THE RULES OF SUMMER SKINCARE

Words: Kelly Fung | Images: Jonathan Kope

Let’s face it, the one-size-fits-all beauty approach just doesn’t cut it anymore. However, there are five golden rules that everyone can follow, regardless of personal preference, skin concern and colour, that will guarantee positively glowing skin all summer long.

It’s simple really. Sloughing off all the dead skin cells to make way for new ones is the key to combating dull skin. This practice works wonders from top to toe, but when it comes to your face you’ll have to be a little more considered. Recent research shows that not everyone reacts well to physical exfoliators (the ones with a grainy texture) and often, the chemical exfoliators are preferred and even perhaps more effective. Leave-on chemical exfoliators refer to those that include AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) and, when used regularly, both work fast to smoothen out skin and improve overall texture.

What’s the big deal about vitamin C? In a nutshell, it’s a powerful antioxidant that helps with the skin’s regeneration process and also protects the skin from the impact of pollution. On top of that, additional healing properties include prevention of future dark spots and the fading of existing ones, plus other areas of discolouration. Look to incorporating a vitamin C serum into your routine, applying just before your moisturiser, and you’ll see illuminated skin in no time.

Beauty beginners may think that the main purpose of a bronzer is to contour the face, aka create the Kim Kardashian Effect. Makeup artists have shunned this age-old idea and insist that bronzers are actually used to warm up the overall tone of the skin, across all skin tones, and not only for working towards a bronzed or tanned effect. With this in mind, invest in either a cream-based or powder bronzer to enhance warmth on the skin for summer. Using a fluffy brush, apply and blend just above the hollows of your cheeks, along the hairline and across the nose (the areas where the sun would naturally hit). Darker skin tones can opt for one or two shades lighter to their skin tone for a brightening, sun-kissed effect. Lighter skin tones can look to shades slightly deeper than their natural tone.

Whether you’re into shimmer or not, a good highlighter can really up the ante on the skin’s glow factor. Run it along the highest plains of your face – along the bridge of your nose, on your cheekbones and even across your Cupid’s bow. And remember to blend it in. No matter your skin tone, there is a highlighter out there that will complement your face and create just the right amount of dimension.

“Thou shalt apply sunscreen 365 days of the year” is the most important of all the beauty rules and should be followed religiously. Not only is the beloved sun an accelerator to ageing, exposure to its UV rays are quite dangerous. If you haven’t yet found a sunscreen that you love, now is the time. Make sure it protects against both UVAs and UVBs (aka broad-spectrum sunscreens). If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, a mineral-based sunscreen with zinc will be your calming friend. If you have dark skin and are worried about looking grey, a chemical sunscreen will give you the protection you’re after, without the whitecast. Layering on an SPF as your last step in your skincare routine is non-negotiable.