When the seasons change, what our skin needs changes too. The heat, humidity and harsh sunshine means it’s time to adjust our skin care routines for the summer, so beauty expert Bahar has an effective routine that will help prevent breakouts and minimize sun damage even during the hottest days of the year.

Skin Care is the new makeup BUT take ‘er easy.

Whether you are a beginner, or you’re well versed in the lingo and trends, this is NOT a race, you don’t have to one-up your friend on their skin care regime.

STEP ONE: CLEAN YOUR SKIN

This is the beginning of it all! If you’re not cleansing in the morning and at night, you’re doing it wrong. In the morning, a cream or milk cleanser is a great and gentle option. At night, you can also try a double cleanse with an oil and cream cleanser to take the entire day off your face properly.

Product:
Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser
Laneige Moisturizing Cream Cleanser

Laneige Multi Deep-Clean Cleanser

Tip: If you wear an SPF, a double cleanse is always a good idea to ensure you’re removing all traces of product, oil, dirt, and grime from your face.

STEP TWO: EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN

Removing that dead skin from the top layer is an important step in your routine. The 2 types to choose from: chemical and physical. Chemical one’s you’ll find are acids like an AHA, BHA or PHA. They do the work to eat away the dead skin. Physical one’s you’ll find with granules, sugars and ingredients that literally scrub the dead stuff away. Bahar’s only rules here are GO EASY! You don’t have to use aggressive products or rub very hard. A toner option is a great place to start to ease into this. They can sometimes be gentler since you’re not manually scrubbing something on your face.

Product:
REN Clean Skincare Ready Set Glow AHA Tonic

Tip: You don’t have to use a cotton pad to apply this – you can also place drops in your hand and push the product into your skin. From there, move directly onto your next skin care steps.

STEP THREE: TREAT YOUR SKIN

A serum is a great option since they are formulations with higher concentrations of active ingredients that can deliver results at home! Vitamin C is a wonderful and accessible serum to pop into a routine. It can help thanks to its antioxidant power! You can benefit from using this both day and night.

Product:
The Body Shop Drops of Light Brightening Serum

Tip: Finding a serum that has multiple benefits could help to minimize the number of products in your routine, helping you get back a few precious minutes of your day!

STEP FOUR: MOISTURIZE YOUR SKIN

The summer can be super humid and hot. Therefore, Bahar promotes an oil-free option for when it comes to moisturizer. Lightening things up in the summer is always good to add hydration and help the skins barrier but without the feeling of a heavy, rich cream. At night Bahar suggests to switch up your routine a bit before using your oil. She suggests instead to use a moisturizer first and then apply a few drops of oil on top for added benefit.

Product:
Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly

Tip: Using gel moisturizers is great in the summertime, as your skin can sweat and produce oil when it’s too hot outside – but it still needs moisture and hydration from an oil-free source!

STEP FIVE: PROTECT YOUR SKIN

In many cases moisturizers can be combined with SPF. In some cases though it can be better to try using two separate products for each concern instead. Bahar recommends a clear option which can also be used on top of makeup and on your body which makes it ideal for reapplication!

Product:
Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50

Tip: Solid sunscreens are a great option for throwing in your bag to have them on hand. Reapplication is very important!