Summertime Fine: Face Care

Welcome back to the blog!

Last week we discussed hair care tips for the summer. If you haven't had a chance to read it, you can check it out here.

This week we're moving down to your face. Your face routine will shift during the summer especially if you have oily/acne prone skin or like to wear makeup. You want to make sure you're using the right products and techniques to keep your skin beautiful all day long.

As the weather gets warmer and humidity increases, your skin starts to produce excess oil. The oil secreted gets stuck on the surface of your skin, leading to stickiness, grease and blocked pores.

Acne breakouts are the most common problem during the summer. If you have oily skin, you are more prone breakouts as the bacteria and oils in the skin mix with the sweat causing clogged pores and acne.

When your skin is exposed to the harmful UV rays, melanin production increases in order to protect your skin from sun damage. Melanin has photoprotective qualities. Excess melanin results in darker, tanned skin. Other problems can include itchy skin, prickly heat, sunburn and rash due to sensitivity to the sun.

So as you can see, there's a need for a good skincare routine in the summer. But that doesn't mean it has to be complicated.

Your summer skincare routine will consist cleansing, toning, treating, moisturizing, and protection. With a bonus for makeup wearers. So let's get into it!

Cleansing

All skin types needs to make sure you are cleansing at least twice a day, morning and evening. For those will normal or dry skin, your morning cleanse doesn't need to be as thorough as your night cleanse. Your skin doesn't produce as much oil or shed during the night.

It's important for those with oily/combination skin to give their face a complete cleanse in the morning as well. Even though you might feel like your skin is still clean from the night before, during the night your skin is busy shedding skin cells and producing oils. A cleanser with salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid in their original form or fruit acid mix as it helps control oil and breakouts.

Also, make sure to cleanse your skin after a workout or heavy sweating. If not it can cause breakouts, clogged pores, dry skin or skin can become oilier.

Toner

What is a toner? A toner is a liquid skin care product with a water-like consistency. Depending on your needs, a toner can:

• exfoliate the skin
• even out skin tone
• remove impurities
• minimize clogged pores
• hydrate the skin
• prepare the skin to absorb other skin care products

While toners are traditionally for preventing breakouts by removing excess oil, toners also contain ingredients that will nourish, brighten, and repair the skin.

So which toner should you use?

Normal and dry skin loves a great hydrating toner. Hydrating toners are known to helps skin feel fresh while moisturizing and helping restore the protective skin barrier. A hydrating toner softens and helps smooth dry skin while locking in moisture for refreshed, healthy-looking skin.

For oily/combination skin, just like you cleanser you want a toner that is great at controlling excess oil and breakouts. Use a toner that contains salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid in their original form or a fruit acid mix.

Treatments and Moisturizers

Treatments and moisturizers usually are in the form of a serum or cream. Treatments are optional but beneficial to all skin types. Treatments further give and/or help the skin with a specific situation. Such as evening skin tone, acne, dark circles, wrinkles, etc. Make sure you are applying your treatments after your toner.

Moisturizers are the last step in your routine to seal in all the work and products you will have used to prep your skin for the day or night. Use a moisturizer for your skin type. Creams are great for dry skin. Normal skin can use just about any moisturizer to their hearts content.

Oily and combination skin needs to use a moisturizer that is oily free and contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) or any moisturizer that fights acne. Please note there are moisturizers for oils that contain oils in them. I don't advise to use these during the summer. But if this is your only option, make sure the oils are non-comedogenic, meaning they won't clog your pores.

Sun Protection

Lastly, you need to protect your skin from the sun. This really doesn't need any explaining, you need to protect your skin from the sun. If not included in your moisturizer, use sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher. If your skin can tolerate it, the higher the better. Don't forget to read the application instructions on how often you should apply your sunscreen, it's usually every two hours. When swimming, use waterproof sunscreen.

Makeup Wearers / Oil control

If you love makeup like me you need to make sure you're using the right makeup during these months or you'll be a walking disaster, lol.

• Wear makeup with sun protection
• Use a primer specific to your skin type
• Wear makeup with oil control (oily/combination skin)
• Use setting powder. It helps control oil and helps your makeup last almost all day long
• Use blotting papers to control oil. It's great at absorbing oil without removing your makeup

An additional tip to keep in mind is to make sure you're switching out your wash clothes every other day and clean your make-up brushes at least twice per week. Bacteria finds a way to grow everywhere.

That's it! This is all you need for a great face care routine for the summer. Adjust to your skins particular needs and you're good to go.

I hope you enjoyed this week's blog and ready to get put your best face forward this summer.

Have any questions/comments, leave them below and I'll be sure to answer.

Until next time,

Beauty Mixtress™