As temperatures rise, it’s time to wheel out the BBQ, hang up your summer dresses and most importantly, make sure you’re well stocked with sunscreen to take you through the warmer months.
While daily SPF is a year-round essential, it becomes even more critical in summer for maintaining healthy skin. If you want to learn more about how to protect and hydrate your skin this season, you’re in the right place. Read on to discover the best SPF skincare tips, how to prep skin for summer and create a summer skincare routine that will keep your complexion at its best.
Why is SPF Essential Every Day, Not Just in Summer?
To answer this question, we need to dive into sun science and understand more about the different types of rays produced by the sun. Both UVA and UVB rays affect the skin in different ways, and understanding the difference is key to knowing why daily SPF protection is important all year round.
Let’s start with UVA rays: think of these rays as the “ageing” rays. They penetrate deep into the skin and can cause long-term skin damage such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and hyperpigmentation. UVA rays are present all year, even on cloudy days and can travel through glass. This means for anti-aging sun protection, daily sunscreen is essential, even in winter, if you’re mostly indoors!
Then there are UVB rays: the “burning” rays. These are strongest during summer months and affect the skin’s surface, causing sunburn, redness and inflammation. UVB rays are also linked to skin cancers, particularly melanoma.
So we now know that it’s a misconception that “SPF is only for hot, sunny days”; sunscreen is your skin’s best defence 365 days per year. And in summer? It’s non-negotiable for UV damage prevention. With stronger UVB rays and more time spent outdoors, your skin needs extra support to stay healthy, youthful and radiant.
How to Prep Your Skin for Summer Sun
First, take a moment to review your current skincare ritual. During hotter weather, your skin barrier can become compromised by increased UV exposure, leaving it dehydrated and sensitive. Heat contributes to water loss, while humidity and sweat can cause blocked pores and breakouts. These seasonal stressors may mean you need to adjust your routine and invest in a few new summer skincare essentials for skin barrier support.
If you’re adding sunscreen into your ritual for the first time, don’t worry – check out our expert SPF skincare tips for morning and evening.
Morning Routine with SPF
Start your ritual with a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser that refreshes without stripping moisture. Brighten & Glow Hydrating Exfoliating Cleanser hydrates as it cleanses and lightly buffs away dead skin cells to reveal a glowing complexion.
Next, apply a lightweight hydrating serum to replenish water loss without overwhelming the skin. We love Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum for its soothing, plumping effect.
Continue by locking in moisture with Plump & Protect Hydrating Day Cream SPF 30, a hydrating sunscreen. This is sun protection skincare at its best.
Now your skin is smooth and perfectly prepped for makeup, if you want to wear it! Go ahead and apply your complexion products and eye makeup as usual.
Finally, for an extra layer of protection, spritz Invisible SPF Mist SPF 30 over your face and neck. This advanced, broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection in a lightweight, non-greasy formula that absorbs instantly! It works beautifully on bare skin or over makeup, and can be kept in your handbag for impromptu top-ups throughout the day. We think it’s the best SPF for face!
Evening Routine after Sun Exposure
Your post-sun skincare routine is all about replenishing moisture and soothing the skin, but first, a thorough double cleanse is a must.
Begin by massaging in a nourishing cleansing balm like our Melt The Day Away Cleansing Balm. Infused with skin-loving omegas and balancing squalane, it melts away sunscreen, makeup and oil without compromising your skin’s natural barrier.
Next, use Brighten & Glow Hydrating Exfoliating Cleanser as a second cleanse to remove every last trace of impurities and SPF while leaving your skin soft, smooth and comfortable.
One of our favourite after sun skincare tips? Use a hydrating mist for a moisture boost before applying your usual serums and creams. It’s a simple but effective way to restore balance after a day in the sun.
Finish with a rich, rejuvenating cream. Our Relax & Renew Night Cream is designed to support overnight skin regeneration, making it ideal for summer evenings.
How to Apply SPF Correctly
You could invest in the best sunscreen on the market, but if you’re not applying it correctly, your skin might still be left exposed. Here’s a quick guide to ensure you get the most from your sunscreen and make sure you’re properly protected.
First, it’s important to use enough SPF to get full protection. This is due to sunscreen being tested at specific amounts. If you apply less than this, then you won’t get the full protection listed on the packaging.
The two-finger sunscreen rule can help you determine the right amount of product to use. Apply sunscreen along the length of your index and middle fingers from base to tip – this is the right amount to cover your face, neck and ears.
Next, think about reapplication. Applying sunscreen once in the morning is not enough; UV exposure, sweat and oil all reduce your SPF’s effectiveness.
As a general rule, reapply SPF every 2 hours when you're outdoors or exposed to direct sunlight. It’s also important to top up after swimming, sweating or towel drying.
If that sounds like a chore, don’t worry, our Invisible SPF Mist SPF 30 makes reapplying sunscreen easy. This lightweight mist can even be used over makeup for midday top-ups.
Mostly indoors? Reapplying every 4-6 hours may be enough, although if you’re sitting near windows, we recommend following the 2-hour rule for the best protection.
Tips for Using SPF Effectively
We’ve explored why sun protection is important all year round, shared the best sun-safe skincare rituals and covered how to apply sunscreen correctly. Here’s a quick recap of 5 key tips to remember as we head into summer:
-
Apply sunscreen as the final step in your morning skincare ritual, just before makeup.
-
Follow the two-finger rule to ensure you use the right amount of product.
-
Don’t forget the neck, ears, hairline and backs of your hands – these important areas are often missed.
-
Reapply every 2 hours, especially when spending time outdoors.
-
Hydration is key: add mists and serums into your evening routine to replenish lost water and moisture.
Whether you’re new to SPF or a skincare pro, it’s never too late to start protecting your skin the right way. Discover our full collection of SPF and summer skincare essentials and give your skin the care it truly deserves. Shop now at Ella & Jo.
