15 Useful Tips To Keep Your Skin Comfortable And Glowing In Summer
The scorching summer heat can be unforgiving on your skin. The pollution, intense summer sun, heat, and humidity cause many skin issues. Tanning, dry patches, overactive sebaceous glands, sunburn, pigmentation, blemishes, and acne – these are a few issues that you may face during summer. That is why you need to take care of your skin during this season. You also need to update your skin care products and routine with the changing seasons. Below, we have suggested some changes that you need to make in your skin care routine.
1. Consider Changing Your Face Wash
Cleansing your face is the most basic skin care routine that you need to follow, irrespective of the season. During summers, the climate is hot and humid. Your face tends to produce more oil during this time, so you need to change your cleanser accordingly. Oily skin takes the maximum beating as your pores can get easily clogged and cause acne. Get a foaming cleanser that contains salicylic acid for summers. If you have dry skin, you may experience redness and rashes. Use a non-soapy face wash to clean your face twice a day. The same is applicable for those with combination skin. Those who have normal skin can switch to a gel-based face wash during summers. Wash your face twice or thrice a day to feel refreshed.
2. Do Not Forget Sunscreen
This is something that you absolutely cannot forget during summers. Sun protection for your face, hands, legs, and any other exposed parts of your body is vital. Excessive UV exposure can permanently damage your skin and cause sunburn, wrinkles, fine lines, skin cancer, and premature aging (1). Invest in a sunblock or sunscreen that has a broad UV spectrum (at least SPF 30). Apply it twice a day on all the exposed parts of your skin.
3. Add A Punch Of Antioxidants
Invest in serums, moisturizers, and sunscreens that come with an additional punch of antioxidants. For instance, vitamin C protects your skin from environmental damage, prevents wrinkles, and boosts collagen development (2). Creams and serums loaded with natural extracts and antioxidants reduce inflammation (which is pretty common in summer), neutralize harmful free radicals, and repair your skin.
4. Add Fruits And Vegetables To Your Diet
Applying antioxidants topically is not enough. To maintain radiant skin, you need to nourish it accordingly. Healthy eating is a must during summer. Consume lots of fruits and vegetables. They contain essential vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that boost collagen production, reduce inflammation, and protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun (3).
5. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Drink plenty of water and don’t forget to carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. Keep sipping from your bottle. This is important to keep your skin hydrated, flush out toxins from your body, and feel refreshed during the hot summer days (4).
6. Go Easy On Makeup
When it comes to makeup during summer months, go minimal. That’s because your skin needs to breathe when the weather is super hot and humid. If you absolutely cannot do without your foundation, go for a tinted moisturizer with SPF and layer it with face powder to avoid any patchy spots.
7. Exfoliate
During summer, your skin works hard to keep itself healthy and heal any irritation or sunburn. Help your skin in this process by exfoliating it gently. Exfoliation helps buff away the dead skin cells, leaving your skin looking radiant. You can use home-made sugar scrubs to exfoliate your skin or simply scrub your skin gently with a washcloth. However, make sure that you do not over-exfoliate your skin.
8. Tone Your Skin
Toners are a must-have during the summer months. A good toner keeps your skin oil-free and clean. It also reduces the appearance of pores. When applying toner, pay attention to your T-zone as it is the part of your face that secretes the maximum oil during summer.
9. Update Your Moisturizer
If you think your skin does not need moisturizer during the summer months, you are wrong. The only difference is that the heavy moisturizers that you used during winter will not work during summer. You need to use a light moisturizer when the weather is warm. Pick a non-greasy and lightweight moisturizer (pick one with SPF for daytime use) that will help lock in the essential moisture of your skin.
10. Do Not Forget Your Feet
Your skin does not end at your neck. Most of us tend to forget our feet. Now that you have replaced your winter boots with summer sandals, you need to take care of your feet as well. Give yourself a pedicure at home. Use a scrub to remove the dead and dry skin cells. Moisturize your feet, and don’t forget to apply sunscreen lotion on them.
