The summer heat gets worse every year, and we all know that the hot weather can significantly impact our skin health. As temperatures rise, it can lead to anything from dehydration to irritation.
During the summer, skin moisture evaporates rapidly, which may result in dryness and flakiness. Even more so, as the prolonged UV ray exposure may also cause sunburn, which not only stings when it happens – but also accelerates skin aging and increases skin cancer risk!
On top of everything, I'm personally not a fan of summer days, as the heat typically stimulates excess oil production – which isn't good situation for those who have oily skin like I do.
Clogging pores and causing breakouts are common skin problems in the summer, so understanding these effects is crucial for implementing appropriate skin protection and a summer skincare routine during the hot season.
In this post, we'll dive into some of the top tips to protect your skin during heatwaves, so you can take proactive measures to maintain healthy, radiant skin throughout the summer.
5 Steps to Find the Best Skincare Routine for Your Skin This Summer
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1. Staying Hydrated to Get Healthy Skin
Staying hydrated is essential all year round, but it's especially vital during the summer months. The heat can cause increased water loss through sweating, leaving the skin dehydrated and dull.
Drinking enough water is crucial for maintaining the skin's natural moisture balance, which can promote a healthy glow in your skin. In addition to drinking water, you can also incorporate hydrating skincare products like moisturizers and serums, which can help replenish lost moisture and keep the skin supple.
To top it all, you can also add water-rich fruits and veggies to your diet, as they can provide extra hydration for your skin.
Things like watermelon, cucumber, or oranges are not just good to consume in the summer because of how refreshing they are, but also because of how beneficial they are for your skin health!
Additionally, you can also improve your environment by using a humidifier at home to maintain optimal indoor humidity levels that can prevent the air from drying out your skin.
By prioritizing hydration both internally and externally, you can also prioritize your skin's health while maintaining resilience against the effects of the heatwaves during the summer months.
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2. Protecting Your Skin with Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an essential step in your skincare routine, as it protects your skin from the potential sun damage that can increase the risk of skin cancer. In addition, anyone who's been through sunburn knows how painful it could get – so wearing sunscreen is a must if you want to minimize the risk of sunburn during summer too!
In addition to sunscreen, you can also take extra measures by wearing protective summer clothing like wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, or even long-sleeved shirts – only if you can tolerate the heat while wearing it.
Make sure to apply sunscreen to all exposed areas of the skin, including some body parts that are often overlooked, like your ears, neck, and feet.
I also recommend bringing a small tube of sunscreen wherever you go out, so that you can reapply it every two hours—or even more if you sweat a lot during your summer day out!
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3. Choosing the Right Sunscreen for Your Skin Type
Now that you know how important it is to wear sunscreen daily, you also need to choose the right sunscreen for your skin type to minimize any potential breakouts on your skin during the summer.
Choosing an SPF sunscreen isn't enough if you don't know your skin type. So, here are the best ways to pick the best sunscreen for your skin!
Understanding Your Skin Type
When choosing a sunscreen, it's important to consider your skin type and any specific concerns you may have, such as if you have acne-prone or oily skin.
For instance, if you have acne-prone skin, you may want to consider sunscreen that contains niacinimide to calm your skin while still offering broad-spectrum protection, like EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46.
For oily skin, water-based sunscreen is probably the best option to avoid a greasy finish on your already oily skin.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen is a great choice if you're looking for a sunscreen with a matte finish. What I like more about it is that it leaves no whitecast, which is a big deal for me when choosing the right sunscreen for my skin!
For those with dry skin, La Roche-Posay also has one with a moisturizing formula that works best on your skin type. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 100 contains panthenol that helps soothe your skin with a top-notch moisturizing formula for dry skin.
If your skin is sensitive, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Lightweight Sunscreen Spray with SPF 70 is a perfect choice. It absorbs your skin quickly with a sheer, non-greasy finish – but is still effective in protecting your sensitive skin from the sun during summer!
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Key Factors to Consider
When you see sunscreen packaging, you may wonder what broad-spectrum sunscreen they talk about in the packaging. Essentially, broad-spectrum sunscreen is the type of sunscreen that helps protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
While UVA rays are usually the root cause of prematurely aging skin and a threat that triggers skin cancer, the UVB are usually responsible for sunburn.
So, when you get broad-spectrum sunscreen, it's safe to say that you get the protection you need from both risks when your skin is exposed to the sun during the summer.
Given how common heatwaves are in the summer, I highly recommend getting sunscreen over SPF 40 for the best choice.
4. Incorporating Antioxidants into Your Skincare Routine
A lot of skincare products claim to incorporate antioxidants in their products, and for good reason.
