Our golden summer days in the Bay Area put a pep in your step.
But with all this time we spend in the sun, the ultraviolet radiation, heat and dry air can ravage our skin if we’re not careful. It may be confusing to determine what skin care practices are best for you. Here are five ways you can improve your skincare routine while enjoying these last days of summer in San Jose.
1. Wash Your Face with Lighter Products
Although it’s a comforting thought that a summer glow comes from fun and relaxation, its cause is more likely a sheen of oil and sweat. We suggest you wash your face with products that are gentle on your skin, free from chemicals that are overly harsh and strip the skin of its natural oils. Routinely washing your face with gentle products can keep your pores unclogged and free from infection, breakouts, or sunscreen build up which nobody wants, especially this time of year.
Many people shy away from oil cleansers when they’re sweaty and hot, but oil-based cleansers are the best way to combat excess oil, no matter the season. It’s counter-intuitive but taking off all the oil coaxes your skin to make extra oil. Vicious cycle. Oil cleansers break down pollutants and impurities, take off makeup like very few other cleansers, and the oils in the formula help remove acne-causing sebum from the skin, leaving your skin ready for the rest of your skincare routine.
2. Use a Lightweight Moisturizer
Moisturizers tend to be the heaviest products we use in our routine, so when the temperatures rise, using less makes sense. When we say light, however, we don’t mean less hydrating. Whether you have oily or dry skin, there are moisturizers on the market which can give you the results you need and still warm weather while not looking too wet or oily. Look for products like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, natural moisturizing factor, or squalene that help lock in moisture.
3. Always take off your makeup before bed
This goes for summer, fall, winter, and spring. Sleeping with a full face or makeup prevents cell repair and stifles the skin. Let that skin breathe.
4. Never, Ever Forget Sunblock
Perhaps the most crucial part of your summer skincare routine is the liberal use of sunscreen. When temperatures soar, there comes an increase in the sun’s intensity and strength. Although you should make applying sunscreen a religious experience rain or shine, hot or cold, it’s most important to use during the hot, dry months of summer.
5. Apply Antioxidant Serums and Retinol/Retinoids
Aesthetx recommends that our patients use an antioxidant serum like SkinBetter Science Alto Defense Serum as it neutralizes free radicals and acts as a shield against pollutants. We also recommend retinol or retinoids, a derivative of Vitamin A that has been shown to be beneficial in helping to manage acne, acne, and signs of again. That being said, it is important to keep re-applying sunscreen as these products can make the skin more sun-sensitive.
6. Find a Board-Certified Dermatologist
If you haven’t already, you need to find professional care when it comes to your skin. This fact is especially true in the constantly changing climate of the San Jose area. At Aesthetx, we offer multiple skincare treatments and procedures through our dermatology practice to help you maintain youthful skin or rejuvenate your facial beauty.
Contact Aesthetx today with your questions about your unique skin or to schedule a consultation. Call us at 408-559-7177 or leave us a message via our website. We look forward to your call or visit!