Summer Skin All Year Long
The secret to good style and good skincare is layering. Perfect the art of skincare product layering with the staples most of you already have at home, plus potentially a few new "accessories" to bring them even more to life and give you that summer glow all year long.
Summer cleanser staple: Cranberry Gommage
How to layer: Add Bulan Nourishing Oil after a nice, long exfoliating scrub!
We love a good gommage, and Cranberry Gommage is perfect because it doubles as a cleanser and exfoliator. Summer skin can lead to increased congestion and texture due to sweat and excessive sunscreen use (shop acne-safe SPF here). Exfoliate away texture while you cleanse, but then what would a pro do after using a gommage? An oil serum might seem a little rich for summer, but an option like Bulan Nourishing Oil is a perfect follow-up to add in a bit of lipid-based moisture a couple of times a week.
Bulan Oil soaks in quickly and has antioxidant properties that will protect against the sun's damaging effects. It's a quick way to heal a sun overdose and lock in skin's natural hydration. This oil will also nicely bring your summer skin into fall and winter. The combo of those two products will keep you from flaking as the season changes (though you'll want to sneak in some hydrating skin products right in the middle of those two steps as the humidity begins to leave the air in early fall). After applying the oil, you can glob on a generous portion of your favorite eye cream and moisturizer. It's a beautiful routine anyone can perfect.
Summer toner staple: Skin Nourishing Toner
How to layer for summer glow: Try an acne-safe self-tanner!
Everyone should be toning, and the most universal and skin-loving toner is Skin Nourishing Toner from Vivant Skincare. Toning completes your cleanse and enhances the effectiveness of your other products. How can you pep up your toning glow? We love a non-pore-clogging self-tanner to help people avoid tanning through UV ray exposure.
The best way to wear your self-tanner is to exfoliate beforehand to remove any traces of dead skin particles that can get in the way of an even application. We like several self-tanning products, but we are highlighting EcoTan because it's Bella'sfavorite, easy to use, and contains acne-safe ingredients. If you're investing in self-tanning products, remember to perfect your base and invest in skincare too!
Summer serum staple: hydraRemedy
How to layer: Pair with its sister product GlowTone.
Just like you need to up your water intake when you are in the sun, you need to up your skin's water intake too! People'sskin can become dehydrated in the summer because they believe they are oily and do not require much moisture. Every skin needs hydration, even oil-rich skin, to help keep it balanced. HydraRemedy is a year-round staple in your skin's wardrobe, helping to keep your barrier strong (learn if your skin is compromised here), and it's budget-friendly!
What can you layer with it to up the results? GlowTone is kinda like a sister product of hydraRemedy. It contains melanin-inhibitors and azelaic acid, which help even out skin tone and combat hyperpigmentation that often forms during the summer. Fight it off by strengthening your barrier and using active melanin-inhibitors.
How can you remember the different purposes of these two products? Use hydraRemedy to treat PIE (post-inflammatory erythema or redness) and GlowTone to treat PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or brown spots).
Summer moisture staple: Allantoin
How to layer: Add SPF of course!
Allantoin is an excellent choice for moisture in the summer months. It has aloe, zinc peptides, and grapeseed oil to repair irritated or sunburnt skin. Its pump packaging makes it almost impossible to overuse for those who hate to be "greasy."
Of course, the best friend to your moisture is going to be your SPF! Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPFoffers another layer of lightweight hydration and doubles as a makeup foundation as well. It doesn't feel cakey or greasy, and it blends well with your natural skin. SPF is mandatory 365 days/year, making the Flex SPF a great option for both summer and winter, and it will probably become your go-to for makeup as well!
Summer mask staple: Manuka Enzyme Lift
How to layer: Let it dry, then apply the Algae Clay Mask to help the manuka penetrate the skin further!
Manuka Enzyme Lift offers so many benefits that listing them all in this blog would be boring. However, two key benefits of manuka honey are its aid in wound healing and its antibacterial properties against acne. The product also contains pineapple enzymes that work to eat dead skin, so they exfoliate while brightening. (Of course, you've already read our recent blog about enzymes?!)
Enzymes are a go-to for summer because they exfoliate without irritating the skin barrier or causing sensitivity to the sun like AHAs and retinoids can. To mask like a pro, start by applying Manuka Enzyme Lift and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then, apply Algae Clay on top and let that sit for around ten minutes. Rinse to remove, and be amazed at how fresh and glowy you look and feel! Follow with active serums if your skin can handle more activity; otherwise, just nourishing serums, eye cream, and moisturizer.