Sun. Sea. Sunburn. Sweat. Sweat ‘tache. Not everyone’s summer skin has that gorgeous glow to it! I’ve always tried to take good care of my skin and over the years have managed to find out what really works for me in the changing seasons. And believe it or not, it’s not just olive oil!
MY SKINTYPE
I have always had generally good skin and at 34 years of age, I think that my skin is well past the ups and downs of teen hormones, pregnancy and post-pregnancy hormones, and any other hormones…(for now). My skin type is normal to dry, and whilst I do get the odd zit around that time of the month, I’m more likely to get itchy patches on my face, caused by heat/sweat/cold which is usually remedied instantly by my good old friend Sudocreme.
MY DIET
Diet is most definitely a part of skincare, although I still believe that it has a lot to do with genetics. I would say that in general I have a good Mediterranean diet filled with salad, souvlaki, pitta bread, feta, fish, souvla, pasta, feta, more feta, but I also love my chocolate cake, fizzy laces and glass of coca cola (which I’m really trying to keep only for the weekends!). However, I don’t smoke and I don’t drink alcohol – I am not tee-total, I just prefer a coke with my meal and reserve the wine for special occasions or when I really fancy it (which funnily enough, was when I was pregnant! I just loved sniffing the stuff! The wine that is…)
Consumption of water: I tend to drink A LOT of water when I’m out in Cyprus or Greece, but like most people I often forget to drink when I’m at home running after the children. I will say that I have been drinking a lot more green tea this year, and I feel much better for it!
Everything in moderation people!
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Just a note on plastic surgery, fillers etc as I find it VERY annoying when people talk about their skincare and don’t mention the glaringly obvious botox they’ve had done. I haven’t had anything done… yet. I can’t say I never will as I believe that maintenance is a great thing and there are some very subtle procedures out there that look amazing. So watch this space. Or my frown lines…
A NOTE ON MAKE UP
There is absolutely no point in trying to take good care of your skin through moisturisers and serums alone if you are using old makeup / not washing your makeup off / caking it on. I wear very little makeup these days and always clean it off every night. Confidence comes from within. Show your real skin off!
MORNING ROUTINE
When I am in Cyprus or Greece I tend to leave out a lot of the steps I would do in my normal skincare routine back home just because I am so hot. Layering serums and moisturisers is just too much for my skin so I prefer to keep it simple. In the morning I splash my face with cold water and tend not to bother with cleansing unless I have been excessively sweating in the night! I use La Roche Posay Hydraphase SPF 20 as my daily moisturiser as it is so light and if I’m not feeling too hot, I might use a layer of La Roche Posay Hydraphase Serum underneath. The two do go together and normally I would always use a serum before a moisturiser but it really depends on how hot and sticky I feel!
BEACH ROUTINE
If we are heading to the beach I will use either my Apivita SPF 50 or my Skinceuticals SPF 30 and reapply as I go. Both do the job, but the Apivita is a much thicker consistency. Obviously, the best skincare and anti-aging tip is to keep your skin (especially your face) out of the sun at all times, but I’m not going to lie, my face DOES see the sun and it does eventually end up getting a bit of a glow.
AFTER BEACH ROUTINE
In the shower I will use either my Darphin Waterlily Cleanser or my Apivita Lavender Cleansing Foam, both of which are incredibly gentle and smell divine.
FACE SCRUBS AND DERMAPLANING
In my previous skincare posts and some of my YouTube videos including the Over 30 / Post Pregnancy Skincare Regime I talked about using some very gentle face scrubs. Up until a few years ago I used face scrubs about once a week. Since then, I’ve been reading more and more about how scrubs can be quite damaging for the top layer of your skin (particularly because of the force we might be using!) and unless you are literally covered in grime, your skin doesn’t really need a scrub particularly if you are cleansing as well. So instead, I have turned to the not-so-new phenomenon that is dermaplaning…aka…shaving one’s face.
At first I was skeptical. I have been lasered…everywhere. And the tache usually gets threaded (the bits that refused to die from the laser). But given how cheap it is (a packet of 5 blades cost me a whopping £2.99) I thought I’d give it a go. The results blew me away. It wasn’t just the hair removal, it was the fact that all the dead skin that came away left my face GLOWING. So now I dermaplan about once a month and follow up with a nice soothing oil like The Ordinary’s Marula Oil. And it works wonders.
GOING OUT ROUTINE
After showering for the hundredth time I will usually just use a simple moisturiser underneath my makeup before we go out for the evening, such as the Darphin Hydraskin Light moisturiser.
NIGHT ROUTINE
For removing makeup I use the gorgeous Darphin Aromatic Rosewood Balm Cleanser or the Elemis Cleansing Balm (I love balms for properly removing makeup) which I massage into my skin and then remove with a warm damp cloth. I previously used micellar oil to remove makeup but I much prefer the balms. I’ll then skip the serums and moisturisers and go straight to a lovely soothing oil like my Marula Oil or an aromatherapy oil from Darphin. Oils are not for everyone but I find that after a day out in the sun my skin needs something really calming that won’t slide off with sweat!
MY USUAL SERUMS
I usually use The Ordinary Hylauronic Acid serum in the morning, followed by a vitamin c serum and then a moisturiser. I will usually use the hyaluronic serum again at night under a different moisturiser unless I am using a retinol serum (not during the summer months). When in a hot country I find that I don’t really need the hylauronic so much as my skin is already hydrated from all the lovely oils, but I will mix and match as my skin sees fit!
HYDRATING SPRAYS
Throughout the day I will often use one of my hydrating sprays just to help me cool down. The Hylauronic Facial Spritz from B Skincare is great especially when I’m not using my usual serum in my routine and I also love Apivita’s Cooling Mountain Tea Face Water.
GUA SHA
At the end of each routine I try to remember to use my lovely jade gua sha tool to massage the products into my face. I also have a little roller ball thingy for under my eyes, and whether or not they actually do anything remains to be seen, but that extra tiny bit of self-care lifts my spirits (and my face) immensely!
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So there you have it. My extremely complicated yet supposedly simple summer skincare routine!
What’s included in your summer skincare routine?
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