Summer-proof Your Skin!

Your skin is sensitive to weather change. And just like winters, hot summers can have adverse effects on your skin too. So if you haven’t considered taking special care of your skin during the season, now’s the perfect time to start.

Why Is Summer Skin Care Important?

The season’s sweltering heat, sweat-inducing humidity, and harsh sunlight can cause many skin issues. Here are common skin problems that you may face:

• Dehydration: The hot weather may lead to loss in moisture, causing your skin to behave abnormally. A few tell-tale signs of dehydrated skin are flaky texture, itching, and sensitivity.
• Intense tanning and pigmentation: While tanning is your skin’s natural defense mechanism against harmful UV rays, exposing yourself to the sun unprotected could cause pigmentation. It could also worsen Melasma in people who have the condition.
• Eczema: For some, excessive sweating due to hot temperatures can cause Eczema flare-ups.
• Acne breakouts: Increased sweating during summers can block pores, resulting in new breakouts as well as flares of existing acne.
• Prickly heat: Common in hot and humid conditions, prickly heat ⁠— or heat rash ⁠— is caused by continuous sweating. The constant production of sweat overloads your sweat glands, clogs your sweat ducts, and traps sweat between your skin’s layers, leading to tiny rash called prickly heat.

So, How Can You Protect Your Skin And Combat Damage This Season?

Skin care during summers is more than just slathering on some sunscreen when you want to go outdoors. It needs consistent care, precautions before stepping out, and a post-exposure regimen. Here are some tips that keep your skin healthy throughout season.

Set a summertime skin care ritual

• Cleanse, tone, moisturise: It’s the cornerstone of every skin-care routine. Make sure you wash away the grime, remove all traces of dirt from your pores, and hydrate your skin with some moisturiser.
• Use summer-friendly skincare: Choose products that are gel- or water-based and non-comedogenic (i.e., products that don’t clog your pores), instead of extremely hydrating ones. Also avoid oil-based products, especially if you live in humid regions.
• Don’t layer on multiple serums: Serums are having their moment in the sun and are a great addition to your skin-care routine. But remember — during summertime, less is more.
• Choose your makeup with care: It’s important to avoid products that may clog your pores. So use light concealers, stick to water-based makeup, and go for products that have SPF. Opt for matte powder foundations over heavy, liquid ones.

Take precautions before you step out

• Avoid mid-day outings: Stay indoors, especially when the sun is at its peak. While it’s important to soak up the sun for a while, exposure to harsh sunlight may do more harm than good.
• Carry an umbrella, scarf, or hat: It’s an age-old but fool-proof trick!
• Make sunscreen your best friend: It’s advised to use sunscreen 15 to 20 minutes before you step out. So before you leave, apply sunscreen liberally — and don’t forget to use them on your ears and neck too! If you’re in contact with water while outdoors, make sure you use water-proof or water-resistant sunscreen. And remember to carry your sunscreen wherever you go so you can re-apply this magic potion every three hours!

Care for your skin, post-exposure

• Take a cool shower: Warm water isn’t healthy for sun-exposed skin. So try having a shower with cool water.
• Soothe your skin: Use some Aloe Vera gel or calamine for a calming effect on your skin. They can be used to treat prickly heat too!
• Don’t apply oils: Contrary to traditional belief, oils could worsen the damage, so avoid them.
• Use mild products: Sun-exposed skin must be treated with care. So use mild, pH-balanced cleansers and moisturisers for your post-exposure routine.
• Stay away from products with AHA and BHA: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) are ingredients commonly used in skincare. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid are popular examples of AHA and BHA respectively. While they’re great to treat multiple skin troubles, we’d recommend avoiding them on sun-exposed skin.

Skin care, if done right, can do wonders. Small preventative steps and little changes in your skin-care routine can go a long way in keeping your skin healthy. So enjoy the season, stay hydrated, and don’t let that glow wash off your face!