The Skin Nerd: My top summer season skincare advice
Pic: iStock
When it comes to summer skincare, keeping your routine consistent is important.
We are likely to be sweating more, which can lead to congestion and oilier skin but do not try to mitigate this by over-cleansing or scrubbing the skin. Instead of going mad exfoliating or reaching for an oil-stripping cleanser, be respectful of your barrier and stick to a simple, gentle cleansing routine.
One thing you do need to do all year round is to protect your skin with sunscreen. Research has found that 67% of British people do not use enough sun cream, with 44% using less than half of the recommended amount, so it is important to be aware of how much you should use and reapply every two hours, as recommended by the Irish Cancer Society.
Although SPF is non-negotiable all year around, you do need more of it in the summer as there are more UVB rays. How much should you be applying?
The Irish Cancer Society recommends that adults apply 35ml of sunscreen (the equivalent of two tablespoons) to their entire body at each application. To ensure that you don’t forget, apply your SPF first thing in the morning, every morning, and top it up every two hours during the day.
The risk of skin cancer increases if you get sunburnt, so you need to avoid that (by wearing SPF, covering up with lightweight clothes and wearing hats) as much as possible.
If you do get burnt, you can’t stop the damage but you can cool down sore skin by applying an after-sun lotion enriched with soothing ingredients like aloe vera. Avoid hot showers and scented products which may further irritate your skin barrier, and give hair removal and fake tan a miss until your sunburn has fully healed.
Whilst the level of sun protection in makeup may be enough to protect your skin, we are less likely to apply enough to get optimum level of protection. To achieve the Sun Protection Factor stated on your sunscreen bottle, you should use around two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin. This means the equivalent of two tablespoons of sunscreen needs to be applied to exposed parts of the face and body.
Research has found that the application of SPF in moisturiser is inferior to that of standalone sunscreen, mainly due to missed facial areas during application. All factors considered, my verdict is that makeup and moisturiser with SPF are great for ‘bonus’ protection but should not be relied upon as your sole method of protection against the sun’s rays.
If you are looking for a sunscreen with additional makeup benefits, try Skingredients Skin Shield Moisturising and Priming SPF50 PA+++. It offers high factor, broad-spectrum protection as well as applying like a dream, absorbing quickly and leaving zero pilling.
No! SPF-contouring is hugely dangerous and has unfortunately been trending on TikTok. SPF contouring is where people create tan lines across their face to allow them to skip contouring via cosmetics. Doing this means areas of the face will be left without vital sun protection and opens you up to the risk of skin cancer and accelerated ageing. Stick to applying a high factor, broad-spectrum protection over your whole face and any other exposed areas and contour safely with bronzer.
Acne flare ups can occur in the summer thanks to humidity, which can cause our skin to become more congested. Exfoliation is always a must for healthy looking, energised skin, but be cautious of over exfoliation as this can be detrimental to your skin barrier. Chemical exfoliation via exfoliating acids (such as AHAs and BHAs) or enzymes is a much more skin-respectful way to exfoliate but be aware that you need to be even more vigilant with the use of sunscreen if you are using these.
Although some exfoliating products claim to be suitable for daily use, I suggest sticking to a maximum of three times a week to stay respectful to the skin and avoid irritation.
Keep hydrated! Our skin’s supply of ceramides and hyaluronic acid starts to decline from our mid-20s, meaning that mature skin will become dehydrated more often.
I also suggest taking a barrier-first approach to skincare. A compromised barrier not only highlights the signs of ageing but can make your skin more susceptible to additional external aggressors which can speed up accelerated ageing.
Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water and include antioxidants and vitamin C in your regime. UV exposure accounts for 80% of skin ageing as well as putting us at risk of skin cancer, so above all, apply a high factor, broad-spectrum SPF every single day!
