Hot girl summer isn’t as easy as it looks!
When Nicki Minaj rapped “Let’s go to the beach-each, let’s go get a wave,” she forgot to mention the worst part of it all: the chronic sunburns, sweaty armpits, and excessively sandy bums.
As Instagrammable as they are, beach days are tough on the skin on our faces AND the skin on our bodies. Let’s face it, it’s inevitable that our bodies will react adversely to sweltering heat, chlorine, sweat, and intense UV rays.
That being said, I don’t let anything get in the way of my summer days! Instead, I ramp up my body care routine with top products, techniques, and ingredients that leave my skin protected, treated, and luminous.
From a miracle exfoliating ingredient that zapped away my bacne to a multitasking oil that I CANNOT shut up about, here are a few summer body care tips that keep me in check.
Jojoba Oil: the Miracle Oil for Sensitive Skin
To be honest, the word “oil” scares me. As someone with oily and acne-prone skin, I’m usually cautious of oils that clog pores or exacerbate acne.
Jojoba oil, though, is and has been a holy grail ingredient of mine for years. I’ve used this luxe oil from head to toe for everything you could imagine— soothing a dry scalp, conditioning my cuticles, and moisturizing away flaky skin.
Known for its multitasking benefits, jojoba oil packs a punch. It contains natural forms of vitamin E, which means that it has antioxidant properties that’ll combat pollutants and toxins. On top of that, the chemical makeup of jojoba oil is similar to the sebum that the human body produces— so it’s non-comedogenic and a miracle worker for controlling sebum production.
In my day-to-day routine, I incorporate Solved Skincare’s 100% Organic Golden Jojoba Oil, which is basically liquid gold. In the summer, I find this oil is perfect for helping with chafing: it helps the healing process and absorbs seamlessly into my skin without feeling too heavy. What’s more, it’s a miracle worker for my bacne, which flares up in the summer because of the humidity.
Not only is this a top summer body care tip, it’s also a hair, nail, and skin tip too!
The Holy Trinity of Acids
Acids— the skin care world can’t stop talking about them. Every skincare guru has RAVED about the life-changing effects of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs for everything from fine lines to dullness.
In the same way these acids work to smooth, clear, and brighten our faces, these acids also work wonders for body concerns. Those annoying little bumps (AKA keratosis pilaris) on your arm? Cancelled. Bacne? Zapped away. Hot girl summer? Commenced.
AHA this, BHA that. Are we just going through the alphabet?
AHAs, also known as alpha hydroxy acids, are water-soluble acids that dissolve the upper layer of the skin, revealing skin that’s smoother, brighter, and evenly toned– some of the most popular AHAs are glycolic acid, mandelic acid, and lactic acid. On the other hand, BHAs, or beta hydroxy acids, are oil-soluble, so they dig deeper than AHAs, targeting the sebaceous glands that cause whiteheads and blackheads. PHAs are the gentler, low key cousins of AHAs and PHAs: their larger molecule size exfoliates your skin without drying out or irritating sensitive skin.
In terms of body care, these acids pretty much serve as the ultimate summer body care tip. In conjunction, these acids will SLAY the game when it comes to sloughing away dead skin, zapping away chestne (is that a word?), and soothing sunburned skin.
I pair Some By Mi’s cult-favorite AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Cleanser with their AHA-BHA-PHA Soothing Gel for smooth, exfoliated and supple skin. Pro tip: if you ever accidentally take a three hour nap in the blistering Hawaii sun, the soothing gel will erase your pain— I speak from personal experience.
Tea Tree Oil. That’s the Tea.
Trust me, I’m not one of those essential oil moms. But I will admit that tea tree oil works wonders. It is, after all, a traditional healing tool.
Made from the leaves of the Australian Tea Tree, tea tree oil is backed up by centuries of traditional use as well as research that points to its antiseptic and anti-acne properties. From reducing inflammation to relieving itchy skin, tea tree oil is a cure-all for those humid summer days. Of course, as with all essential oils, it’s important to approach its use with caution!
Speaking from personal experience, I find that tea tree oil works best in my body care routine because of its refreshing and anti-acne properties. On a humid summer day, Klavuu’s Green Pearlsation Tea Tree Care Body Spray is like a breath of fresh air: when I get the occasional stubborn zit on my body, I use this spray to zap it away— and plus, it feels UH-MAZING.
Do you have any top summer body care tips? Let us know!
