The summer grooming guide

While winter was all about boosting the skin’s hydration and soothing sensitivity; summer is all about protection from sun exposure and keeping skin balanced. From head to toe, make sure you are summer ready with our guide to full body summer transitioning. 

Skin

As tricky as it was for your skin to adapt to the season change from summer to winter, getting it used to the warmer climate again is bound to take its toll. It’s important that the skin sheds all that dead, dry skin formed in the colder months and is nourished with lighter, hydrating moisturisers. Swap out heavy, rich moisturisers for more lightweight or gel-like formulas that will provide the skin with a cooling, refreshing feeling and will not clog the skin’s pores or stimulate heat rashes due to layers of “heavy ” or oil-rich skincare.

Beard

While having a beard in the heat can cause extra sweating and warmth on the face, with proper care you can still rock it all summer long with no discomfort. Ensure you wash your beard daily with a sulphate free shampoo or a beard wash to remove any stickiness from sweating or debris build-up. Keep the beard soft and manageable by using a beard conditioner or a lightweight beard oil. Leave the beard balms for when winter rolls in again as they tend to feel too heavy in summer. If the heat gets too much, you can always trim your beard into a shorter stubble to have a bearded appearance without the irritation.

Body

Prepare the skin with a salt scrub to gently slough off any dry or rough patches and allow for the smooth application of body oils or moisturisers. Enhance the skin tone and show off any muscle definition by mixing a small amount of body bronzer into your normal body lotion to give an extra luminous boost before a beach or pool day. Getting rid of any unwanted body hairs not only emphasises the healthy texture and contours of the body but will also prevent feeling unnecessarily hot on humid days. Invest in a good pair of wireless clippers that will allow for easy removal of hairs, minimise nicks and will be easy to pack into a beach bag or gym bag for on-the-go grooming.

Hair

“Just like your skin, your hair can burn and become damaged in the sun, with UVB radiation breaking down hair proteins and UVA radiation being responsible for colour changes. Together, they cause dulling, split ends and breakage,” says celebrity hairstylist and Glamit ambassador Saadique Ryklief. “It is important to consider adding a sun-protection hair product to your summer kit to help shield the hair before and after swims from damages of the sun such as sunburns on the scalp skin and preventing the fading of hair colour or breakage from chlorine.” Chlorine from the pool or salt from the sea has a drying effect on hair and can increase the chances of breakage and brittleness. After a day out at the beach or pool; ensure you wash hair with a sulphate-free shampoo and spritz it with a mixture of water and leave-in conditioner to instantly boost moisture. Hands & FeetSummer is synonymous with beach days, wearing comfortable sandals and ready-for-anything hands; so make sure that your hands and feet are ready to play the part. Ensure fingernails and toenails are kept well-groomed and moisturised with nourishing hand and foot creams. Though you can maintain your hands and feet at home, never underestimate the power of a professional manicure and pedicure to fast-track them into beach-ready territory.

Sunscreen

The application of sunscreen goes without saying, whether it’s winter or summer as UV rays are always present, even on a cloudy day. Protect skin from sun exposure damage, premature ageing and cancers by applying a sunscreen to body and face daily before exposure to the sun.“For daily use you need to use a sunscreen with an SPF factor of at least 30, while for outdoor use, you would need a higher SPF.“I suggest 50+. If you are going to be active [sweating]or in water you will need a water-resistant product,” says Dr Bradley Wagemaker, Lamelle medical director.