Pores and sweat: what to do in summer?
Skincare tips to survive mugginess and heat
G-Club
July 29th, 2024
July 29th, 2024
Summer has many advantages. It gives us longer, sunnier days, coincides with holidays, and lets us dream of refreshing dips in the sea and lazy afternoons lying on the shore doing crossword puzzles and chatting with friends. Yet it's also the season that most impacts our insecurities about our appearance and requires us to add many steps to our beauty routine. We pay more attention to stretch marks, hair removal, ingrown hairs, hyperpigmentation, thigh chafing, and wonder which is the best sunscreen. Among the many small problems we face are sweat and large pores, especially on the face. We know how to choose the right deodorant and are experts in body care, but we feel uncomfortable when those small pores undermine the uniformity of our skin texture and beads of sweat trickle down our forehead, cheeks, and neck. Keeping in mind that everyone has pores and everyone sweats, there are some tips we can adopt to manage these "annoyances" and avoid turning into a fountain even on the hottest days. The first step? A proper skincare routine with some makeup hacks.
How to treat large pores on the face: lighten your skincare routine
We have about 20,000 pores on our face that allow sweat to reach the skin's surface, helping regulate our temperature, and that release the body’s natural oil, called sebum, which helps hydrate the skin, keeping it soft and elastic. Extremely high external temperatures push our body to cool down, thus increasing sweat production, which, when excessive, causes embarrassment and problems like shininess, large pores, skin breakouts, and acne, especially in the T-zone of the face (nose, forehead, chin, and cheeks). The goal of the summer skincare is to combat the heat sensation of facial skin, providing long-lasting freshness, protection, and hydration. However, be careful not to overdo it because increased sebum production during the day might be caused by using too many products. The advice is to simplify the daily routine by limiting it to cleansing, exfoliating, applying a lightweight moisturizer with sunscreen, and occasionally spritzing refreshing water.
Change your cleanser and use a toner
The cleanser should be adapted to the season, especially for oily skin. Our skin requires creamy cleansers during winter to avoid dryness, but if it’s 40°C our face needs a gentle cleanser. It's better to avoid oily and buttery textures that can clog pores and opt for light, gentle, non-occlusive formulations containing cucumber and aloe extracts, which soothe heat sensations, or salicylic acid, which helps get rid of excess oil and sebum. The second step of the summer routine to avoid overly shiny skin is undoubtedly an astringent toner, exfoliating and purifying, which helps rebalance the pH and keep skin imperfections under control, avoiding large pores and the appearance of pimples. It's important that it's alcohol-free but rich in ingredients like niacinamide and peptides.
Exfoliate at least once a week
To reduce shininess and skin breakouts caused by increased summer sweating, it's essential to exfoliate regularly, at least once a week. Otherwise, the skin accumulates dead cells and sebum on its surface, clogging pores, making them appear larger, and leading to the production of blackheads. The best exfoliating ingredient for oily skin? Salicylic acid (BHA).
Keep moisturizing and don't forget sunscreen
In the hotter months increased sweat, sun exposure, humid weather, and air conditioning can contribute to the skin's loss of moisture, so it becomes crucial to replenish lost fluids by drinking enough water. Then, help the skin stay hydrated with an oil-free, lightweight, non-occlusive moisturizer. Opt for light, fragrance-free, refreshing, oil-free products, possibly gel or water-based, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid that hydrate the skin at a molecular level. Sun exposure increases the level of enzymes that break down collagen, elastin, and enlarge pores. Therefore, SPF is essential. We could opt for a mineral-based sunscreen that is mattifying and contains micronized zinc.
Wash your face but don’t overdo it
Heat and sweat instinctively drive us to rinse our face with cool water, but washing it too much can dry out the skin, which, in response, produces more sebum. The result? More irritated and acne-prone skin. It's better to limit face washing to twice a day.
BENEFIT - The PORE fessional Matte Primer
Available from August 19
BENEFIT - The PORE fessional Super Setter
41€
BENEFIT COSMETICS - The POREfessional Pore Minimizing Primer
41€
DERMALOGICA - Porescreen SPF 40
65€
BELIF - The True Cream Aqua Bomb
19,99€
OLE OLEHENRIKSEN - Lemonade Smoothing Scrub
16,90€
DUCRAY - Hidrosis Control Face/Hand/Foot Cream
12€
PAULA'S CHOICE - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
33,15€
FLORENCE BY MILLS - Mind Over Matte-R Oil Blotting Stick
20,99€
Use Sebum-Absorbing Products Regularly
Does your makeup dissolve or slide off your face shortly after application? Or does your face become oilier than a fast-food french fry? Turn to sebum-absorbing products. Almost summer lifesavers, blotting sticks and sheets blur the appearance of pores and minimize shine to give us a visibly smooth and matte look. They are perfect for on-the-go makeup touch-ups.
Always Apply Primer
The ultimate summer beauty hack is the blurring and pore-minimizing primer which, thanks to its soft focus powders, gives the illusion of an ultra-smooth complexion. Many primers create a base that allows makeup to adhere better to the face than it would on bare skin, with the added benefit of preventing excessive sweat and sebum production, allowing for longer-lasting application. A powder specifically for oily skin can also help absorb excess sebum and reduce facial shine due to sweating. Try the new Power Powder loose setting powder and Pore Matte mattifying primer by Benefit Cosmetics for long-lasting makeup and instant oil absorption for a matte finish. Available for purchase from August 19.