Summer is here! Officially! Finally! On Monday, the 21st of June, we welcomed summer with our arms wide open. But what does that change about your skincare routine? Is there such a thing as a perfect summer skincare routine? What should you embrace, and what should you avoid?
Honestly, I’m not too good at adjusting my skincare to the season. Once I find something that works, I rarely dare to change it. But I know how important it is. With different environmental factors, our skin needs a different approach. So, here is a little guide on what to change, what to remove, and what to keep in your summer skincare.
What to change in your summer skincare routine
Moisturiser
Instead of using heavyweight moisturising creams you would use in dry winter months, go for a light hydrating one.
During the summer months, our skin can easily get dehydrated because of the heat, sun and sweat. It might get more oily, but at the same time, it can slowly get dehydrated. If you are unsure about the difference, I wrote a post about it here. That’s why you should consider using a lightweight moisturiser or a fluid. It will bring in that hydration without leaving a heavy layer that could block your pores.
Related post: Dry skin vs. dehydrated – how to tell the difference
Exfoliators
If you use an AHA exfoliator in the colder months, you can keep using them in the summer but change them to a lower percentage. Or use the same strength but less frequently. Alternatively, you can use an enzyme exfoliator once a week. It will remove the dead skin cells but won’t make your skin sun-sensitive.
Exfoliators exfoliate our skin, meaning they remove dead skin cells from the top layer of our skin. Those dead skin cells can provide an extra little bit of protection from the sun. And if we constantly remove them, we make our skin more sensitive to the sun.
So be smart about it, and don’t over-exfoliate your skin.
Related post: Best Exfoliator On The Market? Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Review
Serums
It’s no secret that serum is the most important step of your skincare. It’s a step where you can go to town with the ingredients and do a lot for your skin. You can target your skin’s specific needs with a serum, and it’s always worth investing in it. But to adjust this step for summer, swap your usual active ingredient for an antioxidant.
Antioxidants will help fight free radicals (oxidative stress). Free radicals occur due to skin exposure to the sun. Vitamin C is particularly good for this step. Or something like a CoQ10 or niacinamide can be really beneficial as well.
Related post: Vitamin C in skincare: benefits and how to use
Related post: The complete guide to niacinamide for skin
What to remove in your summer skincare routine
Retinoids
Some would argue that you can keep using your retinol during summer. And technically, you can. But only if you are very good at applying your SPF daily and protecting your skin from the sun. And most people aren’t. They would maybe apply a layer of SPF in the morning but wouldn’t re-apply it during the day. That’s why I’m always stopping the usage of retinol during the summer months.
Give your skin a break, and you can continue back on it in the fall. If you keep using retinol and fail at properly protecting your skin, you can get a bad reaction on your skin. You’re looking at the heightened sensitivity, redness and peeling of the skin. And we don’t want that.
If you must continue on retinol, change it to a lower dose. And protect your skin from the sun! I’m talking SPF 50 re-applied every few hours, wearing big sunglasses and a big hat.
Layers
The last thing we need in the summer when we are sweating, and our skin is producing more oil is layers and layers of skincare products.
Keep it simple. We don’t need all those layers we might need in the colder months. You can easily cut out your moisturiser and maybe even serum for some people. That depends on your skin type and skin conditions. Play around and see how many products your skin needs. See how much gets absorbed and at what point it starts to clog your pores and get too much.
My summer skincare routine looks something like this: toner, eye cream, serum and SPF. My toner has an active ingredient (niacinamide), and my serum is there to hydrate my skin. My SPF (I try to use a blend of physical and chemical) acts as a barrier and protects my skin.
If your skin is more oily (mine is normal), you can even cut out the serum and keep only the toner and SPF.
And if you have dry skin, you can add a hydrating fluid after the serum or an essence after the toner. That will help additionally hydrate your skin.
What to keep in your summer skincare routine
SPF
Honestly, I can’t stress enough how important this step is. And if I need to be that person that will always annoy you to put on your SPF, then be it.
You should wear SPF every day of the year anyway. But especially in summer.
Summer is a time when most people damage their skin in terms of hyperpigmentation and long term – wrinkles. But you can prevent that by being sun smart and protecting your skin. Isn’t it easier to do that than spend the rest of the year trying to fix the damage? And in 20 years, to have skin that looks much older than you actually are or maybe even (God forbid) get cancer?
Prevention is always better than cure.
There are many different formulations out there, and I’m sure you can find the perfect one for you. I still haven’t found one. But I’m trying out different SPFs to see which one suits my skin best. And I do wear it every single day because I want to look young forever.
Related post: The importance of SPF and which one to choose
Double cleanse
This one is almost as important as the SPF. And it goes hand-in-hand with SPF.
Because you need a double cleanse to properly remove your SPF. And also all the sweat and sebum that occurs during the day.
Many people think SPF gives them breakouts, so they avoid wearing it. But that can easily be fixed by double cleansing your skin in the evening to remove it from your skin.
I already wrote about what double cleansing is (see here). Essentially, it’s a method where you cleanse your face twice. You use two cleansing products. The first is an oil/balm/cream/milk (something oily) to help melt away all the SPF, makeup and sebum. And the second one is a gel/foam to remove the first one and all the melted mess altogether.
Related post: Double cleansing – why is it so important?
Conclusion – Summer Skincare
Caring for your skin doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. Just following basic rules, listening to your skin and protecting it will bring you great results. The most important thing to remember is to protect your skin from the sun. That means SPF all day, every day. The second most important thing is to give your skin a proper cleanse. That way, it won’t break out in pimples from all the sweat and SPF.
Lastly, remember to have fun. Summers are made for having fun. But being safe and having fun.
TL;DR
To change:
- moisturiser – go for a light gel moisturiser or a fluid
- exfoliators (AHAs or BHAs) – reduce the percentage
To remove:
- retinoids – protect your skin instead (you can continue in the fall)
- layers – remove unnecessary layers (usually moisturiser and/or serum)
To keep:
- SPF -always use SPF and go for a stronger one in the summer (50+ factor) and choose a broad-spectrum one
- double cleanse – always double cleanse in the evening to remove sweat and SPF
