Summer skincare can involve a complete change from the cooler winter months, or it could entail just a few tweaks. It all depends where you are on the globe, and how hot and humid your summer weather is. It also depends on you – as Dr. Seuss says “No one is youer than you”. Your skin will have its own needs and sensitivities, so the best guide is to listen to what your skin is telling you.
Can you take the heat?The obvious change is the glorious addition of sunshine and warmth that comes in summer. This heat can make the natural sebum that your skin secretes melt inside the pores, which means that liquid oil then ‘floods’ the skin’s surface. This causes several reactions for you - your face looks shiny and possibly even greasy, and the oil mixes with sweat, and this feels really uncomfortable.
Every action has a reactionYour actions and what you choose to do outside of skincare products can have a great effect on your ability to sail through summer looking amazing! Rule no. 1 – drink water! Even more in summer. This will keep you hydrated and feeling fabulous on the inside as well as keeping your skin clear. Along with summer comes a great variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. If you make these the staples of your diet, your skin will thank you and your energy will soar!
Squeaky cleanThere are a few ways to minimize the shiny, sweaty face by changing your skincare routine. Let’s start with cleansing, always important, and even more so in summer. You need to clean all that excess oil away, and ensure we don’t add more. In summer you can lighten up! If you usually use an oil or lotion cleanser, now is a good time to switch to a foam or gel, and see if that helps with the summer shine.
My skin is very sensitive to additional heat, I have a tendency toward a shiny skin with a combination / oily skin type and I live in a hot and humid summer area! So, I switch my cleanser to Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind Micro-Pearls for combination or oily skin. I love the refreshing feeling, awesome scent and silky texture. The tamarind fruit acids free my pores of trapped makeup and oil and the rinsed effect is that of a refined, matte complexion – just what I need!
Another summer favorite for me when it comes to cleansing is Aveda Botanical Kinetics™ Purifying Gel Cleanser. I absolutely love a gel texture (in just about anything!) This cleanser is so gentle, and with 16 certified organic essential oils, it smells absolutely divine. I could stay in the bathroom all day sniffing it, if it didn’t mean I would then be missing out on all the fun of summer!
Don’t clog the system
Next, let’s look at our moisturizer. It’s the same deal as the cleanser – especially if you live in a humid climate. If you use a creamy or rich moisturizer, now is the time to reduce, change or stop altogether. One way to give your skin the ingredients and vitamins it needs to stay young without adding oil or emollients is to switch to a gel or serum-style moisturizer.
Herbfarmacy Divine Light Face Cream is the ideal moisturizer for summer for an oily or young skin. Lovely, organically grown herbs and essential oils soften, clarify and hydrate the skin.
Blot it out
Once you have adapted your basic skincare routine, what else can you do to remain cool and beautiful in summer? You can look at using an oil-absorbing product that minimizes pores. A little helper comes in the form of thin oil blotting papers that you can slip into your handbag and use whenever you feel that shine coming on. I love the stylish Anna SuiOil Control Paper in a rose-pattern case. No need to redo your makeup! And, you can purchase refills that go into the case once you have used them all.
Spray sunburn away
Now that it is summer, we need to heed the sunscreen mantra more than ever! Sometimes it feels like the last thing we want to do – put on another layer of greasy lotion or cream. Luckily, sunscreen comes in a variety of forms that are light and even mattifying! I specifically look for a spray, which I find easier to use and less cloying than a lotion or cream. Banana Boat Sport Coolzone SPF 50 is instantly cooling and refreshing, with a high protection and great scent. In fact, I always have to buy more as all my friends want to use it instead of their own sunscreen when we are at the beach!
Pure, old-fashioned glamourA wide-brimmed hat and generously-sized sunglasses are not only super glamorous, mysterious and wildly cool, they also protect your face, neck and chest from overexposure – keeping you young and beautiful.
So, going back to the beginning of this post, there might, or might not, be the need to change your skincare products to suit the climate you live in and your specific skin needs. The most important aspect is to enjoy the season, remember that lighter is better, and most importantly, stay as beautiful as you are!
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