Why does skin behave so differently in summer?
Because it's dealing with things it doesn't have to deal with the rest of the year. Heat, UV exposure, more time outside, disrupted sleep, a different routine. Your skin barrier gets pulled in ways it isn't used to, and most people don't realise it's happening until week two, when the glow they thought they'd found suddenly disappears and is replaced with tightness, sensitivity or unexpected breakouts.
The warmth does genuinely help at first. Circulation increases, sleep often improves, stress shifts. But your barrier can only absorb so much before it starts to show the strain. The issue is usually that the products people rely on to repair it overnight aren't being used with the same consistency they are the rest of the year.
Should you change your skincare routine in summer?
Yes, but not in the way most people think. It's not about stripping everything back. It's about being more surgical with what you keep.
The first thing I'd say to anyone is to leave the retinol at home once the sun arrives. Heat plus actives plus UV exposure is a combination I'd talk any client out of. Beyond that, the brief for every product in a summer routine changes slightly. You need a cleanser that removes sunscreen properly without compromising the barrier, a moisturiser light enough to sit under SPF, and a facial oil that works with the heat rather than against it. The fundamentals are the same. The formulations need to earn their place differently.
What is the best cleanser to use in summer?
One that removes everything, including sunscreen and any salt or pollution from being outside, without stripping the barrier in the process. That tight, slightly squeaky feeling after cleansing is your barrier telling you something went wrong.
I use the Alpine Revive Cleansing Balm from Olverum year-round on my skin and my clients, but I rely on it more heavily in summer. It removes everything without leaving residue and the skin feels comfortable afterwards rather than depleted. And remember - Double cleansing in summer isn't optional if you're wearing SPF. It's how you protect everything you put on afterwards.
What should you look for in a summer moisturiser?
Something that can do two things at once. It needs to be light enough to sit cleanly under SPF without pilling or balling up, and substantive enough to actually support the barrier through a day in the heat. Those two requirements rule out a lot of products.
The Procellular Defence Day Cream is the one I reach for. It doesn't fight your sunscreen or your makeup. It just gets on with it, floods the skin with lots of antioxidants and gives your skin a gorgeous glow
Is facial oil good for skin in summer?
This surprises a lot of people, but yes. A lighter facial oil applied to damp skin in summer often outperforms a heavy cream. It absorbs rather than sits on top, and the skin looks better for it rather than coated or congested.
I use the Pure Radiance Facial Oil in the morning under SPF and at night before I gua sha. It's one of those products that earns its place in my washbag by doing more than one job, which is exactly what you want when you're packing light when going on holiday as I want to make sure I have enough luggage allowance to bring all my favourite holiday clothes.
Does skin need more moisture at night in summer?
More than people realise! Summer skin loses water faster, the days are longer and the sun has been working on your barrier whether you've been in a garden or a city. By the time you go to bed, your skin is in more of a deficit than it would be on a November evening.
A night cream with proven actives at effective levels makes a real difference here. The Procellular Renewal Night Cream is what I love to use. The difference in how your skin feels by morning is hard to describe until you've experienced it, and then you notice immediately when you've skipped it. It's such a great product, that I recommend this to all my clients who want to wake up looking like they have had their best nights sleep.
What does gua sha actually do for the skin?
More than most people expect. Five minutes before bed with a facial oil, working through the jawline, the neck, across the cheekbones. It's fantastic at releasing all of the tension your face has been holding all day, improves circulation, and helps your facial oil absorb properly rather than sitting on the surface. It also reduces any puffiness that tends to build through a warm day.
Your morning face after a gua sha session looks like you slept well, even when you only mostly did. I've taken mine away with me for years and I wouldn't travel without it now.
Is a sleep mist worth it or is it just nice packaging?
I get this question a lot and I understand the scepticism. But functional fragrance is real. The Nightfall Sleep Mist isn't designed to simply smell pleasant. The formula is built to work with your nervous system, using aromachology principles, so the scent is doing something rather than just sitting there.
In summer particularly, poor sleep is one of the biggest things working against your skin. You can do everything right in your routine and undo a lot of it by lying awake in the heat, tossing and turning in an unfamiliar bed, unable to switch off because the evenings are still light and your body hasn't had the cue that the day is over. When you're away from home and in a new sleeping environment, it can take a few days to adjust and because your skin repairs overnight it's not going to be repairing at it's optimal levels if you aren't sleeping properly. So make sure you pack a sleep mist when you travel!
What's the difference between a skincare routine and a ritual?
A routine is the steps you go through. A ritual is the thing you do because it signals something to your body and to yourself.
I've sat with clients who come back from a week away, or a busy summer at home, looking better than they did in May. It's almost never because they found something new. It's because with a slightly different pace they actually did the thing every evening. They did the two minutes on their face. They used the oil. They slept. The products aren't revolutionary. The consistency is.
What skincare do you recommend for summer?
The edit I'd put in anyone's washbag for summer is a good cleansing balm, a lightweight day cream, a facial oil that works morning and night, a night cream with real actives, a dry body oil for the skin on your body, a gua sha, and something to help you actually switch off at the end of the day.
I've been working with Olverum on a summer kit that covers exactly this. It's available from June 11, with the waitlist opening tomorrow. Minis, in a pink travel bag, £15, with your £15 back as a gift code against full sizes. More on that soon...
Jessica is a facialist and the creator of the Pilates Facial at FACE:WORK by Jessica Parker.
Shop the Olverum 'Feels Like Summer' Kit from June 11 at olverum.com
