Summer is in full swing and our schedules are quickly filling up with plans for picnics, days at the beach and walks through the cobbled streets of Italy (okay, I don’t really have any plans for an Italian vacation, but a girl can dream). But how do we spend time lounging by the pool while protecting our skin and hair in the long term? On this week’s episode of Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr, Who What Wear beauty director Erin Jahns shares her tips and tricks for having fun in the sun — without damaging the skin or hair.
She explains how to nail a summer Skin Care Routine, answers all our SPF questions, and in matter we still manage to exaggerate our sun consumption, she explains the restorative treatments we should book for the fall. Consider this your summer beauty guide.
For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
Erin Jahns: I’m glad you mentioned it for the summer because I think people usually have dry skin in the fall and winter because they think about the radiators on and less humidity, but that can be a problem in the summer.
Honestly, the easiest thing you can do, especially if you don’t want to put in a lot of effort, is to get a humidifier. There is a brand called Canopy that makes excellent products that are as hygienic as possible. So I usually tell people to get this brand.
I think people tend to think that they need a scrub if they have acne, bumps or flakes. And that’s kind of the last thing you want to do. You want to achieve something really gentle, like another creamy or oily cleanser, which is ideal if you are prone to acne. Again, I know it’s not intuitive, but if you have rashes, you still need moisture and oil. And then, after cleansing, apply vitamin C.
There is only one vitamin C serum that I could ever tolerate as an acne-prone person, and that is Skin Cuticles Silymarin CF.
So you cleanse, [apply a] vitamin C serum, and then you really need an SPF. And if you’re prone to acne, you’ll want to make sure you get one that’s oil-free and non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores.
I really like the one by Versed. I love Elta MD… and then the French brand-I think it’s pronounced Avenel.
I think a lot of people stop using retinol or retinoids in the summer, which you have to do if you use retinol, but retinol is one of the best things you can do to fundamentally reverse sun damage, stimulate cell renewal, re-texturize the skin, prevent fine lines, brightening, all this. He kind of does everything. So, take this back into your Routine a few days a week, maybe don’t leave every day because it can cause irritation, and again, you want to slowly build those products that are a little more active and a little more effective, so a few times a week to correct the damage caused by the sun.
