Summer Skin
By Cameron Sinclaire
Summer has finally arrived, and with it, the scorching sun. While most of us love soaking up the warm rays and enjoying the outdoors during this beautiful season, it can often take a toll on our skin if we aren’t giving it the proper care. The heat and humidity can drain our natural glow, leaving our skin dull, oily, and damaged. Oily skin becomes more oily and dry skin can become irritated and flaky. The heat often causes more open pores that are likely to be clogged by oil, dirt, and bacteria, and the UV rays cause dehydration and premature aging. So how can we prevent breakouts, hyperpigmentation, dryness, and wrinkles during these blistering summer months? Simple.
Step One: Cleanse and Exfoliate
Cleansing your face twice a day (in the morning and evening) helps to wash away the dirt and excess oil that your skin naturally produces during the summer. It also helps to eliminate the build-up of bacteria, airborne pollutants, excess sebum, and dead skin cells that can coat the surface of your skin. Finding the perfect cleanser for you can be a challenge, but G.M. Collins offers a Hydramucine Cleansing Milk meant for dehydrated skin. It adds moisture back while also gently removing the impurities, secretions, and makeup.
Exfoliating two to three times a week is an important step in your skincare routine that will help remove any dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin. Exfoliating with any of G.M. Collin’s exfoliants will help you achieve that vibrant, brighter look.
Step Two: Use a Face Toner
Toner is an important step in any skincare regimen that is often overlooked. Using the right toner for your skin type can help minimize the appearance of pores, refine skin, and helps with hyperpigmentation. It also aids the skin in retaining moisture, which is especially vital during the summer.
Step Three: Vitamin C
While a good Vitamin C serum is good all year-round, it becomes even more vital as the weather gets warmer. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that works to stimulate collagen production in your skin. It also fights fine lines, brightens your complexion, prevents hyperpigmentation, and helps with acne healing.
Step Four: Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
The hot, humid weather is constantly drying out our skin’s natural oils, leaving the surface flaky and irritated. Applying a moisturizer helps to lock in all the benefits brought by the products applied before and restore hydration to your skin. G.M. Collin’s offers a moisturizer for all skin types (oily, dry, normal) to help you achieve the best hydration.
Step Five: Apply (And Reapply) Sunscreen
Prolonged sun exposure can cause wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sunburns. Sunscreen acts as a shield against dangerous UV rays and is essential to keeping your skin healthy and hydrated and preventing premature aging. Use a broad-spectrum suncreeen of 30 SPF or higher on all exposed skin. Don’t forget feet, ears, lips, and hands. After a chemical peel, stay out of direct sun for a minimum of 3-5 days and use a 30+ SPF sunscreen liberally on the treated area.
Step Six: Hydrate
The harmful UV rays dry out our skin, causing it to look flaky and hyper-pigmented. That’s why it’s important to constantly hydrate your skin. Aside from drinking plenty of water, using a hydrating face mask at the end of your nightly skincare routine, such as G.M. Collin’s Aqua Mask is the perfect way to add moisture to your skin and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. The Aqua Mask is infused with essential minerals and provides an intense, immediate, and long-lasting moisturization. A good hydrating mask will replenish and reinforce the skin’s barrier and visibly smooth and restore suppleness.
Sun exposure, swimming, and humidity can adversely affect your skin. Luckily, you can restore your skin’s natural balance by taking preventative steps to protect your skin by wearing sunscreen, and following a regular skincare routine to achieve glowing, healthy skin.
Bonus Tip:
When using products with retinol or retin-A in your skin care regime, remember to use a lot of sunscreen and hydrate/moisturize. These products should be used strictly at night and can be extremely drying and likely to irritate with direct sunlight. UV exposure will be intensified after the use of these products and the possibility for permanent damage greatly increased.