Beat the Heat!

Expert Tips to Combat Congested Skin During Summer

Summer is a time to show off beautiful glowing clear skin, but what if the warmer vacay months become the Jekyll to your skincare Hyde?  Does the balmy humid weather descend your skin into a world of congestion, break outs and redness due to excess sebum and sun exposure?  Well, if the tropical conditions have become a little too sultry for your liking, you’ve come to the right place.  Let me share some little known facts about summer skin.

 For us here at Waterlily great skin starts with great barrier function.  The 101 prerequisite to luminous glowing skin.  This means formulating with quality ingredients dispensed in the right concentrations.  If you’re suffering from combination, oily or acne prone skin, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should necessarily have oil free skincare either.  I know, shocking right! … but please, stay with me.

Think about what the outer layer of the skin is made off.  The epidermis consists of dead squamous (super squashed) skin cells.  A great first line of defence for pathogens and keeping your inside bits from falling out.  But let’s remember that skin cell walls are a conglomerate of fats, ceramides and well, I’ll say it, oil (or if you want to get fancy, a phospholipid bilayer).  To penetrate this outer layer of the epidermis you need a compatible oil soluble medium.  This is also essential for active ingredients to penetrate the waterproof layers of the skin to the lower layers where new skin cells are formed.  It’s only here that we can effect real change, and not just plump up dead skin cells (seriously, what’s the point?).

“Let’s remember that skin cell walls are a conglomerate of fats, ceramides and oil!”

Enter, cold pressed essential fatty acids!  These are the nutrient rich plant oils that are slowly and mindfully extracted from precious seeds and nuts.  They are super fine, penetrate easily and are the backbone for cell repair, healing and regeneration.  Some standout botanical oils I love working with include pomegranate seed, red raspberry seed, green tea seed, marula nut, kukui nut, borage flower and argan oil. These also become the delivery system for our other water-soluble actives including water soluble vitamins, fruits, plant and herbal extracts, all bursting with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phenols that support the skins health.

“Standout botanical oils I love working with include pomegranate seed, red raspberry seed, green tea seed.”

So why are we so resistant to oil-based products when the weather gets a little too spicy?  I think it’s because mainstream (and sometimes ridiculously expensive) cosmetic brands continue to use synthetic oils, like mineral oil or petrochemicals, and we’ve been conditioned to think this is how oil should feel on the skin.  The molecules in these mineral oils are really large and just sit topically on the skin.  They feel sticky, tacky and clog pores (eww!).  They are also void of any nutrients or skin benefits.  As I often say, it’s not that these kinds of ingredients are necessarily bad for you, but they are the source of congestion and limit the healing ability of your skincare….So lazy! (kind of like that shitty guitar player you dated in college).

When you compromise that fine layer of sebum that protects the skins outer layers (the pH or acid mantle) you are setting your skin up for sensitivity, inflammation and premature ageing;  the unholy grail, which can easily be avoided with great skincare and a mindful homecare ritual.

“The molecules in these mineral oils are really large and just sit topically on the skin.”

So what are the super star ingredients I lean towards during the warmer months?  Let’s take a look!

Niacinamide:  The skin perfecting vitamin (B3) to sooth inflammation, balance sebum, reduce pores and treat breakouts, all while offering the benefits of anti-ageing skin treatment that targets fine lines, wrinkles, hydration and pigmentation.

Superfoods:  Think kale, goji berries, broccoli, milk thistle, ellargic rich berries, pineapple and antioxidant herbs to brighten, nourish, hydrate and soothe skin.

Biome Hero’s:  The fermented ingredients that support our skins natural biome and promote our natural barrier function and pH.  These include fermented fruits, sodium lactate, L-Lactic acid, N-acetyl glucosamine, hyaluronic acid.

So with this in mind, here is a snapshot of my go-to summer skin savers and what my home ritual looks like during summer.  An uncomplicated but active am and pm ritual which is both a pleasure to do and intensifies skin results 🙋🏻‍♀️

Mornings ☀️

Lactic Cleanser:  My morning power peel to fight congestion, refine skin, define texture and boost clarity and luminosity all while delivering a nice surge of hydration.

Omega Q-10 Serum:  I know this is a rich intensive oil serum but a few drops pressed into the skin is super healing and delivers a daylong hydration glow.

Phyto-B3 Serum:  This is where the magic happens. A cosmeceutical dose of niacinaminde blended with a superfood selection of 20 nutrient rich skin ingredients.  Mix this with a sprinkle of our Pure C + Peptides and massage it over the Omega-Q10 Serum.  It instantly mattifies and provides a beautiful refined canvas for make-up application.

Evenings 💫

Bio Cleansing Oil:  This is a treat for the skin.  A super skin conditioner that effortlessly dissolves make up (including stubborn eye makeup). Applying it to dry skin and removing with a warm washer for a super nourished yet refined matt finish.  It all so smells like mandarins baking in the sun!

Super Smart:  My desert island hero! (…who needs guitar playing Steve?!). This revolutionary super serum brings together professional doses of the smart peptide, Heptapeptide-7 with an active Vitamin A retinoid complex in an advanced cosmeceuticals of resveratrol and hyaluronic acid in an omega rich anti-ageing vitamin infusion.  Super fine and penetrates easily to fight signs of ageing including fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, clarity and skin tone while age-proofing with a naturopathic selection of omega rich plant oils.