Summer Skincare: Essential Tips for Glowing Skin

Heat, humidity and longer daylight hours change what your skin needs. The routine that carried you through winter will usually feel heavy by July — and the barrier damage you pick up in summer is what shows up as dullness in autumn.

Lighten the base, keep the actives

Swap rich creams for a gel-cream and keep your vitamin C in the morning. You still want antioxidants, you simply want them under a lighter occlusive.

• Cleanse with a low-foam gel, morning and night.
• Vitamin C serum before SPF, every single morning.
• Broad-spectrum SPF 30–50, reapplied every two hours outdoors.
• Retinoids at night, two to three times a week rather than daily.

Hydration is not the same as moisture

Humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid pull water into the skin; emollients hold it there. In humid climates you need more of the former and less of the latter.

Ninety percent of visible summer damage is preventable with reapplied sunscreen and a hat.

Book a professional reset

A monthly facial with light exfoliation keeps pores clear without stripping the barrier. A DoorstepDiva esthetician can do this at your home in about 60 minutes.