Dermatologist Recommended Skincare For Summer
It may be early but I want to talk skincare for summer – as slowly but surely, summer is on its way. And while we welcome the days getting longer and the temperature rising, often the effect we see on our skin can be less than ideal – thanks to heat, humidity, sweat and sunscreen.
In today’s journal entry I round up my dermatologist-recommended summer skin care tips, including how to prepare skin for summer, troubleshoot common summertime skin concerns and maintain your summer glow.
How To Prepare Skin For Summer
When it comes to changing up your seasonal skin care routine, my advice is always the same: go slow and take your time, so you can closely monitor your skin for any unwanted effects.
As such, the best time to begin the transition to your summer skin care routine is early spring.
For the face, this means swapping out your daily, heavier moisturiser for something more lightweight, and making sure you are really concentrating on cleansing every morning and evening to avoid blemishes. There is no need to shift away from your usual actives (including retinol and vitamin C) as long as you are continuing to apply a high factor SPF daily.
For the body, now is the time to dial up on exfoliation, smoothing serums and moisturisers to start the process of prepping for a summer glow. Make sure to moisturise daily, utilising a scrub or serum once or twice a week at first, and gradually increasing exfoliation to three times weekly and serum application as often as desired.
How To Keep Skin Healthy In Summer
Whilst heat, humidity and increased application of sunscreen and moisturisers can make our skin feel greasy over the summer months, heightened exposure to the sun can actually leave skin dehydrated, causing dryness and tightness.
To ensure adequate hydration, it is important to make sure you are applying a lightweight moisturiser rich in ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and glycerin which help retain water in the skin.
With that said, making small adjustments to your lifestyle is also sensible when it comes to summer skin. Taking omega supplements or consuming fatty acid-rich foods (such as salmon, tuna or walnuts) will help strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier and prevent water loss, while drinking plenty of water and ensuring a diet full of fruit and vegetables will help heighten hydration levels.
I think it goes without saying that sun protection is non-negotiable all year round, but even more so when you’re exposed to increased sun in the summer. For the face, do not solely rely on the SPF in your make up. A good rule when applying sunscreen to the face is that two finger lengths of product will ensure adequate coverage. For the body, you need 6-8 teaspoon sized applications.
In terms of in-clinic treatments, I would avoid undergoing laser and chemical peels until winter rolls around, as it is hard to distinguish between tanned skin and pigmentation. Instead, concentrate on boosting skin health and hydration through treatments such as Aquagold (where hyaluronic acid and botanicals are stamped gently under the skin’s surface to give a healthy, glass-like glow) and skin boosters such as Revive, Volite, Nucleofill and Profhilo to hydrate from the inside out for smoother, plumper skin.
How To Keep Skin Clear In The Summer
While we all want glowing skin in summer, sometimes the warmer weather and the products we use can instead contribute to uneven, blemish-prone skin across the face and body.
If you are seeing increased blemishes during the summer months, your first step should be to ensure you are thoroughly cleansing every evening. This will remove all traces of SPF, along with any build up of sweat, make-up or impurities collected on the skin during the day, as all these can contribute to clogged pores.
And don’t forget to cleanse first thing too, as missing this vital step can compromise the efficacy of your other products. For instance, if you have used actives such as retinol the night before, you risk experiencing irritation if you layer product over product on an uncleansed face.
Another common culprit when it comes to compromised summer skin is heat rash. Often showing up as irritated, sensitive skin (sometimes along with spots and itching), heat rash occurs when sweat glands become blocked. Ensuring you are using lightweight lotions, cleansing with a gentle body wash and wearing loose fitting clothing can help prevent irritation, while cool compresses, hydrocortisone creams and oral anti-histamines can support in addressing the symptoms.
My Go-To Skincare For Summer
Ready to start your summer skin routine? I’ve shared my top dermatologist-recommended must-haves for glowing summer skin below:
Consistently Cleanse: For the face, CeraVe’s Hydrating Cream Cleanser gently removes all traces of makeup and impurities, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. For the body, Joonbyrd’s MOON SWIM Hydrating Body Wash gently clears whilst protecting the delicate skin barrier.
Lightweight Lotions: CeraVe’s Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum maintains moisture without clogging pores on the delicate skin of the face. Our Joonbyrd LITTLE LOVE Nourishing Body Lotion is lightweight yet powerful, clinically proven to hydrate for up to 48 hours.
Smooth and Soften: Exfoliating with an effective yet gentle skin scrub such as Joonbyrd VIOLET HAZE Exfoliating Body Scrub will help sweep away dead skin cells along with build up from sunscreen and sweat. To address any unwanted bumps (such as keratosis pilaris) our new KALEIDOSCOPE Smoothing Body Serum’s innovative formula of shikimic acid, azelaic acid and blueberry seed oil will smooth your skin in as little as six weeks.
SPF, SPF, SPF: Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130 Pigment Control and EltaMD UV Clear are my two favourite lightweight but high factor sunscreen products for the face. For the body, La Roche Posay’s Anthelios range offers broad spectrum protection without increasing skin sensitivity.
Maintain With Minis: Make sure to take your skin care away with you. CeraVe’s Simplified Skin Routine contains three face essentials in carry-on size and Joonbyrd’s BETTER TOGETHER Body Essentials Kit contains travel sizes of all your body care essentials to maintain a glow on the go.
Discover more expert insight on skin care via my journal.
