These 11 Skincare Tips Will Prep You For Perfect Skin This Summer
By all means, order a second round of avocado toast.
The Mummy has inspired us to step up our quest for eternal youth—and if that doesn't quite pan out, we'll take the best skincare we can get. There’s nothing like a change in weather to make us rethink our beauty routine—and in the warmer months especially, we’re all for having a glowing complexion and a smoother canvas for makeup (hello, festival season! We need our makeup to last!) We checked in with the most in-demand skincare and beauty experts to learn their tried-and-true tips for saving face and staying #flawless.
Feed Your Skin
“Think of a grape and a raisin,” says Nigma Talib, ND, skincare whisperer to A-listers like Kate Bosworth, Penélope Cruz, Sienna Miller, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. “A grape is nice and full, and that’s what we want our skin to be.” To achieve this, the HealthyDoc owner recommends a diet incorporating nutrient-rich staples like cucumber and celery (“They actually hydrate your cells,” she notes), and superfruits like antioxidant-packed blueberries, which are packed with polyphenols that combat aging.
Avocado-lovers (aka everyone) are also in luck: The savory fruit “helps you absorb other vitamins and nutrients your skin needs to increase collagen production,” says Talib, who’s also a fan of using the good fat in at-home face masks.
Change Your Mindset
On the other hand, Talib says that some of the hardest-to-give-up kitchen essentials (think gluten, dairy, sugar, and wine) contribute to raisin-like aging. Instead of succumbing to cravings, think about feeding your body—and skin. “When you feed your cells—because your body’s made up of trillions of cells—the right foods, we end up plumping versus wrinkling prematurely,” notes the Younger Skin Starts in the Gut author.
Know (and Love) Your Supplements
While a balanced diet is key, sometimes you have to call in for reinforcements. “Naturally derived supplements can offer concentrated nutrients to keep skin looking its best every day,” says Zea Skin Solutions co-founder and holistic beauty and nutrition expert Paula Simpson. Her go-to? Zeaxanthin, which is naturally found in paprika. Not only does it help even skin tone, but it’s also believed to boost eye health—a win-win when it comes to (literally) looking good!
Hi, Tea!
Herbal hydration has its beauty benefits, Simpson says. “Teas like nettle, ginger, dandelion, cranberry, and burdock root are known to support digestion, liver, [and] kidney function to remove toxins before they reach skin tissue, and stimulate circulation to promote dermal blood flow.”
Protect Yourself
“Serums contain actives to renew, hydrate, and protect skin from daily pollutants and stressors,” says Simpson, who suggests applying a natural-based, antioxidant-infused serum to slightly damp skin (“to encourage absorption,” she notes) morning and night.
Pro tip: How you apply serums can make all the difference. “I always massage upward and use the Hungarian tapping technique to increase stimulation,” says supermodel facialist Ildi Pekar, who treats beauties like Miranda Kerr and Irina Shayk. Bonus: You’ll get a rosy cheek resembling natural blush.
Out with the Old, In with the New
Depending on your skin type, Simpson recommends exfoliating one to three times per week. “Whenever you need to slough away dead skin cells and encourage new, younger looking cells to emerge, you need to exfoliate,” she advises.
And when it comes to resurfacing, Pekar looks for organic botanical enzyme-based home peels. “Even skin texture that is sensitive or rough can benefit from this,” she says of the natural blend. “It is gentle and helps to dissolve sweat, buildup, pollution, and toxins on the skin.”
Sweat it Out
Need another reason to hit the gym? Sweat “helps cleanse toxins from your body and promote dermal circulation,” says Simpson. Translation: There’s a reason why your skin looks fresh and radiant post-workout.
Don’t Overdo It
“Over-washing can be very drying to the skin,” observes Pekar. To avoid this, swap your cleanser for toner in the AM.
Face Forward
Pekar recommends doing a clay or mud mask once a week. Her go-to? Her eponymous Hungarian Thermal Mud mask “to help detoxify and create glowing skin.”
Lock it In
“For longer lasting makeup, I always hydrate my skin with moisturizer,” says Pekar. She swears by her own moisturizer complete with raw honey and hyaluronic acid, which she says “act as humectants to keep moisture within the skin.”
Order is Everything
As for makeup? “It’s all about layering,” says Mai Quynh, who works with ingenues like Kristen Stewart, Amber Heard, and Vanessa Hudgens. Quynh recommends starting with liquids or creams and setting with powder, whether for eyes, base, or blush (“Apply cream blush first, set with powder, and then apply powder blush on top,” she says of the last.)
Kirin Bhatty begins each look with primer. “This creates a nice barrier between the skin and makeup,” says the makeup artist, who works with celebs like Lorde, Jenny Slate, Freida Pinto, and Rosario Dawson. To complete the look, she uses a setting spray like her go-to, Urban Decay All Nighter.
