How to Help Your Skin Recover from Summer: Hydration, Repair, and Reset
Summer is all about sunshine, vacations, and long days outdoors—but it can also take a toll on your skin. Even if you’ve been diligent with SPF, months of heat, humidity, and extra sun exposure can leave skin feeling dehydrated, irritated, dull, pigmented or congested. The good news? With the right post-summer routine, you can repair damage, restore hydration, and set your skin up for a healthy transition into fall. Here’s how to give your skin the reset it deserves.
Step 1: Address Sun Damage
Even the best SPF user can end summer with a little extra pigmentation, fine lines, or rough texture from UV exposure.
At-Home Tips:
Use a pigmentation inhibitor like hexylresorcinol, kojic and alpha abruptin to brighten and stop pigmentation from forming in the first place.
Add a vitamin C serum in the morning to brighten and protect.
Use gentle exfoliation (once or twice a week) to smooth uneven texture. Masks, peel pads or serums/night creams.
Always keep SPF in your routine—sun protection is a year-round commitment.
Top 3 products for pigmentation are Skinbetter Even Tone Correcting Serum, even Intensive for more stubborn pigmentation! Hydrinity vivid brightening for melasma! I also love mandelic acid for a great gentle exfoliation and brightening!
Pro Help:
In-studio treatments like chemical peels, oxygenation or LED therapy can target pigmentation and sun damage more effectively than at-home care.
Step 2: Replenish Hydration
Hot weather, air conditioning, salt water, and chlorine can all strip your skin of moisture, leaving it dull and tight.
At-Home Tips:
Switch to a hydrating, cream-based cleanser instead of a foaming one.
Layer a hyaluronic acid/aloe/ beta glucan serum under your moisturizer.
Drink plenty of water (your skin shows dehydration from the inside out). Dont forget to add electrolytes to stay hydrated at a cellular level.
Top 3 products for hydration are Hydrabalance from face reality great for oily and acne prone skin! Mixi dew drop for a great anti ager and soothing hydration. Hydrinity restorative or renewing serum for hyaluronic acid this is fantastic for soothing plus aging skin!
Pro Help:
A hydration-boosting facial with nourishing masks/ultra sound/high frequency/microcurrent and nourishing serums can give skin an instant plump + healthy glow.
Step 3: Repair from Over-Exfoliation
It’s easy to get carried away with scrubs, masks and serums during summer, especially if you’re trying to keep skin smooth and glowing. But overdoing it can damage your barrier, leading to redness, flaking, or breakouts.
At-Home Tips:
Take a break from harsh exfoliants for a week or two. Let's the barrier calm and repair!
Focus on barrier-repair ingredients like ceramides, squalane, and niacinamide, beta glucan, chamomile, lavender and aloe.
Use lukewarm/cold water when cleansing to avoid further irritation.
Top 3 products for repairing skin are Lipid Replenishing Drops by Michelle corley for an oil! Siv microbiome balancing serum this is a great probiotic and needed for ALL skin conditions! Comfort cream by glymed for a deep hydration plus soothing effect that's not too heavy!
Step 4: Clear Out Clogged Pores
Sunscreen, sweat, and makeup can all lead to congestion and blackheads by the end of the season.
At-Home Tips:
Use a gentle exfoliating mask or enzyme treatment once a week.
Incorporate custom AHA/BHA products if you’re prone to breakouts. Mandelic, lactic, glycolic, Salicylic, and benzoyl peroxide to name a few.
Double cleanse at night to fully remove sunscreen and makeup.
Top 3 products for gentle exfoliation and renewal. The first is Oxygen Deep Pore Masque by Glymed a fantastic decongestant for clogged pores, bacteria and brightening! Dermathod peel pads or Skinbetter peel pads to act as a gentle peel at home. Brightening, anti aging and decongesting! Hydrating enzyme mask by glymed great for dry skin. Gentle and effective can be left on the skin without ever over using it! Great for flaking, dull, dry and aging skin.
Pro Help:
A deep-cleansing facial with professional extractions can clear congestion without damaging your skin.
Step 5: Transition into a Cooler-Weather Routine
As temperatures drop, your skin’s needs will shift. This is the perfect time to swap out lighter summer products for more nourishing options.
At-Home Tips:
Switch to a richer moisturizer to protect/soothe against dry air.
Add an oil or cream cleanser for extra hydration and protection.
Keep up with SPF—fall sun can still cause damage.
Pro Help: Book a seasonal skin consultation to update your product lineup and address any lingering summer damage before winter arrives.
The Bottom Line: Summer is fun for the soul, but a little harsh on the skin. By focusing on hydration, repairing sun damage, and making a few seasonal tweaks, you can restore your skin’s glow and keep it healthy as we head into cooler months.
✨ Want to hit the reset button on your skin? Book a Post-Summer Recovery Facial and let’s bring your skin back to life—hydrated, smooth, and ready for fall.
