When it comes to heat and humidity, our skin can sometimes suffer the consequences. So, we turned to Dia Beauty Adviser Victoria Donelda to share her tips and tricks for summer-ready skin to keep us protected (and glowing!) all summer long!
Written by Victoria Donelda
As the temperature rises, we’re all wanting to enjoy the sunshine a little more and wear a little less. Makeup is no exception! I’m here to share with you some of my favorite skin hacks for the summertime to help you get your best summer skin yet.
How To Get Fresh Skin
I’ve been a working makeup artist for the past nine years and during this time, I’ve learned just as much about skin care as I have about makeup. You may have heard someone say, “Your makeup will only look as good as the skin is prepped,” and it’s totally true. I want to share with you my top tips to make sure your epidermis is featuring fresh skin rather than dying and flaky patches.
I like to use a gentle at-home peel opposed to a physical exfoliant. In general, they are gentler on the skin, better for the environment, and all-around easier to use. After making sure your skin is cleansed and patted dry, I like to apply a bit of my Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx peel to my skin and gently massage in circular motions.
Right away, my skin starts pilling like a fabric does. While this might be alarming to see, it’s actually really great for your skin. These kinds of products help remove the skin cells that are already on their way out and reveal that fresh skin waiting to come through.
Once that beautiful fresh skin is revealed we want to keep it moisturized and protected. This is going to keep the skin in great condition and also provide a perfect base to apply makeup. When your skin is freshly prepped and moisturized, the makeup will make better contact with the skin and look and feel better.
I love doing face masks, it’s a little bit of me time each day and it keeps my skin feeling fresh. In the summer, consider a quick sheet mask or a wash-off one. I like to choose masks that will hydrate my skin and give a glow. Ten quick minutes and you are moisturized for the day!
To finish out my freshly exfoliated skin I like to add an eye cream in the morning and at night, as well as a moisturizer. In the daytime, I like to use a moisturizer with SPF and at night, I make sure to use one without. These simple steps will really amp up your skin care and makeup game!
Finding Your Sunless Glow
Most of us enjoy getting out in the sunshine when the weather is nice, and with that comes smiles, memories, and an increased chance for sun damage! I am a huge sunscreen advocate for the whole body and especially the face. The skin is my favorite organ, it does so much for us! We all owe it to our skin to protect it from the harmful rays cast by the sun.
To give myself a bronze-boosted glow without having to wear foundation or damage my skin, I like to use face bronzing drops. These are so simple to use and will develop like a self-tanner on the face, giving you a sun-kissed glow. I like to pat a few drops of my face bronzer into my freshly cleansed dry skin. Just a little bit will do, and over the course of a few hours, it will develop into a fresh bronzy glow. It won’t look like makeup, but more like a subtle tan. After this, you want to make sure to follow up with a moisturizer and SPF. This is super important to keep your skin healthy and protected.
Pro Tip: You can still get a summertime tan while using SPF. It will take longer and be more gradual than just baking in the sun without protection, but it’s much better for you in the long run! I recommend an SPF 30-50 each day in the summer months.
Managing Bummer Blemishes
Blemishes, ugh. We all get them occasionally and I have had enough of them to know that gut-sinking feeling when you wake up and see a new pimple in the mirror and panic. One thing to keep in mind is that blemishes are temporary and are the natural process of your skin cleaning up invaders. I recommend avoiding poking, prodding, picking, or popping them because it only makes them angry and worse. Trust me, you never win that battle.
First off, when I see a blemish I generally make a face like the one I’m making at left. Then, I like to use one of two products to help with my pimples as they come up. I like to use blemish patches like the Cosrx pimple stickers. They’re so simple—once you feel or see a blemish coming, you just stick one of the patches to it and the magical healing powers begin to work. Most of the time I can apply one of these before bed and wake up in the morning to much calmer skin. I also like to use a blemish-drying lotion. This will work by drying out the blemish so that it either doesn’t come to the surface or it will help cut down on the breakout time.
On top of using these skin care products, you should also make sure you’re using clean brushes and tools on your skin when applying makeup as this will cut down on bacteria on the skin.
Stay hydrated and implement a good and regular skin care routine. Also, remember to just relax! Blemishes will come and go and for the most part, heal on their own.
As the days get longer and the summer fun begins, I am most excited about food truck rallies, pool days, and summer evenings out dancing. I tend to wear less makeup in the summer and really let my skin reset after what is usually a really dry winter and allergy-filled spring. No matter if you’re taking some time out for you to do a mask or if you’re a glow-getter dashing off for your day of activities, I hope you enjoy your summer and these tricks help you out! If you have any questions about products or techniques mentioned, feel free to reach out to me on my Twitter or Instagram! Don’t forget: hydrate, gently exfoliate, sunscreen, and relax!
