Although there is little to complain about when summer finally comes around, those hot, sunny days can sometimes affect your skin. We take a look at the best summer skincare routine to follow to keep your skin glowing.

As the summer season begins, you might notice a change in the condition of your skin. We’ve already looked at how to adopt a skincare routine that suits your individual skin type, but should you alter this for the summertime? Humidity, temperature, and UV rays can all affect your skin in different ways, but this can depend upon your own skin. Whilst there isn’t a one-approach-fits-all type of skincare routine, we’ve explored how you can keep your skin feeling glowy and healthy throughout the summer months.

Skincare prep is key

For your skincare routine to actually make a difference, there’s no point suddenly switching up the beauty products you use at the start of July.

According to Omer Ibrahim, a board-certified dermatologist and co-director of clinical research at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery, “A solid routine should be applicable to all seasons”. This means that the best skincare routines are the ones which can be carried out all year around, although you may need to make some tweaks to your typical skincare routine when the summer comes around.

Nevertheless, whatever changes you make to your skincare routine, make sure they’re not drastic. According to Dr Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and medical director at Eudelo, only change a couple of aspects of your skincare routine if you need to.

Your skin won’t like sudden and radical changes – even if you feel like you don’t need moisturiser in the warmer months, you could upset your skin by abandoning it altogether. Instead, maybe switch to a lighter moisturiser, or only moisturise your face in the evening so that your skin can absorb all the benefits of your moisturiser overnight.

The sun is not your enemy

It’s the summer – let yourself enjoy the sun! We’ve all heard of the common argument that the sun leads to wrinkles and cracks in the skin, but completely blocking it out means you won’t get any Vitamin D – the mineral that keeps your bones, muscles and teeth healthy.

That being said, you still need to protect your skin against excessive exposure to UV rays. On top of wearing sunscreen when you sunbathe, you’ll want to use skincare products that protect your skin when you’re outside, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day.

Using a light moisturiser with a medium to high SPF factor is a good way to keep your skin feeling hydrated and protected from UV rays, without clogging your pores. Even if it has a good SPF rating, a heavy moisturiser could add excessive oil to your skin, resulting in spots, inflammation, and sometimes acne. Wearing a lightweight moisturiser is the best way to protect your skin whenever you’re in the sun, without irritating your skin.

Don’t deprive your skin of hydration

If you have naturally oily skin, your first instinct might be to shelve any moisturisers you have in warm and humid temperatures. However, this can be harmful to your skin – excessive summer heat can dehydrate your skin, and so you’ll want to keep it thoroughly moisturised to ensure your skin doesn’t become dry and crack.

Rejecting moisturiser can also have the opposite desired effect – oily skin can sometimes be a sign of dehydration, as your body will increase its production of sebum, an oily substance, to stop your skin from going dry. If you’ve cut out face cream and you notice your skin is getting oilier as the days draw on, it’s probably best to switch back to moisturising your skin.

Skincare takes time and care

There is no overnight, magical beauty product that will drastically alter your skin for the summer months. However, you can make changes to the way you carry out your routine – instead of simply moisturising with creams, start hydrating your skin in the shower or bathtub. Our Cacao & Almond Bath & Body Oil uses antioxidant-rich cacao and nourishing almond oil to enrich the skin: simply add a few drops to hot water, or massage into the skin for ultimate hydration.

If temperatures are soaring, and you know you’re in for a hot night, make sure you don’t go to bed without moisturising your skin. Of course, no one likes the feeling of sticky moisturiser that sits on your skin in a stuffy room, which is why our Cacao and Kaolin Thermal Clay Body Mask is the perfect alternative to your average moisturiser. Cacao butter and macadamia seed oil soften, while mineral-rich kaolin clay revitalises circulation for a healthy glow: simply apply, massage into the skin, and shower away for re-energized skin.

Listen to your skin

This is the most important step in any skincare routine: if your skin seems unhappy with a certain product you’re using, stop immediately. If you’re using heavily synthetic or perfumed beauty products, this could irritate your skin: no matter how good it may smell, if it doesn’t feel good, then don’t use it.

At Hotel Chocolat, we use natural ingredients only in our beauty products, which not only smell divine, but also leave your skin feeling buttery and smooth. This year, keep your skin shining throughout the summer months.