin care products seasonally? The short answer … VERY! Sure, there are those items that you use year-round, but certain products work better in summer versus winter.
During summer months, skin has to deal with heat, humidity, sun, and indoor air conditioning. While hot weather has its own way of drying out the skin, it’s different than cold-weather induced dryness.
Rather than chapping and scaliness, summer dry skin can be rough, red, and irritated. Add in humidity and you may see an increase in breakouts and oiliness too.
So, while skin still needs adequate moisture in summer months, choosing the right ingredients means the difference between greasiness and congestion, and calm, comfortable skin.
Then there are the inevitable summer skin irritants. Sunburn, bug bites, heat rash, and bumps and bruises all require unique treatments. Be ready with these top summertime skin care swaps to stock up on now.
- Cleansers: Opt for facial and body cleansers that refresh and balance skin. Mild surfactants and natural oils cleanse without stripping, and leave skin feeling supple and revitalized.
- Exfoliation: Removing dry, dead skin cells will keep skin smooth and glowing. Avoid harsh exfoliants and opt for mild, fruit-based sloughing agents.
- Skin brighteners: Despite best sun protection efforts, dark spots and sunburn happen. Apply anti-inflammatory products to sunburn. To lighten spots, use Vitamin C loaded products daily.
- Moisturizer: Facial oils and serums are ideal this time of year. They lend deep-down moisture but feel light on skin, and can be layered for custom hydration. For body, apply a calming or invigorating (depending on the needs of your skin) body lotion after stepping out of the shower to lock in moisture.
- UV Protection: While it’s important to protect skin from sun damage year-round, summertime calls for increased defense. Use mineral sunscreens made with all-natural ingredients for the safest and most effective protection. Cosmetics that include sunscreen ingredients simplifies this step, but be sure you are getting the best protection. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using approximately one ounce (or a shot glass full) of broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on the face and body every day. When spending time outdoors, reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
- Pest control: Bug bites itch, sting, and cause discomfort. But they can be more serious too. Don’t risk infection or illness. Stock up on all-natural insect repellents and keep them handy for time spent outdoors.
- Rash guard: Everyone has experienced the unsightly bumps and irritation from razor burn. Be sure to switch out your razor weekly and apply a spray or gel made with soothing ingredients, like aloe and algae, to cut down on inflammation and redness. Helps with heat rash too.
- First aid: Scrapes, bruises, and blisters come with the season. Stock natural first aid in your travel kit to ease pain and swelling.
- Stay fresh: A deodorant with natural odor absorbers will keep you fresh all day, even in the summer heat. Natural mineral salts and essential oils kick odor causing bacteria to the curb.
- Foot care: Feet are on display during sandals season and they need moisture too. Keep them soft and smooth by applying a moisture-infusing cream before bed. Shea butter is great for softening and smoothing rough skin.
- Lip protection: Don’t forget to protect your pout. Natural plant oils pamper and moisturize lips. Or grab a jar of coconut oil. Makes a great lip balm and may be used on face, body, and even as a hair mask.
Skin Care Don'ts for Summer Months
Not all skincare treatments and ingredients are beneficial to skin during the summer. Some may even cause skin issues, like redness, irritation, and inflammation. Keep these skincare don’ts in mind throughout the sunny season.
Don’t use harsh exfoliants: Regular exfoliation is key to keeping skin soft and smooth, and creating a fresh surface for skincare to absorb into. Harsh chemical peels and laser treatments can cause skin to become irritated in the sun, leading to possible scarring. Fruit-based exfoliants are suitable for most skin types and remove dead skin cells gently.
Don’t use photosensitive ingredients: Citrus essential oils may seem like a summertime go to. But these zesty-scented oils can cause photosensitivity, a reaction to the sun that results in redness, blistering, and hyperpigmentation. For a fresh, skin-cooling feel, stick with products that include summer-savvy ingredients like those listed below.
