Summer Skincare

I apply SPF to my face each day; so much so that I probably remember to do it more than I do brush my hair!

SPF is important every day of the year, but especially in the summer and it’s best to incorporate it into your daily skincare routine. Do you know what else is good about SPF? It'll help prevent ageing and skin cancer. Wearing SPF is probably the most important thing that you can do for your skin; even in the dark and cold winter, cloudy/rainy days, you should put sunscreen on EVERY SINGLE DAY. Your skin rejuvenates completely every 25 to 35 days but the damage is permanent.

That said, suncream is the worst thing ever on your face. It’ll make you feel greasy and your skin feels heavy almost. Seriously, that’s not a good base for your make-up! So, we need a moisturiser with some SPF in, but one that’s not going to leave your face like a block of butter before you apply make-up.

In my make-up kit, I use Simple light moisturiser; yes, Simple. It’s about £5.00 a big bottle (but half-price in Superdrug at the moment!), and works on 99% of all skin types. So what’s not to like about it?! Well, it won’t do the trick if you suffer from really dry skin so be sure to buy what suits your skincare needs. As you get older, it's likely that it'll get drier and need a thicker moisturiser. The Simple stuff is light enough to use on your face (with the SPF in it too!) and can be used to freshen up dry areas such as your knees and shins. Usually, something that bridesmaids ask me for is a moisturiser for their pins, and this stuff works perfectly. I’ve also been known to mix a tiny bit of table salt in some for a quick exfoliator on extra dry skin.

At home, I’m a no7 girl so religiously use no7 Protect and Perfect Day cream, and then their night cream. Again it’s got SPF15 but it’s a bit thicker than the Simple stuff so it takes a little while to sink in which I think puts some people off when they are in a rush. My top tip is to apply it before you’re about to blow dry your hair; in the five or ten minutes that takes, it’ll all be soaked in beautifully! Or, put it on then go wash your hands and brush your teeth :)

Sometimes though, SPF15 just isn’t going to cut it; if you’re in the sun a lot on holiday or at a festival, chances are you're going to want a much higher SPF so that you don’t burn and feel safer. As such I turn to Bioderma Photoderm Max 50+. Factor 50+ means it’s pretty much a sunblock which is what you want in direct sun. Some worry that having a higher factor is going to be greasier but this stuff is incredibly light sinks straight into the skin. You can also get their spray version; fab!

What SPF are you using at the moment? There's a whole spectrum of products out there, so go ask for samples in department stores to try out what suits you before you splurge money on something.