11. Get Enough Exercise
If the summer heat, sweat, and humidity are keeping you off the treadmill, don’t give up. Though staying in and watching a movie while sipping iced tea is a tempting option, exercise is equally important for maintaining healthy skin during summer. Physical activity improves blood flow, which means your skin cells get more oxygen (5). Thus, your body heals any tissue damage (like a sunburn or acne) easily. You think exercising in the gym is monotonous? Add some fun to your workout routine and try Zumba instead. Even better, go cycling, play volleyball with your friends, or try hiking. Any form of exercise is good for your health.
12. Don’t Cut Down Your Resting Time
Your body needs time to repair itself and maintain healthy skin. That’s why no matter what schedule you maintain, try to take out enough time to rest. This is crucial because during the summer months, the days are longer, and most of us tend to be active for longer. Being exposed to the sun longer also leads to dullness and the appearance of the signs of aging. Getting enough sleep prevents the signs of aging, improves skin barrier function, and makes you look generally fresher and more attractive (6).
13. Do Not Forget The Eye Area
The area around your eyes is more delicate than the rest of your face and needs special care. Whenever you are stepping out in the sun, do not forget to wear sunglasses. This will prevent the formation of wrinkles around your eyes. Don’t forget to apply a moisturizing eye cream both during the day and at night. Use products that contain hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, honey, and cucumber. Massage the area around your eyes every night to relax the muscles.
14. Cool Off With A Face Mist
A cool face mist works wonders on a hot and humid summer day. It helps in soothing sunburns and inflammation and makes your skin look fresh and dewy. You can buy a face mist or even make one at home. Check out the recipe in the following section.
15. Always Take Cold Water Showers
Avoid hot showers and steam baths during summer as they dehydrate your skin. Take a cold water shower instead. It keeps your skin pores unclogged and prevents acne breakouts. It is also much more refreshing. Check out these simple skin care recipes that can help you get glowing skin in summer at home.
Home Remedies For Glowing Skin In Summer
1. Cooling Cucumber Face Mist (For All Skin Types)
Cucumber feels extremely soothing on the skin. For this face mist, grate one cucumber and strain the juice through a cheesecloth. Mix the juice with a tablespoon of rosewater, mint leaves and, a teaspoon of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Spritz it on your face throughout the day.
2. Gentle Coffee Body Exfoliator For Tan Removal (For All Skin Types)
Why spend money on store-bought body scrubs? If you have coffee grounds at home, making this body scrub is a breeze. Mix a quarter cup of brown sugar, half a cup of coffee grounds, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, olive oil, a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil, and a tablespoon of sea salt. Store the mixture in a glass jar. Use this mixture as a body scrub.
3. Soothing Cucumber And Mint Eye Mask
A refreshing eye mask can instantly take all the tiredness away from your delicate eye area. For this easy eye mask, blend a few mint leaves, extract the juice, and mix it with half a cup of cucumber juice. Add rosewater to it. Dip cotton pads in this mixture and place them on your eyes. If you want, you may place the soaked cotton pads in a ziplock bag and refrigerate it for 15 minutes before using it. You will love the cooling sensation of this eye mask.
4. Strawberry And Lemon Face Pack
If you love fruit face masks, you are going to love this one. Combine mashed strawberries with a tablespoon of yogurt, half a teaspoon of lemon juice, and honey. Apply this on your face as a face mask and wash it off after it dries. Make sure that you dilute the lemon juice before using it on your skin. Since lemon makes the skin photosensitive, use a sunscreen before you go out after using this face pack. Avoid lemon juice if you have sensitive skin.
5. Pore Tightening Egg White Face Mask
This is an easy home-made face mask. Mix a teaspoon of orange juice and a pinch of turmeric powder with one egg white. Apply this mask on your face. Let it dry for 15 minutes before washing it off. What should apply to your face at night in the summer? You should apply a night cream on your face in the summer. Pick a cream with an oil base if you have dry or combination skin and a water-based cream if you have oily skin. Which face serum is best for summer? A vitamin C-based serum is ideal for summer as it can keep your skin hydrated and work to reduce pigmentation.
