The skincare products you use in winter aren’t always the best ones to use in summer. That’s because different seasonal conditions can affect skin in different ways, and you need to adjust your skincare regimen as the weather fluctuates. 

In winter, for example, your cold-weather skincare regimen likely involves a dense layer of moisturizer, to seal off the skin from the parchingly dry air. A heavy layer of that same product in the summer might suffocate the pores, though, leading to excess sweat and potential pore blockage (and thus, acne). Instead you want something light and breathable to trap moisture inside the skin, while also defending against the sun’s UV rays. 

With all of that in mind, you still might seek solace in a cold, air-conditioned room as you sleep. That changes the rules yet again, because then you’re back to needing a dense layer atop the skin, so that your pores don’t get as dried out as the air in the room. 

Before we confuse you any further with this hot-and-cold loop, let’s lay out the most imperative skincare rules for summer, so that your regimen properly navigates the humidity, heat, and UV rays, and more.

We’re the ones telling you to wear sun protection year round—so you already know how we feel about sun defense in summer: Wear SPF every day. You can deflect 97% of the sun’s UV rays with a simple SPF 30 layer (the minimal recommended SPF value from the FDA). That prevents “photo-aging”, or visual signs of aging, like hyperpigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity and suppleness. Even if you skirt around this on your workdays (when you might only be outside for 10 minutes, a few times a day), you can magnify that UV exposure times the amount of days in a month and see how quickly the time adds up. You might also underestimate these benefits until you see your peers some 10 or 20 years down the road; it’ll be pretty obvious who has been proactive about sun protection, and who hasn’t been.

The best news is that many face moisturizers come equipped with SPF 30+ already, so you can get your facial hydration defense and sun defense in the same fell swoop. Cardon’s SPF 30 moisturizer is one such example.

When you sweat more, you need to up the ante on your facial cleanser. That doesn’t mean the cleanser needs to be skin-stripping, though. Rather, it needs to be gentle on your sunkist skin while essentially flushing out the pores of any backlogged sebum, sweat, and grime. Everything points to clay asd the hero ingredient, here, for its ability to deep clean pores without drying skin. In fact, it’s as nourishing as it is cleansing. Few ingredients can claim that—which is why few products are deserving of being your summertime cleanser (and in Cardon’s case, the Purifying Clay Cleanser transitions seamlessly between seasons).

If you regularly use retinol products at night, then be doubly sure to wear SPF during the daytime, since retinol increases sensitivities to the sun. It might even be worth skipping retinol the night before and after intense sun exposure.

While the lightweight, oil-free moisturizer will go a long way to prevent pimples, chances are there will be one or two days where you sweat excessively, and just can’t wash your face right away. Suddenly, you’ve got a dreaded pimple, despite your best efforts. No stress, though: Gently cleanse the area (don’t pop it or press it!), and apply a salicylic acid-packed acne patch (like Cardon’s), to help dissolve and calm the area. They’re discreet by day, given their transparency, and can also be an overnight miracle when applied after your evening face wash. Always apply moisturizer after the patch, since you need the patch to stick onto freshly washed, dried skin.