Posted by James Brown | April 16, 2026

Summer Skincare Routine: Adapting Your Skincare Regimen for Summer

Woman in a sunflower field during summer

Key Takeaways

  • Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen daily as part of your summer skin routine, regardless of the weather. When spending time outdoors, reapply sunscreen at least every two hours.
  • Use skincare products with antioxidants to combat UV damage and oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
  • You may need to cleanse more frequently. To prevent overwashing, use a cleanser that’s gentle yet efficacious.
  • Moisturize regularly, even when it’s humid.
  • Exfoliate 2-3 times weekly to remove impurities.
  • Apply toner to tighten pores and improve the absorption of other skincare products.
  • Use body lotion, lip balm, and eye care for full coverage.

As springtime fades and hotter, sunnier weather emerges, it’s important to update your daily summer skincare routine accordingly. While you shouldn’t need to drastically overhaul your current regimen, incorporating a few basic summer skincare tips goes a long way in keeping your complexion healthy.

Here’s what you need to know to achieve and maintain a beautiful summer glow!

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I reapply sunscreen during the summer?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should reapply sunscreen every two hours while outdoors during summertime. Apply sunscreen sooner if you notice any of the following signs:

  • Your skin has a burning or prickling sensation.
  • Your skin is reddening.
  • Your skin looks or feels drier.

If it’s humid outside, do I still need moisturizer?

Yes, humidity causes you to sweat more than usual, causing moisture loss. Moisturizer rehydrates the skin, making it an essential part of your summer skincare routine, even when it’s humid outside.

How often should I exfoliate during the summer?

During the summer, you should typically exfoliate 2-3 times per week as part of your summer skin routine. This helps to remove impurities that can cause adult blemishes.

Should I adjust my skincare routine if I have sensitive skin in the summer?

Yes, adjusting your skincare routine is especially important for those who have sensitive skin because sunlight, heat, dryness, and humidity can all damage the skin.

  • Prioritize soothing products that are gentle, lightweight, fragrance-free, and hydrating.
  • Moisturize and apply sunscreen regularly as part of your all-day summer skincare routine, especially when spending time outdoors.
  • Avoid products that contain harsh ingredients and/or exfoliants that could strip moisture and damage your protective skin barrier.

1. Start With Sun Protection

Woman applying sunscreen as part of her summer skincare routine

The sun’s UV rays can do major damage. While you should wear your sunscreen all year round, summer is when it’s most crucial.

Put on your SPF 30+ every day, even if you’re not spending a significant amount of time outside or if the sun’s not out. Those UV rays can penetrate your skin through windows and clouds, so it’s important to continue your summer skincare routine, even if you’re not sunbathing.

A common myth is that sunscreen isn’t necessary if you tan and don’t burn. Getting a tan is a response to UV damage, and a tan won’t protect your skin.

Additionally, wearing makeup that contains sunscreen isn’t adequate protection. While it can help, SPF-infused makeup is generally weaker than true sunscreen. Furthermore, a summer skin routine needs to protect all of your exposed skin, not just your face.

2. Combat Environmental Stressors With Antioxidants

Because you’re probably going to be outside more often, your skin is naturally going to be exposed to free radicals, pollution, pollen, and other external irritants that cause oxidative stress, which leads to cellular damage. Your summer skincare routine should include protection.

Antioxidants such as vitamins and minerals occur naturally in the body, but as we age, their supply diminishes. Replenishing them gives your body the tools needed to fight back!

In addition to preventing and reducing oxidative stress, antioxidants may provide the following benefits when applied topically:

Vitamin C

  • Protects skin from UV damage when used with sunscreen
  • Improves the appearance of aging skin, such as fine lines and wrinkles
  • Reduces the visibility of dark spots

Vitamin E

  • Protects skin cells from UV damage
  • Prevents skin from losing moisture
  • Enhances the skin’s softness

At Lea Black Beauty®, we formulate all of our skincare products with potent, natural antioxidants sourced from exotic regions all around the globe. Planning your summer skincare routine has never been so easy!

