What Products to Keep, Add, Trade or Toss

With summer just around the corner, we’re helping you determine which skincare products to keep in your routine, add to your routine, trade out for the season, or toss all together. Get ready for your summer skincare switch-up!

Cleanser

Trade out your hydrating cleanser for a foaming cleanser. Dry winter months are now behind us, so you can move on to a lighter cleanser. Look for one that has antibacterial ingredients, like salicylic acid, to help avoid any breakouts from summer sweat and environmental pollutants. Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid that will exfoliate dead skin cells and balance out oil production.

Toner

Keep toner in your daily skincare routine. In the summer, just as in the other seasons, your skin needs a “helper” to normalize pH levels and prepare it to receive corrective actives from your treatment products.

Serum

If you tend to experience increased sun damage, such as age spots, melasma, and hyperpigmentation during summer months, brightening serums are great to keep your skin tone even and your complexion glowing. Ingredients to look for is azelaic acid, kojic acid, alpha arbutin, ferulic acid and vitamin C.

Eye Cream

Keep your eye cream year round. Your eyes are the first place to show your age (along with your hands!) – via wrinkles, dark circles, crow’s feet and puffiness –  eye creams are specifically formulated for the delicate skin around the eyes. Look for ingredients like caffeine, vitamin k, hyaluronic acid, glycerin and peptides which can help reduce puffiness, dark circles and fine lines.

Moisturizer

Trade out your heavier winter moisturizer for a light weight moisturizer. Using a moisturizer that is too hydrating during the hot/humid summer months can over produce oil which can lead to clogged pores. Switch to a moisturizer that lightly hydrates the skin and absorbs easily. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

SPF

Toss. Yes, we said toss! The start of summer is the perfect time to toss your old sunscreen and buy new ones. Sunscreen shelf life varies depending on its ingredients. Check the date stamped on the packaging. But, if you are having a hard time reading it, a good rule of thumb is to toss out personal care products that have been open for a year or more. For optimal sun protection as well as texture, sterility and stability, only use sunscreen prior to its expiration date. You want to look for sunscreen that has zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide with an SPF of at least 30-50. Believe it or not SPF 100 is a marketing gimmick and does not necessarily mean your 100% protected. You should apply sunscreen every 3-4 hours for optimal protection.

Exfoliating

Add a scrub to your skincare routine if you haven’t been using one already. Time spent at the beach, pool or lake can make your skin dry. Slough off that top layer of dead skin and reveal the healthy glow underneath. Be sure to only exfoliate 3-4x a week as you don’t want to over exfoliate. Clarisonics are the best device to exfoliate and can be found online or at most beauty stores like Ulta and Sephora.