10 Summer Skin Care Tips to Keep You Healthy and Glowing

With warm summer temperatures comes greater exposure to the sun and other elements, more time spent outdoors often hiking, biking, swimming and other activities that make you sweat more. Whether you have a robust skincare routine or just want to make sure your skin looks its best, the following summer skin care tips can help you maintain your healthy glow during the warmer months.

1. Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is perhaps one of the most important skincare habits you can adopt year-round — but especially in summer when people spend more time in the sun. Not only does sunscreen protect against the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause skin cancer, but it also protects against premature skin aging.¹ Too much sun exposure can contribute to fine lines and wrinkles, as well as age spots.¹ These spots are also known as melasma.²

And you still need to wear sunscreen even on cloudy days — as much as 80% of those aggressive UV rays can still shine through.¹

Tips when wearing sunscreen

There are tons of sunscreen products on the market, and it can be confusing to know which kind to choose. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using sunscreen that has broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays) and SPF 30 or higher, which blocks 97% of the sun's UVB rays (no sunscreen can block 100% of UVB rays).¹

If you will be going in the water, choose a sunscreen that is water-resistant and apply it 15 minutes before, then let the sunscreen dry on the skin before swimming. If you'll be in a bathing suit with most of your skin exposed, the average adult needs a full ounce of sunscreen to apply to their entire body.¹

2. Wear Lightweight and Sun-Protective Clothing

There are several good reasons to choose lightweight and sun-protective clothing in the summer. If you find you are sensitive to sunscreen and can't comfortably wear it, you will want to choose clothing that can protect any exposed body parts. That means choosing your fabric carefully — you want to avoid anything with an open or loose weave, such as lace,³ and make sure things like tops of ears, feet and scalp are covered.

Sun-protective clothing

Dark clothing also provides a greater level of SPF protection than light colors. The American Academy of Dermatology explains that a long-sleeved denim shirt, for example, will offer an SPF of around 1,700 versus a white T-shirt, which offers only an SPF of about 7. Dry clothing is more protective than wet clothing, too. You can also purchase clothing designed with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF).³

Reduce time in tightly fitting or sweaty clothing

If you are prone to rashes, acne or other skin conditions during the summer, you will want to reduce the amount of time you spend in tight-fitting clothing, such as exercise clothes, which traps sweat against the skin and can cause irritation and breakouts. Loose-fitting cotton clothing is your best bet for preventing irritation, hives, breakouts and more in the summer months.⁴

3. Wear a Hat

Even with a full head of hair, your scalp still needs protection from the sun. In a 2021 study of 359 patients with skin cancer, almost 90% of the cancerous tumors occurred on the head, particularly the face and scalp.⁵ Therefore, to protect your scalp as well as your face and ears, choose a wide-brimmed hat.³ Make sure it has a full-circumference brim for the widest amount of protection.⁶

Choosing the right type of hat

Baseball caps and straw hats do not offer full or thorough enough sun protection. A hat shouldn't replace sunscreen if you are still planning to spend a significant time in the sun, but it is a good way to protect your face, head and neck.³

4. Use the Right Moisturizer

Summer may require a shift in your moisturizer, depending on the climate you live in and your skin type. In the dry months of winter, many people need to add moisturizer to their skin.⁷ However, in the warm summer months, you may need to pare back on moisturizer, exfoliate more and/or shift to a more lightweight moisturizer.

Know your skin type

First, you need to know your skin type. Is it normal, dry, oily or combination? Do you have acne? This will help you determine your moisturizer emollient type: From lightest to heaviest is gel, cream or ointment. Products that contain ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid tend to be more hydrating.⁷

If you sweat more or are adding more sunscreen during summer, it may be necessary to choose a lighter-weight moisturizer. Summer is also the season of exfoliation — in winter, exfoliation can actually strip essential moisture from already dry skin;⁷ in summer, it helps keep your skin rejuvenated.

5. Stay Hydrated

We all know water is crucial to our bodies — the average adult body is around 60% water, after all. But your skin is comprised of about 64% water, so it's especially sensitive to dehydration.⁸

It's easy to dehydrate in summer because both higher temperatures and increased outdoor activity can cause us to sweat more. Dehydration can give skin a duller, less elastic look, making pores and wrinkles appear bigger, according to a dermatologist. So making sure you drink enough water to stay hydrated is one easy way to keep your skin looking its best.⁹

6. Limit Hot Showers

Hot showers just feel good, no matter the time of year. If you still enjoy taking one during summer, you may want to reconsider: Hot water on the skin can cause dryness and strip your skin's natural oils. Instead, opt for warm water, shower with a closed door to increase humidity and immediately apply moisturizer to your skin after showering.¹⁰

7. Avoid Touching Your Face

Many of us touch our faces without even realizing it: to rub tired eyes, scratch an itch or pick at pimples arising. Dermatologists recommend you avoid touching your face as much as possible unless it's with clean hands to apply products. Any dirt, germs or oil you have on your hands gets on your skin, and picking or squeezing pimples is just a good way to move those germs directly into the deeper layers of your skin.¹¹

8. Incorporate Antioxidants

Antioxidants may improve your skin's resistance to harmful UVA radiation from the sun.¹² Increasing antioxidants in the diet may reduce "photoaging", which can lead to reduced elasticity, dry skin, wrinkling, hyper pigmentation and dilated small blood vessels.¹² These substances include:¹³

• Vitamin C and E
• Carotenoids like beta-carotene
• Coenzyme Q10
• Flavonoids
• Phenols
• Glutathione
• Selenium and manganese

9. Use Lip Balm

In summer even your lips need protection from the sun, so it's important to use a lip balm that contains SPF 30 or higher (typically containing titanium oxide or zinc oxide) if you plan to be out in the sun, and to apply it approximately every two hours.¹⁴

If you have sensitive lips or are prone to chapped lips, you'll want to choose a lip balm that is nonirritating, meaning it does not contain one of the following ingredients:¹⁴

• Camphor
• Eucalyptus
• Flavoring, especially cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint
• Fragrance
• Lanolin
• Menthol
• Octinoxate or oxybenzone
• Phenol (or phenyl)
• Propyl gallate
• Salicylic acid

10. Get Enough Sleep

It's pretty common knowledge that getting enough sleep is important for overall health and mental well-being. But it is also extremely important for skin health. Not only does your skin just tend to look better after a good night's sleep — no dark circles or unusual redness — but people with sleep disruptions, such as untreated sleep apnea, have higher incidences of aggressive melanomas, a form of skin cancer.¹⁵ Additionally, there may be a link between poor sleep and inflammatory responses in the skin, which can worsen skin conditions.¹⁶

So, prioritize your sleep. If your nighttime sleep is an issue, remember that summer can be a great time for napping.

CareCredit Credit Card Financing for Dermatology

The CareCredit credit card makes it easy to pay for dermatology visits, over-the-counter treatments and prescription medications at locations within the CareCredit network.* Start enhancing your skin today and find a dermatologist near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

In addition to dermatology, you can also use your CareCredit credit card for other cosmetic procedures, dentistry, pet care, vision, hearing, health systems, pharmacy purchases, spa treatments and so much more within the CareCredit network. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Jordan Rosenfeld has been freelance writing for 21 years about finances, health, education and more. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, Paypal, The Washington Post and more.