Whether you fastidiously prep for summer with a complete overhaul of your skincare regime or are looking for products that give you that summer glow without the hassle, our range of organic, natural, vegan and ethical beauty brands have got some incredible options that are all made in the UK in small batches. Here we share our top tips for your summer skincare routine.
Wear suncream
It won't come as a surprise that wearing SPF is absolutely essential in summer, if not all year round. We recommend to not to leave the house without wearing a good quality SPF, stay in the shade if you can, or if you can't, make sure you're covered up and wearing a lovely big sun hat to protect your face and shoulders. We recommend Odylique's Mineral Sun Cream factor 30
Often, our skin can feel clogged and heavy when wearing suncream more frequently so it's important to use a cleanser at night that helps to break down all of the dirt and grime that's on our skin after a long day in the sunshine. Coraline Skincare's Lavender Cleansing Balm which is vegan and made with organic ingredients, is perfect for removing SPF, sweat and dirt as well as helping to cool and soothe your skin after a day in the heat and sunshine. As you massage it into the skin, it softens to an oil and gently lifts dirt and impurities.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is the key to good, clear skin all year round, but particularly in summer. By drinking plenty of water our bodies stay refreshed and our skin plump and radiant. Marian, founder of Silvan Skincare also advises us to cut back on caffeine and alcohol too as these can dehydrate you, difficult when you want to have just one more G&T in the sunshine!
You can add some surface hydration to the skin or cool yourself down on-the-go by adding a facial mist into your regime like the Acqua Di Rosa Balancing Mist from Terre Verdi which rehydrates and rebalances redness in the skin throughout the day or UpCircle Beauty's Toner which had added hyaluronic acid to help surface hydration.
Eat your way to beautiful skin
Lucia from Casa Mencarelli advises that preparation for summer in fact starts with a healthy diet. Be sure to increase consumption of fresh colourful fruits, vegetables and salads because these are a fantastic source of Beta Carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which will provide protection and support to your skin on sunny days against the action of free radicals which are responsible for skin ageing. And if you'd like to top up your anti oxidants and carotenes via your skincare, the Casa Mencarelli range is packed with high quality organic ingredients that feed your skin and give it a healthy glow like their Sole E Mare Sea Buckthorn Serum which we call a glow in a bottle!
Restore your skin overnight
After a day exposed to the hot sun, pollen, dust and pollution it's ideal to try to repair your skin overnight, particularly if you need to soothe over exposed skin.
Whitford Skincare Papaya and Bakuchiol Gel Serum is excellent at helping hot, sun-damaged skin that has been over exposed. It feels lovely and cool on the skin and you only need to apply a thin layer. The hero ingredient, bakuchiol helps to smoothe parched skin as well as help it to repair and papaya enzymes helps replenish skin that's a little sun burnt.
For a natural alternative to pharmacy aftersuns why not reach for Odylique's Repair lotion which includes aloe vera juice, ideal for soothing for sun damaged skin, reduce inflamed skin and regenerate new skin production. There's also chickweed which is great for calming itchy skin, calendula for its soothing properties and chamomile which is an all-round wonderful ingredient for red, sore skin.
Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation is a great way of removing dead skin cells which can help gain an even tan and balanced complexion. It also helps to remove any bacteria build-up which may help combat any sun induced break outs. Be sure to exfoliate gently though, as exfoliation can remove the skin's protective layer making it more vulnerable to UV rays so it's important to listen to your skin type. Fine skin is more delicate than thicker skin for example.
If you've got fine or sensitive skin, gently exfoliate with fruit acids or AHA's like Whitfords Fruit AHA's Exfoliating Mask, a gel-based fruit acid exfoliator that uses castor grains to gently slough off dead skin cells without drying and natural fruit acids from bilberry, sugar cane, orange, lemon and sugar maple extracts (all natural Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)) that gently exfoliate impurities and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Switch up your regime
Swapping in a couple of different products during the summer months can help maintain the condition of your skin.
The heat and humidity can prompt our skin to produce excess sebum. Rather than stripping the skin, it's a good idea to look for products that focus on keeping your skin balanced. Hydrating any dry areas and working in harmony with our skin's natural sebum on the oilier areas.
Terre Verdi's Herbs and Trees Balancing Serum is fantastic at balancing the skin which is the ideal solution for excess shine. It's got an argan and camellia oil base which are both dry oils that penetrate the skin easily without residue, sebum-like jojoba oil to nourish and balance and then astringent frankincense and tea tree oils to tone and prevent blocked pores. Or why not try InLight Beauty's Face Oil which is super light and readily absorbed by the skin. It is extremely rich in antioxidants and jojoba oil which mimics our skin's sebum to keep oil at bay.
If you start to see some pigmentation appearing on your skin as a result of sun exposure you might want to slot in some products containing rosehip, bakuchiol or cacay oils into your summer skincare routine.
Don't go wild though, make sure you stagger any swaps you make and have thoroughly tested the product beforehand to avoid any breakouts or reactions.
Stock up on summer remedies
We love those long, warm days and spending more time outdoors but it means we're more susceptible to those pesky midges, flies and mosquitoes which can pounce at any moment and when they do the itching can be unbearable.
Use Odylique's Mosimix Body Oil as a preventative to bites and stings. It's a natural mosquito repellent with lemongrass, lavender and thyme essential oils that have been blended at effective concentrations to repel insects and mosquitoes. Sunflower, coconut and extra virgin olive oils also hydrate the skin so it's also a great summer holiday body oil if you like packing light.
Take good care of your feet
At the end of a humid day your feet can feel puffy and your legs heavy. There is nothing more pampering than a cooling foot massage with Silvan Skincare's Foot Cream. It's full of peppermint to ease aching muscles and put the spring back in your step whilst the paw paw and calendula take care of cracked skin and heels.