Summertime Skincare: Managing Pimples & Excess Oil
While we generally love the season of the sun, along with the fun and excitement that it brings, summer can mean extra oil and acne for our skin! But don’t sweat it. A few key changes in your skincare products and routine should help your skin adjust. Read on to learn more on how the weather affects your skin, along with skincare tips for managing pimples and excess oil in summer.
Refresher: What Causes Acne Again?
To treat and prevent acne woes successfully, it’s important to know what causes their occurrence. The short answer: clogged pores. And you can thank (or not) these contributing factors too:
- Excess Sebum. Sebum is oil produced by sebaceous glands which are found in the skin. While sebum has the important function of ensuring that the skin’s natural barrier is conditioned to keep harmful elements out, too much of it can pool and block pores while also trapping dirt.
- Hormones.The varying functions and behavior of hormones can affect your skin’s appearance. Some, like androgens and cortisol, are even known to cause the skin’s sebaceous glands to overproduce sebum. This is why acne breakouts are usual in puberty, when multiple hormonal changes happen almost at the same time.
- Diet.Caring for the skin is not just about the products you use. What you eat also influences the skin’s health and appearance. Regularly consuming snacks that cause blood sugar to spike may encourage breakouts.
- Genetics.If your parents or older members of the family have troubles with acne, there’s a very high chance that you will too.
Yes, the Weather Can Affect Your Skin Too
If the first few days of the dry season has your skin feeling oilier and greasier than usual, know that it’s not just in your head. See, the skin likes consistency. That’s why it thrives and looks better when good skincare with healthy habits are regularly done. But when there’s a sudden change to what it’s accustomed to, the skin gets stressed and confused.
When the weather shifts from cold to hot, the skin tries to adapt by producing more sebum. This ensures that the skin keeps its moisture (and its protective layer up) through dry and humid days. On top of this overproduction of sebum, heat tends to open pores up, leaving them vulnerable to dust and debris.
How to Avoid Having Oily Skin and Pimples During the Summer
Oily skin, pimples and other acne problems during the summer can be your skin’s way of telling you that it needs help. While there’s very little that you can do about the changing seasons and weather, tweaking your skincare routine to fit your skin’s needs for the summer will do wonders. Let this short list of skincare-musts guide you:
- Keep your layers light. And we’re not just talking about clothes and makeup. Light, breathable layers are also best for the skin in the summer.
- Cleanser - switch from cream-based cleansers to a gentle, foaming cleanser.
- Toner - veer away from toners that leave a stinging sensation on your skin. Instead, go for refreshing and hydrating alternatives.
- Moisturizer - water-based options are the way to go for moisturizers in the summer. Products that are non-comedogenic and oil-free help prevent the heavy, sticky and greasy feel that cream-based moisturizers tend to leave.
- Cleanse and exfoliate regularly, but not excessively. With your pores more open to acne-causing dirt and debris, it’s important to wash and exfoliate on the regular. But make sure to keep it up to just two times a day. Frequently cleansing and over-exfoliating strips your skin of moisture, which would signal the skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.
- Sunscreen, sunscreen and sunscreen. There’s no downplaying the need for sunscreen as it protects your skin from the skin-damaging heat and the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Especially if you have acne-prone skin, make sure to use mineral-based sunscreens that are light and oil-free.
- Munch on healthier food and snacks. Avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates and go for greens and fruits that are known to naturally reduce inflammation, boost collagen production and protect the skin from harmful toxins.
- Drink your water! Remember that one of the main reasons skin becomes oily in the summer is because it strives to stay hydrated.
- Consider oral medication for managing acne. Anti-acne supplement Lactoferrin + d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate + Zinc (Lactezin) helps regulate sebum production and keep bacteria out with the combined benefits of lactoferrin, vitamin E and zinc. Remember to take two capsules daily. With proper and regular intake, results should be noticeable in as early as 2 weeks.
Read more features on skin care for changing seasons and managing different types of acne with expert tips and advice from Lactezin. Lactoferrin + d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate + Zinc (Lactezin) is available in all leading drugstores nationwide. You may also purchase online through Lazada and Shopee.
SOURCES:
https://www.allure.com/story/how-seasons-weather-affect-skin
https://aldernewyork.com/blogs/the-guide/why-is-your-skin-oilier-in-the-summer
