6 Summer Skincare Tips from a Cosmetic Chemist

Manuela Isomers

Whether it be in life, in business, in chemistry, or in skincare – for every positive there is a negative, and for every negative there is a positive. It’s all about balance!

Take summertime for instance, there’s a whole lot to love about it – a shopping list worth of positives. There’s sunshine, warm weather, sunbathing, swimming, barbeques, beach days, vacations, camping, drinks on a patio – just to name a few.

But hang on, did you notice the common denominator under each of those wonderful summer activities? They all require the enjoyer of said summer activity to be outside! Which is great, but there is a downside – the negative impacts overexposure to the elements can have on your skin.

Listen, we are by no means pessimists, we just really care about what’s best for you and your skin! In our ideal world, we want people to be able to go outside, soak up some sun, and have themselves a blast. We just don’t want any of you doing it at the cost of damaging or degrading your skin.

With that said, our CEO and head cosmetic, Manuela Marcheggiani, has compiled a list of 6 VITAL summer skincare tips to keep you hydrated, supported, protected, and glowing all summer long!

Tip #1: WEAR YOUR SPF!

The caps lock going on here are 100% intentional – this is a stern (but friendly) reminder that applying, and reapplying are an absolute MUST for proper summer skincare etiquette!

In the summer months, many of us spend countless additional hours outdoors and often under direct sunlight, right? So, here’s the problem – overexposure to sunlight is one of the absolute worst things for our skin. We’ll leave it to the Isomers professionals to explain how and why:

Few Tips about Sunscreen

So here are a few summer skincare tips within this tip (it’s a tip-ception, shoutout to Christopher Nolan) when it comes to using sunscreen/sunblock. For your skin’s sake, make sure this summer you understand:

  • That a higher SPF provides only marginally better UV protection
  • That CONSISTENCY is the most important thing, apply and reapply
  • That the right sunscreen for you depends on your skin type, here’s a blog to help you figure it out (https://www.isomers.ca/blogs/skincare-by-isomers/the-best-sunscreen-for-your-skin-type)****
  • That whatever you use needs to have broad spectrum protection
  • That there is an important distinction between sunscreen and sunblock, but don’t worry Manuela’s got you covered again 

Tip #2: Cleansing is Crucial in Summer Skincare

Cleansing is an important part of your skincare routine all year long – but it becomes even more important during the hot summer months.

Summer skincare is really about looking at how our habits change and adjusting our routines accordingly to match what our skin needs.

So, the sun is shinnin’ and the weather is hot – what does that mean? That means many of us are outside a lot more than usual, being more active than usual, and therefore sweating more than usual! When it comes to our skincare routine, this sunshine-induced change in our habits means we also need to change how we cleanse our skin.

With more sweating and more outdoor activities, our pores become more susceptible to being clogged with excess oil, bacteria, and grime.

Our summer skincare tip to combat those clogged pores is to up our cleansing game! We recommend using a solution that is a little stronger than your average everyday cleanser, formulas with Salicylic Acid as a key active ingredient are a great way to go. Also, for those who are particularly susceptible to pore-clogging and acne breakouts, we recommend double cleansing at night – using one oil-based cleanser and following it with a water-based solution to thoroughly rid those pores of dirt.

 

Tip #3: Antioxidants are your Friends

This one is absolutely vital summer skincare advice: antioxidants are one of our best defences against environmental stressors and damage from the sun!

They are crucial protectors of the skin.  They help in maintaining the integrity and strength of our skin when exposed to harmful elements such as UV rays and Free Radicals. The consistent use of an effective antioxidant solution will slow down the skin’s process of aging (after the Sun speeds it up), boost cellular turnover, promote the development of collagen, combat hyperpigmentation to even the skin tone and much more!

Our Vitamin C & Ferulic 15% Skin Brightening Concentrate is the perfect ally for summer skincare. This powerful antioxidant blend safeguards your skin against environmental stressors and sun damage. Its unique formula stimulates collagen production, evens skin tone, and combats hyperpigmentation. Incorporate our Vitamin C & Ferulic Concentrate into your routine to enjoy healthier, brighter, and more youthful-looking skin throughout the sunny season.

To learn more about the benefits of Vitamin C for skin, click here!

We highly recommend using an antioxidant serum with Vitamin C as the key active ingredient – once again, we’ll give Manuela 60(ish) seconds to tell you why:

Tip #4: An Essential Oil for Bug Bites in Summer Skincare

If you’re the type whose idea of fun summer activities includes camping, hiking, white water rafting, portaging or any other nature-loving fun – this one for you!

With all of that wonderful woodland summer, activities comes an annoying little downside – mosquitoes. Positives and negatives, right? I’m sure there’s no need for me to explain why mosquitoes are annoying however there is a skincare-related implication that must be addressed.

Don’t pick or scratch your bug bites.  Scratching can leave lasting damage on your skin, and it does nothing good in the long run. Luckily, we do have something up our skincare sleeve that does just that.

Tea Tree is an essential oil that people have been using for centuries to treat all sorts of ailments! Among its many benefits, Tea Tree oil has amazing anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.  These properties make it the perfect activity to soothe irritation such as itchiness from a bug bite.

So, if you’re the adventurous type and you plan to be out in the woods this summer, we definitely recommend you follow this skin tip and stop yourself from scratching and damaging your skin.

Tip #5: Hydrate

In the summer heat,  it is definitely necessary to adjust how we moisturize our skin. Basically, what we need to do is tuck away the heavy, rich, oil-based moisturizers.  These are best for fall / winter.  In spring / summer switch to a solution that is light and water-based.  The aim is to hydrate the skin without clogging it down or making it too heavy.

Forever Youth Moisture Cream

We recommend our Forever Youth Moisture Cream.  The cream is super lightweight and formulated with extremophiles.  Extremophiles are bacteria that survive and stay hydrated in the hottest, driest elements of the desert! So, summer dryness will be no concern with just a light layer of this cream in your skincare routine.

Tip #6: Sunglasses aren’t just for Chic Looks

Who knew sunglasses were actually a skincare product!?

Our very last summer skincare tip is a super easy one.  Just make sure you bring your favourite shades with you everywhere you go this summer – and wear them!

As a “skincare product” sunglasses come with two major benefits.  Firstly they stop us from constantly squinting when we’re outside.  Squinting, that simple unconscious behaviour can lead to deep expression lines and wrinkles as the years pass. Secondly, they protect the fragile skin around our eyes from being subjected to direct UV rays and Free Radicals. Once again, with enough years of exposure that sensitive skin around the eyes will quickly show the signs of photoaging. It’s necessary to always be conscious of taking those extra measures to protect this area and mitigate this skin concern.

So, before you leave your house this summer pack those shades with you, so you can make a fashion and skincare statement!