Top 7 Summer Tips for Acne-prone Skin

It's officially summer!

From seaside to poolside, it’s the season of sun-soaked fun and we can’t wait to spend more time outdoors!

While there’s much to love about the warmer weather, it could also mean more breakouts as our skin gets exposed to more sweat, heat, and humidity.

This means we need to give our skin extra TLC, especially if we have acne-prone skin.

Keep these top tips in mind to prevent breakouts and minimize sun damage for happy, healthy skin:

1. Go for a Lighter Moisturizer

If you’ve been using a heavier, creamier moisturizer during the colder months, you might want to switch to a more lightweight formula in the summer as your skin begins to produce more oil.

The Protective Moisturizer is light, non-comedogenic, and won't leave your skin feeling greasy. It is also packed with resveratrol, a potent antioxidant that relieves redness and protects the skin from damage caused by UV rays, pollution, and other harmful agents in the environment. That’s sure to come in handy as we spend more time outdoors this season.

Remember to moisturize daily, even if your skin already feels oily.

Not convinced? Check out these five reasons to moisturize every day this summer, even when you have oily, acne-prone skin.

2. Lock in Hydration

Being out in the sun or even chilling in the AC all day can strip your skin of much-needed moisture.

Use a facial mist to freshen your skin throughout the day and add humectants such as hyaluronic acid to lock in the moisture. Holding 1000x its weight in moisture, hyaluronic acid helps keep skin soft, plump, and dewy. It will also prevent dehydrated skin, which can lead to increased oil production and more acne.

The Matte Hydrator, formulated with the highest quality of 100% medical-grade ultra-low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, is perfect for summertime hydration. Fast-absorbing and oil-free, use it on its own as a moisturizer for oily skin types or under the Protective Moisturizer as a serum.

3. Apply (& Reapply) Sunscreen

We know, we know.

You’ve heard this a thousand times before.

But if it’ll get you to remember your sunscreen, we don’t mind repeating it a thousand times more.

Whether it’s lowering your risk of skin cancer or keeping premature aging at bay, sunscreen is a must to protect you from harmful UV rays.

Source: EltaMD

Choose a broad-spectrum, non-comedogenic sunscreen with at least SPF 35 and a PA+++ rating. Our favorite is the EltaMD UV Clear with SPF 46. Designed for acne-prone skin, it’s fragrance-free, oil-free, and goes on well under makeup.

Whichever sunscreen you decide on, be sure to reapply every 2 hours for maximum protection all day long.

4. Keep the Sweat in Check

When sweat mixes with the bacteria and oils on our skin, it can clog pores and cause breakouts. But truth is, from picnics at the park to walks by the beach, there’s no escaping sweat in the summer.

Still, we can take extra care to make sure it doesn't make our skin a playground for pimples. For one, hit the shower immediately after working out or sweating. If you’re out and about, gently blot sweat with a clean cloth to avoid irritation. You can also try wearing more breathable clothing to prevent excess heat and friction on your skin.

5. Give Skin a Thorough Cleanse

With all that your skin goes through in the day, it deserves an extra good cleanse in the evening to get rid of all the sweat, dirt, and excess oils.

However, be sure to choose a gentle cleanser suited to your skin type so it isn't overly drying and harsh. If you have oily or combination skin, we recommend the Balancing Cleanser, formulated with glycolic acid (an AHA) and salicylic acid (a BHA) to give skin a deep cleanse without stripping away its natural oils. You can also leave this cleanser on for 30 minutes in the evening to get a gentle peel! Just be sure to apply sunscreen in the day (as you would anyway) as acids can make skin more sensitive to the sun.

For all skin types, So Fresh is a great go-to as it has protective antioxidants and plant extracts that give skin a minty tingle to notify when you’ve washed off enough oil. This way, you can get the perfect level of cleansing, always!

You’ll also want to avoid cleansing too often as it can break down the skin's protective barrier. Twice daily, even during the summer, is enough.

6. Defend Your Skin Against Dark Spots

After active acne has cleared, you might find you’re left with red marks on the skin. These are caused by residual blood and dilated blood vessels. It is a must to fade these red marks quickly because they can collect melanin and become stubborn brown marks when exposed to the sun. This is an especially big risk during the summer months when we’re out in the sun more.

Use Lighten Up to fade the appearance of red marks before they become brown spots. If you already have brown acne marks, or even brown sun spots and age spots, Dark Mark Defense and its potent anti-pigmenting agents can help fade the look of them up to 4x faster!

7. Continue to Use Clear Out Every Evening

While there are certain changes you might want to make to your summer skincare routine, such as switching to a lighter moisturizer or adding a sun-spot-fighting product, one key step remains a constant – Clear Out.

Gentle enough to use on sensitive skin, even during the summer, the medical-grade retinol and AZA will continue to flush out clogged pores and help you prevent future breakouts.


Have questions for us?

We’re here to help! Get in touch with us via Messenger chat or Instagram DM (@clearlybasics).

