Summer skin ready - 6 tips from Skin Specialist Dani
Summer is here, and hopefully La Nina will ease off and bring brighter days for the rest of the season. As we change seasons our wardrobe changes, in winter we need thicker jumpers and more layers, in summer we wear lighter clothing and layers are often not required, the same goes with our skin care.
With weather changes and seasonal activities, your summer lifestyle is likely different to the rest of the year. Given the hotter climate, it’s really important to adjust your skin care accordingly. This makes summer a great time to review and refresh your skin program!
In this blog, our resident skin expert and advanced Skin Specialist Dani provides her 6 tips for your summer skin routine!
1. Don’t skip the SPF!
This may sound obvious, but even on those cloudy days, the UV index can be high. Wearing SPF (ideally 50+), helps protect our skin & cells from sunburn and other nasties. It prevents premature ageing, and is also particularly important if you are using cosmeceutical skin care.
2. Chooses lighter skin care products
You are unlikely to wear a thick woollen jumper in 35-degree heat, you would become far too hot and uncomfortable, much like our skin can do when using thick, rich and heavy creams in hotter months.
Our skin may require lighter products, this can mean an adjustment in moisturisers, cleansers and serum.
This might look like swapping out your super intense and rich night cream, for a lighter, or more balancing night time moisturiser.
Your cream cleanser that you have been using throughout winter, may make it feel like a film is being left on the skin, or that you are becoming ‘shinier’ quicker. Try swapping to a foaming or gel cleanser, that is lighter in formula, resulting in fresher feeling skin.
3. Exfoliate to reduce congestion and oily skin
Over summer we are often more social, with Christmas and new year festivities, friend’s BBQ’s, beach days and other social events. Our skin can become more congested than usual.
As prep for your skin before events, cleanse and then apply an AHA/BHA exfoliator to the skin, working into the skin for around 2mins. This will help lift off those dead skin cells - enabling makeup to apply more flawlessly to the skin, if using Salicylic Acid or Mandelic Acid, it will also travel down into the pore and remove the excess oil, as these two acids are lipophilic.
My top picks are Dermaceutic Foamer 15 (feels spicy on the skin due to the 15% Glycolic Acid) and Medik8’s Pore Refining Scrub (Salicylic Acid & Mandelic Acid).
4. Spring Clean your skin care!
Have a look on the back of your skin care bottles how long each product lasts - it will look like a little tub with a number in it (this is the POA symbol, Period After Opening), which represents the months.
Like anything perishable, products can go ‘off’ and expire after a certain amount of time from opening. This is down to a multitude of factors such as the ingredients. For instance water-based products can go mouldy, with bacteria growing and multiplying. Oil based products can expire, especially once exposed to oxygen. The stability of the product decreases and can change its colour, smell and the effectiveness of the product.
Using expired skin care products can lead to breakouts and rashes, due to the harmful bacteria that is being applied to the skin. So, treat yo’ self this summer, do a review of all your skin care, assess what is past its expiry date, and replace with fresh products!
5. Check your makeup brushes
This may seem simple; however, we are going to say it again, clean your makeup brushes! Bacteria thrives in makeup brushes, and as the product builds up in them, it only encourages the bacteria to multiply. This can lead to things like eye infections, breakouts and a whole other host of bacterial infections. Your makeup brushes should be being cleaned weekly, this also includes any blending sponges.
6. Use a facial muslin to cleanse
By using the muslin to gently buff the cleanser into the skin, it penetrates the product into the pore further, whilst simultaneously removing residue and make up from the skin. Use gentle circular motions, and use a fresh, clean muslin each time.
Wrapping up
Summer is a great time to unwind and take time to relax and take in the season, add Dani’s summer proof skin tips to your plans and enjoy your summer skin freshness!
Often skin care can get overlooked during this busy time and it can help to consult a Skin Specialist to help guide you on any specific skin maintenance for your specific skin environment.
