Summer has arrived! And if you’re anything like us, you’ll know just how tempting it is to sit back, soak up the sunshine… and forget about your skincare.
During winter months, we’re inside and we have more time to dedicate to making sure our skin is doing well. Often, we don’t have a choice; the colder weather can dry out our skin, and indoor heating does little to help.
But summer… summer is all about lazing, growing lax, enjoying a cocktail and staying up late. When you’re tired and sometimes even a little tipsy, the last thing you want to do is start on an extensive skincare routine.
So, we’ve decided to narrow it down. We’ve cut out anything time-consuming, and gathered four simple secrets to keeping your skin in good condition while enjoying the summer months.
Sure, sticking to your routine is admirable, but we get it – it’s hard. Which is why these four tips will tide you over for those days when you just can’t manage it.
1. Stay Hydrated
We’re pretty sure we’ve waxed lyrical about this one a couple of times. Even so, one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to take care of your skin is as simple as drinking more water.
When the weather is hot, your body becomes dehydrated far more quickly. Because, of course, the natural response to warmer weather is to sweat. Yes, this sweat is there to cool you down, but it also means all your lovely hydration is instead sitting on the surface of your skin.
To help your body along, and maintain good levels of hydration, drinking more water is essential.
Which means go ahead, buy that gorgeous but expensive water bottle you’ve kept in your open tab for three months. That water bottle will pay for itself when it comes to drinking more and taking care of your skin. Take it everywhere, and suddenly getting in your 3 litres a day becomes a doddle.
The best part about water is it has more than one trick up its sleeve.
Not only will water keep your body hydrated, but it can help to:
- clear your skin and brighten your skin tone
- boost your elasticity
- bring down any puffiness by flushing out excess salt
- prevent acne and breakouts
2. SPF, SPF, SPF!
We don’t need to tell you how important sunscreen is. You know that already, right? Well, we’re going to repeat ourselves; we know it can be hard to remember and feel like a chore, especially when you’re desperate to get out into the garden and soak up some Vitamin D.
It doesn’t matter if it’s summer, winter, spring or summer, SPF is an important part of your skincare routine.
The truth is, all the serums in the world won’t undo the damage the sun can do in one summer.
Sunlight in the hottest months of the year contains particularly strong UVA and UVB rays. This makes it more important than ever that your SPF is both:
- broad-spectrum
- at least factor 30
SPF30 filters around 97% of UVB rays (the ones that cause the most sunburn). Naturally, this is quite a leap from, say, no sunscreen at all.
This means that little extra step in your morning routine is worth it; what you’re really doing is protecting your skin from fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, and of course, skin cancer. If it helps to look at it that way, go ahead!
All you need to remember is to wear it, and to reapply it every two hours. Done.
3. Step Up the Exfoliation
This one might surprise you, since most people think exfoliation is only to get rid of pesky flaky, dry skin.
The fact is, we sweat considerably more throughout the summer. When we’re also outdoors gathering dirt, pollutants (and melted off make-up) on our skin, that grime builds up faster than you might realise.
If you have oily skin, you’ve probably already noticed that this is the case; hopefully, you’re already on top of your exfoliation routine. For those that aren’t, or who only exfoliate twice a week, consider stepping it up and adding another one or two days of exfoliation; this will help to handle all the extra dirt that builds up and clogs your pores in the summer.
This counts for the body, as well as the face (we sweat pretty much everywhere, unfortunately!).
When it comes to exfoliating your face though, don’t undo your hard work with a physical exfoliator that damages your skin. Instead, invest in a nice chemical exfoliant that contains glycolic or lactic acid, as this will do a much better job without harming your skin.
4. Don’t Forget the Moisturiser
When your skin is dry, cracked and flaky as hell, moisturising is easy to remember; the visible signs of not moisturising are so much more obvious. In summer, feeling sweaty, dirty and a whole lot oilier, and the notion is… somewhat overlooked.
But if you’re already working hard to hydrate yourself, why let your skin lose out on moisture because you couldn’t be bothered to moisturise? Yes, your skin might not feel as dry as in the winter, but that doesn’t mean now’s the time to skip it.
However, there’s a catch. There’s absolutely no need to stick with the heavy creams and oils you use in the colder months. Under the sun, they’re just blocking your pores and stopping your skin from breathing.
Instead, when the summer rolls around, invest in a lighter moisturiser; one that sinks in nicely, doesn’t sit on the surface, keeps your natural barriers intact and your hydration where you want it – in your skin!
If you’re smart about it, you can even shorten your skincare routine by using a moisturiser that contains SPF30, or a tinted moisturiser that replaces your make-up. Neat, eh?