School’s out, but summer skincare is in. Here’s your acne cheat sheet.
In the summer, most of my clients and friends don’t want to wear a lot of makeup. Whether they feel like it takes too much time, it clogs their pores, or they’re “just gonna sweat if off anyway”, they just like to keep it simple.
If you’re like these ladies, you’re probably pursuing the natural sun-kissed skin look too. But what to do if you don’t have flawless skin?
Here’s some tips to beat the acne and make your skin look insta-worthy.
1. Determine your skin type.
Some girls will go years using the wrong products on their faces and then wonder why their face always seems broken out or sensitive. Take a look at this skincare chart to see which skin type you most likely have.
2. Wash your face every. single. day.
Even if you feel like you don’t need to, you still should. There is so much microscopic dirt and germs that get on your face every time you touch it or sweat throughout the day. Especially if you live in a highly polluted area, you’ll want to always wash your face to keep your pores from getting clogged. If your skin tends to be on the oily side, maybe even wash twice a day. Find a face cleanser that is suited for your skin type to give your face the TLC it needs.
3. Moisturize your skin
Especially after washing your face, you’ll want to use a good moisturizer. Many of you girls with oily skin don’t think you need to moisturize if it’ll make your skin greasy, but the right kind of moisturizer won’t make you greasy and it will still help your skin. Moisture in the skin is what helps it stay young-looking and wrinkle free. Even underneath foundation, you’ll want to moisturize to help your makeup go on smoother.
4. Exfoliate your face
A good face scrub can make a world of a difference with your skin, especially with acne. Exfoliating helps to remove the top layer of dead skin and build up, allowing your beauty products to get in there and work better. Usually, you’ll want to do this after washing your face and before applying moisturizer. If you have oily skin or large pores, you might want to opt for a scrub with slightly bigger granules (the scrubbing bead things) and use it every few days. Women with dry skin and small pores can benefit from a finer scrub with more gentle granules and you can use it about once a week.
5. Use eye cream!
Even if you don’t show signs of aging around your eyes yet, in 20 years you’ll wish you’d have used an eye cream sooner. Your eye area is highly sensitive and the skin is thin, so eye cream is basically moisturizer on steroids. It helps to protect your skin from damage, prep your skin for makeup by moisturizing the area, and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. You can also use eye cream on your lips if they’re quite dry and chapped.
6. Find specialized treatment products
Many older women like to use collagen-infused face creams, and younger women with acne like to include a blemish spot treatment. Some women also like to include products for dark spots or discoloration. Including one product like this can make a world of a difference in the overall state of your skin.
7. Use face products with SPF.
This one is crucial! Even if you just get a drugstore sunscreen to wear underneath your makeup, it will help to reduce sun damage to your skin. Make sure you find one specifically for application on your face so it won’t clog your pores. Many foundations and moisturizers also include SPF nowadays, so an extra layer of that will help too.
8. Eat healthy and drink water
Your skin on the outside is a reflection of what you put in the inside of your body- it is your largest organ, after all. If you only eat greasy food and drink soda, your skin might not be very happy about it. You probably hear it all the time, but try eating fruits and vegetables and drink more water to help boost skin cell growth.
9. Girl, wash your pillowcase!
My friends often tell me they use a skincare system regularly and they think they’re eating healthy enough, but they forget to wash their pillowcase. Your pillowcase (and bedsheets in general) collect dirt, hair products, drool (lol, gross) and other germs, and it can build up and spread to your face, creating more acne. So if it’s been awhile, take a minute to throw your pillowcase into your next load of laundry. Try washing it every week if you can, and see if it helps.
You might be wondering, “but what about that time of the month?” Unfortunately, sometimes all the good skincare products and prayers can’t fight hormone-induced acne. That being said, it is definitely helpful to have a good skincare system as a preventative measure and also that spot treatment can help period blemishes when they do arise.
Let me know if these tips helped you achieve your summer skin goals!
Have any other skincare questions? Want to know where to get SeneGence skincare? Message or email me for more info!
Riley Brown 