Acne & Summer, 5 Tips on How to Fight Acne in Summer

Summer is a difficult time to fight off acne, especially in Korea when it is so hot and humid. You need to protect your skin from the sun and UV light but also be cautious of irritating your skin from using too many skincare products. Don’t give up the fight just yet. With these five tips that I will now share with you, you can finally put an end to the fight with acne win the battle with acne for once! acne-and-summer-insert-image1

Tip1. Exfoliate but gently - consider LHA and PHA cleanser

Exfoliating your skin is a must in the summer. It’s easy to dismiss the importance of exfoliating in the summer because your skin looks less dry at glance. However, because sebum and excess oil can easily build up and clog your pores, you need to exfoliate even in the summer to prevent irritation and acne. Remember not to be lazy when it comes to exfoliating and scrubbing your skin and keep exfoliation as a part of your weekly skincare regimen.

But there is something you should do differently in the summer compared to your regular exfoliating routines. If you have been using a physical exfoliant like facial scrubs, peel mask, or face brush, consider switching to chemical exfoliants that remove dead skin cells relatively gentler than physical exfoliants. LHA and PHA cleansers contain acids or enzymes that work as a chemical exfoliant, at the same time, soothes your irritated skin so those with sensitive and acne-prone skin can benefit from it without expecting many side effects.

Tip2. Replace thick ampoules and serums with a pair of sheet mask

You might want to avoid the “sticky” feeling of skincare products in the summer. This could be your instinct guiding you in the right direction. It is easy for pollutants and debris to get caught with your sweat and skincare products on your skin. So it is best to stay away from skincare products with a thick consistency. Ampoules and serums might provide you with the instantaneous powerful effect that you are looking for but you might be left with the sticky or greasy residue that you don’t want. Simply, instead, you can get the boosting effect with a sheet mask. The paper of the sheet mask captures moisture and other active ingredients, letting your skin soak in all the benefits. Because sheet masks are moisturizing, soothing water-based panacea, sheet masks can be a great alternative for ampoules and serums in the summer.

Tip3. Hydrate the deeper layers of the skin - reach out for a gel moisturizer

Just because you no longer use ampoules and serums as much, that doesn’t mean you have to hydrate your skin less. Providing moisture to your skin is important but hydrating the deeper layers of the skin should always be your top concern. Unlike cream moisturizers, gel moisturizers are normally water-based products which leaves your skin feeling less sticky while hydrating your skin from within.

Tip4. Add Vitamin C if you haven't before

Vitamin C is the most well-known antioxidant among many others. Even if you are using other antioxidants in your skincare routine, such as vitamin C, E, or lutein, adding vitamin C can do so much more for you, especially in the summer.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C is anti-aging because it prevents damage from the sun and UV light. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it loses a hydrogen atom to a free radical, causing your skin to premature. As well as being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C also helps with the production of collagen and speeds up the (re)generation of skin cells. Because sunlight is something you simply cannot avoid on a hot summer day, adding vitamin C to your skincare is the least you can do.

Tip 5. Sunscreen is a must but choose wisely

Last but not least, don’t forget to apply sunscreen before you go outside. Sunscreen protects your skin from sunburn and also prevents discoloration, freckles, and sagging of your skin. If antioxidant was all about helping your skin recover from the damage, sunscreen prevents it before the damage can even begin. So in summer, sunscreen is not an option, it’s a must.

However, you do need to choose wisely because you don’t want your sunscreen to be the cause of your acne and breakouts. If you are worried about irritating your skin with yet another oily sunscreen, try to find a sunscreen with a matte finish that is oil-free. There are a lot of sunscreen products that are oil-free with a lightweight feel. There are also many sunscreens that double as a moisturizer so that you don’t have to apply so many products in the summer.