Antioxidants are essential for shielding the skin from environmental damage, particularly if you spend most of your days outside where UV radiation and pollution are present.
There are some ingredients that you can pay attention to in your skincare if you're looking for products with antioxidants. From vitamin C, vitamin E, and green tea extract, a lot of serums and moisturizers come with these ingredients to support your overall skin health.
It's one thing to incorporate antioxidants into your skincare products, but it's even better if you can maintain them in your diet. Foods such as berries, nuts, and seeds are excellent sources of antioxidants that can help protect your skin from within.
5. Soothing Sunburned Skin
Your skin is prone to sunburn during the summer months, so it's always best to be well-prepared when an unwanted thing like sunburn happens to your skin.
No matter what kind of summer vacation you're planning to go on, whether it's a beach resort holiday or more like a hiking trip up a mountain, I recommend packing aloe vera gel in case you get sunburned during your trip.
My personal favorite is this Banana Boat Soothing Aloe Vera Gel, which you can use to soothe your skin after a day out exposed to the sun – or you can also use it as a night mask on the summer days.
Alternatively, you can also cool compresses with ice to reduce the inflammation caused by the sunburn.
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Step-by-Step for Your Skincare Routine Essentials in the Summer
The summer months call for adjustments to accommodate the increased heat and sun exposure, especially if you plan to travel to a place where the humidity is at an all-time high.
Lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizers like Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream are ideal for hydrating the skin without clogging pores in warmer weather. It works perfectly well for my oily skin, and I think it can be a great option if you have a combination skin as well.
Additionally, you can add a gentle exfoliant to your summer skincare routine to slough off dead skin cells and prevent congestion, considering the combination of sweat and sunscreen buildup can be quite risky during the hot weather.
For this, I like Pixi Glow Tonic with 5% glycolic acid (AHA) which is effective to exfoliate your skin and minimize breakouts during summer. Mixed with aloe vera, it's definitely a gentle exfoliant you want to use after spending a day out in the heat!
You can also use a vitamin C serum in the morning to add antioxidant protection against UV rays, and more importantly… Don't forget to add sunscreen as the final step in your morning skincare!
If you spend most of your day outdoors in the summer, you can soothe your skin with aloe vera gel to minimize irritation after sun exposure during the day.
To top it all off, add a hydrating nighttime moisturizer to replenish any lost moisture on your day out. Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator is one of the perfect options for the summer, with activated aloe water that's cooling your skin – which is perfect for hot summer nights!
FAQs
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What is the recommended skincare routine for summer?
Sunscreen is an important step in your skincare regimen, no matter the season.
However, during summer sunscreen is absolutely crucial – especially now that the ozone layer is getting thinner each day.
Essentially, the steps of a skincare routine for the summer are no different from what you use in the other seasons, as you want to include all the basic skincare steps, including cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing.
However, you may want to focus more on the products designed to protect and nourish your skin during the warmer months.
Choosing skincare products that incorporate antioxidants can be a game changer. In addition, you can also consider adding aloe vera gel to your daily usage during the summer to minimize the risk of sunburn.
What type of sunscreen should I use in the summer?
During summer, I highly recommend choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 at the very least, to protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
By using sunscreen products that shield your skin from both UV rays, you can minimize the risk of sunburn or premature aging – which may cause deadly skin cancer.
What are some key components of a summer skincare routine?
The key components of a summer skincare routine are actually not very different compared to your typical skincare steps. It includes the typical cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing.
However, the reason you may need to adjust your summer skincare routine has more to do with the products you use.
The heat during summer days can make your skin more sensitive, so I recommend using cleansing products like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser which comes with a non-irritating formula that's suitable for all skin types – even if you have highly sensitive skin.
After cleansing, I also recommend applying a lightweight moisturizer for the summer. CeraVe Ultra Light Face Lotion is my favorite, as it already contains SPF 30 – and it's oil-free with a matte finish, which is perfect to use during summer for my oily skin.
To complete the summer skincare steps, I also like to add extra protection by using sunscreen with a higher SPF like this one.
Conclusion
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Adjusting your skincare regimen during the summer is crucial, especially since it's that time of the year when you get a lot of sun exposure which can be damaging for your skin.
Choosing the right skincare products for the summer is essential, so be sure to choose those that can protect your skin from UV rays and environmental damage under the heat.
Additionally, hydration also plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin in hot weather. Having a summer skincare routine will be pretty useless if you don't drink enough water in the summer.
Last but not least, you also need to prepare in case of overexposure to the sun, so it will definitely help you to know how to soothe your skin in case you get sunburn.
So, are you ready to enjoy the sun while making sure your skin remains healthy and glowing despite the heat?
Disclaimer:
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