Are you dreaming of a summer break again? The seasonal shift of summer brings a sentimental sense of excitement for long lazy days and making special memories. Something else it should bring is a refresh to your summer skincare routine. Just be sure to hang on to your favorites for when the weather changes again!
To get you prepared for the season (beyond updating your wardrobe and booking a vacation), we’re revealing our top skincare tips. Keep reading for our suggestions as well as a recommended seasonal skincare guide.
Summer Skincare Tip #1: Keep Oil to a Minimum
Hot weather equals more sweat, and that can lead to congested skin. This means the first step in your skincare routine—cleansing—is more important than ever. Before the heat really sets in, make sure you have a clarifying face cleanser that will wash away oil, dirt, and debris without stripping your skin of essential moisture.
We recommend Clarifying Cleanser with White Sage and Charcoal to balance and refine by helping to reduce the appearance of pore size and balance oily/combination skin while supporting blemish and acne-prone skin.
As we deal with more humidity, products absorb differently into the skin. They can sit heavier which can trap sweat underneath. Something gentle like the Glycolic Skin Brightening pads a couple times a week will help. With only 3% glycolic acid, they will gently remove excess dead cells to help your skin breathe easier.
Keep in mind, besides switching up your product, you may find that you also need to change how often you cleanse. Washing your face in the morning and at night is standard all year, but consider a cleanse after sweating, too.
Summer Skincare Tip #2: Keep It Light by Sticking with Lightweight Formulas
In the winter, when cold air and aggressive indoor heating are pulling the moisture out of your skin, it’s common to switch to thick moisturizers and creams. Come summer, however, those same formulas may be too much. Instead, we suggest seeking out lightweight skincare products. They’ll provide your skin with the necessary hydration but won’t feel heavy to wear.
Your eye area is one area that will be looking for this kind of lightweight moisture. Our Eye Repair is a nourishing eye treatment. It uses Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides, Periwinkle and Licorice to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffy eyes and improve the appearance of fine lines, texture, elasticity and firmness over time.
Another way to lighten things up is to use a restorative serum, like Copper Peptide Serum, as a replacement for your night cream. The thicker serum helps to improve skin tone and firmness by promoting elastin and collagen production.
Summer Skincare Tip #3: Protect and Nourish Skin with Serum
By spending more time outdoors, you may be exposed to pollution even more than normal. And beyond its impact on the environment, pollution can impact your skin and accelerate the aging process. Thankfully, there are skincare products to help address this issue.
Since Vitamin C is one of the most scientifically proven antioxidants for skincare, try our Brightening Serum. Effective antioxidants are what reduce and counteract the damage caused by free radicals. With 20% Vitamin C and Lemon Peel Bio Ferment serum the antioxidant rich serum offers dramatic skin tone evening + texture resurfacing benefits.
Hydrating superstar, Hyaluronic Acid Serum is another option. It’s formulated with a tiny form of hyaluronic acid and penetrates many layers deep. Its benefits include visibly smoothing fine lines and helping skin look more radiant. As for pollution, this serum helps protect skin against skin stressors, such as free radical damage from, you guessed it, pollution.
Summer Skincare Tip #4: Shield and Prioritize SPF
We can’t talk about summer skincare without covering sun protection. Wearing sunscreen is essential all year long, but even more so in the summer. The sun isn’t only stronger, but the days are also longer. Excess sun exposure is not healthy. Over exposure creates free radical damage which causes harm at a cellular level. It also prematurely ages skin.
It feels like a terrible choice between using chemical heavy sunscreen or enduring excess sun exposure. The FDA has approved several ingredients for sun protection. However, with their heavy chemical load, toxic sunscreens are just not good for you. A better line of defense is a clean non-nano purified zinc and titanium dioxide sunscreen.
As your last, outward facing skincare step, we recommend Tinted Daily Moisturizer or Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. Both are antioxidant moisturizers that provide a broad-spectrum SPF with all-natural earth minerals that smooth skin tone and reflect light away from imperfections. They are both great alone or as a makeup primer.
Summer Skincare Tip #5: Calm Sunburned Skin
When it comes to sun exposure, no one is perfect. Even when we take every precaution, the possibility exists that we can miss a spot. That’s okay! If your skin does get sunburned, you want to begin treating it as soon as possible. This includes drinking more water, wearing clothing that covers your skin when you go outside, and taking cool showers.
Make the best of it by adding a pampering twist. We recommend applying a moisturizing face mask that contains aloe, like Mineral Mud Mask. Refresh by spritzing on Rejuvenating Toner and pat into skin to aid absorption. Then apply 1-2 drops of the Copper Peptide Serum to skin. Lock in hydration with antioxidant rich Rescue Cream to soothe, moisturize, and protect.
For body sunburns, Cactus Crush natural body cream for crepe skin is also formulated with aloe vera juice, plus hydration boosting hyaluronic acid. It soaks in easily to leave skin feeling soft and smooth.
BONUS TIP: Chill Out!
One of the best ways to show your skin TLC in the summer is with chilled products. Pop your face serum into a mini skincare fridge and take it out once it’s cold. You’ll have a refreshing skincare treat to enjoy. Think of it as the more elevated and better-for-your-skin version of splashing your face with cold water. You can also store skincare tools like jade rollers in the fridge for a cool (literally) end-of-the-day facial massage.
Natural Protection
Each of us has a different ability to combat the sun’s rays. The healthiest thing, by far, is avoidance. Go ahead and stand in the shade instead of standing in the sun. Wear breathable long sleeves when gardening or on a hike. Wear a hat and other protective clothing.
No matter how much you plan to be outside this summer, be realistic about your relationship with the sun. Whether it’s a financial investment in good products, the pride in aging beautifully, or family history with cancer, we hope you take care of yourself.