The cool winter days have slipped away and have been replaced by the warm and dusty winds of summer, sun-drenched days and stuffy evenings, with zero hydration in the air and no reprieve from the hot spell that has hit the earth.
Your skin is always the first to take a beating as it tries to cope with the change in humidity, heat, pollution and other summer woes.
It is always a good idea to upgrade your summer skincare regimen every year, so that your skin can recuperate from the maladies of the season. Here are some tips that have been compiled to help you boost your skincare routine this year…
THE MARIE KONDO EFFECT
Ever since Marie Kondo launched her tidying consultancy, she has become a legend in the world of organized living. She is a Japanese author, who has written four books on organizing, which have collectively sold millions of copies around the world.
When summer rolls around, you should launch Marie Kondo’s principles of tidying up and clean up your skincare arsenal of products. To begin with, you should reduce your skincare products by half during the warm weather months. Put away all the rich creams that kept your skin smooth and moist in the winter and also the thick moisturizers and sunscreens that protected you from the harsh winter sunlight. You do not need the heavy eye creams that were so useful in winter, nor will you need the copious amounts of lip balm that helped you handle the problem of cracked and dry lips.
Instead, you should go shopping and pick up light-as-air gels and mousse makeup to cope with the season. Replace heavy night creams with delicate lotions that will seep into the skin and not make you feel sticky or uncomfortable. Put away the thick foundations and buy a tinted moisturizer which will eliminate the need for a thick base that will clog your pores and make you prone to breakouts.
As you aim for lighter and gentler ways of looking after your skin, you will find that your skin can breathe better and your face feels comfortable too.
GET SOME BAKUCHIOL
The hottest ingredient in skincare that is everywhere now, and can be seen in serums, night creams and exfoliating cotton face pads. This is not retinol, as many people seem to think. Bakuchiol is sourced from the seeds and leaves of the Psoralea Corylifolia plant and is an ingredient that is traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It is known to have anti-ageing effects and people say that they have seen improvements in the fine lines and wrinkles, roughness, dryness, and elasticity of their facial skin, among other benefits.
This is a product that needs to be used with care, however, because it may not suit all skin types. If you use a serum or cream that contains Bakuchiol and find that you break out in a rash, you need to discontinue it at once.
BUY A TONER
You may not have felt the need for a toner in winter, but when summer comes, skincare experts always emphasize the importance of a good toner. Toners can help close pores and tighten skin cells after cleansing, besides reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin.
So, the procedure for using a toner is simple. After cleansing your skin, take a cotton pad and spray some toner onto it. Dab it on your face and along the ridge of the nose. If you don’t want to use a cotton ball, you can also spray toner onto your palms and pat it on your skin.
Most toners come in a water-based liquid form that may be infused with skin-soothing ingredients like eucalyptus, peppermint and aloe. You can find different formulae, made especially for your skin type. A toner can gently refresh your skin without stripping it of its natural moisture, which means it will not cause excessive dryness. A good toner also prepares the skin to absorb moisturizer and any other skin treatments that you may apply.
STAY MINIMAL
Besides going minimal in the number of products that you use; it is also important to make sure that you are using a skincare brand that believes in being environmentally friendly and sustainable.
This year most products use minimal packing and contain fewer components. There are skincare products that are packed in bamboo, biodegradable paperboard, recycled plastic or ecofriendly silicone. Beauty products now come with refillable options which reduce packaging wastage. Some brands offer refills at lower prices, and with packaging that’s designed to be a keepsake or a souvenir because it is so beautiful.
More and more brands are making the switch to non-plastic options, such as bioplastics, sugar-cane derivatives, aluminium and glass and the keyword is innovation as beauty companies vie with each other to make gorgeous packaging that is planetfriendly. So, whenever you choose a brand that promotes sustainability, you are doing your bit to save the earth and by using products with fewer ingredients, you are saving your own skin from an overload of chemicals too.
SHEET MASKS TO THE FORE
This is a good time to begin using sheet masks that are now in every major beauty store. Sheet masks are fabrics that are cut in the shape of a face, with openings for the eyes, nose and mouth. These sheets are soaked in a nutrition-packed solution called serum and made up of a variety of materials like fibre, gel or paper. A sheet mask is generally used only once and it is individually packaged, making it easy to use.
You have to apply the sheet mask on a clean face and leave it on for 20-30 minutes, which is enough for the powerful ingredients to soak into your skin. Sheet masks can be used for hydration mainly and remember, you need just as much hydration in summer as in the cooler months. Some masks are for brightening, detoxifying or anti-ageing. Make sure that you use sheet masks this year as a regular part of your skincare regimen.
LOOK FOR ZINC
Don’t miss this important ingredient in your skincare routine this year. Skin cells are particularly dependent on zinc’s powerful properties and the top layer of your skin is concentrated with up to six times more of the mineral than is found in the lower layers. When you add this mineral to skincare, zinc prevents the formation of damaging free radicals and protects skin’s lipids, especially when your skin is exposed to UV light, pollution and other skin-agers. The best way to get zinc into your skincare routine is by using sunscreen that contains zinc oxide. Zinc acts as a physical block, stopping UV light from penetrating your skin and is, therefore, perfect if you are looking to protect your skin from the sun.
GET READY FOR A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER…
So, when it comes to maintaining your skin in the summer, remember that your skincare products need an overhaul. Make a few changes and you will find that you look gorgeous, even when the sun is blazing and the earth seems to be on fire.
Use cool and airy skincare products and find the right beauty routine to dispel the heat and help you enjoy another warm season of looking good and feeling wonderful too.