Disclaimer: This article should not be interpreted as personal medical advice. For medical-related matters, please consult your dermatologist.

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Skin Type: Normal
Comments: Any ideas on how to get rid of brown skin damage
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Skin Type: Combination

I am so happy that I stumbled upon clearly basics on instagram. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try and bought clear out clarifying lotion. It's been 2 months and my skin has improved a lot. I can see significant reduction in pores and acne.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing

After years of medication and products, I decided to try clearly basics. In just 6 weeks my skin has calmed and I am now able to treat scarring.

So glad to have found these products!

Finding products that helped to control my acne without irritating my sensitive skin has always been a huge challenge. The clearly basics products have been my saviour, I can't recommend them enough ☺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent and actually works

I am so incredibly impressed with the TLC for pore minimising - it 💯 works and has transformed my skin.

I’m in my 50’s and always had hormonal flare ups with larger pores as I age - this is a game changer and have just reordered my 3rd bottle !

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Skin Type: Combination
The Best!!

So good been buying for a couple years. Just a shame they no longer ship to UK and I have to look for another product

not bad but I thought the formula has changed since what it was previously (i had it maybe 2 years ago) and I found it less effective now

Skin Type: Combination
This is the stuff.

So, long time sufferer of acne. Started when I was 12 and I'm 28 now still battling it. I've tried all kinds of different things to try and get it under control and besides birth control, nothing has helped long term. I never want to take birth control ever again and I just happened upon this brand and decided well, why not try? To my amazement, it has helped more than anything else I've tried, I'd say it has improved my skin to the level it was at when I took BC. Of course I still get pimples every now and then, and tiny flare ups during PMS but my skin is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. I highly recommend this company. To those who are considering trying this out, be aware that during the first week or so your skin will go through a purge and your acne will appear to get worse at first. Stick with it! Once that phase is over is when your skin will begin improving. I do need to use it every night for it to be fully effective, but even when I do forget, the pimples don't get too out of control. I just can't say enough good things about this product. It has helped my confidence improve immensely and I definitely recommend trying it to those who have skin as finicky as mine.

Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
The only moisturiser I trust

I am super sensitive and this is the only moisturiser that I trust honestly incredible.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing!

I use this product and with the clear out and it has really helped my hormonal acne.

This skin care routine is the o lay one that has helped clear up my daughters skin.

My daughters skin is really starting to look better!

Skin Type: Oily
So far so good

Bought this for my daughter that has struggled with acne for years. She has seen improvement and less frequent breakouts.

Best moisturizer I have found!

V
Lighten Up Redness Rescue Cream
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Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
Perfect

Has changed my skin from acne pro to almost perfect 😍😍

Skin Type: Combination
Obsessed !!

Obsessed with this cleanser!! It left me feeling fresh and prevented break outs. It is incredible . Loved this product so much

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

Skin Type: Combination
Fresh and clean!

My face is filled with energy and feels so fresh and clean!

Skin Type: Normal
excellent item!

have been using this for years! so good for my skin :)

C
So Fresh pH Balancing Cleanser
Carmelinda Di Manno
Skin Type: Combination
Fresh Feeling

My skin feels so clean and still hydrated when I use this cleanser. It’s balancing and refreshing. My skin has responded really well to it and at times my skin can be sensitive. I highly recommend this product to anyone with relatively oily t-zone area

Skin Type: Combination
Very happy!

Love the texture, the minty scent and the lather.
I wish the bottles were a bit bigger HOWEVER they are just small enough to fly with.

Skin Type: Normal
Comments: The only thing I now need to use to keep my skin clear.
The holy grail for clearing hormonal acne.

This is the only product that I have needed to keep my skin clear since discovering it about 2 years ago, after suddenly developing cystic hormonal acne at the age of 25. I now only need to use it every second night, so it's incredibly affordable. It has also never irritated my sensitive skin and it has faded previous acne marks to truly clear my skin. After years of trying expensive supplements/products/harsh prescription creams, Clear Out was the only thing that gave me long-lasting results.

Skin Type: Oily
Clearly Basics is the only product that has helped my Adult Acne

I have always struggled with dehydrated acne prone skin. Every month like clockwork I would get a new breakout on my chin or cheek area. These included large cystic acne that by the time they came to a head would take me months to clear. With new breakouts each month this created more & more spots before the first could heal leaving more hyper pigmentation spots that never have time to clear. Clearly basics changed all that for me. It gave my skin a chance to heal and reduced the number of breakouts each month. When I do get a new breakout it resolves itself quickly with less scarring and redness. Now that the acne is under control the products are helping to eliminate the remaining hyper pigmentation spots left from years of acne. I have not been using the product for long but I will continuing relying on this product and look forward to the day I can happily look in the mirror at a smooth clear & even complexion some day soon.

Skin Type: Combination
Comments: Product consistency in terms of smoothness/coarseness/stickiness/ is sometimes a miss, don't believe it affects the result provided.
Great Combo

Have seen great improvements by using these 2 items concurrently, hard to fault and wil continue purchasing.

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