Summer skin care tips usually include things like this: wear sunscreen, drink water, wash your face after working out, wear less makeup, etc.
But if you have sensitive skin, these tips often don’t help much. One day you will be fine. The next, your cheeks are red, your skin is itchy, and suddenly you have bumps where you never had bumps before.
So why does this happen?
It can feel like our skin has just decided to be tough. But in reality, summer brings new stressors for sensitive skin. These include heat, sweat, sun, chlorine, air conditioning, bug bites, extra showers and more. For sensitive skin, these things can be too much to adjust to.
The good news is that once you understand what your skin is reacting to, you can calm your skin down and help it feel like itself again.
Summer skincare tips: Start by understanding sensitive skin
Sensitive skin is skin that reacts more easily than normal skin. It may sting, itch, burn, flush, feel tight, or break out when exposed to certain irritants.
Think of your skin barrier as the front door to your skin. When this door is strong, it keeps moisture in and irritants out. When it becomes weak, dry or irritated, irritants can enter more easily.
Sensitive skin research shows that even changes in temperature and humidity can trigger symptoms in people with sensitive skin. In one study, summer led to increased water loss from the skin, which can leave it dry and itchy.
Another review of Factors Affecting Sensitive Skin looked at how things in our environment, including climate and air conditioners, can affect sensitive skin. Researchers found that UV rays from the sun could disrupt skin hydration, while also damaging the skin’s barrier function and increasing free radical damage. This resulted in water loss, dryness, redness and rashes on the skin.
So when your skin freaks out in the summer, it’s often responding to a build-up of small stressors.
Summer skincare tips: Why does skin react more in hot weather?
1. Heat activates pain and irritation receptors in your skin.
Your skin has inside nerve channels called TRPV1 receptors. Their job is to sense heat and then signal discomfort. That’s why when you touch a hot stove, it hurts.
Research has found that people with sensitive skin have increased TRPV1 activity and that temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius (about 109 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very close to skin exposed to the sun in summer) can directly activate these receptors. Inflammatory chemicals in the skin can lower the threshold even further, meaning your skin can perceive more “normal” temperatures as irritating or painful.
2. Sweat is not your friend.
Sweating is how the body cools itself. But sweat leaves salts on the surface of the skin as it evaporates. These salts then draw extra moisture from the skin. Heat rash can develop if sweat ducts are blocked, trapping sweat under the skin and creating those small, red, itchy bumps that can appear on the chest, back and neck
In humid conditions, sweat cannot evaporate properly. The skin remains moist, which softens and weakens the barrier over time.
3. Blood vessels dilate.
Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, pushing more blood to the surface of the skin. For most people, this causes a bit of a stir. People with rosacea, eczema or reactive skin may suffer more from redness, visible capillaries and inflammation that can last for days.
4. Your barrier is more leaky than it should be.
When you have a breached skin barrier, things that were sitting harmlessly on top of your skin can suddenly be absorbed deeper into it. Products that may have worked well for you in March may feel like sandpaper in July because your skin’s defenses are down.
5. Air conditioning makes it worse.
Cold, dry indoor air can pull moisture from the skin just as aggressively as outdoor heat. Bouncing between warm, humid outdoor air and cold, dry, air-conditioned indoors stresses the barrier repeatedly throughout the day.
6. The sun triggers inflammation.
Sun exposure is another big trigger for sensitive skin. Even if you don’t burn, UV rays can cause inflammation and weaken the skin barrier over time.
Some people may suffer from sun rashes, while others may develop itchy bumps, raised patches or small blisters after sun exposure. This is even more common when the skin has not been exposed to much sun for a while.
Summer care tips for sensitive skin
Now that you know what you’re up against, here’s how to help your skin better survive the hot summer months.
Switch to a gentler cleaner with a focus on dams.
Summer is not the time for deep cleaning. Even if you’re active and sweat a lot, if you have sensitive skin, resist the urge to scrub with harsh products. Foaming cleansers, exfoliating washes and anything containing sulfates can strip away the lipids (fats) your skin barrier desperately needs. Look for gentle cleansers that are non-foaming and fragrance-free.
Layer hydration.
A light moisturizer or toner applied to wet skin, followed immediately by a moisturizer, locks in moisture more effectively than a single product applied to dry skin. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid or beta-glucan that attract water to the skin.
Rescue & Relief Spray is a great refreshing multi-tasking toner option as it is packed with hydrating healing ingredients. It will immediately soothe redness and irritation, while restoring the glow of the skin. It is a non-comedogenic pH balancing formula that is beneficial for all skin types, especially sensitive types.
Our Calming Moisture is perfect for sensitive skin in the summer. It’s made with moisturizing beta-glucan and the Tri-Rescue Skin Complex to soothe redness and support the barrier without any of the fragrances, dyes or synthetic chemicals that can cause summer sensitivity. Apply to slightly damp skin immediately after cleansing. It will bring to the skin lasting, calm and radiant.
For the body, our Body Repair Lotion offers the same barrier-repairing, anti-inflammatory ingredients in a fast-absorbing formula with no greasy residue—perfect for summer when heavy creams feel suffocating.
Use mineral sunscreen — and don’t forget to reapply.
Mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) naturally reflect UV rays instead of absorbing them. They sit on top of the skin, which makes them more easily tolerated by people with sensitive skin. Look for a product with SPF 30 or higher, apply generously and reapply every two hours when you’re outside.
Note: Most people only apply half the amount of sunscreen they need. The sub-app greatly reduces the protection you get.
Cool your skin before applying products.
Applying products to warm, reddened skin drives the product ingredients deeper into your skin, which can cause stinging and irritation. After exposure to the sun or heat, wait until your skin cools down. You can also use a cold mist spray to lower the temperature.
We recommend Rescue + Relief Spray for this. Store it in the fridge, then spray it directly onto the skin anywhere—after sun exposure, mid-day as a refresher, or before applying moisturizer.
Simplify your routine.
Summer is not really the time to try new products. If your skin is already reactive, skip the new stuff for a few months. You may also want to save your retinol, glycolic acid, and vitamin C serums for fall when your barrier is at its strongest. Fewer products and ingredients give your skin a break and allow it to repair itself.
Track your active ingredient schedule.
If you want to continue with your antiaging products, apply them at night. Exposure to UV rays during the day breaks down many ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol. Wait until bedtime when your skin won’t be stressed by heat and UV rays. It will reduce the risk of a reaction.
Deal with flares quickly.
If your skin reacts, resist the urge to pile on more products to fix it. Instead, strip down to the basics: a gentle cleanser, a barrier-repairing moisturizer, and maybe a balm or heavy-duty soothing product for your most inflamed spots.
Our Restorative Skin Balm is designed for extra TLC. It creates a protective layer over reactive, damaged or inflamed skin while the anti-inflammatory Tri-Rescue complex works underneath. Think of it like a bandage for a skin barrier that has been injured.
Summary of Tips for Your Summer Grooming
Here is a simple summer design.
- Keep skin cool. Wear loose, breathable clothing.
- Rinse after sweating or swimming.
- Use lukewarm, not hot, water.
- Moisturize daily.
- Protect your skin from the sun.
- Keep your routine simple.
- Listen to your skin and take steps to keep it more comfortable.
Featured image from the RDNE Stock project via Pexels.
