Top Tips For Summer Skin Care

The sun is finally here and you can’t wait to get outside and enjoy every second of it. Long afternoons in the garden with a book and a glass of something delicious await you, as holiday season begins. On a particularly hot day, the beach calls you, so you pack up the car with everything you need for relaxation on the warm sand and the cool relief of the ocean. Shades, check. Flip flops, check. Suntan lotion, check. But what about your problem skin? How is it going to cope under the searing summer heat all day?

Your skin in summer

Whatever your skin type, increased UV exposure is going to drastically affect your skin’s health. The warm glow of the sun might feel amazing to you, but we can guarantee that your unprotected skin isn’t feeling as relaxed as you are! It’s important to remember that the sun’s rays can get through clouds and mist, so even on cloudy and foggy days, protecting your skin against melanoma and premature aging is paramount.

Of course, different skin types will require different summer skin care routines. Whether you’re battling acne breakouts or patches of dry skin, you may find that both of these conditions are aggravated by prolonged sun exposure. However, if you’re planning on spending your summer outside, there are various products available and things you can do to soothe the symptoms:

• Oily skin. You might be tempted to wash your oily summer skin more often but it’s important that you don’t. Washing away the moisture on your skin will only encourage it to produce more, making your oily skin and acne even worse. Switch to a lightweight moisturiser, remove excess oil with a good toner and use our Clarifying body bar to soothe acne scars and blemishes.
• Dry skin. We know that the sun can hoover up moisture in the skin and if your skin is already dry and itchy, the heat can accelerate flakiness. Exfoliation is highly important in summer and to combatting dry skin all year round. Ensure that you use plenty of moisturiser containing SPF throughout the day and especially when shaving. You can also use our Hydrating body bar to treat your dry summer skin to a rich, soap-free lather that restores moisture to particularly dry skin.
• Sensitive skin. Sunburn can do enormous damage to sensitive skin, so protection from the sun should be the number one priority. Look for an oil-free suntan lotion with a minimum of SPF 15 and re-apply it regularly. Products containing anti-inflammatory salicylic acid are very gentle on the skin and can help prevent acne flare-ups. People with sensitive skin should also wear lightweight clothes and a wide-brimmed hat, avoid the sun when it’s at its peak and retreat to the shade at regular intervals.

As well as skin cancers and sunburn, all skin types are at risk of developing a summer skin rash, also known as prickly heat or heat rash. Skin rashes in summer are caused by blocked sweat glands. When the sweat can’t get on to the skin’s surface, you may find your skin breaking out in itchy bumps which burst and cause an unpleasant, prickly sensation. To avoid summer skin rash, you can:

• Keep cool with fans, air conditioning and cool showers.
• Exercise outdoors during the coolest parts of the day or work out inside.
• Wear loose-fitting, cotton clothes, so your skin can breathe properly.

Summer skin care tips

So, how do you look after normal or combination skin in summer? What are the most important summer hacks that we should all be adopting amidst the oncoming heatwave?

1. Wear suntan lotion. It might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t wear it every day -yes, it is necessary, even when the pesky sun is hiding behind the clouds! Experts recommend a lotion with a factor of at least 30 on areas of exposed skin. Ideally, it should be water resistant, have both UVA and UVB protection and be re-applied every couple of hours.
2. Use a lighter cleanser. If your regular cleanser is a cream or oil-based, you may not need to keep using it during warmer months, especially if your skin isn’t particularly dry. However, cleansing is still important for your summer skin, so opt for a gentle, non-foaming, clarifying cleanser, which is gel-based for dry skin or water-based for oily skin.
3. Exfoliate regularly. Your skin naturally produces more oil during summer, so it’s vital to keep the skin clear of dead cells and the pores unclogged in order to prevent acne breakouts. Our Exfoliating body bar contains lactic acid, an AHA that gently gets rid of dead skin cells and powerful antioxidant squalane to keep the skin moist and supple.
4. Avoid heavy, comedogenic make-up. Some cosmetics can clog the pores and in hot weather, the skin needs to breathe. If you want to wear make-up, choose a lightweight foundation or oil-free primer combined with tinted lip balm and suntan lotion.
5. Use toner. A toner can be very effective at closing pores, which is needed after cleansing opens them. Use a good, lightweight toner on the T-zone of your face in particular, as this is where the highest concentration of sebaceous glands is.
6. Continue to moisturise. While it may feel like the sweat on your face keeps your skin moist, a good moisturiser is still important for restoring the skin’s surface after exfoliation or shaving. Use a lightweight formula, preferably with SPF and Vitamins A and C, for a summer glow.
7. Introduce antioxidants to your summer skin care. An antioxidant serum, particularly one containing Vitamin C, will do wonders for reducing sun damage, to the skin. It will also boost collagen production, stave off hyperpigmentation and improve the appearance of fine lines, which is highly useful if you’re spending time in the sun.

Summer health hacks

There are several other very effective ways of keeping your general health in tip-top condition this summer that also work wonders for your skin. When your inner self is taken good care of, your outer summer glow self will definitely reflect it.

Here are our favourite summer health tips:

1. Stay hydrated. Of course, we should be drinking enough water all year round but it’s especially important in summer to prevent dehydration. The recommended amount of water is between two and three litres a day to help flush out the toxins from your body. If you prefer something with a bit more flavour than water, coconut water, fresh fruit juice and watermelons are also fantastic at hydrating the body. Your skin could also use some help from our brilliant Hydrating body bar!
2. Wear lightweight, loose, dark clothing. Clothes made of unbleached cotton, thin satin or silk and high-lustre polyester either reflect or absorb the sun’s rays and therefore direct them away from the skin. Darker colours are also better at absorbing UV light. Tight clothes can make you sweat more, which increases itching and possible excess oil. Don’t forget to protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat and large-framed sunglasses too.
3. Eat more summer fruits and salad vegetables. Lettuce and cucumber aren’t only extremely nutritious. They also keep you cool from the inside! Citrus fruits like melons, strawberries and oranges keep your skin healthy as well as being packed full of antioxidants like Vitamin C.
4. Stick to the shade during the hottest parts of the day. Of course, no one expects you to wear long sleeves and sit inside all day but it’s a good idea to sit underneath a parasol or roof overhanging in the early afternoon in order to escape the worst of the heat. Both your skin and the rest of your body will thank you for it.

Now that the summer is getting underway, our problem skin has never been a bigger priority for us. That’s why this summer, we’re bundling together our Hydrating and Exfoliating body bars in a Summer Ready deal to ensure that your skin is ready to take on the might of the sun’s rays. Every skin type needs to be protected from the blazing sun but there are healthy ways of getting dewy, sun-kissed skin. Preparation is key but your skin will look and feel so much better for it once the sun disappears again. Bring on the beach days!