Prime your skin for makeup-free beach days.
Okay. So the announcement of yet another La Niña puts a slight dampener on the summer plans. But nothing in the world can stop us from waving goodbye to chapped, cracked, flaky, angry winter skin (seriously - just go), and saying hello to a healthy, dewy summer complexion.
With sunny skies and warmer days ahead (they’re coming! They are!), we’re turning our minds to make-up free skin that’s primed, protected, and beach-ready.
Top of the look wish-list? The effortless, lit-from-within, I-woke-up-this-way glow. And it’s yours (come on, who actually wakes up that way?!) with our roundup of the best summer skin tools and products around.
Safety first
Daily sunscreen is an absolute must in Australia, where the powerful summer sun can burn unprotected skin to a crisp and leave long-lasting - and dangerous - damage. No one wants crispy skin (leave the crackling for Christmas lunch), so it’s time to slap on the SPF (and reapply every two hours…more if you’re sweating or swimming).
We all remember the gloopy, sticky, chalky-look nightmare sunscreens of our youth (perhaps paired with a nice, thick streak of neon-coloured zinc across the bridge of your nose). Thankfully, today’s options couldn’t be any more different - or more versatile. Dewy, glowy, matte, fluid, spray, priming; whatever you’re looking for in sun protection, there’s an abundance of elegant, multitasking SPF options available.
Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection is a no-brainer these days, as are skin-plumping, moisturising ingredients designed to keep your skin both protected and hydrated. If you’d still like a hint of coverage (no judgement here) there are lots of excellent tinted options to choose from. Ella Baché Superfluid Great SPF 50 is one hell of an all-rounder; it’s a primer, tint, SPF, and comes in four different shades.
There are even body sunscreens that can be applied directly to wet skin, like La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin SPF50+. Slap it on, lie back, breathe out… annnnd relax.
Get your (healthy) glow on
Some of us have naturally sunkissed, glowy, just-flew-back-from-the-Côte d'Azur skin. Others (this writer included) need a little more help in that department. Whether you’re after a subtle, dewy glow, or the full bronzed-Bond-girl-just-out-of-the-water look, there’s plenty of shimmer to go around.
Again, ‘multitasker’ is the word here, with luxurious body oils and bronzers that incorporate everything from a subtle skin tint to moisturising properties and antioxidants.
If you’re looking for one-product-to-rule-them-all (no orcs involved), Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Hair & Body OIl is a shimmer spray, moisturiser, glow-enhancer, and flyaway-hair tamer with a sweet, summer scent, all rolled into one.
A good face oil such as Alpha-H Golden Haze Oil will absorb quickly, add a subtle touch of radiance to your complexion, and lock in moisture to make thirsty summer skin very happy. If it’s a golden glow you’re after, try a bronzing tint that you can layer on until you achieve the perfect shade.
Skin lit from within
Another way to lit-from-within, super-nourished skin? Beauty products that work hard from the inside out.
The link between good nutrition and healthy skin is long-established. But in recent years, a new generation of elegant, drinkable beauty products have come to the table, incorporating powerful ingredients with proven beauty benefits.
With ingredients such as vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, and collagen, products like GLOW™ Inner Beauty Essential make healthier skin as simple as a sip.
Studies have shown collagen in particular plays an instrumental role in promoting skin elasticity, healing, and hydration. Double up on the beauty benefits with the JS Health Greens + Collagen Formula, which boosts both collagen levels and nutrient-rich greens.
These nourishing beauty products work to replenish, support and moisturise your skin. But the benefits go way beyond beauty, with additional perks being improved immunity, gut health, and overall well being. Plus - you know it’s good when the customer ratings are high. Just check out the stellar reviews for these skin supplements on The Beauty Chef and JSHealth Vitamins.
Prep and Prime
Put the prep work in at home = reap the beauty benefits at the beach. These products are all about prepping, priming, and pampering your skin, so you can show it off at its healthy, beach-worthy best.
A good dry brush (like the cult favourite Salt by Hendrix Dry Body Brush) or salt scrub is an effortless (and eco-friendly) way to get your skin looking velvety-smooth and invigorated before you even hit the sand.
If you suffer from inflammation - or maybe you just stayed up way past your bedtime and are now suffering the puffy, dehydrated consequences - a good facial massager will help you reduce redness and puffiness, and roll the life back into your skin. Our tip: pop it in the fridge or a bowl of ice water before use.
