Should you stop using retinol in the summer?

Many skincare devotees with dedicated routines often take the summer off from using actives & getting treatments for a couple of months ; here's why you should not stop using retinol in the summer!

Whilst people might have been really hot on their skincare during the winter as soon as the sun showed up – skincare stopped being a priority. In part this is because many in-clinic treatments and active ingredients like retinol and acids have an exfoliating effect which essentially leaves the skin more photosensitive (sensitivity to the sun). In those days we didn’t have the incredible protection and prevention skincare that we now have! Now, our formulations and understanding are streets ahead so you CAN prevent any further damage from the sun, you CAN continue using corrective skincare and you CAN continue to reverse damage. No more going forward in the winter and backwards in the summer, you can move forward all year round meaning those skin goals come faster and closer.

Is Summer Skincare Even More Important?

The summer is probably the time that your skin needs skincare the most. Why? Your skin is constantly under attack from environmental factors and in the summer the sun’s rays are stronger, cloud cover is lessened, and we often travel for holidays to sunnier climates. The sunshine unfortunately will breakdown collagen leading to signs of premature ageing like wrinkles, dark spots, and leathery skin. It is counterintuitive to give up protective and corrective skincare because the environment is more damaging! Instead, have a seasonal skincare review with me and be honest! There are steps you can take if the reality is that you’ll be in and out of the pool with the kids or soaking up the sun’s rays at a festival. You don’t have to be as extreme as avoiding all actives and treatments all summer long. There are a few simple sun choices that will help your skin to stay protected, so you can keep your skincare regime on the go. I can tweak your use of actives; maybe choosing lower percentages or going from daily use to a couple of times a week. You might even buffer your active ingredients by sandwiching with other products..I also recommend big sunglasses and a hat or head scarf – a stylish way to protect your skin from the sun. Plus, reapply your sunscreen! Need to know how to do that on top of makeup? I've covered that, and I also suggest you put a reapplying alarm on your phone.