This is a topic I’ve been wanting to cover for a while. Do you need to change your skincare and makeup for seasonal changes? My answer is absolutely. Unless your seasons aren’t that different. Skin can have different needs based on hormonal or even changes caused by irritation (hello over-exfoliation). Listen to your skin, adapt and change. My skin was much happier once I was able to listen to my skin and change my routines based on my skins needs rather than what I thought I wanted or needed to do. So right now were coming out of winter and into spring and before you know it summer will be here. I actually adjust my skincare and makeup four times a year. Two of the changes are minimal (winter to spring and fall to winter) only because there’s not much difference here in south Texas between those seasons. It’s really more of winter to summer and then summer to winter that I really make big changes.
This is all going to be based on your climate and your skins personal needs. Don’t forget that climate plays such a huge role in your skincare needs. Someone who lives in a very dry and colder climate will have very different needs from someone who lives in a hot and humid climate. You could have the same combination to dry skin type and still have totally different needs based on your climate. There’s a big difference even between 60 degrees and 50% humidity and 90 degrees with 90% humidity. So step one identify your climate and think about how often it changes. Humidity and temperature will be the key factors.
Since we’re about to go from winter to summer next month here I’ll talk about changing from a cold to warm season as that’s relevant for everyone right now. Now I have combo to dry skin and in the winter you’ve seen me slather on some pretty heavy oils, balms and creams. However, I live in a hot and humid climate so in the summer it’s almost like I’m combo to oily at times. Heat can increase sebum production, you sweat more and you can even have some dehydration from water loss due to the heat and constant AC. Summer is the only time I experience a breakout anymore from congestion and clogged pores.
Feeling hot and sticky may make you think you need more exfoliation but that should be about the same, you can still over-exfoliate in the summer or with oily skin which leads to dehydration and a compromised barrier (which can lead to even more oil production). So I keep exfoliation and other basic things the same year round. Summer is definitely the time to think about stepping up your pigmentation game if that’s an issue for you. The outdoor summer activities (sun and heat) can add to melasma and pigmentation sufferers making the end of the summer your peak time for needing a pigmentation serum. Consistency is key as well as proper exfoliation, retinoids and things like SPF daily, vitamin C/antioxidants for prevention.
In the summer I switch all my lipid heavy cream and lotions out for lighter versions so I get less congestion. Allies of Skin Molecular Multi-Nutrient Day Cream is one of my summer favorites as it’s just so light. I also love Biologique Recherche Emulsion Originelle Regenerante, SkinBetter InterFuse, Augustinus Bader The Cream for lighter creams that leave your skin soft and Victoria Beckham Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer in Golden for a sunkissed glow–plus you get moisturizer, primer and luminizer in one step. I like layering a light lotion such as these over a gel cream which still gives my skin that cushy moisture it needs while retaining a light feeling on the skin. I switch my facial oils to be the lightest ones (see this post HERE with my favorites). My heavy night balms get put away for several months (May-September). My heavy night creams also sit in the back of the drawer for a while. I switch to things like VENN Concentrated Revitalizing Lifting Mask, Sisley Velvet Sleeping Mask, Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask, Zelens 3t Complex or other medium weight creams that have enough lipids, occlusives and humectants to satisfy dryer skin but still not make me feel like a greaseball overnight. My skin just can’t soak up those oil rich creams quite like it can in the winter, but it’s still dryer so it needs enough occlusives to still satisfy. You’ll notice I list things as summer night or winter day creams and that’s because I can use them year round by just switching them.
I pull out the congestion busting cleansers in the summer like African Botanics Baobab Oxygenating Cleanser or iS Clinical Cleansing Concentrate. Neither of these are winter weather friendly for me but in the summer they really help my skin feel less congested and grimey. I also add in an occasional mattifying serum or product like Biologique Recherche Serum de Teint to help control oil in the summer. As a bonus this one adds a hint of color so you could go makeup free. Lastly I switch up my SPF. I go with lighter, less emollient formulations in the summer. I do like both chemical and physical sunscreens year round but I can go for a mineral in the summer if it’s exceptionally hot and humid as it will help mattify better. I avoid minerals in the winter at times as it can dry my skin out too much. I just recently posted about my favorite sunscreens HERE, HERE and HERE.
Makeup wise I may use a mattifying primer or basically none at all. I enjoy Surratt Perfectionniste Primer, Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow or Sisley Double Tenseur if you want a light gel. I live in cushion foundations and sheer water based foundation sticks like Cle de Peau Radiant Stick Foundation as they feel light on the skin and don’t make me feel like it’s all melting off. My favorite cushion is by Cle de Peau, though La Mer, Armani are great as well, Em Cosmetics and Chantecaille are new for me. Cushions have really become one of my favorites because it’s such a refreshing lightweight veil of color that doesn’t make you feel like you’re suffocating. I’m always looking to try new brands cushion foundations. I really don’t have any other makeup switching I do. I use the same makeup all year round. I love a nice easy look in the summer with a cream eyeshadow that doesn’t budge like By Terry Ombre Blackstar, Trinny London Eye2Eye, Danessa Myricks and Kaja with a cream blush like MAC Glow Play Blush. The goal overall in switching to warmer weather is just going lighter.