When the weather gets better, we tend to start dressing differently. Clothes we choose are made of lighter fabrics, brighter, "summery." Same thing happens to our diet, with the rise of temperatures, we tend to go for lighter options. Winter stews get forgotten at the expense of more salads, fresh juices etc. Our skincare regime needs to change just like everything else every season. Higher temperature manifests in our skin as congestion, sometimes breakouts, more shine in general, sometimes inflammation, redness. Heavy winter/cold spring "skinwear" doesn't do the trick anymore. Holiday season is now open so let's get our skin ready for the summer, our summer motto being to purify, balance, hydrate and protect.
Clear that congestion!
Exfoliation is always key for removing those dulling dead skin cells to enhance penetration of our hydrating products but in the summer you need to be extremely careful in your choice of exfoliators. We want to get rid of that stubborn congestion but acid based products (e,g, glycolic, lactic, salicylic) can actually cause more damage than good if used to the extent we were using them in the winter. Our winter exfoliators are in general too severe for our skin in the summer because with longer days and warmer weather, we tend to spend more time outdoors, exposing our skin to more damaging UV rays thus making it more prone to pigmentation. Spending time in the sun can also increase photo-sensitivity and create more heat and inflammation in those sensitive skins. So pick your exfoliator carefully. It needs to be strong enough to help clear the congestion and efficient at removing those dead layers but gentle enough at the same time. Sounds tricky? Not if you know what to do. If you decide to keep using your exfoliating acid-based serum or cleanser, stick to the "three times a week pm only" rule and remember to come off it a couple of days before going away on your holidays. My suggestion is a milder exfoliator suitable for daily use. Some suggestions: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Image Iluma Powder, Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Cleanser.
And don't forget the body – treat it with Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream - your 2 in 1 product that will exfoliate and hydrate the skin at the same time. Side effect: brilliant for ingrown hairs!
Balance the skin back to normal
You may feel your moisturiser sits on the skin now and makes it more oily. Higher temperatures result in oilier skin for everyone, therefore, your winter cream needs to be replaced with a lighter one. If you noticed increased oiliness, opt for oil-free mattifying options. Tinted moisturisers work really well topped up by a light coat of powder instead of your regular full coverage foundation. But the priority is your SPF. And I think we all know about the importance of it from the previous blog post ;) My suggestions: Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF20, Dermalogica Oil-Free Matte SPF30 for oily skins or Dermalogica Powerbright Pure Light SPF50 for added brightening anti-pigmentation properties. Image Prevention Matte SPF32 or Image Prevention Tinted SPF30 (both oil free). Elemis has now launched their new Marine Cream SPF30, already a best seller for us last month. Plenty more choice there. Just come in and we'll help you choose the correct option for your skin.
Keep skin quenched
Being outdoors more often combined with travelling and higher temperatures, especially abroad, lead to internal dehydration that obviously reflects on our skin.
You can satisfy your body thirst with 8 glasses of water a day but remember, if you're a fan of tea, coffee and/or soft drinks – this number must be tripled to prevent dehydration!
What about the skin? Make friends with your spritz on toner. It's going to be your bestie when you're at your desk right in front of the air-con vent, in the car or at the gym. My favourites: Dermalogica Multi-active Toner or Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist (remember, antioxidants – natural protection against uv damage!).
Now that your skin can't cope with your regular moisturiser and you switched to a lighter version of it, you may feel that you're skin gets tight at times. This is when boosters and serums are your best bet. Simply apply them before or add into your daily moisturiser for extra hydration to tackle this type of discomfort. Highly recommend Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster for oiler/combination or Elemis Hydra-Boost Serum for drier skin types.
Taking a few days off to enjoy the sunshine? Make time to treat your skin to a mini-facial at home. Masks can give any skin an added boost that a normal skin regimen simply can't. They're a so called quick fix but give an instant and long lasting relief from dehydration and/or sensitivity symptoms. Nina's favourites: Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask. For added soothing benefits for prone to redness sensitive skins – Image Ormedic Balancing Gel Mask. Oh, and the newest addition to the Millies product family : Image Skin Recovery Hydrating Sheetmask. Both of the latter ones can not only give parched skin the moisture it needs, but can lower the skin's temperature to calm the skin down and make your skin glow with health!
Millies tip: put them in the fridge for 30 min before use for a cooling treat.
Talking about masks, let's not forget about our clay masks that are also super handy in the summer because of their abilities to absorb excess oil and clear the pores! Dermalogica Skin Refining Mask or Elemis Herbal Lavender Mask serve the purpose!
Prevent sun damage!
I'm sure everyone is already using a moisturiser with SPF all year round. If not, you must start now. Come spring and summer it should be your priority when we tend to spend more time in direct sunlight. Top it up during the day with SPF-infused Powder-Me-SPF by Jane Iredale to ensure full protection and ultimate radiance for the whole day.
More heat and UV exposure make our skin produce more melanin which causes our already existing pigmentation seem even more visible. What can we do?
Keep your skin cool and protect it with your sunscreen at all times. AND, it's a great time to start using a lightening serum to help fade away those pesky brown spots and inhibit future pigment formations. Products containing Vitamin C will work a treat here. If added into your spf, it will add even more sun protection to your regime. Try our Dermalogica C-12 Power Bright Serum.
Recommendations: Image Prevention range, Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster SPF50 or even better Dermalogica Pure Light SPF50, the latter coming from the brightening range – all for protection. Dermalogica Power Rich night cream, Image Iluma Serum or Image Iluma ntense Brightening Creme to lighten and repair the skin at night.
All in all, I think we've learned that our skincare needs to change seasonally. A few small adjustments here and there will help re-balance our skin giving us that fresh summer time glow naturally :)
When the weather gets better, we tend to start dressing differently. Clothes we choose are made of lighter fabrics, brighter, "summery." Same thing happens to our diet, with the rise of temperatures, we tend to go for lighter options. Winter stews get forgotten at the expense of more salads, fresh juices etc. Our skincare regime needs to change just like everything else every season. Higher temperature manifests in our skin as congestion, sometimes breakouts, more shine in general, sometimes inflammation, redness. Heavy winter/cold spring "skinwear" doesn't do the trick anymore. Holiday season is now open so let's get our skin ready for the summer, our summer motto being to purify, balance, hydrate and protect.
Exfoliation is always key for removing those dulling dead skin cells to enhance penetration of our hydrating products but in the summer you need to be extremely careful in your choice of exfoliators. We want to get rid of that stubborn congestion but acid based products (e,g, glycolic, lactic, salicylic) can actually cause more damage than good if used to the extent we were using them in the winter. Our winter exfoliators are in general too severe for our skin in the summer because with longer days and warmer weather, we tend to spend more time outdoors, exposing our skin to more damaging UV rays thus making it more prone to pigmentation. Spending time in the sun can also increase photo-sensitivity and create more heat and inflammation in those sensitive skins. So pick your exfoliator carefully. It needs to be strong enough to help clear the congestion and efficient at removing those dead layers but gentle enough at the same time. Sounds tricky? Not if you know what to do. If you decide to keep using your exfoliating acid-based serum or cleanser, stick to the "three times a week pm only" rule and remember to come off it a couple of days before going away on your holidays. My suggestion is a milder exfoliator suitable for daily use. Some suggestions: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, 
