The Secrets of Effective Summer Hydration
Whether it’s sweat, oiliness, shininess or a few more blemishes, summer skin comes with its own challenges. Do we need a moisturizer as well as a sunscreen? Should we moisturize under makeup during the summer? What’s a good summer skincare routine? Keep reading for answers to these questions and everything you need to know to effectively hydrate your skin during summer.
Understanding Summer Skin
Sun exposure heats skin up, increasing water loss and drying it out. And sun’s UV rays damage both the skin's surface and deeper layers, interfering with skin’s protective barrier and so reducing its capacity to retain moisture. Sweating further depletes moisture from your skin. Summer is bad news for those with oily or acne-prone skin too, as sweating can block pores or encourage the bacteria that exacerbates these skin problems.
As well, sunlight may provoke inflammatory responses in the skin. Inflammation increases blood flow and metabolic activity, which, in turn, can accelerate dehydration of the skin. In these conditions, you can even get oily dehydrated skin or dehydrated skin acne. So clearly, the right moisture is key to keeping summer skin hydrated and healthy.
The Summer Skincare Dilemma
It’s the eternal summertime question: do I replace my moisturizer with a sunscreen, or do I use both? The short answer is...use both! For a healthy protective barrier, your skin needs hydration in summer as much as it does in winter, as long as you consider the type of that moisturizer. And we all know by now the benefits of sunscreen – it’s really a crucial step in your summer skincare routine.
When choosing a summer moisturizer, evaluate it in terms of your skin type – dry, sensitive, combination or oily skin. Unless your skin is truly dry, a super-hydrating gel-based moisturizer is a good bet for all skin types, including sensitive. If you have oily dehydrated skin, a gel-based moisturizer would be ideal. Even if you have dry skin, it’s still a good idea to switch to a lighter moisturizer for dry skin for summer.
A Summer Switch-Up: Replace your cream with Hyaluronic acid gel moisturizer
Look for intensely hydrating ingredients – like Hyaluronic acid – in lightweight formulas like a gel to keep your skin hydrated and glowy in the summer. Did you know HA can hold around 1000 to 2000 times its own weight in water? And when skin cells come into contact with Hyaluronic acid, it doesn’t just retain water, it also encourages skin cells to create more HA. Impressive (and great for your skin’s protective barrier!)
Biotherm’s bio scientists know that regenerating Life PlanktonTM, Biotherm’s natural water-sourced ingredient, actually boosts the effectiveness of Hyaluronic acid – which is why they’re super buddies when it comes to keeping your skin hydrated. When combined in a light, fresh gel, as they are in Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel, you get a super, non-sticky burst of moisture that just melts into your skin, allowing you to wear both moisturizer and sunscreen. Can you moisturize under makeup too? Yes! This type of formulation is so light, you can layer it under makeup and sunscreen.
But if it’s a gel is it really moisturizing?
When women tested Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel, 100% agreed on the lightweight texture, and 9/10 women felt a refreshing feeling on their skin1. And it was effective in making skin feel suppler too as 90% of women agreed their skin felt suppler, and 85 percent felt it gave them a healthy glow2.
Your hydrated glowing skin routine
Do away with heavy, greasy formulas, while drenching your skin in as much hydration and sun protection as possible with this dermatologist skincare routine. Ready for bouncy, plumped up, glowing skin all summer, whatever your skin type? Then let’s go!
BEFORE SKIN EXPOSURE
After cleansing, get a first boost of hydration in with Biotherm’s Life Plankton Elixir. Not just a face serum for dry skin, it includes the winning team of Hyaluronic acid and Biotherm’s regenerating Life Plankton.TM This makes it suitable for all skin types, and its light, non-sticky formula is ideal for summer. This repairing, recharging serum adds Vitamin C to the mix too, to boost skin’s radiance.
Follow up with Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel, to boost skin’s plumpness and defend against moisture loss. More than a mere moisturizer for dry skin (or all skin types), It also contains Hyaluronic acid combined with Life Plankton. These ingredients hydrate and help fight external aggressors for visibly healthy regenerated, plumped and radiant skin.
After cleansing and hydrating, don’t neglect to apply sunscreen before leaving the house! Check out the water-safe and skin-friendly options below.
DURING SKIN EXPOSURE
Biotherm offers lots of eco-conscious options for those who want to protect their skin as well was protecting the oceans. The Waterlover range is a particular favourite. Waterlover Face Sunscreen with an SPF of 50+ will help protect your facial skin from photoaging. Or opt for an all-in-one with Waterlover Sun Milk, which is suitable for both face and body.
Even though it has “urban” in the name, new daily UV protection option is the Urban UV Defense Protective Hydrating Fluid 50+ still maintain’s Biotherm’s Blue Commitments to respect aquatic life as well as offering a high level of protection and hydration for your skin.
For more about sun protection and how to choose the best one, check out
AFTER SKIN EXPOSURE
After a day of hot temperatures and sun exposure, skin can feel tight and sensitized and in desperate need of deep moisture. Apply one full dropper of highly regenerating serum Life Plankton Elixir, then a generous layer of Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel.
So if you want bright, plumped, bouncy skin (and let’s face it, don’t we all?) follow this summer hydrating routine. Biotherm Aquasource Hyalu Plump’s light gel texture makes it an ideal choice for deeply hydrating dry summer skin. And don’t forget the sunscreen – together, they’re the best way of keeping that youthful bounce well into the fall!
1Self-assessment on 52 women after 28 days of application
2Self-assessment on 52 women after 28 days of application.