Don’t forget to moisturize: Once summertime hits, we often think our skin need less moisture. Heat and humidity may up skin’s oil production, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need proper hydration. Rather than skipping moisturizer, try a lighter product that makes skin feel soft and supple without the greasiness. Aloe is a perfect moisturizing ingredient for oily skin.
Don’t go overboard with acne treatments: Increased breakouts during summer leaves many reaching for the strong acne treatments. Some of these ingredients, like retinol and benzoyl peroxide, can increase photosensitivity and cause irritation. Be on the safe side and apply mild acne quelling ingredients, like tea tree oil, at night, and use a clay mask one to two times weekly to keep skin looking clear and decongested.
Summer-Lovin’ Skin Care Ingredients
Certain ingredients shine in the summer. The following list is your go-to for choosing the healthiest natural ingredients for your summer skin care.
- Aloe: The best summer skin hydrator. Aloe is lightly moisturizing without feeling greasy, reduces the appearance of inflammation, decreases signs of irritation, and contains antioxidants that boost the look of firmness and a youthful complexion.
- Cucumber: A super cooling ingredient, Cucumber gives a soothing feel to skin, and makes the complexion look firm and supple.
- Green Tea: Great for sipping and apply to skin. Green tea gives a feeling of calm and balance. It is also rich in antioxidants to address UV damage.
- Soothing Essential oils: Certain essential oils calm the skin, body, and mind. Lavender essential oil gives a soothing and balancing feel, while reducing the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. Chamomile essential oil reduces diminishes signs of inflammation and relieves itchiness.
- Refreshing Essential oils: Use citrus essential oils, like Lemongrass and Tangerine, to make skin look clear and revitalized. Just remember to use these at night to avoid any sensitivity to the sun. Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils diminish the feel of soreness and makes skin look rejuvenated. Be sure to use essential oils that are steam distilled to avoid photosensitivity.
- Natural Sun Protection oils: Some natural oils have sun protection properties. While you shouldn’t rely on them for complete UV protection, they may be used to boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen. Coconut oil, Red Raspberry Seed oil, Jojoba oil, Shea butter, and Carrot seed oil all contain approximate SPF values ranging between 4 and 8.
Seaweed: A Summertime Skin Care Essential
Algae and other seaweeds are summertime skin superfoods. Rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, seaweeds give skin a hydrated, detoxified feel and radiant looking glow.
Algae improves the look and feel of sun damage and skin irritations common in summer months. Our Aromatic Algae Extract is an ultra-soothing body mist that hydrates skin. Made with brown algae and skin calming essential oils, use on sunburn, insect bites, calluses, dry eczema, and heat rash to give skin a soothed feel and reduce the appearance of redness.
Bust out your flip-flops and grab a beach read. You are prepared for anything summer throws at your skin.
Travel-Ready Skin Care
Nothing beats a beachy vacation, wilderness get away, or summertime road trip. Do you have trouble editing your skin care routine to fit in your suitcase
Multi-use problems are the best thing to happen to on-the-go summer beauty. They address several skin care needs at once and pack away nicely.
Facial cocktails are like that perfect flowy dress or favorite soft summer cardigan, you can’t resist them! Tailor made to your personal skin care needs, they are also the ideal travel companion.
Micellar water not only whisks away makeup, but cleanses dirt and oils from the skin, while leaving the complexion feeling soft and silky.
Stow away a spot correcting product for zit zapping on the go. No need to apply a full face of strong acne treatment when you can simply dab on a bit of skin treatment where needed. Lavender, Juniper, and Cypress oils are all good for improving the look of pimples and can be worn under moisturizer or makeup.
Packing personal fragrance can be tricky. No one wants to end up with a suitcase full of spilled perfume. Try an essential oil roller ball to use as scent and relieve feelings of stress too.
Makeup or foundation with SPF is an ideal way to combine two step in one. And be sure to throw in a soothing cream made with aloe and seaweed to alleviate feelings of sun parched skin.