9 summer skincare swaps to make now, based on your skin type

Cosmopolitan

5 days ago

Here at Cosmo, we're not about having hundreds of bottles of skinovations clogging up the bathroom cabinet for every eventuality, nor do we believe that you need a 12-step routine for perfect skin. Buying what works for you – whether that's a £6 or £60 serum – is the most important thing. And for the most part, a consistent, year-round routine is going to keep your skin at its happiest. But there are a few exceptions when switching up your routine is necessary and one of them is called: summer.
No matter your type; oily, dry, combo or acne-prone, your skin's needs do change in the summer. This is down to the temperature of your body being hotter, sweatiness entering the building and, of course, the way direct sunlight affects the actives in products you might be using day to day. To understand the tweaks we should be making, we hit up board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology and Dr. Idriss Skincare, Dr Shereene Idriss.
Oily skin in the summer can sometimes feel as greasy as the pan that cooked your Full English. Shiny, sweaty and probs more irritable than usual, if you have excess sebum come this time of year, great news, you can, and should strip it all the way back.
According to Dr Idriss, 'If you have oily skin you can most definitely cut down on steps in your routine to avoid going overboard and layering too many products.' And in particular parts of the world, your oily skin can work in your favour. 'In a humid climate specifically, your skin naturally retains more moisture, so in the mornings, you can get away with just one step - sunscreen,' she says. Less money on your beauty regimen and more on small plates? We are sold.
If you're finding the shine breakthrough a little too much though, you can minimise by swapping your cleanser. 'If you're an oily slick ball in the summer, a salicylic acid cleanser at night is a great addition for oily skin, as it helps reduce sebum production and keep pores clear,' says Dr Idriss. 'Use it up to three times a week to avoid over-exfoliating. On alternate nights, a sulfur cleanser is a gentle yet effective option to help control oil while also soothing redness and inflammation.'
Interested in more beauty? Sign up to our free Beauty Lab: Unlocked newsletter for your access-all-areas peek inside the Cosmopolitan beauty cupboard. From the inside scoop on the products our Beauty Director actually rates, to the latest launch reveals and unboxings, and a snoop inside the Cosmopolitan team's makeup bags, get it all direct to your inbox!
Yes, dry skin is particularly annoying during the winter months but summer dryness is still a real bummer and the season has its own problems that have to be countered like air conditioning and excess sun exposure. But the thing that'll determine the skin swaps you make will be the environment you find yourself in.
'Depending on your climate, you may not need to layer as much hydration in the hotter months as you do in winter,' Dr Idriss says. 'Instead of piling on a hydrating mist, essence, serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen, you can pare down your routine. In humid climates, dry skin can hold onto moisture more easily, so a lightweight serum, moisturiser and sunscreen would be enough to keep your skin balanced without feeling overloaded. You can also cut back exfoliation from 3-4 times a week to 1-2 times a week.'
She also has a clever at-home hack for maintaining moisture levels. 'If you have dry skin and live in a dry climate but don't want to layer on too many steps, a DIY glycerin mist can be a total game changer in the summer. I love using a nano mini mister from Amazon to keep my skin hydrated on the go - just mix water with a few drops of glycerin for an instant moisture boost whenever your skin feels parched.'
With acne-prone skin, it's really important to maintain as much consistency as possible with your routines. But, depending on how oily or dry your skin is, there are a couple of swaps to help to prevent breakouts 'If you're acne-prone, you're likely on the oily side, making salicylic acid a great option to keep pores clear and control breakouts. However, if your skin leans more dry, glycolic acid is a better choice, as it exfoliates while also boosting hydration and improving skin texture.'
Does the heat leave your skin more irritated than usual? Swapping out your actives for soothing ingredients is the key to calm. 'If your skin is sensitive or easily irritated, summer is all about soothing, strengthening, and protecting your barrier. Look for ingredients like niacinamide to calm inflammation and Centella Asiatica to soothe and repair,' says Dr Idriss.
Like puppies, retinoids (such as retinal and retinol) aren't just for Christmas - they are year-round. It's probably one of the biggest misconceptions in skincare, that you shouldn't use retinoids when it's sunny. 'This is a myth that has been perpetuated,' Dr Idriss says, 'I mean think about it, what about the places where it's summer all year round?'
The truth is that, yes, vitamin A products can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, but that doesn't mean you have to avoid using them as soon as sunnier days approach. 'You can absolutely use retinoids in the summer, you just have to be smart about them. You need to be extra diligent with sunscreen, which, let's be real, you should be anyway'. Sound advice. Instead of dropping retinoids altogether, if you are an outdoorsy beachy girl a la Nadine Coyle, Dr Idriss recommends cutting back the frequency of use. 'And if you're more sensitive, always pair your retinoid with a moisturiser to buffer your skin and keep your skin barrier happy,' she advises. Retinoids are also always best used at night, to minimise photosensitivity.
Dr Shereene Idriss is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology and Dr. Idriss Skincare. She is also Cosmo UK's contributing skin expert who we turn to for all of our hard-hitting skin queries. If you don't already you need to follow Dr. Idriss on TikTok – her page, which has over 1 million fans is full of helpful advice, tips and tricks.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.