Tip #1. Keep your skin clean

I know - you are going to say you are already washing your face regularly. But now's the time pick up the pace. The skin becomes oilier and is more exposed the elements when the temperature and humidity rises. The more oil on the skin, the more likely you will get clogged pores - which can lead to breakouts. So cleansing becomes more important than ever - morning and night. And leaving your makeup on when you go to bed is an absolute no-no.
 
If you are using ordinary soap to wash your face, you could also be making the oiliness worse. The alkaline in soap strips the skin of its natural oils and moisture. And guess what? Firstly, drier skin cells are more likely to clog your pores. And in an attempt to rectify the dryness, the skin goes into overdrive by producing even more oil. Not what you want.

Rather invest in skin balancing cleansers like Bioderma Sebium Global Intensive Purifying Care or Garnier Pure Active Daily Pore Scrub Wash. For dry skin girls, switch your cleanser to one for normal skin like Garnier Softening Cleansing Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin. And for those quick touch ups during the day, keep some Dove Cosmetic Cleansing Wipes in your bag.

Tip #2. Lighten up your skin care products

But why should I change? My skin is looking good with my current products.

It's really very simple. Creamier formulas leave a residue of fats and lipids on the skin. This is just what you want for winter but definitely not for summer. With more natural oils being produced by the skin, these extra fats will just clog up the pores. Summer is the time to change to lighter weight formulas.

So try to avoid oil based products - they are generally not good for summer skin. But lighter formulations such as gels, serums and lotions or creams which don't feel too rich or heavy are just perfect. Try Nivea Light Moisturising Day Cream, Ponds Flawless Radiance Visible Even Tone Daily Lotion or IQ Clear Start Oil Free Night Cream for an Oily Problem Skin.
 

Tip #3. Keep oiliness at bay

And still the biggest cry we hear is 'my skin is just so oily in summer!'

Unfortunately, there is no miracle product to keep all your face matte all day. But there is something you can do - blot, blot and blot some more. Tissues will do. And you can also keep a supply of blotting papers on hand to remove the offending oil and shine when it starts peeking through your skin. Try Palladio Oil Absorbing Blotting Tissues with Rice Powder.
 

Tip #4. Cut back on sun damage

You are already wearing sunscreen every day - right? It doesn't matter if it is winter or summer, inside or out, or if you have dark skin or light. Research from UCLA shows that 78% of all the sun damage experienced in a lifetime is from secondary exposure - not from being out in direct sun. So no excuses like 'I'm inside all day' or 'I don't go out in the sun'. Just walking out of your house, driving in your car (you think the windscreen will protect you?) or even being near a window in your office means you are being exposed.

If you do nothing else for your skin, you should be using sunscreen. It's every girls number one treatment product.

Try Bioderma Photoderm Max 50+ Fluid Milk for Sensitive Skin, Bionike Defence Sun SPF30 Face and Body Cream or Eucerin Sun Fluid Mattifying SPF50 Face
 

Tip #5. SPF - it's all about the application

And now for a little known fact about sunscreens. You may already know how to choose which SPF factor is right for your skin. If you are out in the sun for 10 minutes before your skin normally starts burning, you should be using a factor of 12 if you want to last for 2 hours (120 minutes). Just multiply the time by a factor to find out how long you can be in the sun before causing serious damage.

But here's where it becomes complicated. Did you know that a SPF30 is only 4% more effective than a SPF15? You probably thought it would be double. Not so. The limit for any real added protection is about SPF 20 for the body (we do however recommend SPF 30 for the face). Thereafter you are just adding more chemicals (but not protection) to your skin.

The trick with sunscreen is regular and generous application. Experts advise that this alone is almost more important than the factor you use. Your sunscreen gets easily rubbed or sweated off, and when you go for a swim, it practically disappears (even waterproof formulas are not fool proof). So the one absolute must is to reapply and continue to reapply - every hour if you are out in the sun.
 
Related Article: 6 Simple Ways to Avoid Morning Skin Care Mistakes

Tip #6. Add Vitamin C

While the sun is very important for general health (think Vitamin D), it does cause skin damaging free radicals to form (pollution, alcohol, exercise, stress and diet are other culprits).

What are free radicals and why is it so important to treat them? A quick trip back to school science. They are basically atoms which have become unstable due to missing electrons. As a result, they try and steal electrons from other atoms. This starts a horrible cascading effect (all the atoms trying to steal from each other) which very quickly leads to damaged and uneven toned skin.

It's impossible to stop free radicals from forming so the only treatment is to neutralise them. This is where anti-oxidants come in. Vitamin C is a popular anti-oxidant, along with Vitamins E and A. So in summer you need to up your anti-oxidant skin care game. Our faves are Eucerin Q10 Active Day Cream for Normal Combination Skin, Nivea Perfect & Radiant Light Moisturiser Eventone & Vitamin E for Oily Skin, Garnier Dark Spot Corrector Daily Illuminating Moisturiser with Vitamin C and Olay Total Effects Moisturiser + Serum Duo SPF20.

And don't forget to help your skin care (and general) health along by eating more anti-oxidant rich foods - spinach, papaya, bell peppers, watermelon and broccoli for Vitamin C and wheat germ, sunflower seeds, eggs, peanut butter and avocado for E.  The best news of all - you can indulge in a little dark chocolate for a sweet antioxidant kick (as long as it's 70%+ cacao).

Tip #7. Exfoliate once a week

Your skin is constantly shedding dead cells which have a nasty habit of collecting in your pores. Not a good combination with all that extra summer oiliness. Blackheads tend to multiply when this happens and your skin is also open to possible breakouts.

Time for some serious yet gentle deep cleaning to help remove all the dead skin. Aim for a once a week exfoliating routine using a salicylic based product like BioNike Defence Comfort Peeling Cleansing Cream or Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating 2in1 Wash Mask. If you prefer a scrub, try one with micro granules for a gentler touch. We just love Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream.

And if you are feeling flush it's not a bad idea to invest in a sonic cleanser to help the whole process along. For a great value multi-purpose product look out for the Braun Mini Epilator and Cleansing Brush.

Tip #8. Avoid brown spots

For many years it was thought that the sun's UV rays caused pigmentation and spots - that's why they are called sun spots, right? But it has been confirmed that its actually both the UV rays and the heat from the sun which are the culprits. Together they stimulate melanin production which results in brown spots, freckles and uneven skin tone (and yes - this affects dark skinned girls as well). So while sunscreens help, it's the added heat bit which is the problem. The only way to avoid this is to become an Eskimo and live in the North Pole. As that is probably not going to happen, the best thing is to keep out of the sun altogether if you have a skin like this.

And don't forget the rest of your body. Did you know that most hand ageing problems (spots and wrinkles) occur when your hands are on the steering wheel of your car? Make sure you use a hand cream with an SPF of at least 25 every day. Try Neutrogena Anti-Ageing Hand Cream SFP 25.

 

For some more and slightly offbeat skin care tips from girls in the know, see 7 Model-Approved Skin Tips That Are 100% Free from Byrdie UK.