Keep your skin cool in summer

Yes, the lovely weather is on its way! As much as I appreciate the changing of the seasons, the sun and the heat can also warm your skin a little too much. Your skin may feel drier, become irritated, or you find yourself going through the day with a flushed red face... not what you want on a beautiful summer’s day!

In this blog I’ll explain exactly what happens in and on your skin when it heats up, which natural ingredients help protect your skin from the heat, and I’ll share three practical tips to cool your skin down instantly. So you can sit back on the terrace or at the beach, feeling cool and comfortable again.

What happens to your skin in the heat?

When sunlight warms the skin, several things happen at once.

The blood vessels and capillaries dilate. The skin becomes warm and red and may start to glow. Sweat production increases too.

You also lose more moisture through the skin’s surface. You can drink plenty of water (very important on a hot day), but if your skin doesn’t hold on to that moisture, all that water is quickly lost again. A tight feeling, fine dehydration lines, dull-looking skin, and even irritation can all be caused by moisture loss in the skin. That’s why hydrating your skin from the outside is essential in warm weather.

Heat, UV radiation, and sweating can also change the composition of the skin microbiome, and that’s something we naturally want to avoid. Heat can temporarily make the lipids in the skin barrier more fluid as well. That’s why people with acne and breakouts often feel so happy in summer: the sebum becomes more fluid, which can give you the impression that inflammation is calming down. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The inflamed sebum is still in your skin; it has simply found a different spot for a while. As soon as the skin cools down, the blemishes can return.

Natural ingredients that cool and protect your skin

So now you’ve seen what sun and heat can do to your skin. But of course that’s no reason to avoid the sun and that glorious warmth. You can absolutely keep the effects of too much heat under control: protect your skin from dehydration, prevent moisture loss, and choose calming natural ingredients in your skincare.

Aloe vera

One of my favourite plants is aloe vera. Known in indigenous cultures as the “silent healer”, this plant offers a whole range of skin benefits. Aloe vera has a deeply calming effect on the skin, visibly reduces redness and hydrates without feeling heavy. That’s exactly why you’ll find aloe vera in our Organic Hydrating Toner.

Lemon balm

A lesser-known plant, but a true all-rounder, is lemon balm. It is remarkably effective at reducing even intense redness. And don’t let the “lemon” in its name fool you: lemon balm does not cause pigmentation spots, as it is not a photosensitising ingredient.

Ectoine

A cosmetic ingredient that keeps popping up on social media and in magazines lately is ectoine. Rightly so, if you ask me: ectoine repairs and supports the skin barrier, which can suffer from sun and heat. Ectoine is a protective molecule produced by micro-organisms in nature to shield themselves against extreme temperature changes, UV radiation, heat and drought. Exactly what you want for your skin!

In nature, plants protect themselves against heat and UV radiation too, in order to survive. Everything we need can be found in nature, as I always say!

Three tips to cool your skin instantly

Finally, a few practical tips to get through summer with a cool head (and cool skin).

Tip 1: cool down with cold water. Does your skin feel hot, stuffy, and glowing, and is it looking too red? Use (very) cold water. Simply hold a compress under cold running water and press it onto your skin for a few seconds. This cools instantly and immediately reduces redness. Pop a compress into your beach bag and soak it in a bottle of iced water when needed.

Tip 2: choose a light cream with cold-pressed oils. A lightweight cream or lotion with organic, cold-pressed oils locks moisture in and on your skin without feeling heavy. Of all cosmetic ingredients, oil is the very best at holding on to moisture. Our Organic Soothing Lotion is a beautiful example: light, calming and redness-reducing.

Tip 3: use a mineral powder. In summer I recommend a mineral powder instead of a cream foundation. It mattifies shiny skin and feels much lighter on summer skin. Do choose an organic version, so you avoid microplastics and other disruptive ingredients.

Enjoy the summer!

Love,

Barbara Baars
Skin specialist