Should You Change Your Skincare Routine in the Summer?

Skincare routines need to be season specific.

A change in season causes a change in the way our skin behaves - a phenomenon of which you must be already aware.

Heat and humidity cause our skin to produce more oil. Breakouts become almost inevitable. Increased sunshine and heat exacerbate your pigmentation woes.

Eczema sufferers may see their symptoms worsen.

For those of you who worry about having to learn a whole new routine - you don’t need to completely overhaul your skincare routine for this taxing weather.

Here are some tips and a few tweaks to your regular skincare routine that will ensure happy summer skin

1. UPDATE YOUR FACE WASH

Your face wash needs to deep cleanse during the summer when oil production and the possibility of pimples and breakout increases.

Look for a face wash that cleanses but is not aggressive or harsh. It should remove oil based impurities without stripping your skin and making it feel dry.

How many times in a day should you wash your face? Let your skin tell you the answer. If you wake up in the morning with your face feeling like an oil slick then definitely use your cleanser twice a day. If you have normal to dry skin you may want to do the deep cleanse at the end of the day and use micellar water or a cleansing milk/lotion in the morning.

2. DON'T SKIP YOUR TONER

Alcohol free toners further rehydrate the skin, remove any dirt or debris that your cleanser may have missed and prepare your skin to better absorb the rest of your skincare.

Our recently launched AHA BHA Toner is a great choice of oily to combination skin. Floral waters like Rose Water are wonderful for normal to dry skin. Immediately apply your serum or moisturizer while your skin is still a bit damp from the toner.

3. EXFOLIATE FOR BRIGHTNESS

Summer skin can end up looking dull and lifeless. Exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells. Freshly exfoliated skin is like a sponge. It becomes better at absorbing serums and moisturizers. And this just makes your skin feel and look happy and healthy. 

Use exfoliators that are gentle and non abrasive. We have a few with great skin friendly ingredients like oatmeal, turmeric, rose powder and Bengal gram (besan).

4. UPDATE YOUR MOISTURISER

Summer skin does not like heavy moisturizers. If you have oily skin you may be tempted to ditch the moisturizer altogether. When you do that your skin gets overly dry and your brain directs your oil glands to send more oil to the surface of the skin in order to correct this situation.

Choose a light-weight moisturizer and apply a very small amount in order to give your skin the hydration and protection it needs.

5. SPF IS SUPER IMPORTANT (YOU CAN EAT IT TOO!)

Summer is when your sun related pigmentation makes an appearance. So makes sure your sun protection routine is never ignored.

Use a sunscreen formulated for the face. It should be minimum SPF 30 and also be rated as “broad spectrum” so that you know that you are being protected from UVA and UVB rays.

Did you know you can eat your way to better sun protection?

We’re serious - studies have proven that foods rich in Vitamins C and E can actually boost your skin’s natural sun protection and protect your skin from sun damage. These include foods rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruit for example), Vit E (nuts) as also tomatoes, carrots, green tea, pomegranates, watermelon and flax seeds. Yum yum!

6. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE

A common mistake is the assumption that drinking water will make your parched and dehydrated skin feel better. The truth is that while drinking water is great for our overall health it is possibly the least efficient way to bring relief to your skin.

Aesthetician Renee Rouleau explains what happens when you drink water “Water will run through the intestines, get absorbed into your bloodstream, and then get filtered out by the kidneys. At this point, it will hydrate the cells inside the body but to expect it to reach the outside layers of the skin (known as the epidermis), is just not possible.”

So what should you do instead? Use a good toner after cleansing (see tip 2 above), apply skincare on skin that is slightly damp from your toner and invest in a hydrating serum such as this Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

7. STAY COOL

Did you know pigmentation is also triggered by heat? We did a guide on pigmentation that explains this in further detail.

Keeping your skin cool is an essential part of summer skincare. Heat triggers melanin production so avoid getting your skin overheated. Apply a cooling gel after exposure to sun and/or heat.

Keep your sheet masks, face mists and hydrating moisturizers in the fridge for a short while prior to application. This helps add some additional cooling to your skin.

8. DON'T FORGET THE SKIN ON YOUR BODY (as well as your lips, hands and feet)

Let’s not make the mistake of focusing our summer skincare tips on just the skin of the face. The rest of your body needs attention too.

Remember to exfoliate your skin once a week, focusing especially on the knees, elbows and heels. Pat in a light moisturizing lotion onto your skin immediately after exfoliating.

Bare legs and arms get more sun exposure and need more care as well. Don’t forget your lips! The sun can be extremely drying and harsh on your lips so keep that lip balm handy.

Our last tip is related to not just a particular season.

And that is LISTEN TO YOUR SKIN.

Just like our bodies our skin constantly evolving, adapting and changing. It is, after all, the largest organ we have!

So stay in tune with your skin because it will tell you when it is not happy.

Dryness, tightness, flaking, redness, sensitivity and breakouts are all signs that should alert you to the fact that your routine is not working.

Follow our skincare tips and make your dermatologist your best friend if you have serious skincare concerns.

Wishing you happy and healthy skin!

Do you have any questions/suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.

DISCLAIMER:

Content of this website is not a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do NOT replace any relationship that exists, or should exist, between you and a medical doctor or other healthcare professional. Results given in testimonials/reviews are from real people who have used Vya Naturals products, but identical or similar results are not guaranteed. Individual results may vary depending on skin type, sensitivity, lifestyle, age, skincare products combinations, skincare history, as well as how the products are applied and stored.