9 Top Tips for Glowing Summer Skin

In the summertime, maintaining glowing skin can be a real balancing act. The hot, sweaty outdoors can contribute to clogged pores and breakouts, but chilling in the cool A/C can dehydrate your complexion.

What’s your poor skin to do?

If you have a solid daily skincare routine, it will help you transcend all seasons. But you can also give your complexion a seasonal boost with these 9 tips for radiant summer skin!

1. Enjoy Skin-boosting Summer Foods

The tastiest trick for your ultimate summer glow-up? Taking in protective antioxidants and extra hydration with skin-enhancing summer produce.

Sweet summer melons like watermelon and cantaloupe are an excellent place to start, naturally illuminating your complexion and helping shield your skin from damage. Natural skin-defenders like vitamins C and E are also warm-weather favorites. They can be worked deliciously into your meal rotation with berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and nuts.

2. Stay Fresh with Exfoliation

Many of us associate exfoliation with dry, wintry skin. But even if your summer brings along humid weather, exfoliation is still a can’t-miss cornerstone of your skincare routine.

Exfoliating removes dull skin to enliven your complexion and prevent that debris from clogging your pores. This is particularly vital in the summertime when your pores are wide open and vulnerable. (As a bonus, freshly exfoliated skin may better absorb nutrients and hydration from the rest of your summer skincare routine.)

But proceed with caution — some exfoliating products can be too rough on your sensitive skin. For exfoliation that won’t scrape or irritate, treat your complexion with a gentle, natural product like our Illuminating Essence Exfoliating Mask. Perfect for delicate skin types, it softly buffs away impurities with mineral-rich volcanic ash and silica. You’re left with a fresh-faced finish that’s smooth, bright, and ready to glow!

 

3. Tone and Tame Your Pores

Once your skin is feeling fresh and clean, you’re ready for the pore-taming power of a quality toner.

Your pores like to open wide in response to summer’s heat and humidity, but this makes them extra susceptible to dirt, sweat, and other impurities. To help minimize your pores and protect them from potential clogging, follow your daily cleanse with a swipe of mild, nourishing toner.

Unlike stinging, drying astringents (which are a harsh choice in any season), a botanical-infused product like our Luminous Complexion Toner supports your skin for a beautifully balanced summer look. With soothing comfrey and rejuvenating Kakadu plum, our toner helps keep your pores compact while cultivating a clear, even skin tone. Result? Your skin stays fresher, and longer. Better luck next time, contaminants.

 

4. Hydrate from the Inside Out

All lovers of a luminous complexion know that there’s no replacement for thorough hydration. Your skin can contain up to 64% water, and your cells are always looking for extra moisture to help keep them plump and happy.

Summertime is no exception. Water may be a year-round friend to the skin, but during summer it becomes a true BFF. Between higher temperatures and more outdoor adventures, you can lose hydration very quickly, leaving your skin dry and dull.

But don’t wait until you start feeling thirsty — thirst is a late sign of dehydration, and means you’re already below optimum moisture levels. Maintaining supple and hydrated skin requires a more proactive approach. So to replenish your critical moisture, keep a water bottle close and make H20 your constant summertime companion!

5. Hydrate from the Outside In

The only thing better than hydrating your skin from within? Hydrating from both inside and out. So if you haven’t already found a go-to moisturizer for your summer routine, now is the time.

During sticky, humid weather, it may seem tempting to skip moisturizers and go bare-faced out into the world. But, a good moisturizer helps your skin function at its best, and skipping this step may leave your complexion vulnerable to dehydration and pollutants. Instead of giving up moisturizers altogether, it’s all about finding the right product for the season.

The key to a great summer moisturizer is rejuvenating hydration that doesn’t overwhelm your skin. To hit the perfect balance, we love a lightweight product like the Decadent Restoring Cream. Infused with thirst-quenching botanicals, this whipped moisturizer is as soft as summer rain and twice as hydrating. From its pale, sky-blue tint to its subtly beachy fragrance, it’s the pinnacle of carefree moisture and a perfect addition to any summer routine.

 

6. Go for a Light and Natural Look

If you like a full face of makeup during colder months, now may be the time to consider simplifying your routine for a while. During summer, the heat and humidity can combine with heavy cosmetics to seriously smother your complexion.

Just like you might switch your wardrobe to lighter summer clothes, your skin prefers a weightless makeup look at this time of year. By keeping your cosmetic routine simple and choosing light coverage products, you can give your skin more room to breathe.

Plus, that woke-up-like-this-summer aesthetic gives your natural beauty a chance to shine! Who doesn’t love an easy, glowy look?

7. SPF to Slay All Day

Summer’s knocking. Is your sunscreen at the ready?

You already know that SPF is Important with a capital I, so we won’t belabor the point. To help keep your precious skin protected, here are the facts and nothing but the facts!

• You probably need to apply more sunscreen than you think. For your face, it can take a solid teaspoon to get good coverage.
• SPF 30+ is the ideal. We also prefer a safe, mineral-based sunscreen formula that blocks UV rays before they even reach your skin.
• Reapply every few hours, especially if you’re planning to be outdoors for a long time. (Pro tip: We like to set a reminder on our phone when it’s time for another application!)
• On sunny picnics or lounge-by-the-pool days, don’t forget often-overlooked areas like your hands, feet, and ears.

8. Keep Cool with Breezy Outfits

Who doesn’t love a casual summer ensemble? Loose, lightweight clothing helps keep you cool and comfortable during muggy weather, and it turns out that your skin is also a fan.

Tight garments are already notorious for contributing to chafing, itching, and skin irritation. Add the sweat and humidity of summertime, and these outfits may be more than uncomfortable — they can become a catalyst for skin issues like infections, body breakouts, and acne mechanica.

To look and feel your breezy best all summer long, embrace this chance to have fun with airy silhouettes and breathable fabrics. Linen, here we come.

9. Soothe Your Post-sun Skin

Even though we try to be careful and skin-conscious, life (and the sun) can sometimes get the better of us. If you find yourself developing the telltale pink glow of a sunburn, give your skin a helping hand with some immediate TLC.

To calm sun-toasted skin, try starting with a cool, refreshing shower. The chill from the water will help ease tenderness and reduce inflammation. After all, what do you do when you get any other kind of burn? Run it under a cold tap to stop the damage and help numb that burning sensation.

After your comforting cold-water rinse, you can douse your skin with extra relief in the form of healing aloe gels. We suggest a clean, natural aloe formula that puts this soothing plant front and center.

 

Ultimately, the best strategy for a glowing summer complexion is to include skin-positive habits. That’s why these 9 tips prioritize the overall health of your skin (and not just its appearance).

Because no matter the season, healthy skin is beautiful skin!