Get your skin ready for summer

Hot weather increases water loss, which leads to dehydration which can make our skin feel irritated, red and dry. Make sure to hydrate your skin and keep water levels well topped up. Summer heat tends to mean more sweat, more oil and speedier skin cell production too.

Shorten your showers (and moisturise afterwards).

In the winter, we tend to enjoy long, hot showers – but in the summer, those contribute to to dry, not-so-pretty skin. Five minutes in lukewarm water is long enough, and after, gently pat your skin dry and moisturise whilst skin is still damp – this helps lock in moisture.

Use a moisturizing body wash or soap which draws the water in, attracting its molecules beneath the skin, and is richly moisturising. It should be a mild cleanser as you don’t want to strip your skin of oils.

We have been using Please & Thank You Soaps, a luxurious, moisturising fragranced soap bar who just happen to be vegan, cruelty free, sustainably packaged and proudly British made. And that’s not all. For every one you buy, they donate another to someone in need which we are very much on board with. Try the sophisticated Luxury Rose or Luxury Salad Scented bar for a hit of summer freshness.  

Don’t be too harsh on your skin with over exfoliation. It can seem like a quick fix to scrub the dead skin off of your face, but anything that’s too harsh or rough can cause micro-tears in your skin and in turn cause irritation. For facial exfoliation, we suggest looking into chemical exfoliators.

Try a water-based moisturiser with a matte finish, like our Fuarain Super Active Moisturiser formulated with 97% active Deeside Mineral Water and botanical extracts to help provide instant and long-lasting hydration. Smooth it gently over your face and neck after cleansing, and your skin should feel soft, comfortable and smooth - not at all greasy or sticky. If using in the morning, follow with SPF.

Wear sunscreen. SPF is your best friend when it comes to keeping your skin supple.

Even if makeup has sunscreen in it, it has to be 30 and above and it should be applied prior to going outside and re-applied every two hours, or sooner if you sweat or swim. Even if something is water-resistant, if you get wet, it’s off, so reapply.

There are ways to avoid messing up your make-up too, such as powdery, mineral-based sunscreens that you can brush over, and mists. Make sure you look for a broad-spectrum SPF to cover UVA and UVB rays.

Chapped, sunburnt lips are not on our agenda. Did you know that your lips don’t have any oil glands so they can’t moisturise themselves?

And so we’ll be carrying a pot of moisturising Bari Balms in our summer bags, especially the 100% natural Avocado lip balm, handmade using only organic, ethically-sourced ingredients, such as avocado and shea butter, avocado oil, and more.