Essential Summer Skincare Guide: Adapting Your Routine for Hot Weather

Kathmandu. During the summer season, the needs of your skin change alongside your clothing and diet. Intense heat, sweat, and pollution directly affect the skin. If you continue using your winter skincare routine, you may face issues like excessive oiliness, dullness, or acne breakouts.

In reality, UV rays and humidity in the summer can damage the outer layer of the skin. This has been shown to increase the risk of tanning, pigmentation, and infections.

How should you care for your skin in the summer? Which mistakes cause harm to the skin? Let us first understand these aspects.

Why is it necessary to change your skincare routine in the summer?

Changing your skincare routine in the summer is necessary for the following reasons:

• Excessive sweating: You sweat a lot in the summer. This causes skin pores to clog, increasing the risk of acne and rashes.
• Intense sun: The sun is very strong in the summer. UV rays hit the skin directly, increasing the risk of tanning, sunburn, and pigmentation.
• Dehydration: Due to extreme heat and sweating, the body loses water, making the skin dry and dull.

Does the skincare routine differ according to skin type?

Yes, every skin type has different needs and problems. Skin reacts in different ways, so the same product and method do not work for everyone.

Which problems are more common in different skin types?

• Oily skin: Excessive oil production, acne, and enlarged pores.
• Dry skin: Skin feels tight and dull, prone to itching, and has smaller pores.
• Combination skin: Oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) but dry on the cheeks.
• Sensitive skin: Prone to redness, itching, burning, and easily irritated by any product.

What are the basic steps of summer skincare that apply to all skin types?

Answer: The basic steps for summer skincare are as follows:

1. Wash your face twice a day.

2. Use a toner after washing your face.

3. Apply moisturizer according to your skin type.

4. Apply sunscreen as needed before going out and even while staying indoors.

What should a complete summer skincare routine look like based on skin type?

Oily skin

• Morning: Wash your face with a gel-based face wash. Use an alcohol-free toner and an oil-free moisturizer. Finally, apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30.
• Night: Wash your face before sleeping. Apply an oil-control serum and moisturizer.
• Weekly: Use a clay mask 2 to 3 times a week (to absorb oil). Scrub your face 1-2 times.

Dry skin

• Morning: Wash your face with a cream-based face wash. Apply a hydrating toner. Then, use a ceramide or hyaluronic acid-based moisturizer. Finally, apply hydrating sunscreen.
• Night: Wash your face, apply a hydrating serum, and use a night cream.

Weekly: Use a hydrating mask 1-2 times a week. Scrub your face lightly 1-2 times (avoid over-scrubbing).

Combination skin

• Morning: Wash your face with a mild face wash. Apply a light moisturizer. Then apply sunscreen (the sunscreen should not be too oily). You can apply an oil-control serum on the forehead, nose, and chin.
• Night: Wash your face. Apply a light hydrating serum and moisturizer.

Sensitive skin

• Morning: Wash your face with a fragrance-free and gentle face wash. Apply an aloe vera-based moisturizer. Finally, apply a mineral-based sunscreen containing zinc oxide.
• Night: Wash your face and apply an aloe vera-based moisturizer.
• Weekly: Use a soothing face mask to calm the skin. Do not scrub your face.

Why does skin become very oily in the summer?

The skin has sebaceous glands that produce 'sebum' or natural oil. When temperatures rise in the summer, these glands become more active. You sweat a lot in the summer. The mixture of oil and sweat makes the skin sticky and greasy. Since humidity is also higher in the summer, the oil does not evaporate and remains on the skin. This causes skin pores to clog quickly. Additionally, hormones also affect oil production.

Can using a winter skincare routine in the summer be harmful?

• In winter: Since the skin is dry, moisturizer and oil-based products are needed; sunscreen with low SPF may suffice.
• In summer: Since the skin becomes oily and sweaty, light gel-based products are needed, and high SPF sunscreen is mandatory.

The skin's needs vary in every season. Therefore, it is necessary to change your skincare routine according to the season, skin requirements, and specific problems.