Summer’s here and it’s time to switch up your skincare to match the changing season’s requirements! From the cold, dry climate, you’re now up against that oily stickiness and the scorching heat of the sun.
Summers can be challenging for the skin because you’re fighting that excess oil while trying to keep the skin amply hydrated too! Here are simple tips and tricks to maintain that dewy summer look with skin that feels healthy, supple and soft.
1. Moisturize
Moisturizing isn’t just for the dry winters, your skin needs moisturizing in the hot summers too. As you sweat in the summer heat, your skin loses a lot of its moisture. When you wash your skin, natural oils get washed away reducing its moisture-retaining ability to make it even more dry and dehydrated.
Moisturizing reduces water loss from the skin to ensure it remains supple and moist. It also helps regulate the skin’s oil balance. Did you know that moisturizing can actually help reduce oiliness?
Of course, it wouldn’t be wise to stick to the heavy winter creams and greasy balms so bid goodbye to them! Your summer skin needs lighter, water-based lotions instead. Always moisturize your skin right after washing it to keep the moisture locked in.
2. Use a hydrating toner
A hydrating toner full of minerals can change your summer skin game completely! Summer means sweating a lot and the skin constantly loses essential minerals in the process. These minerals play a crucial role in keeping the skin hydrated. Cleansing your skin further washes away these minerals. The best method to replenish them is by supplying them directly with a mineral toner.
A hydrating toner also serves many other beneficial purposes. For one, it increases the absorption of nutrients in your moisturizer and other skincare products. It also calms and pacifies irritated skin and fights the summer inflammation.
It’s best to use a hydrating toner right after cleansing your skin and moisturizing it.
3. Exfoliate regularly
One essential step in summer skincare is to exfoliate your skin regularly to unclog the pores and allow them to breathe. Sweat mixes with excess oil and dirt along with dead skin cells to clog up the pores. Clogged pores are a nuisance not just because of their acne-proneness but they also mean that your moisturizer becomes less effective.
Exfoliating opens up the pores and allows nutrients to penetrate deeper into the skin. It doesn’t just hydrate the skin, but also improves its texture making it soft, even and smooth while also stimulating the skin to rejuvenate.
Use a mild exfoliating scrub twice or thrice a week. Choose your scrub and the frequency of exfoliation based on your skin’s sensitivity.
4. Use sunscreen
The skin has a natural moisture barrier around it that protects it from external aggressions like infections and irritants. Exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can severely compromise that moisture barrier. This doesn’t just dehydrate the skin but also makes it vulnerable and unprotected.
This is why sunscreen is an absolute must, especially in the summer. Whether you’re applying makeup after, whether you’re only just driving to work, whether it’s a cloudy day, sunscreen is something you just cannot skip. Go for a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 and apply it 30 minutes before sun exposure.
5. Drink enough water
Drinking enough water is necessary for keeping the skin tissues hydrated and replenished so that they can perform their tasks optimally. Water also helps regulate blood flow and hence your body’s temperature to ensure that the skin remains moist.
How can your skin be hydrated when your body isn’t? With our busy schedules, drinking water gets often compromised or we simply tend to forget. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day is essential. Set up a drinking water app and keep a water bottle nearby to help.
6. Go easy on the makeup
Sure, makeup is everyone’s favorite but you need to cut down on the layers if you want to ensure your skin stays hydrated and has its natural glow. Makeup clogs up the pores and keeps the skin from breathing freely.
When the skin isn’t breathing beneath the layers of makeup – when it can’t sweat, it produces that unwanted greasy shine. Ironically, we tend to dab on more layers to hide the oiliness and achieve that matte effect.
In summers, it’s best to stay light. Use non-comedogenic products – these are products that don’t clog up the pores. Also, ensure that you remove your makeup at night before sleeping. Cleanse and tone to help rehydrate the skin and help it recover and rejuvenate at night.
7. Carry a face mist
A face mist can be a boon to your summer skin as it instantly hydrates it and gives you that refreshed feeling. Carry one around for that mid-day hydration and relief from the summer heat. Face mists also help regulate your skin’s oil production to get rid of that mid-day oiliness and stickiness.
Many face mists come with minerals that can give your skin that additional mineral boost to replenish the nutrients lost in sweat. While choosing a mist spray, make sure you go for an alcohol-free formula – many mists use alcohol to absorb excess oil but it only ends up drying the skin further!
8. Follow a summer diet
Your diet plays a vital part in your skin’s hydration levels. If you’re eating fried, spicy, sugary and salty food, be prepared for excess sweat and more moisture loss. Coffee and alcohol are diuretic – they draw out water from the body making the skin tissues moisture-deprived, dry and dehydrated.
Eat hydrated foods like fresh fruits and vegetables instead. It’s also a good idea to add some healthy fats like fatty fishes as well as nuts and seeds to encourage the skin to retain its moisture. Cut down on the salt and sugar content and increase fluid intake with fresh juices like coconut water, lemon juice, watermelon juice etc.
