Let’s begin with a mantra, summer skincare matters! A little bird told us (actually it was in one of our surveys) that many skincare devotees simply take the summer off from actives and treatments. We now know your summer skincare secrets! From those of you with dedicated skincare regimes lying in the sun (reminder: There’s No Such Thing As A Healthy Tan) and others not reapplying sunscreen and yet more people putting retinol to one side for a couple of months. We’re here to explain why you should keep using actives in the summer months.
How Did We Get Here?
Back in the day, ‘sun’s out laser guns away’ was a clinic catchphrase and summer was a quieter period for skincare and treatments. Whilst people might have been really hot on their skincare during the winter as soon as the sun showed up – skincare stopped being a priority. In part this is because many in-clinic treatments and active ingredients like retinol and acids have an exfoliating effect which essentially leaves the skin more photosensitive (sensitivity to the sun). In those days we didn’t have the incredible protection and prevention skincare that we now have! Now, our formulations and understanding are streets ahead so you CAN prevent any further damage from the sun, you CAN continue using corrective skincare and you CAN continue to reverse damage. No more going forward in the winter and backwards in the summer, you can move forward all year round meaning those skin goals come faster and closer.
Is Summer Skincare Even More Important?
The summer is probably the time that your skin needs skincare the most. Why? Your skin is constantly under attack from environmental factors and in the summer the sun’s rays are stronger, cloud cover is lessened, and we often travel for holidays to sunnier climates. The sunshine unfortunately will breakdown collagen leading to signs of premature ageing like wrinkles, dark spots, and leathery skin. It is counterintuitive to give up protective and corrective skincare because the environment is more damaging! Instead, have a seasonal skincare review with your pro and be honest! There are steps you can take if the reality is that you’ll be in and out of the pool with the kids or soaking up the sun’s rays at a festival. You don’t have to be as extreme as avoiding all actives and treatments all summer long. There are a few simple sun choices that will help your skin to stay protected, so you can keep your skincare regime on the go. Your skin pro can tweak your use of actives; maybe choosing lower percentages or going from daily use to a couple of times a week. You might even buffer your active ingredients by sandwiching with other products. We also recommend big sunglasses and a hat or head scarf – a stylish way to protect your skin from the sun. Plus, reapply your sunscreen! Need to know how to do that on top of makeup? We’ve covered that, and we also suggest you put a reapplying alarm on your phone.
Skincare for Protection & Prevention
Before we talk sunscreen, let’s have a recap on the serum step, this is a key element of an effective year-round skincare routine. Serums tend to have the highest concentrations of active ingredients and work on particular issues you might have, but our hybrid formulas do even more and provide incredible levels of antioxidant protection. Take our EverActive C&E® + Peptide, this high-strength serum features a blend of 15% Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and MATRIXYL® Synthe'6®, a powerful peptide, to target signs of ageing and revitalise the skin. It is clinically proven to reduce the depth and volume of wrinkles, improve surface homogeneity, and even out complexion within 56 days. AND it shields skin from environmental damage thanks to powerful vitamin C which targets free radicals that attack the skin. When it comes to sunscreen, formula is key, our hybrid, triple defence options do so much more. First up, you can choose the one that is right for your skin’s needs as we have hydrating options: Sheer Hydration in tinted and untinted. There’s sensitive skin-friendly Clear Shield and Moisture Matte which gently hydrates, leaves skin matte and has a flattering sheer tint. All of our sunscreens offer triple defence with superior shielding, they are mineral sunscreens which use zinc and titanium dioxide, ingredients that we prefer. All provide daily hydration defence and are packed with antioxidants for the ultimate daily skin protection all summer and all year round.
This summer don’t go backwards with your skin, take a step towards those skin goals with the guidance of your pro and book that seasonal skincare review today.