4 Simple Ways You Can Give Your Skin a Vacation, Too

You’re not checking emails, you’re allowing yourself one more cocktail poolside — so why not ease up on your skincare, too? This summer, give your skin a vacation. Here’s how.

Waves gently lapping against the shore. Cocktail in hand. A good book on your lap. The scent of your sunscreen that you’ve carefully applied wafts through the air. You take a deep breath and let all the tension from work go — it’s vacation time!

But did you know that just like your brain needs a break from staring at computer screens and Slack messages and deadlines and late nights, your skin needs a vacation, too?

Vacations are a time for indulgence, a time to relax, rest, rejuvenate … to strip away the excess stress and just BE. Our skin can benefit from the same type of care! How? Let me show you the way.

Strip down the excess

During the summer months, I strip my skincare routine down to the bare essentials. It isn’t just because I have combination-oily skin — it’s also because I’m hot, it’s humid AF outside, and my skin could really use a break from the craziness of a full-on 10-step routine.

So what do I do? Well, in the AM, I simply wash my face, apply two layers of my current favorite toner (the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner), apply a moisturizer and my sunscreen. That’s it. The toner hydrates my skin enough so I’m not over-producing oil, and my skin gets a nice li’l break from vitamin C’s and BHAs in the AM.

During my PM routine for the summer, I skip the nighttime moisturizer and sleeping mask and simply slather my skin in an oil. Right now I’m obsessed with argan and marula. I’ve found that using the oil alone helps to balance my skin and in the AM — I’m like 50% less oily.

Multitasking products

Another way you can strip down your skincare routine is to embrace the multitasker. No, not that 5-in-1 shower gel that you see at your local CVS (SUPER CRINGE), but actual tried-and-true multitaskers, like the COSRX One Step Green Hero Calming Pads. One pad can replace your toner and serum — it calms, soothes, hydrates, and for those of us with acne, can help reduce inflamed skin. Throw them in the fridge and swipe them on for an ultra quick day or nighttime routine step.

Another great multitasking trick I rely on during the summer is to dump all of my toners and serums together and apply them in one step, instead of waiting for each layer to dry.

A concealer-only summer

I have forever complained about my foundation just sliding off of my face during the summer. I’ve tried it all — primers; powder before foundation; lightweight, oil-free foundations. And then I realized my approach has been all wrong.

My new approach this summer? No foundation. Yes, zero. Instead, I’ve been giving my skin a break by only applying concealer where I truly need it (under the eyes, dark spots around my chin, jawline and upper lip) and applying a tinted powder on my T-zone. Now I don’t have to worry about makeup sliding everywhere or worrying about sweat + dirt + heavy makeup clogging my pores.

Increasing the pH of your cleanser

Don’t give me that look! Listen, I know low pH cleansers are the holy grail (and for good reason), but hear me out. During vacation, we all like to maybe have one more cocktail than we should, or stay up until 2 AM reading that new Jodi Picoult novel (just me?), so summer is the time we can also let up a bit on the skincare “rules.”

Our editor in chief Anna swears by increasing the pH of her cleanser (from a 5.5 to maybe 6.5, 7 at the MOST) to help combat super oily skin. I currently find the same to be true for me, too! I’m using the Youth to the People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser (which has a pH of around 6.5), and it does a really good job of keeping my skin nice and balanced. Just make sure to hydrate your skin and you’re good to go!

How do you plan on giving your skin a vacation this summer? Let me know in the comments!