summer skin care
Summer means endlessly sipping on cooling drinks, relaxing on beach vacations and changing up your wardrobe to bring out the flowy silhouettes and floral prints. But summer is also the time you need to pay attention to your skin and change up your skin care routine. Each season has a different impact on your skin, no matter what your skin type is, so it’s important to identify the concerns you may be facing and upgrade your regime to ensure that all your skin needs are met.
Here, we take you through a few summer skin care essentials that will keep your skin glowing and healthy through the warmer months.
summer skin care routine for different skin types
As you sweat through every pore and try to get through the day working from home or the office, it’s time to switch up your skin care game. Summer skin care is a completely different beast from a winter regime, and the combination of the weather and the sun can have a harsh effect on your skin. Using the right skin care products that suit your skin type are especially important so that your skin concerns do not get further aggravated. So we’re here to tell you what to prioritise, how to find the best combination of products and settle on a routine that suits your skin type.
summer skin care routine for dry skin
Cleansing is no doubt crucial all year round, but especially so in summer, when the sweat and excess sebum traps dirt, oil, grime and pollution in your skin, clogging your pores, resulting in breakouts, hives, flare ups and acne. If you haven’t yet, summer is a good time to start double cleansing. The first cleanser can be an oil-based balm such as the Dermalogica Precleanse that removes all the dirt and grime trapped in your skin. Dry skin often results in flakiness and irritation, so the best face wash for dry skin is one that is gentle on your skin and provides extra moisture. You can opt for Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Cleanser, which has coconut oil and jasmine that help nourish your skin from deep within, while a BioReplenish Complex can help build your skin’s natural resilience. This cleanser will defend your skin against dryness, while rinsing away easily to give you softer, more luminous skin.
That exfoliating regularly harms your skin’ is a myth. During summer, it’s ever so important to rid your skin of the extra sebum, dirt, comedones, or blackheads as we call them, and dead cells, so exfoliation is highly recommended. This step helps unclog your pores to avoid breakouts and acne. Just ensure you choose one that is gentle and non-abrasive. The rice bran extract in the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is gentle enough to use daily, leaving you with visibly brighter, smoother skin. A word to the wise though – if your skin is sensitised, then start by exfoliating twice a week.
Using a toner like the Dermalogica Multi Active Toner provides the skin with hydration, and can be used throughout the day as a quick refresh as well. It also prepares the skin for the rest of the skin care routine. With ingredients like Arnica, Balm Mint and Lavender, this toner soothes and calms the skin, while making this spritz ideal for skin hydration throughout the day. Don’t skip this step as it helps even out the skin’s porosity, and optimises the skin’s ability to absorb the hydration from the moisturiser.
Just like our bodies need extra hydration during the summer, so does our skin. Because we tend to sweat a lot and our skin becomes oily in the warmer months, many of us believe that it needs no moisture, but this is far from the truth. Sweat dehydrates your skin, which can then cause concerns like dullness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles. Make sure you continue to moisturise your skin every day, but switch to a water-gel moisturiser, like the Dermalogica Calm Water Gel Moisturiser, that your skin will absorb more effectively, without leaving a heavy, sticky feeling.
Face masques are the ultimate relaxers, especially after a long day in the heat. The Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque is a good option for those with dry skin, as it essentially traps moisture and soothes irritations, giving you nourished, healthy skin. Tomato seed lipids help restore the skin’s protective barrier, and enhance moisture levels for healthier-looking, smoother skin. You can apply the masque, leave it on for seven to 10 minutes, and either wash it off with lukewarm water, or wipe it off with a wet sponge. Use the masque once or twice a week for optimum hydration.
Sunscreens are multitasking beauty products that protect your skin from the sun’s harsh UVA and UVB rays, provide a barrier against dirt, grime and pollution, and moisturises your skin such that it doesn’t get dehydrated while you’re sweating from every pore. Hop on over to pick up the Dermalogica Prisma Protect SPF30 sunscreen. This unique moisturiser-cum-sunscreen is equipped with intelligent drone technology, which enhances the skin’s natural luminosity, contains sage that soothes the skin and gives you an even tone, and is replete with moisture magnets that strengthen the skin’s barrier function to help combat environmental irritants, while providing all-day hydration. This sunscreen is a game-changer for those looking to minimise their skin care routine but do not want to miss out on the hydration of a moisturiser or the protection of a sunscreen.
summer skin care routine for oily skin
Summer means more dust and pollution, and a lot more sweat, which can often clog your pores, trapping the dirt inside. This, as we all know by now, leads to blackheads, breakouts and acne, and generally affects the overall health of your skin.
To avoid this, ensure you follow a regular skin care routine that includes cleansing your face at least twice a day. Instead of sticking to your usual CTM (Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise) regime, amp it up to a double cleanse routine to make sure you’re as thorough as possible. Summer makes the skin oilier than usual, so doing this step will help remove the excess sebum produced by your skin and keep it feeling non-sticky and matte through the day.
