Experts Agree—This Is the Skincare Routine You Should Follow This Summer

Summer is synonymous with bright, gorgeous skin. Images of freckle-flecked faces, barely-there makeup, and a natural sun-kissed look have forever dominated the season’s aesthetic landscape. From the effortless glow of Gidget, eternally at the 1960s beach, to Lorde’s recent “Solar Power”-fueled reminder that even your legs should look better in the summertime. But for all its vitamin D goodness, summer brings a whole slew of unique skincare challenges and questions like, “Should I pause my retinol routine in the summer?” or “Do I need to up my exfoliation game?” Much like a summer day, our list of queries is long.

Fortunately, our favorite estheticians and skincare pros have answers to these questions and so many more. Because a good skincare routine should work no matter where you are, but an occasional tweak here and there can make all the adaptive difference. “You should only switch up your routine if your skin requires it,” says celebrity facialist Candace Marino. “But our indoor and outdoor environments play a huge role in how our skin behaves and oftentimes I’ll help my clients adjust accordingly.”

We polled three skincare experts—Lauren Zaucha, a provider at Nashville-based Skin Pharm; Natalie Burt, lead esthetician at Dallas’ popular House of Preservation; and Marino—on all our burning summer beauty questions. So get your broad-spectrum SPF ready, stock your fridge with some emergency aloe vera, and read on for your best summer skincare routine yet.

Editors Note: While we’ve listed all of the products our experts recommend for a summer skincare routine, you certainly don’t need to buy all of them. Everyone’s skin is unique and our journey to healthy skin is different, too so experiment with various products or beauty tools to figure out what works best for you and more importantly, within your budget. But above all, have fun doing it!

Exfoliate. Rinse. Repeat.

Though we’re cognizant of the dangers of over-exfoliating, our skin’s oiliest months seem like they might call for a bit more sloughing. Our experts’ best advice: do what your skin tells you.

“If your skin seems to be getting oilier in the summer months, it could be a good time to up your exfoliation game,” advises Zaucha. “In addition to adding an exfoliating cleanser, using an exfoliating mask one to two times a week is a great way to get baby soft skin.”

Also, don’t forget to add exfoliating your body to your summer skincare routine—an increase in sunscreen products and oil production can lead to unpleasant results.