SEASONAL SKINCARE SUMMER

Why Is Seasonal Skincare Important?
One of the questions I am often asked is how and why we should change our skincare products with the season. Our skin, just like our body, responds differently to weather, humidity, the sun, our surroundings, and other environmental factors. The way our body responds to seasonal changes affects our skin, so we should adjust our products seasonally to ensure variety and to keep our skin as healthy as possible. In addition, it’s just good to mix up our skin care nutrients sometimes! Similar to our diet, your skin needs a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Even just small changes with the ingredients you are putting on or in your body can give it a much-needed boost. The summer months tend to be hard on the skin with lots of free radical activity and it is important to use products rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients that specifically target inflammation, as well as very specific phytonutrients that have been shown to prevent and repair sun damage.

How Does Inflammation Play a Role in Sun Damage?
If our skin is inflamed it is more vulnerable to UV damage. Heat and sun exposure in excess can lead to more inflammation and you quickly become trapped in a free radical loop. If your skin is inflamed, you are producing more free radicals. More free radical activity than our skin can handle can lead to long term skin damage.  If you are exposed to too much sun, you will produce more free radicals and more inflammation. This loop leads to a variety of skin concerns including sun damage, redness, irritation, etc.

Vulnerable Situations
Sun exposure is just one example of one of many challenges during the summer season. Changes to diet, weather, humidity, travel (all those fun summer adventures) impact our bodies and our skin, leaving us more susceptible to inflammation and therefore more UV damage as well.

What Can You Do To Protect Your Skin?
First and foremost, we should pay attention to what your body is telling you! Changes to your skin usually are a warning sign of other internal changes and we should listen to them. Using ingredients rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients topically and internally help protect against environmental stressors. For our seasonal skincare recommendations, we’ve selected cooling and soothing products that target inflammation and ones high in specific antioxidants and phytonutrients that prevent AND repair sun damage.

Seasonal Recommendations

Support Cleanser: It is cooling and soothing, in addition to being an excellent detox cleanser after long hikes and bike rides.

Hydrating Elixir II: This hydrating elixir is incredibly cooling, soothing and anti-inflammatory, making it perfect for pre/post sun exposure.

Sun Serum: This serum contains very specific antioxidants and phytonutrients, such as carotenoids, flavonoids and additional polyphenols that help prevent and repair sun damage. This product is not intended to replace a physical sunscreen, but rather support skin health during times of UV induced oxidative stress. This serum absorbs quickly, so antioxidant activity starts right away.

Day Balm: The Day Balm contains potent plants that also add in sun damage prevention and is more occlusive than the Sun Serum. That means it also lingers on the surface of the skin longer than a serum so you get added protection to enhance the benefits of the Sun Serum.

Honey Berry Mask: An enzyme exfoliant isn’t a product that people would typically associate with use in the summer but is a favorite. The honey we use is super fresh and potent and contains incredible healing and soothing powers during the harsh summer season. Additionally, with its abundance of berries like aronia, blackberry and raspberry, those flavonoids aid in strengthening our skin against UV induced oxidative stress.

Sun Body Oil: This name speaks for itself. I formulated this body oil specifically to address pre and post exposure to the sun. It is rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients that counter-balance UV damage. During the summer months, we recommend applying this before and after sun exposure. It is potent in carotenoids and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Detox Mask: The Detox Mask helps to balance the microbiome of the skin, which is super helpful when considering chlorinated water or excess summer skin products that have been heavily preserved. I also love it to assist with pore congestion, which I’m prone to more so in the summer months from outdoor activities combined with physical sunblocks. This mask also contains hydrating and soothing roots, making it perfect for people that might struggle with congestion during the summer but don’t want to dry out their skin.

Got Too Much Sun?
We’ve all been here. If you find yourself overexposed to the sun and need an extra boost my go-to’s are our Hydrating Elixir II + Sun Body Oil applied all over, you can then apply a layer of Recovery Balm to help soothe, calm, and repair overly sun-exposed skin. Check out this Instagram post about my go to ritual for sun burns!

xo laurel