Your Guide to the Ultimate Summer Skincare Routine

July 07, 2023

Summer is made up of vacations at the beach, dips in the pool, and simply enjoying being outdoors. However, summer also means more hours of daylight, hot temperatures, and high humidity. All of these factors affect your skin, and you need to adjust your skincare routine to protect it. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you perfect your summer skincare routine so you can have healthy, glowing skin this summer.

Apply Sunscreen

The most important step in your summer skincare routine is to apply sunscreen, and apply it often. To protect your skin from the sun, you need to use a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 with broad spectrum protection. This will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure you also protect your lips with an SPF lip balm. Anytime you are in the sun (and not just during summer months) you should be applying sunscreen to prevent skin cancer and premature aging. You should reapply every two hours to keep your skin protected.

Wear Less Makeup

The higher temperatures of summer make us sweat more, which can make your makeup come off more easily. Wearing a lot of heavy makeup can also make your face feel hotter. So, as part of your summer skincare routine, wear less makeup to give your skin a chance to breathe. Your face will feel lighter and will enjoy the break. Reducing the amount of makeup you wear can also reduce your chances of acne breakouts, which can be caused by makeup mixing with sweat and clogging up your pores. A tinted moisturizer can provide you with some coverage without weighing down your skin like a heavy foundation.

Moisturize

Even though there’s typically quite a bit of moisture in the air during summer, your skin can still dry out. That’s why it’s important to keep moisturizing daily even in summer. If your face feels too hot with a heavy moisturizer, switch to a lighter one. There are a lot of moisturizers out there that also contain SPF, and these are a great option to add another layer of protection for your skin. Just make sure you’re not letting this replace actually using sunscreen if you’re going outside.

Exfoliate

Sweat and sunscreen can both clog up your pores, so make sure you exfoliate to unclog them. It’s recommended to only exfoliate once or twice a week to avoid harming your skin. And never exfoliate sunburned skin–it’s best to just let the skin heal on its own without irritating it further. To add exfoliation to your summer skincare routine, try gentle exfoliants without harsh chemicals. Even if the bottle says you can use it daily, stick to only exfoliating one or twice a week to keep your skin happy and healthy.

Self-Tan

We know how tempting it is to want a glowing tan in the summertime. If your skin just tans instead of burning in the sun, it can be easy to convince yourself that you don’t need to wear sunscreen. However, even though you’re not getting a painful sunburn, your skin is still getting sun damage. The darkening of your skin is a response to UV rays damaging your skin cells. So, instead of laying out in the sun–or worse, a tanning bed–try using a self-tanner to get that sun-kissed glow you’re after. Self-tanning lotion can be used daily until you achieve the color you desire, and it won’t damage your skin.

Wash Sparingly

Getting hot and sweaty can make you feel gross, tempting you to want to wash your face or shower multiple times a day. However, washing your skin too frequently can dehydrate it by stripping away natural moisturizing oils. It’s best to just shower once a day and after you exercise. It’s fine to rinse your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water twice a day, and you can wash your body with lukewarm water after sweat sessions. Just make sure you’re avoiding hot water, as that’s much more dehydrating. You can also use blotting papers to absorb sweat from your face without having to use water.

Wear Sun-Protective Clothes

Your summer skincare routine shouldn’t stop with beauty products. It should extend into your closet as well. A great way to protect your skin this summer is with protective accessories, such as wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses with UV protection, and clothes with woven fabrics or UV absorbers. Hats and sunglasses help keep UV rays off your face, and they also keep you from getting lines around your eyes from squinting in the bright sunlight. Clothes with tightly woven fabrics, such as denim, are the best at keeping the sun from reaching your skin. Dark colors also offer better protection.

Find Summer Skincare Products at Our Pharmacy

Here at Paul’s Pharmacy, we carry a number of beauty and skincare products that will help you maintain a healthy summer skincare routine. Stop by one of our locations today to get the products you need!