You can start by using the Dermalogica Precleanse to remove the dust, dirt and makeup, and follow it up with the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel as it’s gentle on your skin, while deep cleaning it for optimum skin health and smoothness. Avoid cleansers that extract too much of your natural oils from the face, leaving it feeling tight and stretched. Excessively drying the face can make the skin produce more sebum to compensate, which is the beginning of a vicious cycle.
One more product that helps remove build-up, which is common during summer, are exfoliators. If you want to avoid acne and breakouts, this step is key in your skin care routine. Exfoliating regularly gets rid of the dead cells on your skin, along with the excess sebum produced, dirt, pollution and external factors that could cause your pores to get clogged and break out in acne or redness. The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a gentle exfoliant that you can use every day, without stripping your skin of its natural moisture.To amp up your cleansing game, you may try power cleansing, which is starting off with the Dermalogica Precleanse, and then mixing the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant with the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel instead of water to activate it. Apply this paste all over your face and wash it off, before continuing with the rest of your skin care routine. A word to the wise though -- if you have extra sensitive or sensitised skin, use the exfoliant only twice a week.
The heat, humidity and dust during summers can cause irritations on your skin. Add to that you’re constantly sweating, which could potentially be clogging your pores. Overall, your skin isn’t happy. Carrying a calming mist or toner with you at all times is a good bet -- it’s akin to carrying a water bottle for your skin. The mist will help cool you down and soothe any irritations or flare ups caused by the heat. The Dermalogica Ultracalming Mist Toner helps calm redness and sensitivity, protects against environmental assaults and prevents potential future aggravations. Its complex of oats, botanical actives and aloe helps soothe the skin while retaining its moisture. This toner is formulated without any added fragrance or colours, minimising the chances of your skin getting aggravated.
Just like you need to drink more water during the summer months, since you’re sweating out some of your water weight, your skin needs extra hydration too. It’s easy to forget this since we’re constantly feeling greasy and icky, but even oily skin can be dehydrated, so opt for a lightweight moisturiser that will nourish your skin without leaving any oily residue. You can go for the Dermalogica Active Moist moisturiser, which has a sheer, easy-to-apply formula that contains Prebiotic Moisture Complex and a unique combination of plant extracts to help improve surface texture and combat surface dehydration, while natural botanical extracts of Lemon, Cucumber and Burdock help to refine the skin.
Using a face mask is synonymous to self-care and there really isn’t anything more relaxing after a hot day than lying back with a face masque. The Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Masque is great for oily skin in summer, when your sebum production is in overdrive. This one helps clear breakouts and detox the skin for a fresh, clean and even tone. Calming botanicals like Oats and Bisabolol soothe skin aggravations, while Safflower Oil helps counter fine lines caused by dehydration. Simply apply the masque for 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
You’ve probably heard this enough, but there is no such thing -- sunscreen is sacrosanct, no matter what time of the year it is. Broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 to SPF 50 provides a protective shield between you and the harmful UV rays the beautiful sun emits, so while you need to get in your Vitamin D, you also need to protect yourself from dark spots, skin ageing, discolouration or worse. In fact, you must continue to apply sunscreen even if you’re working from home -- you have windows, right? Ensure that you are picking a sunscreen that is either suitable for all skin types or is specific to your skin needs – be it oily or dry. The Dermalogica Prisma Protect SPF30 not only protects your skin, but also enhances your skin’s natural luminosity without leaving behind any white residue. It’s a win-win!
You can also opt for a two-in-one moisturiser and sunscreen, like the Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30, if you’d rather avoid putting too much on your skin. If your skin is overly sensitive and you’re prone to more breakouts during summer, try the Dermalogica Barrier Repair Moisturiser, which provides intense yet lightweight moisture along with strengthening your skin’s natural barrier surface against dirt, sweat and pollution.
sunscreen for all
We are never going to tire of talking about the importance of wearing sunscreen - no matter which time of the year it is, whether you're indoors or outdoors. Sunscreens are multitasking beauty products that protect your skin from the sun’s harsh UVA and UVB rays, provide a barrier against dirt, grime and pollution, and moisturise your skin such that it doesn’t get dehydrated while you’re sweating from every pore.
If you are looking for a physical sunscreen that suits all skin types and can be worn indoors, you are in luck. The brand new Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 has an invisible, weightless formula that blends easily on skin, featuring only non-nano Zinc Oxide, which is better for your skin as it doesn’t easily get absorbed into the deeper layers. Rather, non-nano Zinc Oxide sits on top of the skin and reflects UV rays away like tiny mirrors, which is ideal for sensitive skin, since physical sunscreens are least likely to cause reactions in the skin. Say goodbye to thick, white residue with this physical SPF formula that provides added blue light protection and helps soothe away the effects of environmental aggressors. Bio-active Mushroom Complex helps calm the skin, and reduce UV-induced redness and dryness. Antioxidant Green Tea helps defend skin against free radical damage. The Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 is meant for all skin types, including sensitive skin.