Always Sunkissed Guide to Healthy & Glowing Summer Skin

Skin in the summer is rather a curse or a blessing. I’d like to think I have pretty good skin to start with; I have few breakouts, my skin doesn’t get super dry or super greasy (most of the time) and because I’m in my early twenties, aging isn’t my biggest concern right now. I find though, in the dead of winter and the height of the summer, I do find myself struggling with different areas of skin care.

Here are a few problems I find myself having in the summer:

• Greasy skin from tanning oil/ sunblock
• Burnt skin
• Pimples from not eating the best from being busy
• Naturally red and semi-irritated skin

I have discovered some different products and tricks that have helped me conquer these problems and work best for me. Please note that everyone has different skin and have different skin concerns and these are just products and tricks that work for the issues that I face.

Long day at the beach? Feeling a little sunburnt? Herbivore Botanicals has a killer After Sun Skin Soothing Aloe Mist meant to soothe your sun kissed face (or bod, if you’re feeling It). It’s packed with ingredients that you can actually read and feels light and soothing on the skin. Pop It in the fridge for an extra cooling sensation! For those of you in Nantucket or the Boston area, Follain sells this great product and many other products by this brand! Highly recommend checking them out.

Greasy skin and pimples got the best of you? Herbivore Botanicals has their Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask that is meant to ease redness, reduce acne and hydrate your skin!  This mask is meant to gently exfoliates, smooths, and resurfaces skin with a blend of Fruit Enzymes, Willow Bark and Blue Tansy Oil. Their brand is really just excelling and I love spending time just learning about their products and going through their website! Pair that with their Lapis Facial Oil meant to aid in reducing redness and clarifying the complexion. It was formulated for combination,  oily and blemish-prone skin types or any skin in need of relief from inflammation.

Speaking of moisturizing, moisturizing is one of the most important parts of a summer beauty ritual! It’s honestly important year-round, but in the summer it plays an even larger part to the look and feel of your skin. Every time I get out of the shower, the first thing I do is lather on moisturizer right then and there! That way, It is guaranteed to lock in all the moisture from your shower! For products I use, I live off of Lubriderm for after shower routine and keep a bottle of lavender Aveeno next to my bed! Lubriderm is a tried and true product that I have been using for years. They have different moisturizers to match whichever skin problem you are facing, such as normal skin trying to keep moisture and extremely dry skin. I’ve tried other brands and always come back to this moisturizer, even my mom use to use It! The lavender Aveeno is great for a night time routine or even just as a great bottle of lotion to have next to your bed. I use this lotion on my face and hands every night and most mornings. The lavender scent is a great touch; it smells amazing and is soothing for falling asleep!

Exfoliating is a key part to summer skin care, especially if you wear a lot of makeup, are having a problem with greasy skin or just need to get all that greasy sunblock (or tanning oil) off your skin. At the beginning of the day or at the end, everyone’s skin has different needs. I was taught that my beauty routine should always be exfoliate, moisturize and then apply your makeup! It’s like setting the building blocks to successful skin. Currently, I use Apricot Scrub. I have been using this on and off for years and whenever I switch away from it, I always find myself coming back to it. One great thing about face scrub, is that a bottle will last you a pretty long time because you only need a dime size for your daily use.

Simply Sunblock. You can still get sun kissed skin and use sun block. I think the most important place to use sunblock in on your face, this will help protect future wrinkles and sun spots and keep your face looking great all summer. I personally don’t use sunblock all over my body, but I do make sure I put some SPF on my body if I can. I know, this is probably one of the last tips you wanted to hear, heck, I know I hate hearing it whenever I go to the beach or I look like I got some color on my skin, but it truly will help you in the long run, even if you don’t use it every time.

One last tip for achieving your best summer skin is to focus on drinking water and eating a well-balanced diet. Drinking water helps to moisturize your skin from the inside out and will also aid in more energy. I love to carry around my Yeti water bottle, always full of ice water. Knowing that I always have water with me, leaves me more motivated to drink it. I have also found vitamins from vegetables and fruit will play a huge role on the look and feel of your skin. I love eating watermelon, I treat it like its water sometimes so I’m staying hydrated while snacking.

At the end of the day, not every skin problem can be resolved right then and there. Sometimes, I find expensive products don’t work for me, and then I get stressed and frustrated, which than hurts my skin again due to stress. I have found, my diet plays a huge part in how my skin is doing that week. Along with the amount of makeup and type of makeup I wear and how often I wear it can also play an effect on your skin. But like I said before, everyone’s skin is different and everyone effects differently to different products. I think it is great to try different products and tricks, but to always do your research before hand and use products that are aren’t loaded with a ton of chemicals.

What’s your favorite part of your skin care routine?