Earlier this year, we talked about starting a skincare routine… the basics of how to get started, what to use, and how to figure out what your skin needs. But now it’s summer, and everything tends to get turned upside down!
Any of this sound familiar? Your skin that was so dry in the winter suddenly turned oily… or you’re spending tons of time in the pool, and now your skin is getting dried out from the chlorine. The sweat and dirt in the air is clogging up your pores, and now you’re breaking out a lot more than you did before summer. You’ve gotten sunburns or dark spots from the sun exposure.
Don’t worry! There are some super simple ways to take care of your skin over the summer.
READ: South Central PA Summer Bucket List: 50+ Things to Do!
How does summer affect your skin?
The weather is clearly hotter over the summer, but why does that make such a big difference? There are a number of different reasons why your skin can suddenly go crazy when the temperature gets hotter. The increased heat means the oils in your skin can go into overdrive, and being in either a pool or the ocean a lot can strip your skin of natural oils… meaning your skin is now drier than before. Over-productive air conditioning can also lead to your skin feeling drier.
Meanwhile, because you’re sweating more, your pores are getting clogged with bacteria, dirt, and other oils… leading to more breakouts. Being outside more, especially with such high pollen counts, can mean your allergies go into overdrive, which means you could be scratching more, or blowing your nose more often. There’s also an increased risk of rashes on places like your armpits and legs, because we’re all shaving more often, which increases the risk of folliculitis, meaning the area your follicles grow out of gets infected. It’s especially a risk if you shave and then immediately work out, get sweaty in general, or jump into a chlorine-filled pool.
And of course, we can’t forget the biggest problem in the summer: UV rays. When the weather gets hotter, we’re wearing less clothes, and subjecting our skin to the UV rays. Besides the obvious risks of sunburn and overall skin damage, that extra sun exposure can mean you see things like melasma — brown patches on your face — get worse.
Clean, clean, clean
So, one of the best things you can do over the summer is make sure to keep everything clean. It seems obvious, but it’s one of the most important steps to keeping your skin healthy and safe. Use non-comedogenic products — meaning they’re oil-free and won’t clog your pores — to wash your face and body if you’re been outside sweating or swimming. It’s a good idea to do this as soon as you’ve finished an outdoor activity, especially if you’ve been in a pool, and use warm — not hot!! — water. Hot water can just lead to further stripping your skin of its oils and make it feel drier.
Also, make sure you’re washing everything as soon as you use it. Clothes, headbands, hats, towels… you don’t want to spend a bunch of time taking care of your skin, and then put a sweat-soaked hat or headband back on and ruin all your work.
Don’t forget moisturizer
It can be easy to think that more sweat and oil means to skimp on the moisturizer. But this can be a big mistake; it can make your skin get confused, and increase oil production. It’s counter-productive. So make sure you’re always using moisturizer, although you might want to switch to a more lightweight formula.
Yes, it’s hot and humid. But in addition to keeping your skin moisturized, it can also help serve as a barrier between your skin and the elements.
Make sure to hydrate
We should be drinking lots of water anyway… but did you know that it’s an essential part of your skincare routine, especially over the summer?
When it’s hot and you’re spending a lot of time outside, you’ll get dehydrated a lot more easily. Drinking lots of water will do wonders for your skin, helping to make it look brighter and healthier. Hyaluronic acid — you’ll see this in a lot of products! — is also a great ingredient to look out for; this little baby retains water molecules, and then releases them into your skin. It’s a great product to use for hydrating your skin.
ALWAYS wear sunscreen
If you read my previous post, you know I’m already a stickler for this. You should be wearing sunscreen every single day as part of your skincare routine and it needs to be a standalone product, not sunscreen combined with moisturizer or makeup. But wearing sunscreen regularly is even more vital during the summer. Not only are the UV rays from the sun much stronger right now, but everyone typically is spending more time outdoors. That means you need to be extra careful with sunscreen, all the time.
Even if you aren’t going to the beach or the pool, put on some sunscreen, and don’t just apply it to your face. Find a sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher, and apply it everywhere that’s exposed to the sun: your face, hands, neck, chest, shoulders, ears… everywhere.
Don’t forget your lips
I hate it when my lips are super dry, and summer is the worst for that. Our lips don’t have natural glands to keep them moist like the rest of our skin does, and yet, our lips tend to get overlooked quite often when building our skincare routines.
Thankfully, taking care of them is pretty easy. Find a lip balm with some SPF in it, and apply it regularly. A gentle exfoliator every so often is a good idea also.
What are your favorite summer skincare tips?
