Common Summer Skin Woes + What To Do About Them: Summer Skin Series Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our 3-part Summer Skin Series! This series is here to help you soak up all this season has to offer – without any harmful side effects. Check out Part 1 (how to protect your skin + prevent sun damage) and Part 3 (the best products to repair dry, sun-drenched skin)!

When temperatures rise, sun rays get stronger, and the climate gets more humid (or dry – if you’re in Southern California like us) it can start to take a toll on your skin. While summer heat and humidity can offer some welcomed beauty benefits like more hydrated hair + skin from more moisture in the air and increased Vitamin D levels from more time outdoors, there are definitely some beauty woes that this season brings with it.

From sweating and shaving issues to breakouts and inevitable family mishaps, we’re spilling some common summer skin problems and what to do about them. Keep your skin clear, your family safe and your summer days carefree with these tips below!

Sweating is something we talk about a LOT at Primally Pure – and with summer in full swing, it made the top of the list. Not only does humidity and higher temps mean more sweating, making the switch from a toxic traditional antiperspirant to a natural deodorant means that your sweat glands are back in action and able to expel toxins + regulate your body temperature (aka sweat!). And remember, once your body becomes acclimated to natural deodorant, you’ll find you actually sweat even less! But here’s where that sweating can sometimes cause a problem: the excess perspiration can potentially get trapped in your pits and cause itchiness, inflammation or irritation. So here’s what to do about it.

• Especially in the heat of the summer, it’s important to make sure you properly cleanse your pits to keep skin clear of trapped sweat and bacteria buildup. Use a gentle body bar daily that effectively cleanses + lightly exfoliates.
• Spritz this multi-purpose spray after showering (and throughout the day as a refresher!) to keep pores clear and to calm inflammation with organic essential oils of tea tree and lavender, along with magnesium oil and raw apple cider vinegar.
• For even more perspiration protection, apply talc-free baby powder to absorb excess moisture and help reduce friction + irritation.

While some may think of shaving (or really any type of hair removal) as a necessary evil, we want to help you minimize razor burn, irritating ingrowns and painful rashes/redness for smooth, bump-free skin for bathing suit season! Whether you’re a guy who prefers the clean-shaven look or a girl ready to hit the beach with a smooth bikini line, these tips are a must for post-shaving, sugaring or waxing.

• Dry Brush: Before showering, gentle strokes with natural bristles is all you need to reveal smoother, softer skin. Dry brushing helps to loosen + slough off dead skin cells for an even closer shave and cleaner wax – plus keeps skin clear of buildup to help prevent pesky ingrowns.
• Exfoliate: A PP hack we love is lightly exfoliating skin in the shower with the Baby Bar in the little Lip Balm Set tote! Simply put the goat milk soap into the empty lip balm bag then suds up + gently exfoliate with the organic, textured cotton. (Plus, now you’ve got 5 nourishing lip balms to keep those lips hydrating all summer long.)
• Heal + Tone: Although some skin states are more prone to ingrowns than others, with this powerhouse spray you can say good-bye to them for good. After shaving, spritz skin liberally to calm + purify skin and finish with the step below.
• Hydrate: A light layer of this blue body oil is about to become your skin’s new best friend for combatting inflammation, bumps and irritations – and it leaves your skin looking and feeling radiant. Bring on the bikini!

‘Tis the season of cuts, scraped knees, bruises, bug bites and the inevitable effects of a summer well-lived. If you’ve got little ones you know exactly what we’re talking about. 😉 With active kiddos, outdoor summer activities and even pets that like to play with (and get bit by!) bugs in the backyard, you may find yourself reaching for the medicine cabinet more than you might like. Here are a few non-toxic staples to keep stocked in your family’s first aid kit this season.

• Hand Sanitizer: This Immune-Boosting Hand Sanitizer is one of the *best* multi-purpose products for mamas. Keep on hand for immediate cleansing + antibacterial power and to help defend against harmful bacteria + viruses. Its potent blend of organic ingredients (like 63% grape alcohol, immune-boosting essential oils, healing aloe vera and soothing vegetable glycerin) help soothe + protect delicate skin.
• Everything Spray: Simplify your first aid kit and spritz Everything Spray on scraped knees, random rashes and bug bites to help calm inflammation and speed up the healing process. Organic raw + unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains powerful healing enzymes, magnesium oil helps to rebuild + repair skin cells and organic tea tree essential oil disinfects and provides antibacterial properties. No matter what the summer season brings, this spray will help your entire family (and furry friends) enjoy it so much more.
• Baby Balm: Don’t let the name of this balm fool you – it’s not just for babies or a growing belly. Baby Balm deeply hydrates, rebuild the skin’s protective barrier and calm redness + irritation. With powerful antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic and antibacterial properties, it protects skin from infection + irritation while sealing in moisture. What more could you ask for?

While there are multiple approaches you can take to help heal acne, in the summer months breakouts can often be caused by the shift in weather. Increased temps (and humidity levels) can mean increased oil production and if the proper skincare steps aren’t in place, it means your pores are more prone to buildup, congestion, and yes, acne. Here are a couple simple steps you can incorporate into your daily + weekly skincare routine that address these concerns and help to keep skin clear all summer long!

Double Cleansing: Cleansing is the most crucial step in your skincare routine and during the hot summer months, double cleansing is the best way to minimize excess oil production and breakouts. This 2-step cleansing technique (1st step: oil-based cleanser, 2nd step: a water or glycerin-based cleanser) helps to balance the skin, leaving it purified and properly hydrated. Double cleansing works its magic by dissolving buildup and removing pore-clogging debris + oil that leads to inflammation (which can lead to acne). Plus with the aromatherapy benefits of the essential oils and herbs, your cleansing ritual is bound to be something you look forward to all summer long.

Clarifying: Now that you’ve got cleansing under control, following up with targeted products to prevent breakouts + brighten your complexion will help optimize the results of your skincare routine. A daily serum and a weekly mask are a must for maintaining balanced oil production and pores that are free from buildup.

• This Clarifying Serum is formulated with powerful, potent skin-loving oils (such as turmeric oil, green tea with EGCG and manuka oil) to boost skin’s overall clarity – even those with oil-rich skin will benefit from its breakout-fighting and brightening benefits.
• This clay + honey-based mask with white willow bark (a natural source of salicylic acid) works wonders in sweeping away dead/dull skin cells, purifying pores and clearing up acne. While clogged pores, blackheads and oil blotting sheets may have been your summer norm, just apply this clarifying facial mask a few times a week for clear, healthy skin – finally.

If there are any more summer skin problems you’d like solutions for, leave your questions below and our team would love to help! XO