Summer is Coming. Think You Know Summer Skin Care? Think Again
Summer comes with a whole lot of pros: longer days, nicer weather, beach season — but it doesn’t come without its cons, especially when it comes to skin care. The dog days of summer come with skincare pratfalls such as harsh UV rays, heavy humidity, and stifling heat. These can do a lot of damage to your skin even if you already have a rock-solid skin care routine — toner, serum, moisturizer, the whole nine yards.
As such, summer is definitely a time during which you’d be well-served to reassess your current skin care lineup and see what you can do to give it an extra boost to fight the elevated conditions.
You don’t have to rebuild it from the ground up by any means, just make sure you’re getting ahead of the conditions by making sure your skin is well-equipped to handle them. Below we highlight the most important elements of a good summer skin care routine to remember: sunscreen, oil control, lightweight moisturizer, and recovery.
Sun Protection Facts
SPF is imperative year-round, but especially in the summer. Longer days mean more exposure to sunlight, and while you may think that will do wonders for your Vitamin D intake, it also means your skin is going to be taking in a lot of harmful UV rays which naturally, lead to skin damage.
UVA and UVB rays cause skin damage in different ways — UVA cause skin aging and UVB rays cause skin burning — and they’re arguably the top factors that can lead to premature aging and skin cancer, so it’s imperative to get ahead of them by wearing a broad spectrum SPF treatment.
Why broad spectrum specifically? In order for a sunscreen to claim it protects from all UV radiation — both UVA and UVB — adequately, it has to prove it. Only broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 or higher can claim to reduce the risk of both skin cancer and early skin aging. Non-broad spectrum sunscreens and broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value between under 14 can only claim to help prevent sunburn.
You don’t have to use a thick, goopy sunscreen twice a day to get the protection you need. There are plenty of moisturizers that come with enough SPF protection. Anything SPF 15 or higher should work well for most daily use, but if your skin is particularly sensitive, you plan on having prolonged sun exposure or you want added protection, look for a mineral sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
We totally get the desire to get a great tan during the season but keep this in mind: a suntan is your skin working overtime to protect itself from harmful rays, over-producing melanin to adjust to harsher conditions. This summer, give your skin what it needs, not what you want
Best Sunscreen Practices
Sunscreen only works if you use it properly. Follow these summer skin care guidelines to protect your flesh and your health:
- Be sure to put sunblock on 30 minutes before heading outdoors to allow for the active ingredients to fully bind to the skin.
- Apply sunscreen every two hours, regardless of the SPF level — even if it’s waterproof. Over time, sunscreen wears off by being touched, rubbed off with towels, or by sweating.
- Use protection on all parts of your body including your ears, head, hands and feet. Use a lip balm with sun protection to guard the thin skin of your lips and if you want to increase your defense, wear protective clothing.
- Cotton clothes often offer protection less than an SPF 15 sunscreen. Even if you have a T-shirt on, you should use sunscreen.
- Use the right amount of sun block. Every two hours, you should apply about an ounce — roughly the size of a shot glass. Using less decreases the SPF that is advertised, rendering it less effective.
- Check the best-before date. Sunscreen expires and loses its effectiveness over time. Leaving your sunscreen in the summer heat will also jeopardize its efficacy.
- Use a higher SPF if you are also using bug spray as some repellents can reduce the effectiveness of your sunscreen.
- Only use natural baby-formula sunscreen on babies.
Skin Care Routine: Sunscreen Everyday
If you are fair-skinned, have blond or red hair and blue or green eyes, you may be at a bigger risk for sun damage. Sunscreen is a start, but you should take additional precautions if you plan on taking in some serious sun. Here are some additional summer skincare tips:
- Stay out of the sun during peak times (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to protect your head and face and protective clothing.
- Never leave home without your sunglasses. Purchase sunglasses with 100% UV protection and don’t buy strictly for fashion. Remember that just because your sunglasses are darker, does not necessarily mean they protect against the sun.
- Always avoid tanning beds. The UV radiation is just as dangerous as natural light, if not more so.
Jack Black Double Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20
Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, this broad spectrum face lotion is a great lightweight daily moisturizer with an acceptable SPF. Adding this to your daily routine — in the summer heat or winter wind — will keep the sun’s rays from causing dark spots and skin damage you won’t notice for years to come.
EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 46
For strong protection with acne-clearing properties, a little of this award-winning oil-free sunscreen goes a long way. A dual blend sunscreen to fight UV rays — mineral zinc oxide and chemical octinoxate — work in tandem with niacinamide to keep acne under control and hyaluronic acid to keep skin moisturized.
ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
If you’ve skipped out on sunscreen before and you’re paying the price now (or you want to be better prepared for any future damage that hasn’t made its way to the surface yet) the DNA Repairsomes — a repair enzyme derived from plankton known as Photolyase — has been shown to help repair damage caused by the sun. Add to that the hefty dose of antioxidants including vitamin E to this 100% mineral sunscreen, and you have a lightweight liquid layer which will help ensure optimal skin health.
Skin Care Routine: Oil Control
We all sweat more in the summer. Hot weather, as wonderful as it may be to some, sets sebaceous glands into overdrive, which tends to leave us all a little more damp than we were before we stepped outside. It’s enough of a pain to manage if your skin isn’t naturally on the oilier side. If it is, it just becomes even harder to keep under control. Nobody wants to walk around looking sticky and shiny.
To be clear, face oil isn’t a bad thing — in fact, it’s oil that can help prevent your skin from aging prematurely. However, too much oil can lead to clogged pores and blackheads. Heat will likely only exacerbate the issue.
Fortunately, there are ways to get ahead when it comes to natural oil control that don’t involve taking an antiperspirant to your face. Start by looking for products that feature clay, as it is great for taming those overactive sebaceous glands and clearing up excess oil. Whether you’re getting it from a cleanser, toner, or a face mask, it’ll do wonders for oily and combination skin.
Cardon Purifying Clay Cleanser
Use this daily cleanser to cover all of your oil control needs. Clay — up to four times as powerful as charcoal — removes excess oil and sebum without your face feeling dry. Why? Because in addition to kaolin, bentonite, and Moroccan lava clays, this foaming face wash uses tiger grass and cactus extract to soothe and hydrate skin. It’s a great addition to any summer skincare routine — especially those with acne-prone skin, breakouts, and blackheads.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner
Community Trade organic tea tree oil, witch hazel, and mattifying powders makes for a perfect addition to summer skin in need of clearing, calming, and oil controlling benefits. Your clogged pores will rejoice.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Bring out the big guns with this Amazon best-seller mask that actually gets the job done — for cheap. Mix one part clay with one part apple cider vinegar, and get your phone ready. This mask is practically made for the ‘gram.
Skin Care Routine: Gel Moisturizer
Moisturizing is key in helping your skin stay hydrated and can also deliver you a hefty dose of SPF protection. But as the temperature rises, many oil-based moisturizers can start to feel way too heavy — especially if your skin is already maxed out with natural oil. That weight can increase shine, make you sweat more, and generally leave you feeling sticky and gross. Throw in humidity and it can start to feel like you’ve covered your face in plastic wrap.
Luckily there’s an easy solution. A gel-based moisturizer will serve to provide you with all the benefits of your usual moisturizer (hydration, antioxidants, and protection) without the weight of oil. Gel moisturizers absorb quickly and feel practically weightless on your skin.
Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream
Calendula flower-infused serum is the hero ingredient in this fresh yet nourishing face gel from Kiehl’s. Calendula flowers contain five compounds: oleanolic acid, lupeol, quercetin, alpha-amyrin, and beta-amyrin. In layman’s terms, these efficacious compounds have been studied and are known to provide antioxidant protection, soothe skin, and reduce discomfort.
Farmacy Daily Greens Oil Free Gel Moisturizer
If you’re looking for both luxurious and effective hydration for men, this lightweight, all-natural, farm-harvested gel might be the best you’re going to get. Moringa seed extract and moringa water support and refresh skin by removing impurities caused by pollution. Add to that papaya extract — a very gentle summer-friendly exfoliator — and four different forms of hyaluronic acid and it’s no wonder this new moisturizer from Farmacy is already a best seller.
Bevel Moisturizing Face Gel
This gel moisturizer is a great summer face saver thanks to the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of tea tree oil and manuka honey and the superior protection from antioxidants including vitamins C, E, and algae extract. What’s more, it’s finished off with mattifying arrowroot powder to keep hydrated skin looking dry.
Skin Care Routine: Optimize Recovery Time
Let’s get this out of the way: the best recovery for your skin is a good night’s sleep. Seven to eight hours is ideal, but you probably know this already. That said, there are plenty of other ways to up your recovery routine, and they’re all the more crucial in the summer after longer days of exposure to UV rays and summer heat that brings on sunburns, excessive sweat, and oils — a recovery routine is a vital part of any skin care regimen.
