How to Change Your Skincare Routine for Summer
Plus, the skincare getting me through this season.
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For me, my summer skincare routine is all about protecting my skin, keeping it lightly hydrated and adding a natural glow, while also avoiding dry and oily skin (both of which I can suffer from at this time of the year - why?!), and so I thought I would share with you the products I'm adding into my current AM and PM product rotation.
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EXFOLIATE:
One of the best things you can do to achieve healthy, glowing skin is to exfoliate, otherwise your skin can look dull and dry (yeah, no thanks). These days, I find myself going for a chemical exfoliator more and more as I discover what works the best with my skin, but there's a couple that are at the top of my radar right now and not just for summer, I'll admit.
I tested the Skinstitut Enzymatic Micro Peel during my 7 Day Skincare Challenger a couple of weeks ago and that was all it took to get me completely hooked. It's now my new twice weekly favourite 15-minute peel for instantly smoother, brighter looking skin (a difficult feet when you've got dry skin). Another that I've been loving lately from Sephora is the Alpha-H Liquid Gold, a nighttime treatment with a serious cult status. The Glycolic Acid formula smoothes, brightens and revitalises your skin's complexion and would be an impeccable addition to your summer skincare lineup.
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PROTECT ONCE (ANTIOXIDANTS):
This is the product you should definitely use in your 20s, but I like to up-the-ante in summer when it comes to antioxidants (and add a little more hydration while we're at it). Let's get real here, as the weather warms up the more we sweat and we do not want that stuff to block our pores and cause unwanted blemishes, amiright?! Antioxidants protect your skin from environmental factors like sweat and dirt, and work all sorts of magic to keep your skin in tip-top shape. I've swapped my current serum to the oil-free Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough Hydrating Antioxidant Serum, which sinks into my skin beautifully, leaving it feeling soft and smooth and, to be quite honest, freaking awesome.
It's not just antioxidant serums that have tickled my fancy recently either. Facial mists have become a refreshing daily ritual that not only protect against environmental factors with their antioxidants, but also tone and hydrate. I've just added the beauty world favourite, the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist to my skincare routine, and continue to use the Skinstitut Multi-Active Mist (which I raved on about here) as well.
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ADD GLOW:
In summer, our skin can lose a lot of good stuff like minerals and get really, really dehydrated, which isn't great for our inner glow. So, it's only right that we spend a little time replenishing what we've lost. As it happens to be, Vitamin C is one of those amazing miracle vitamins that contains a whole bunch of antioxidants that help to prevent and repair sun damage like fine lines, uneven skin tone and more. The Body Shop Vitamin C Instant Glow Enhancer is a rose tinted cream with a subtle citrus fragrance that instantly makes skin look healthier and feel softer. While it's applied after your moisturiser, it can also be dabbed onto any lacklustre areas throughout the day to get back your glow.
Another instant glow product is the new Elizabeth Arden SuperStart Skin Renewal Booster, which is used before you apply a serum. It has a delightful light fragrance and the most lovely cooling sensation when pressed into the skin. Not only does it stimulate your skin to repair and renew, but also assists the rest of your skincare products so that they work at their highest efficiency.
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PROTECT TWICE (SPF):
It's not just the sweat and dirt we have to protect ourselves from, but also our dear friend, the sun. Yo know all those wonderful picnics and beach days we were talking about before? Yeah, well, they put us right in the grasp of the suns harsh UV rays, which can cause some pretty terrible damage to our skin, like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and far worse. This is exactly why we desperately need to up the SPF in summer and there's a bunch of really wonderful facial sunscreens that provide a shield against the sun, like the Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 and Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster SPF 50.
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LIGHTLY HYDRATE:
While we tend to pack on the moisturiser in winter to prevent dryness, we can neglect it during summer because we think it makes our skin more oily, but it actually just causes it to be dehydrated (goodbye natural radiance). And you know what dehydrated skin produces? More oil! Yep. So, come summer, it time to pump up the hydration in the most refreshing and light way possible.
Recently, in the morning, I've swapped to the Skinstitut Moisture Defence, a lightweight, non-greasy moisturiser that also contains additional antioxidants (you can never have too many). If you're more on the dry side like me though, then you probably need a little more loving, which is why the Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask is another great addition to your summer skincare regime. It quite literally works for you while you sleep, adding extra hydration to your skin, which means you're guaranteed to wake up with luminous, plumped skin. Who would say no to that?
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What skincare products are you adding to your summer skincare routine? I'd love to know!
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SHOP MY SUMMER SKINCARE PICKS:
