You know what they say, a new season comes with a new skincare routine. Figure out why your skin has been acting up lately.
Related: Your Summer Skincare Affair: 6 Essential Ingredients to Keep your Skin Healthy
Can you feel it? The prickly heat on your forehead, the uncomfortable feeling of wearing pants, and the sudden urge to scratch yourself. That’s summer, baby. Now that we’re on the first week of May, we can definitely feel the warmer days and nights. Not only can we feel it, but we can also see it affecting our complexion. We may not all be experiencing the same skin problems, but we’re all definitely experiencing some type of change. According to an interview with New York City-based dermatologist, Joshua Zeichner, “Rapid fluctuations in weather can take its toll on our skin as it adjusts to the new environment.” This means that the increase of sweat, sun exposure, and summer allergies can in fact disrupt your skin.
To take on this change in the most effective and efficient way, we consulted with Dominique Conjuangco, Co-Founder and Director of The Collective. She’ll be giving us her top picks for the three most common skin problems: skin irritation, acne, wrinkles and fine lines. Aside from this, she’ll be recommending a full skincare routine for you to follow during the summer.
Skin Problem #1: Wrinkles and fine lines
Why is it worse in the summer?
Sun exposure without proper UVA protection is the main culprit in producing wrinkles and fine lines. You don’t need to be a certain age to start seeing these two on your face. Continuous exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can speed up the aging process of our skin.
Recommended skincare routine for sun exposed and aging skin
“Slowing down the signs of aging is really about habits and hydration. On the skincare side, it’s important to make sure that your skin is clean, moisturized and protected.” –Dominique Cojuangco
Laneige’s Multi Deep Clean Cleanser is a great way to start your routine because its gentle and is suitable for all skin states, but it also includes blueberry extracts and papain enzymes. This can help with encourage skin turnover with exfoliation, but it also rich in antioxidants to protect your skin from damage from pollution. This is a great cleanser for all skin states.
Moisturize your skin with FAACE’s Tired Face Mask which includes frankincense which is known to slow down the signs of aging and soothe irritated skin. It also has some caffeine present to energize and tighten, and can lessen the appearance (but not eradicate) of wrinkles. This can be used more generously as a mask as a weekly treatment, or used as a moisturizer with a pea-sized amount.
Protect your skin from UVA and free radicals with Innisfree’s Perfect UV Protection Cream with SPF50+. I really believe in the use of SPF everyday, irrespective of your skin state, or if you’re going out, or staying at home. I wouldn’t use anything less than SPF50. This specific sun cream by Innisfree includes sunflower oil which can help prevent and protect you against skin damage, while soothing any irritations you may have.
Skin Problem #2: Acne
Why is it worse in the summer?
It’s a combination of sweat, sebum, and bacteria build up. It’s hotter during the summer, thus we naturally produce more sweat and oil. If you don’t properly cleanse your face, then bacteria can mix with the sweat and sebum to produce acne.
Recommended skincare routine for acne prone skin
“There are so many factors that can play a part in acne, whether this be environmental or hormonal. There are times when products may cause your skin to purge before your skin clears up. But thinking about your skin’s health is key.” –Dominique Cojuangco
Skin Need’s Light Cleanser is gentle on the skin and removes impurities and soothes dry spots, without stripping your skin. It’s rich in vitamins, with ingredients like rose-hip seed oil, evening primrose, neroli, and sweet orange.
You can accompany this with Embryolisse’s Lait Crème Concentre, which has shea butter to reduce any inflammation, and soy protein to improve your skin’s texture.
Alder New York’s Clarifying Face Mask can be used as a weekly treatment, which includes bentonite clay and activated charcoal. This assists in removing toxins in the five minutes of using the mask. The organic willow helps in injecting some anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe your skin and reduce the appearance of acne scarring.
Skin Problem #3: Dry and irritated skin
Why is it worse in the summer?
When the heat comes on, we heavily rely on our trusty air-conditioners to keep us cool. Although this may be good for keeping the sweat at bay, it could also dry out your skin. Aside from this, the hot and humid air of the outdoors can also dry out and irritate your skin.
Recommended skincare routine for dry and irritated skin
“Just like acne, there are different reasons to why skin may flake when it’s dry. Because what exactly is it that’s causing your dryness? Is it the season? Is it a medical concern, like eczema? What is causing the lack of moisture in your skin? Consult with your dermatologist to get to the bottom of it.” –Dominique Cojuangco
Alder New York’s Everyday Cleanser includes sea botanicals which can soothe inflammation and encourage collagen production. The AHA helps to gently exfoliate your skin to help balance your skin’s composition.
Aivee Skin’s Crystal Mask is a wonderful weekly treatment to increase your hydration! It’s made out of a bio-cellulose mask, which helps with the absorption of the ingredients into your skin. The ceramides help balance your moisture levels, while the hyaluronic acid boosts the collagen production to improve your skin’s elasticity.
Moisturize with Embryolisse’s Filaderme Emulsion. This product works best for dehydrated skin but includes squalene which is a non-comedogenic. This will balance your skin’s oil production, without clogging your pores. If you have eczema, the chamomile will soothe your flare-ups.
