Summer brings a sense of lightness into our lives, on many different levels: We wear light and airy clothing, we walk barefoot across the sand and grass — and we lighten the load in our make-up bag, opting for a more natural and sun-kissed look.

Seldom has going au naturale felt so good. Yet going bare also leaves our skin vulnerable to the sun’s strong summer rays. Find out how we can take the best possible care of our skin, between our normal day-to-day routines and the occasional vacation.

Why sunscreen is essential to summer skincare

When the sun's ultraviolet rays hit unprotected skin, it can actually alter the cells’ DNA [1]. And because these processes take place in the lower layer of the skin — the dermis — it can take years for such damage to become visible to the naked eye [2].

In general, cells can repair the damage themselves. However, skin that repeatedly receives excessive sun exposure has a higher chance of developing skin cancer [1].

According to a study, UV rays can be responsible for up to 80% of visible skin aging, depending on the skin type [3]. That’s why we should always be using products that contain a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. By the way, this also applies when it’s cloudy: The sun’s radiation levels on cloudy days can sometimes be even higher than on sunny ones because clouds actually reflect sunlight [4].

The small but subtle difference between UVA and UVB

When choosing a sunscreen or sunblock, we should make sure that the product protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

We notice the effects of UVB rays relatively quickly: They appear when we get a sunburn as well as a tan. The SPF stated on sunscreens typically refers to the protection against UVB radiation.

The longer-wave UVA rays, on the other hand, are weaker — yet they can penetrate deeper into the skin. The resulting damage, such as skin aging, only becomes noticeable years later.

Ideally, our sunscreen should contain filters that protect against both types of UV radiation. The label will indicate whether or not it contains UVA protection in addition to UVB protection.

Sun protection: What else to look out for

A popular summer skincare mistake is not using enough sunscreen. Only when all parts of the body have been sufficiently covered in sunscreen are we actually protected from the sun. Most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen. As a rule of thumb, most adults need about 30 grams of sunscreen (enough to fill a shot glass) to coat their body.

In addition to sunscreen, a sun hat, a cap or airy clothing can help protect against UV rays. Avoiding the sun when it’s strongest, especially around lunchtime, is also a helpful tip.

And what should we do when we get caught in unprotected sun exposure? Check out our tips cooling down after a sunburn.

Helping your skin adjust

In the summertime, our skin is also exposed to other environmental changes and ventilation: A transition from the cold and dry air in winter, to the warm and often humid air in summer.

The good news is that our skin is quite capable of adjusting to these changes — at their best, facial creams can support the skin in adapting to the new environmental conditions.

While our skin tends to be drier in cold temperatures, warm temperatures can boost our sebum production and make our skin appear oily — and of course we don't want that either. We want a healthy, radiant appearance, and CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects [5] could prove to be quite powerful, and according to initial findings from some studies, the active ingredient from the hemp plant could effectively regulate sebum production [5].

Summer skincare: Your summer routine

Just as the Earth revolves around the sun, sun protection is vital to summer. We must make sure to choose products that protect us from both UVA and UVB rays, and make sure we use plenty of it — even on overcast days.

When it comes to wearing make-up, we advocate for a holistic beauty philosophy. Namely that the more attention we pay to our skincare — both during the summertime as well as during the rest of the year — the less make-up we feel like we need to wear. After all, going #nomakeup can feel liberting. And both the sun and the power of our CBD face cream can give our skin an even more beautiful glow, the natural way.

Sources :

[1] Telecollege Biology - 9th Episode: 1. Mutations
https://www.br.de/ telekolleg / faecher / biologie / biologie-09-humanangenetik102.html

[2] Yale Medicine: Photoaging (Sun Damage)
https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/sun-damage

[3] Effect of the sun on visible clinical signs of aging in Caucasian skin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790843/

[4] UV radiation sometimes stronger under cloudy conditions
https://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/article1244659/UV-Strahlung-bei-Bewoelkung-zuweilen-staerker.html

[5] Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151231/