Now that summer is here, let’s talk about skincare routines and why they’re so important to keeping your skin looking its best. When you take the time to take care of yourself, it shows in your skin. I find this works the other way around too – when you look better than taking care of yourself, it can improve other areas of your life. This is a great reason to be kind to yourself and your body every day.
Why follow a skin care routine?
There are many good reasons to have regular self-care routines! The exact benefits may vary depending on the products you use in your routine, but in general here are some of the main things a regular skin care routine can help with:
- Clear away the daily pollution residues and oxidant molecules formed by the environment and stress.
- Address skin damage from UV rays or weather fluctuations that can weaken the skin’s barrier or structure.
- Preventatively repair any micro-tears or weak spots with healing substances and the vitamins, minerals and nutrients found in the active ingredients of the products you use.
What makes a good skin care routine for skin during summer?
There are some specific things in the summer months that can affect your skin:
- Heat
- Sweat
- UV rays
- Chlorine from swimming pools
- Salt from natural bodies of salt water
- Substances or microbes in non-chlorinated lakes or ponds
- Pollution from being outside
- If applied, waterproof makeup can leave a residue on the skin when not completely removed, which can cause irritation or stress
A gentle and effective skincare routine will not only help reverse any damage they may cause, but will also prevent many of them from affecting your skin in the first place.
How to find the best skincare routine steps for you?
Skin care routines can vary from a basic wash in the shower to a detailed 10-step routine that has become popular in recent years. There are certainly many products and techniques to choose from. How can you choose the best skin care routine from all the skin care products available?
The answer varies from person to person, however there are a few ingredients that I think are particularly suitable for most people when they want to start a natural skin care routine. Over the years, many dermatologist-recommended skin care routines have used these classic practices for good reason.
When it comes to natural skin care ingredients, I find that when you use them, it’s less about categorizing them into skin type categories and more about what will give you visibly healthier looking skin and results over time, as so many many of them are good for most or all skin types.
As a side note, a good rule of thumb I always use when introducing new products is to patch test them. You can do this by placing a small amount of product on your body in an inconspicuous area such as the skin on the inside bend of your elbow and let it sit for 24 hours under a bandage.
Here’s a great 5-step summer skin care routine using natural ingredients or natural skin care products:
Step 1: Double Cleanse
Because so many sun care products leave a thick residue for proper protection, it’s important to have an oil-based cleanser along with a water-based cleanser to get any residue that may be left on the skin.
- Oil cleansing means using any lipid-based cleanser to remove makeup and debris oil soluble, or dissolves in oil but not water. A simple and effective way to do this is to spread or wipe your face with a natural carrier oil or butter to dissolve makeup and sunscreen residue. Additionally, oil production can increase with heat and sweat. Since oil dissolves oil, this step can help balance your skin.
- In double cleaning, water cleaning means using a water-based cleaner to remove any residue from the oil cleaning step. If you want to use a natural cleaner, diluted liquid castile soap or African black soap are great options. I also liked using some gentle soap-free cleansers and micellar waters.
Note: If you do this routine twice a day or even just at night, you may be able to replace the morning cleanse with a splash of water or skip it altogether.
Step 2: Stimulation
After your cleansing step, your skin, which is normally acidic in pH, can be a little too alkaline from the cleanser, especially if it’s soap-based. While the importance of a toning step has been debated over the years, I find it makes my skin feel better and more balanced.
- Some examples of easy-to-use natural toners are green, white or oolong or floral/herbal teas.
- Try steeping natural flowers in warm water and storing this mixture in your refrigerator for up to a week. Apply with cotton for a cool and moisturizing effect!
Step 3: Apply Serum or Essence
Another great way to treat your skin is to apply a targeted active ingredient to your face for its powerful restorative abilities. This can be anything from an antioxidant, vitamin, mineral, hydroxy acid, wound healing or moisture enhancing substance.
- Rosehip oil is a popular natural choice for this step – it contains natural retinoids which encourage cell cycle and collagen production.
- Cupuacu butter is a plant nutrient production unit. It is so rich in nutrients that it can be considered an active and moisturizing ingredient at the same time. Multi-tasking products like this are especially great for travel. This ingredient truly deserves its status as a viral beauty product and can be considered one of the best moisturizers for summer.
- A mask can replace a serum or essence step. I think it’s a great self-care treat to use either a homemade mask or a reusable sheet mask with a nutrient-rich treatment.
- You can also layer another moisturizer at this step. This is called sandwich skin care and is a great way to help your products work together for maximum effect.
Step 4: Moisturize
We recommend always combining moisturizer with SPF unless applied during your nighttime routine.
- The best summer face moisturizer for any skin type can definitely be a single ingredient butter or oil – don’t be afraid to use them as a summer moisturizer for oily skin. Most butters and oils in their raw form are non-greasy, absorb into your skin, and are non-edible. Mango butter is one of the lighter butters and is perfect for this purpose. It also contains BHAs that fight acne!
- You can also create your own custom formula from your favorite butters and oils! Many butters and oils are not alone emulsifier to restore natural oils and nutrients to the layers of your skin, but moisturizer also, meaning they draw water from the air onto your skin.
- You can add non-nano zinc oxide powder to add sun protection to your homemade moisturizer, along with pigments, iron oxides, or mica to adjust your skin tone. Although it is not recommended to use a moisturizer that contains chemical SPF ingredients at night, those that contain only zinc oxide can still be applied to the skin at night, as zinc is very anti-inflammatory and helps even skin tone.
- Nighttime is a great time to use thicker moisturizers, maybe even with barrier candles. I love this recipe for a homemade night cream with active essential oils. Since the skin completes much of its repair work overnight, active essential oils enhance the repair process.
Step 5: Sunscreen
Using SPF during the day helps preserve all the hard work of conditioning your skin!
- You can skip this step if it’s already in your moisturizer. Or you can choose to layer another sunscreen on top or boost it with a makeup base that contains SPF.
- Either mineral or chemical sunscreen will help protect your sensitive skin. The best option is the one you will use every day.
- However, I have found that it is best not to mix chemical and mineral sunscreens as they can sometimes interfere with each other.
- If you’re using a separate moisturizer like a single ingredient butter or oil or homemade whipped butter, I’ve found that some chemical sunscreens that are a simple spray or mist work well over them.
I hope this has helped you develop your own natural skincare routine for summer. A daily skincare routine at home can be the perfect way to start or end your day. Not only does it have visible benefits, but the ritual aspect can help you create more balance and peace in your everyday life. Often, the best skincare routine for aging skin can be simple, natural products that are easy to obtain, nutrient-dense and great value.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below in the comments section.
