As the weather begins to warm up and our days are longer, and spent collecting seashells on the beach, lazing by the pool, catching up with friends over drinks and a BBQ, chasing waterfalls, long road trips and outdoor activities. This also leaves us with skincare issues. We spend more time exposed to the sun’s harmful rays and we also tend to find an increase in oil production in our skin and have sweat that sits on our skin that can cause our skin to become congested.
So, what are some things we can do in the warmer months to help our skin?
SLIP. SLOP. SLAP! Sunscreen is a must. It’s a must on hot, humid days and a must on cloudy, cooler days where it doesn’t feel that the sun’s rays are strong. A broad-spectrum sunscreen of AT LEAST SPF 30 is highly recommended. No ifs and buts. When it comes to the sun’s rays, getting sunburnt is something that should be avoided if we want to try to prevent skin cancer, uneven skin tone, premature ageing, dryness and hyperpigmentation. If you’re doing outdoor activities, be sure to reapply every few hours and don’t forget to protect your lips, eyes and feet. Tanning beds are also a huge no, no.
SUN EXPOSURE. IF, by chance, you do get sunburnt, reach for an aloe vera gel and reapply often throughout the day to soothe your skin. Keep your aloe vera gel in the fridge and add a drop of peppermint essential oil when you apply it to your skin. The cooling sensation is such a relief to sunburnt, dry, red and itchy skin. Drinking plenty of water is also important while your skin heals.
ANTIOXIDANTS. For extra protection, we need antioxidants. We’re forever told how important it is to have antioxidants in our diet but we don’t get told enough how important it is to apply antioxidant rich products to our skin. Vitamin C is a skin saviour in the warmer months. Sun exposure is a form of free radical damage and antioxidants like vitamin C helps protect your skin from free radical damage and other environmental skin stressors. Vitamin C also helps increase the production of collagen which breaks down with sun exposure, helps prevent hyperpigmentation, reduces the appearance of fine lines and aids in skin regeneration.
DIET. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants, healthy fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals. What you eat effects your skin as well. Certain foods can cause breakouts, lead to dull and lifeless skin and premature ageing. What goes inside your body is just as important as what you put on your skin. Add antioxidant rich foods into your diet. For example, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli) nuts, green tea, fruits like pomegranate, apples and plums. Your diet can help fight oxidative damage and can even help work against certain skin cancers.
HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! Being our largest organ, our skin needs water to keep it healthy and supple. Drinking water and eating water rich foods to stay hydrated will also benefit you by helping to flush away toxins from your system, helping in maintaining your skins elasticity, increasing blood flow to your skin and reducing face puffiness. You know how we’re always talking about our skin’s barrier function and how it’s important to keep it strong by using body oils? Staying hydrated is another important step in keeping our skin barrier healthy and strong.
DITCH THE HEAVY SKINCARE PRODUCTS. You’re not walking around in summer, wearing thick long pants and a sweater piled on top, so don’t apply heavy products to your skin either. Face moisturizers that are lightweight and non-comedogenic are best in the warmer months. Lilith & Luna’s Daytime Face Moisturizer (COMING SOON) is the perfect addition to your summertime skincare routine. It is light weight, silky smooth, full of antioxidant rich ingredients and has been designed not to block pores. Oh, and the refreshing scent of grapefruit and lime will have you craving cocktails by the pool.
Heavier skincare products may leave you with blocked pores, inflammation and breakouts so switch to a lighter moisturizer and opt for gel and foam cleansers.
MAKEUP. Keep makeup to a minimal. There are many products on the market that offer coverage without leaving your pores clogged. Tinted moisturisers and a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15 is just fine for daytime wear. Just be sure to cleanse your face thoroughly after wearing makeup. Double cleanse if you have to.
EXFOLIATE. The dead skin cells that have piled up on your skin need to go. Using a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week helps to remove dead skin cells, clears out pores and will leave you with brighter and softer skin. If you would like for your body cream or body oil to effectively work to dive deeper into your skin to deliver skin nourishing ingredients, exfoliating encourages this process.
CLEANSE. Cleansing your skin in the warmer months is incredibly important. Don’t overdo it to the point you’ve stripped your skin bare of any oils but definitely cleanse your skin twice a day to remove sweat, dirt, oil and grime. There will be days where you cleanse more than twice a day. For example, if you’ve gone to the gym, you’ll need to cleanse your skin of sweat and dirt. If you’ve spent time in a chlorinated pool, you’ll need to cleanse your skin of the chlorine. When choosing a cleanser for the warmer months, opt for a gel or foam cleanser if you’ve got oily skin.
SUMMERTIME SKINCARE INGREDIENTS . We have already gone through the benefits of using antioxidant rich skincare to strive for healthier skin during the warmer months, but a few other skincare ingredients to add to your routine are:
Niacinamide to improve uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation, stabilise excess oil production and to help reduce redness and inflammation. Niacinamide also offers our skin protection from environmental skin stressors and helps improve a weakened skin barrier to prevent moisture loss.
Hyaluronic Acid is fantastic at bonding to water molecules to help your skin retain moisture and hydration. As this ingredients improves hydration, it will leave you with plump, dewy and glowing skin.
Facial and body oils are fantastic for locking in hydration and strengthening the skins barrier function. They are also full of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to feed our skin with nourishing goodness. If oils are too heavy for you in the warmer months, use them every second to third day and apply your oil straight after a shower or bath while your skin is still damp. Allow it to absorb for a minute or two before patting your skin dry. If you find that your oil of choice contains citrus essential oils, don’t use it if you plan on spending the day in the sun. Certain oils such as lemon oil can make our skin photosensitive and prone to burning.
AHA’s and BHA’s are fantastic at deep diving into pores to cleanse, remove excess oil and dead skin cells, to fight acne, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and to improve the look of dull and uneven skin tone. They are perfect for congested skin but should be used as part of your evening skincare routine as these ingredients can make our skin photosensitive and prone to burning.
PRODUCT SENSITIVITY. Check your products for photosensitivity. Products like retinols are truly fantastic for the skin and can help fight premature ageing, fine lines and wrinkles but they can also make your skin more sensitive to sun damage. If you were to use retinols during the day, make sure you apply plenty of sunscreen and wear protective clothing.
Keep your summertime skincare routine simple. Simply make sure you stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, treat your body like a sacred temple and take care of your skin and yourself!
Lilith & Luna
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