We love to spend our day outside soaking up the sun, but our skin isn’t always so enthusiastic about our summer adventures. Check out our 5 skincare tips to help keep your skin healthy and glowing all summer long.

1. Sweat isn’t moisturizer

While your skin might feel slick out in the heat, your sweat isn’t meant to moisturize. Rather, sweating is your body’s way of regulating your temperature. As the sweat glands in the dermis of your skin release sweat, it then evaporates and cools your skin. Although your sweat is mostly water (and some salts), your sweat also helps to remove impurities from your skin (a popular reason for saunas and hot spas). However, letting your sweat dry on your skin can clog your pores. Not to mention the bacteria that grows in the sweat you release can also have an unpleasant odor making you smell, which doesn't scream 'hot girl summer.'

Moisturizer is an integral part of any skincare routine all year long so don’t skip it just because you are feeling a little oilier. Moisturizing helps to maintain your outer layer of skin, which is your first defense against pollutants and irritation. However, you may want avoid a heavy cream and opt for a moisturizer that feels light on your skin instead like Lothantique's line of hand and body lotion or cotton flower lotion by Compangie de Provence.

2. Double down on Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Oxidative stress, when a disturbance causes your electrons to attack healthy cells, is caused by pollutants and environmental aggressors like UV rays. Adding vitamin C into your skincare routine can help combat some of this oxidative stress. It helps to fight inflammation and sun damage. Fun bonus, studies have also shown vitamin C may also help to reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Looking for another great natural skin defense? Check out the algue velours (velvet seaweed) line from Compagnie de Provence. Seaweed from the Mediterranean is rich in minerals and amino acids, providing a long-lasting moisturizer (up to 48 hours) while helping to restore the barrier function of your skin.

3. Schedule your exfoliation

Any dermatologist will caution you against over-exfoliating, but skipping exfoliation entirely during the summer months isn’t the best solution (especially if you have oily skin). Exfoliation can increase sun sensitive by up to forty-five percent. Therefore, it is important to create an exfoliation schedule for yourself in the warmer months. For instance, try not to exfoliate the day before you plan to sunbathe at the beach as you might weaken your skin’s barrier defenses. Instead, exfoliate once or twice a week, ideally earlier in the week at nighttime, to remove dead skin cells and prevent clogged pores.

You should also avoid any harsher chemical exfoliates during the summer. Opt for gentle scrubs and use a brush, belt or glove where you can control pressure to avoid irritating sensitive skin.

4. Hydration is key

Water, water, water, and more water. You can never have enough. Particularly as we sweat more in hotter weather, it is essential that you drink two litres of water a day (or more if you are active outside). Get in the habit of carrying a reusable water bottle around whether you are going to the office, out to the park or the beach.

Plus, if you do get an unfortunate sunburn, staying hydrated can help you recover faster. UV light causes inflammation in the skin, and making sure you are hydrated can help to repair the skin barrier as quickly as possible. A sunburn takes fluids away from the rest of your body to the skin’s surface – so make sure that well doesn’t run dry and fill it up often.

5. Reapply your sunscreen like clockwork

Eugene Schueller, a French pharmacist who went on to found L’Oreal, created a sunscreen formula in 1936. However, protecting our skin from the harsh light of the sun has always been a top priority for humans. Many ancient societies used plant extracts to create a barrier on the skin as protection.

Formulas have changed over the years, but today’s sunscreens work to filter light from the sun so less reaches the deeper layers of our skin (sunblock reflects light entirely). The light that is filtered or blocked is called ultraviolet radiation. UV-B can result in a tan or burn. UV-A can cause premature aging of the skin and may lead to cancer. Protect yourself by protecting your skin!

If you’re going to be outside all day, be mindful of your SPF (which measures UV-B) and reapply your sunscreen multiple times throughout the day. You can set a helpful timer so that you don’t miss the opportunity to reapply and skip from a summer glow to raging tomato. Your future self will be thankful for the reminder.

What are some of your beauty tips to beat the heat? Let us know in the comments.