Why Does My Skin Change in Summer?

Why does my skin change in summer? It’s one of the questions we get asked every year at Bellissima.

As soon as the weather warms up, we start seeing clients saying exactly the same things.

“My skin suddenly feels really oily.”

“I’m breaking out more than usual.”

“My pores look bigger.”

“My pigmentation has come back.”

And the strange thing is, most of them haven’t changed their skincare routine at all.

So, why does your skin change in summer?

Why does my skin feel oilier in summer?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that if your skin feels oily, it must be well hydrated.

Actually, the opposite is often true.

During the summer, your skin loses more water than it normally would. The heat, sunshine, air conditioning, fans, holidays and even flying can all leave your skin dehydrated.

When your skin starts losing water, it tries to protect itself by producing more oil.

So although your skin feels greasy, it could actually be crying out for hydration.

That’s why we hear so many people say their skin feels shiny but tight at the same time, or that it’s soaking up moisturiser much quicker than it normally does.

Why is hydration so important during the summer?

When most people think about summer skincare, they think about SPF.

And they’re absolutely right.

SPF is the most important product you’ll use all year round.

But hydration comes a very close second.

Keeping your skin hydrated helps keep your skin barrier healthy.

Your skin barrier is there to lock moisture in and keep irritation out. When it’s healthy, your skin copes much better with heat, sweat and constantly moving between the hot weather outside and cooler air-conditioned rooms inside.

One ingredient I always recommend at this time of year is hyaluronic acid.

It’s one of our favourite ingredients because it helps draw water into the skin, leaving it feeling healthier, more comfortable and better hydrated.

Why has my pigmentation suddenly got worse?

This is probably one of the biggest questions we get asked every summer.

The brown patches or sunspots you can suddenly see haven’t just appeared overnight.

Every time your skin is exposed to UV, it produces a little more pigment to protect itself.

You probably won’t notice it after one sunny day, but after weeks, months and even years of sun exposure, that pigment starts to build up until it becomes much more noticeable.

The heat doesn’t help either.

Heat creates more inflammation within the skin, which can encourage even more pigment to develop.

That’s why we talk so much about wearing SPF every single day, even when it’s cloudy.

It helps protect your skin from unnecessary UV exposure, stops existing pigmentation becoming darker and helps reduce the chances of new pigmentation developing.

Should I change my skincare routine during the summer?

Sometimes, yes.

Just because your skincare worked brilliantly in January doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work just as well in July.

Our skin changes with the seasons, so sometimes our routine needs to change too.

One thing I wouldn’t recommend is reaching straight for stronger acids or harsher products because your skin suddenly feels oilier.

During the summer your skin is already working harder to protect itself.

Using products that are too active can weaken your skin barrier, leaving your skin feeling more irritated, more dehydrated and sometimes even causing more breakouts.

Quite often, your skin doesn’t need stronger products.

It just needs the right ones.

Not sure what your skin needs?

If your skin has changed over the last few weeks, don’t ignore it.

Sometimes a few simple tweaks to your skincare routine are all it takes to get your skin back on track.

At Bellissima, we don’t just offer consultations for professional treatments.

We also offer skincare consultations to make sure you’re using the right products at home, because sometimes changing just one or two products can make a huge difference.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’d love to help.