Fun in the Sun: The Ultimate Guide to Summer Skincare

Summertime is the best time to have some fun in the sun. But before you have fun, give yourself (and your skin) some peace of mind with this ultimate summer skincare guide to SPF.

Your Summer Skincare Guide

Sun protection is by far the most significant necessity in your routine for the summer. The sun emits ultraviolet radiation, categorized into UVA and UVB waves. While UVB rays are partially absorbed into the ozone layer and can burn your skin, UVA rays aren’t absorbed into the ozone layer at all and age your skin. This brings us to step 1 of our summer skincare guide.

Step 1: Pick the Right Sunscreen

When there are a million options to choose from, it can be hard to make a decision. When picking out your sunscreen for the summer, here are a few things to keep in mind: First, UVA and UVB rays both cause skin cancer, so it’s imperative that you pick out a sunscreen for your summer skincare kit that is labeled as “Broad Spectrum,” which protects against UVA and UVB rays.

As you pick an SPF for the summertime, you should lean towards sunscreens that are water-resistant or waterproof. This will ensure your skin is protected even when you’re catching waves or enjoying a dip in the pool. Keep in mind that water-resistant products usually lose their SPF after about forty minutes of coming into contact with water, while waterproof ones lose their SPF after ninety minutes.

Our dermatologists highly recommend the SPF options in our online shop, so browse through our sun protection page and pick the best formula for your skin and lifestyle.

Whether you’re spending a day at the beach or running a marathon, sweat, water, and towel-drying will remove your sunscreen, so pick one that will combat those things, but you will still need to reapply accordingly.

Our SPF products are always broad-spectrum and provide great protection from the sun.

Step 2: Apply SPF Correctly

One of the most common mistakes people make with sunscreen is incorrect application. We get it—sunscreen can be annoying. It can be greasy, ghostly white, and it takes a good few minutes to apply to your entire body. When you’ve finally made your way to the beach or the pool, you’re probably already sweaty, your feet are covered in sand, you’re tired of carrying your huge tote bag of stuff, and exhausted from lugging a huge beach umbrella or cooler. The last thing you’ll want to do is apply sunscreen to your body, you’ll want to jump in the water immediately!

This is why the very first step to applying any sunscreen correctly is to read its instructions. Did you know that you’re supposed to apply chemical and combination sunscreens 20 minutes before being out in the sun? This gives your SPF enough time to fully absorb into your skin and provide you with the adequate amount of protection.

Whether you’re wearing a mineral or chemical sunscreen, apply it right before heading out to your destination for the day so that you won’t have to worry about applying it on top of sweat or sand. In addition, this will allow the sunscreen to set in. The last thing you should do is apply sunscreen and then immediately jump in the water. Your SPF will be all for naught.

Finally, make sure you’re applying enough sunscreen and rubbing it in adequately. When you think you’ve used enough product, use even more. And don’t forget your back!

Step 3: Don’t Forget to Reapply! 

Another extremely important step most people forget is reapplication. You can apply all the sunscreen you want, but if you only do it once in your entire day of swimming, playing sports, and sunbathing, you will burn or incur other types of sun damage. Reapplying your sunscreen is just as important as applying it the first time. SPF wears off after about two hours, as well as with swimming, sweating, and towel-drying. Set a timer if you have to, but don’t forget to re-apply.

No matter what sunscreen you choose this summer, some of the best advice from dermatologists is to choose a sunscreen that you’ll actually wear. It can be a lot of work to protect your skin, so choose a product with a formula you like and will actually want to wear all day! We have a full line of sunscreen products for you to choose from right here in our online shop.