Recovering from sunburn properly is going to be crucial — both for your skin’s appearance and its long-term health. In the immediate aftermath, the wisdom your parents likely passed on to you stands: apply aloe vera gel to a sunburn to help soothe it and kickstart the healing process.
However, if the burn is on your face there’s an easy way to give it prolonged treatment: use a quality moisturizer with aloe vera. The dosage will be smaller but using it over a prolonged period of time can prove highly beneficial. Its usefulness doesn’t stop at burns, either. If you moisturize with an aloe vera product at night it can soothe skin after a day of UV exposure.
Even if you aren’t dealing with a gnarly burn, a good recovery routine is essential after long days in the sun, long hours at the office, or late nights at cookouts and block parties. A night cream is a great place to start. Night creams generally contain more hydrators than daytime moisturizers as well as ingredients such as retinol — which is great for preventing premature aging and gives your skin a vibrant boost, but isn’t for daytime use or for use post sunburn.
Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum
Retinol doesn’t have to wait for winter when it’s formulated as well as this oil-free serum. In fact, retinol is good all year long. Dr. Dennis Gross uses a combination of skin-soothing colloidal oatmeal, red algae extract, and vitamin E keep this gentle enough for both nightly and daily use. No matter when you use it (we always recommend overnight) make sure you’re keeping up with your sunscreen, since retinol packs a strong dose of dead skin exfoliation which can thin the skin, making it more susceptible to uv rays causing dark spots, sun damage, and overtime more fine lines and wrinkles.
Korres Greek Yoghurt Calming + Cooling Gel
When it comes to your body, grab a good aloe vera gel and you should be OK. When it comes to your face, grab something a little extra restorative. Collagen-boosting protein, skin-balancing probiotics, vitamins, and minerals are all hallmarks of Greek yogurt. When it is combined with calendula and willowherb extracts to cleanse, calm, and nourish skin plus vitamin E-rich sweet almond oil and glycerin to keep dry skin — or a sunburn stressed face — feeling happy and healthy.
Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
A little dab’ll do ya with this rich yet lightweight hyaluronic acid-packed overnight mask. Glowing skin is achieved by morning thanks to hyaluronic acid working with skin’s favorite antioxidant, vitamin C, and squalene to hydrate and repair summer stressed cells wrecked by sun exposure, all while you sleep.
Skin Care Routine: Add Face Mist
Of all the summer skin care tips we could think of, there might be none better — or at least more refreshing — than adding a facial mist to your routine. Sure, a good face lotion that provides sun protection is key, but that goes without saying. And while grabbing a hydrating face mist might not be front of mind, once you’ve indulged, you’ll likely wonder how it possibly took you this long.
We’re not going to go into the weeds here, since even misting classic H2O has it’s hydrating benefits and feels nice under the hot summer sun’s rays, so we picked our favorites of the moment that are loaded with added benefits such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals plus an abundance of lightweight ingredients that help heal and soothe stressed skin.
Alder New York Cooling Mineral Hydro Mist
This refreshing face mist is vegan and cruelty-free, not to mention formulated with zinc, magnesium, and potassium plus hydrating hyaluronic acid and calming chamomile and pomegranate seed oil. The finishing touch of this invigorating spritz is a eucalyptus-peppermint fragrance that smells great while it cools you down.
Bathing Culture Golden Hour Hydrosol
It may be crystal clear, but this refreshing spritz is anything but a basic bottle of water. Composed of a lightweight blend that includes Moroccan neroli flower oil, plus Moroccan, Bulgarian, and Turkish rose oils, this cruelty-free and vegan facial mist helps balance skin as part of a regimented skincare routine or helps hydrate a tired face during or after a day in the sun.
EiR NYC Hydrating Face Mist
Regardless of your skin type — oily skin, dry skin, or sensitive skin — this hydrating mist will make any skin feel like healthy skin. Witch hazel, this mist’s main ingredient, contains tannins, a natural astringent that removes excess oil from skin, reduces inflammation, and balances pH to help tackle acne. Rose hydrosol also has antiseptic properties while it hydrates and has even been shown to lighten dark spots caused by sun damage.
With these adjustments to your skin care routine you’ll be all set for summer fun without having to deal with any of the detrimental effects that fun can have on your skin.
