How 3 experts right the wrongs of summer skin

“My skin issues include hyperpigmentation and adult acne, and, like so many women, I get hyperpigmentation after the acne lesions have resolved – but the sun’s UV light only makes it worse. Over summer I go gentle with the retinoids and use a weaker retinol, but during fall I switch back to prescription-strength tretinoin (Retin A) to beef up the strength. I apply it three times a week rather than going in too hard, as the skin gets drier when the weather cools. It’s really important to change up your skincare as you move into fall, when moisturizing and hydrating skin are key. I use hyaluronic acid (HA) throughout vacations as a serum, but post-summer I go for a heavier cream with HA and look for products with ceramides, as these are the main lipids in our skin barrier and they get depleted as we get older. It’s important to know the difference between hydrating the skin and moisturizing it, too: if your skin is dry and you use HA but see no difference (you may even feel a little drier), then your skin barrier is compromised. No amount of hyaluronic acid will make a difference, as there’s nothing to ‘seal’ it in the skin. This is where the moisturizing lipids, or ceramides, come in to keep hydration sealed into the skin. As the weather gets cooler, ceramides and hyaluronic acid go hand in hand.

“I also add in vitamin C for my hyperpigmentation – between 15-20% is shown to be the sweet spot, especially for darker skin types. If you pair it with niacinamide, you can treat the post-summer erythema you get on lighter skin tones and the hyperpigmentation from breakouts (or even bug bites) on darker skin tones, as these two ingredients can take down the redness. Niacinamide is also effective if you have oily skin, as it’s shown to be good at regulating sebum. Plus, it helps the skin barrier and brightens every complexion.

“I love chemical exfoliants and use a lactic acid-based body moisturizer, AmLactin, a lot in my practice. I also use face peels, as they can be so good for resurfacing and melasma – the VI Peel works on fair to dark skin and tackles mild to moderate skin damage and hyperpigmentation.”

“Post-vacation, I always have a little buildup of dry skin and congestion from sun exposure and heavy sunscreens, so I increase the frequency of my exfoliation. I like using a gentle exfoliating lotion, like Augustinus Bader The Essence, every night, along with a gentle scrub two to three times a week. This gets rid of any buildup of dead cells to brighten up the skin, and ensures my serums and hydrators penetrate more effectively.

“I have super-fair skin, so I always pick up a little unwanted color during the summer – freckles, redness and a few capillaries. I tend to use IPL and Pico laser to tidy up these irregularities, and I love vitamin C serums to help reduce pigmentation, brighten my skin and give it a dewy glow. Nourishing facial oils are true post-summer salves too, as, being rich in fatty acids, they help to restore any damage while reconditioning it for a plump, supple appearance. A great face oil can really breathe life back into my complexion.

“For my body, I pause on the self-tan, as the tanning agent DHA can dehydrate skin. Instead, I try to exfoliate with a scrub and mitt two to three times a week, swap out my shower gel for an oil (a straightforward grapeseed version) and moisturize with a rich body cream while my skin is still damp so it penetrates and locks hydration in.”

“As soon as I get back from vacation and I know I’m not going to be in the sun anymore, I do my annual Dermamelan peel. I have melasma and it’s the bane of my existence – even though I wear a hat, sunglasses and SPF50, I swear it comes back each summer, but this helps me to keep on top of it. I love this peel, as it works equally well on the lightest and darkest skin tones, helping to get rid of superficial pigmentation, freckles and sunspots – I’ve never seen an adverse reaction to it, either. It’s an in-clinic process and, once the skin is degreased, the peel ‘sticks’ to the face and stays on for 10-12 hours. You need to have a car to take you home, as you leave looking as though your face is covered in a layer of brown mud and it can tingle a bit, but otherwise I just get on with my day and wash it off later. The skin does look bright red, like sunburn, for a couple of days before it starts to peel, and you have that lizard-like skin, too – but stay with it and use lots of hydration; by day seven you have beautiful skin. It also gets rid of every impurity, including sunspots, so the skin just looks luscious and beautiful. If you don’t want this sort of peel, then using something like the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare peel pads every day can help brighten up the skin, plus vitamin C and retinol. But anything you do topically needs to be used for a whole skin cycle, and that’s anything from four to eight weeks, depending on your age. I also love a program of ampoules, as it’s a short and succinct treatment program that takes no effort but is a nice pick-me-up for end-of-summer skin.”