Summer Skin Care

My winter skin care routine and my summer skin care routine are not the same thing. They can’t be. What works when it’s cold and dry actively breaks you out in July. Summer skin is a different ecosystem — more humidity, more UV exposure, more sweating, more everything. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, about three clogged-pore summers in a row.

Here’s what I actually do now.

Morning: The Non-Negotiables

SPF. Every day. No exceptions. I do not care if you’re not going outside. Incidental UV exposure through windows adds up. I use a lightweight face SPF — specifically one that doesn’t leave a white cast and doesn’t make me look like I rubbed hand lotion on my face. For the body, a spray or lotion SPF that I can actually get on my back without requiring a second person.

My morning routine in summer is stripped down to basics: gentle cleanser, light moisturizer with SPF, and I’m done. I skip the heavy serums and occlusive creams. Summer skin doesn’t need as much barrier protection — the humidity does some of that work. The last thing you want in August is a heavy nighttime moisturizer in the daytime.

Vitamin C: The Summer MVP

Summer sun means more hyperpigmentation risk — dark spots from sun exposure show up months later and they are not fun to deal with. A Vitamin C serum in the morning (under SPF) fights that before it happens. Vitamin C is an antioxidant — it neutralizes free radical damage from UV rays. It also brightens existing dullness. Two minutes in the morning and your skin is genuinely better for it.

Midday: Reapplication

If you’re outside, SPF needs to go back on every two hours. I use a setting spray with SPF that goes over makeup without disturbing it. This changed my beach days completely. I’m not ruining my makeup to reapply sunscreen anymore.

And please — a wide-brim sun hat. Physical blocking of UV rays is more effective than any topical SPF. Plus they look incredibly chic at the beach and require absolutely no effort.

Evening: Repair Mode

At night I bring back the treatments. A retinol or exfoliating serum two to three times a week (not every night — summer skin doesn’t need to be stripped). A calming, light moisturizer to close out the routine.

If I had a big sun day, I use an after-sun lotion instead of regular moisturizer. Aloe vera-based, cooling, the thing that makes your skin feel like it was taken care of instead of punished. Even without burning, extended sun exposure dehydrates the skin. After-sun lotion is recovery.

The One Product I Won’t Skip

A hydrating facial mist lives in my bag all summer. Two seconds of cooling spray mid-afternoon keeps my makeup set, adds hydration, and honestly just makes me feel like a person again when it’s 90 degrees outside.

Summer skin care isn’t complicated. It’s just different from the rest of the year — lighter, more protective, recovery-focused when needed. Get the SPF right and everything else is details.

Your future self in October will thank you for the sunscreen you wore in June.