The sun is making a comeback this season; it’s summer again! The warm weather brings ultimate joy to lots of people. As a result, your schedule might go under a drastic change, from snuggling under the blanket during cold winter nights to vacations and events during summer. But it’s not the only thing that changes—your skincare routine might also need some adjustments.

The stark difference between winter and summer weather requires your skin to adapt, and it’s not always pretty- skin problems might arise here and there. While you might’ve started to adjust your skincare steps during spring, it’s always great to look at what you can improve about it in this fun season. Here are some of the best summer skincare tips we’ve curated for you; read along!

Sunscreen is your best buddy

This is the ultimate bare minimum. Sunscreen acts as the first layer of protection for your skin. Not just in summer, you actually need sunscreen all year long whenever you go out. Yet, since the sun shines longer this season, you will most likely get more exposure to damaging UV rays.

In the summer, you need to apply sunscreen with SPF 30. This will reduce the chance of skin diseases by up to 50 percent. In addition, sunscreen comes in many forms like powders, sticks, sprays, and lotions. Whichever you choose, don’t forget to re-apply it every two hours. You can also get other skincare products like moisturizers and lip balm with SPF for maximum protection.

Cleanse, but not too often

You probably sweat a lot more during summer, and it tempts you to wash your face multiple times throughout the day. However, remember not to do it excessively. You only need to wash your face two times a day, in the morning and evening. Doing more than that could strip away the oil your skin naturally produces to keep it healthy.

A gentle cleanser is your best bet to keep your skin supple throughout the season. It removes dirt and excess oil while keeping the softness and hydration your skin needs. The right cleansers won’t leave your skin dry and cracking after washing. Despite that, avoid doing it every time your face feels greasy– blotting paper can be a good solution for that.

Keep your makeup light

With all the summer plans with your loved ones, it’s totally understandable wanting to look your best. However, if you often rely on makeup, you might want to keep it lowkey. Heavy makeup makes it difficult for your skin to breathe. Not only that, but it also can melt faster in the summer with high heat and humidity.

It’s great to set makeup aside for a while—even better for the whole season. Letting your skin breathe freely is a good way to keep it healthy. Yet if makeup is essential for you, you can still keep it on during summer. Just look for lightweight and non-comedogenic products formula; and you’re good to go. Tinted moisturizer and translucent powder could be some great options to pick.

Hydration is key

Compared to winter, the air is way more humid in the summer. Yet this doesn’t mean you can just throw away the moisturizing part of your skincare routine. Hydration is still important for your skin throughout the year. That layer of sweat you get from spending a day on the beach can’t substitute for it.

The difference you need to note is the texture of the moisturizer. People generally go for thick and creamy moisturizers to prevent hydration from escaping from the skin in winter. Yet this might cause clogged pores when it’s hot outside. For summer, a lightweight moisturizer could be a better option to choose.

Don’t forget to exfoliate

When constantly exposed to the summer heat, your skin produces sweat more. This way, dirt is easier to cling to your face, and the skin could produce an excessive amount of oil. While regular cleansing helps, adding an exfoliating step into your skincare routine is also good. Exfoliating is a more profound way to clean out your pores from pollutants and excess sebum.

Like most skincare routine steps, exfoliating should be done throughout the year, no matter what season. However, you could exfoliate more in the summer as a rule of thumb. You could also increase the frequency to twice a week, using your preferred ingredients like scrubs or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Doing more than that is not recommended, as it could make your skin too sensitive to the sunlight.

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Consider vitamin C

Following all the previous steps mentioned, you might be thinking that you’re doing enough to protect your skin already. Well, there’s always room for improvement. Let’s think about the fact that UV rays could cause photo-aging of your skin. It then could lead to fine lines and hyperpigmentation, making your skin look older than it’s supposed to be.

The solution you could do to tackle this issue is incorporating topical antioxidants into your skincare routine steps. Applying serum with vitamin C after washing your face could be helpful. It helps you to fight dark spots caused by sunlight exposure. The ingredient also acts as an extra layer of protection besides SPF from your sunscreen.

Shower consciously

The heat and humidity of summer might make all your clothes constantly drenched in sweat. Because of this, some people tend to shower a lot of times throughout the day during the season. Yes, it’s good to keep your body temperature cool this way. Yet, showering excessively could really dry your skin out—and that’s not a good thing.

Over-drying the skin can cause inflammation and even eczema. To prevent this, you can cut down your tub time just once a day, preferably after exercise or excessive sweating. Instead, rinse your body with cold or lukewarm water to wash away dirt off your skin. If you still need more frequent showering, keep the duration short- 5 minutes should be enough.

Protect it physically

A skincare routine definitely helps to keep your skin healthy and youthful. To maximize the result, protecting it physically is also something you could try. Tank tops, shorts, and those summer dresses might look cute to wear to the beach. But if we’re talking objectively, long sleeves and pants are better sun-protection gears.

Besides skin-covering clothes, some accessories could also help you get less exposure to sunrays. Add wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses to your outfits for a chic and protective look. Another easy way to do that is to keep yourself in the shades as much as possible. You will still get heat from your surroundings, but not at much compared to staying directly under the bright sunlight.