3. Be Mindful of Cleansing Habits

Man cleansing his face as part of his summer skincare routine

One of the most important tips for a summer skin routine is that you may need to cleanse your face more frequently to remove dirt, toxins, sweat, and oil that can build up when you’re enjoying those sunny summer days.

However, overwashing can actually do more harm than good, drying your skin out and causing it to produce excessive amounts of oil as a response.

So, it’s okay to cleanse when necessary, but you don’t want to be cleansing constantly. It’s all about balance. Like the rest of the year, a typical summer skincare routine involves cleansing twice daily: once in the morning and once at night. However, you may need to sneak an extra cleanse in here and there.

During the summer, you’ll want to use a cleanser that’s effective yet gentle, especially if you have sensitive skin. Your skin is vulnerable, and you’re probably going to be cleansing more often, so avoid harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

Lea Black Beauty® Skin Revitalizing Daily Face Wash is a perfect fit for summer!

4. Moisturize Regularly

Moisturizing is an obvious part of any summer skin routine on those dry days, but a common blunder is neglecting moisturization as part of your summer skincare routine on humid days.

When there’s a lot of moisture in the air, you may not feel like hydration is necessary. However, that humidity causes you to sweat more than usual, which can drastically diminish your internal hydration, even if you don’t feel it from the outside. Moisturizing replenishes the hydration you naturally lose throughout the day.

Lea Black Beauty® CBD Daily Face Moisturizer is an ideal summertime solution. It’s packed with premium, natural ingredients that deeply hydrate your skin, including aloe vera, vitamin E, green tea extract, and CBD.

5. Exfoliate to Remove Pore-Clogging Impurities

Woman exfoliating as part of her summer skincare routine

Cleansing helps to prevent clogged pores, but a solid summer skincare routine should include exfoliation at least 2-3 times a week.

Exfoliators remove sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and other impurities that can lead to breakouts. Exfoliating also encourages cell turnover, which is an important process that keeps your complexion youthful and gives it a healthy glow.

It’s important to note that those who have sensitive skin may want to exfoliate less frequently, if at all. Sensitive skin is especially vulnerable to summer damage, so preserving the protective skin barrier is a must.

Be sure to moisturize after exfoliating, especially if you have sensitive skin. Moisturizing is a core part of any summer skincare routine, but it’s especially critical after exfoliating (and showering and shaving) because moisturizing can strengthen your skin barrier while your body repairs it.

6. Tighten Pores With Toner

Toners offer many dermal benefits, including hydrating, reducing inflammation, balancing pH, and refining rough, flaky patches.

Using toner is also one of the most essential summer skin routine tips because it shrinks and tightens your pores. This naturally helps your skin to keep the bad stuff out and lock the good stuff in! Additionally, toner can improve the absorption of other skincare products.

7. Don’t Forget Your Body, Lips, and Eye Area

Woman applying eye cream as part of her summer skincare routine

A proper summer skincare routine should include products for maintaining the health of all of your skin, not just the T-zone and cheeks! Body lotion, lip balm, and eye care products provide full coverage, ensuring that you look and feel your best everywhere.

Shop Summertime Essentials Today

Whatever your skin type may be, we can help you build a daily skincare routine for the summer season and the rest of the year. Lea Black Beauty® skincare products are carefully formulated to work together as part of an overall plan, making it easy to create a synergistic regimen that checks all the boxes.

Not sure where to begin? Our Beauty Bundles feature sets of our most popular products at value prices; the Lea Black Beauty® Ultimate Skincare Collection is a fan favorite! If you prefer to shop à la carte, you can find some fantastic summer skincare routine essentials in our Best Sellers collection.

We hope these summer skin routine tips and ideas are helpful as you kick off the sunny season! Don’t wait to get your summer beauty routine ready. Shop now, and join our loyalty program to earn points with every purchase!

Author Bio

James Brown is an award-winning marketing executive with thirty years of diverse experience in traditional and new media marketing. He is known for his detail-oriented approach and vast knowledge of retail, fashion, and customer service. At Lea Black Enterprises and Lea Black Beauty®, he leads day-to-day operations for leablack.com, steering all brand direction and marketing efforts for Lea Black Beauty® Skincare.

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