5 Summer Skincare Swaps to Make Now (and One Big No-No)

Just like we swap out our sweaters and hoodies for tanks and tees, it’s a good idea to switch your winter skincare homies for these summertime helpers. The five summer skincare swaps you need to make now (and one you need to put on hold).

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I live in an area that is hot for only about two months out of the year, and because of that air conditioners are pretty much not a thing. However, for those two months, temperatures can reach up to 100 degrees so it’s absolute misery if you can’t get yourself to a pool or in front of an open fridge.

Of course, along with the hotter weather comes different skin needs. Because of this, I make a handful of summer skincare swaps so I can keep my cool when the temps start to soar.

1. Swap your cleansing oil for a cleansing stick

It may sound like a little thing, but when it’s that hot, the last thing you want to do is slather yourself in a thick oil. It just feels like some sort of ancient torture. But there’s no way I’m going to skip my nightly double cleanse. My workaround is to bring out my old friend, the Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Its floral bouquet and solid form make those steamy nights at the sink just that much more tolerable, even if it’s totally a mental thing. (I’ll take what I can get.) Plus, it’s a hell of a product: It removes makeup with ease and keeps your skin supple. After all, just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you get to stop worrying about your moisture barrier altogether.

2. Swap your facial oil for a water oil

For the same reason, during the very hottest of days, I just can’t with a facial oil. I’m sweaty, I’m actually producing sebum (a rarity for a dry mummy such as myself), yet I want to hydrate deeply without feeling yucky. Cue Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil, the “oil” for people who hate “oil.” It’s technically a serum, not an oil, but it does have oil in it, so you can use this for both your oil and your serum step. It’s one less thing to worry about on those late hot summer nights.

3. Swap your cream for an emulsion 

You know I love a cream. I live for the cream. I’ve got a Cream Life tattoo across my stomach like Tupac ... metaphorically speaking, of course. But cream can go ahead and see itself straight to hell right around July and August as far as I’m concerned. I want a lotion texture and nothing else. Especially when I know I’m about to load my skin down with sunscreen every hour on the hour.

I keep talking about the SanDaWha Revitalizing Liposome Lotion because I love it. It’s one of my favorite new products this year. To me it’s everything I wish the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer was. It’s lightweight and non-greasy while still providing actual moisture that lasts. It’s excellent for me as an emulsion step for the rest of the year, and in summer I think it’s going to be the perfect standalone.

If you still need more hydration and an emulsion just isn’t cutting it, might I suggest the CosRx One Step Moisture Up Pad (stored in the fridge for maximum coolness). Give your face some refreshing swipes after your toner and before your serum — that should do the trick.

4. Swap your steam towel for a clay mask

I’ve written about the little-known but crazy effective Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Steam Towel, which is ultra handy for opening up your pores via steam and allowing product to sink in better. For obvious reasons, this is something we’re going to tuck away in a drawer until the crisp chill of fall is upon is again. For now, let’s cozy up to the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. Those pores of yours are probably already open, what with all the excess sebum and sweat those apocrine glands are cranking out. Let’s suck the life out of all that excess with this classic mask. This is a favorite around my house for gently tackling oily pores. Paint on a layer and park yourself in front of a fan while sipping something fruity through a straw.

5. Swap your thick body cream for a shimmer oil

This is the only oil exception I want to make in summer. Your extremities still get dry out of the shower or bath, but a heavy body cream feels kinda gross. The 3CE Treatment Shimmer Oil is a near dupe of the Nuxe Shimmering Dry Oil Huile Prodigieuse, only I actually like the 3CE’s smell better. It sinks in fast and lives up to the “dry oil” part of Nuxe’s namesake. Plus this oil imparts a lovely Beyoncé shimmer leg, and who doesn’t want that?

The big summer skincare no-no

Last but not least, just say NO to alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in the summer. AHAs make your skin more susceptible to UV rays, and there is just too much risk of sun damage unless you seriously live behind UVA-UVB blocking treated glass or one of those grandma sunglass visor face shields.

Speaking of which, can someone convince Vogue to tell the world those are cool so I can wear one outside and be totally socially acceptable?

What summer skincare swaps are you making right now to keep your cool?