Summer Skincare Routine

Just like your wardrobe, your skincare should change with the seasons. Spring and summer seasons mean longer days, more sun and in some regions more humidity. I’ll go through the process step-by-step with my opinion as to how to alter your daily routine. Starting with cleansers, if you’re using a cream cleanser for the drier winter months, you may find this too heavy and not active enough to remove the sweat, dirt, makeup, pollution, etc. from the day. Switching to a gentle or slightly more active foaming cleanser will probably removed the push-pop stickiness from your chin better than your cream cleanser. I like Dermalogica Special Cleansing gel or SkinCeuticals Foaming Cleanser. If you seem to get congested skin with the warmer weather, try using a Clarisonic brush or a wash cloth when rinsing off your cleanser. The only toner I use/recommend is Sea Breeze for sensitive skin – NOT the generic, the real deal. Knowing what I do about product/ingredient content (which actually isn’t much) in my opinion, I would never buy off brand products; the quality of the ingredients is inferior and often synthetic, meaning the body doesn’t know what to do with it. Much like Splenda, whom I would nickname “Satan” buy my ex dude has already taken that title. Moving on… Serums. I use a really hydrating SK-II serum in the winter but it’s too heavy for the warmer weather. I know this because when I used it in warm weather I got little clogged pores on my face. Instead I’m using a gel-based, stem-cell research packed serum by Rejuve MD. Another great serum is the Bliss Peeling Groovy, but I would only apply this at night, under moisturizer and avoiding the eye area. Also, as a blanket statement, anything by SkinCeuticals is great; you just can’t go wrong there. Most people don’t understand why a separate eye cream is necessary for their skincare routine but the answer is simple: that skin is 10 times thinner and has less oil glands than the rest of the face. I’ve found that some eye creams like Lancôme Absolue are too heavy for me and cause breakouts. I prefer SkinCeuticals Eye Balm or Bliss All Around eye cream. The former is much thicker and gives more dewy results and the latter is just a good moisturizer for the eye without bad side effects (Pause to itch the crazy sunburn on my feet from my fabulous trip to Panama). I apply my eye cream to the lids as well as under the eye, which I’ve discovered is surprising to most people. Go ahead! Put your eye cream on your ENTIRE eye area. Go crazy, live a little. Lastly and perhaps one of the most important steps is your moisturizer. For your daytime moisturizer it is absolutely essential that you have an SPF either in or on top of your moisturizer. I don’t like to spend a lot of time on my routine so I just use moisturizers with SPF in them such as 3LAB SPF 55, Bliss Youth As We Know It SPF 30 and DDF oil free moisturizer with SPF 45. I’m still using my StriVectin (it lasts foreverrrrr) and my skin seems to be transitioning well but most people would probably prefer to switch to something lighter for their night cream. Last summer I used Remede Alchemy as well as Bliss Youth As We Know It and had no problems with congestion. If you want something lighter than these, try Rare Minerals (made by Bare Escentuals) moisturizer; it has great benefits and uses apricot kernel oil as a moisturizing ingredient – nothing heavier. Some extras: If you’re experiencing summer breakouts, try my favorite spot treatment: Bare Escentuals Skin Rev-er Upper. I believe they sell this product as a sort of moisturizer but that’s silly. Just do what I say and apply it to your breakouts. This product may cause dryness so use some caution until you know how your skin will react. Sunburns are unfortunately bound to happen. I can attest that I just did a bang up job of frying my skin while in Central America, lying on an island in the Caribbean Sea while my minions prepared my meals and brought me fresh coconuts, but whatever. Irrelevant. Unless you like the “Florida” look a red tan is not particularly appealing. You know those people who say they burn first and then it turns into a tan for the rest of the summer? They are going to be old and wrinkly and gross way faster than you and me. Why? Because we use sunscreen and we get nice and golden brown, not redneck scorched. Poor souls. However, if that gigantic star sneaks up on you and takes you for a fiery ride, there are a few things you can do. First, kick yourself. Sunburns are for stupid people. If you’ve reached this part of the blog you are not a stupid person. So kick yourself. Then, get a big big bowl and fill it with ice and water. Grab a couple of hand towels and soak them in the cold water, ring them out and place them on the burn until the towels turn warm. Dunk, ring and repeat for as long as possible. This will draw the heat and some of the burn out of the skin, hopefully preventing blistering, redness and peeling as well as a general feeling of glowing in the dark. Throw some Epsom salts or apple cider vinegar in there if you’d like. This whole thing is what my science teacher called an exothermic reaction. Apply aloe or body lotion to try to prevent peeling. Last in the extras is my opinion of primers. I think they only belong in the photography/camera world. There is no need for a person to apply a primer every single day. I see so many clients with clogged up pores full of gunk and most of the time they wear a primer. It’s senseless and if one’s makeup is truly slipping off by midday that person is using the wrong skincare products and even possibly the wrong makeup. They also probably don’t know how to touch up their makeup. Blot with a paper towel or toilet paper, not those silly little oil papers which are a waste of money. Press the paper towel in your shiny areas and then apply a powder or a bit of mineral foundation. Done! No more greasies and your makeup is touched up. Voila. I hope this basic guide helps all of your lovely faces transition into the exciting and never-ending summer days which are just around the corner. Seize the fish, carpe diem.