Summertime sunshine is just around the corner and we can’t wait to see you rock your beautiful bare face to hit the beach, pool, or even run some errands! Summer is that time of year when less is more. If the idea of wearing less makeup and relying on your summer glow frightens you rather than excites you, we can help with that.
Having that perfect dewy, radiant summer glow is about having the right skincare in your arsenal.
There are 4 crucial steps to looking good without makeup during the summer:
Step 1: Prep
Step 2: Manage
Step 3: Detoxify
Step 4: Restore
Look no further – we’re going to drop all of our secrets to achieving that dewy glow we all crave in the summer months.
Step 1: Prep
Prepping the skin before you go outside without makeup is so important that even gorgeous supermodels and actresses do it.
They might seemingly roll out of bed looking glamorous, but they actually have a skin prep routine they follow before they even think about going out in public rocking a no-makeup look.
If you’re anything like us, you want your skin to look and feel luxurious while also being quick, easy, and affordable.
We have the perfect routine for prepping your skin and under-eye area to restore a radiant, summer glow.
Prep your face
According to Harper’s Bazaar, one of the best hacks to looking your best with a bare face is “a natural looking glow” that can “help you look healthier and more radiant”, “without the need for foundation”.
Recreate that natural glow with the Get Dewy With It Sheet Mask. It can be tough to beat dry, sunburnt, or cracked skin in the summer heat. This mega moisture sheet mask is the best way to deliver hydration when your skin feels more like sandpaper than silk in just ten minutes.
How do face masks work?
All you have to do is unfold this mask and pop it onto your face. In just 10 minutes, you’ll have super soft, supple skin that will look pretty darn good without applying a drop of makeup.
As tempting as it is, don’t wash off the excess serum – let it absorb into the skin for all-day hydration.
Prep your under eyes
Next, we’ll target the under-eye area to reduce any signs of tired eyes or fine lines. Have you ever tried holding an ice cube up to your under eyes in the morning to help reduce dark circles and puffiness? This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, used by models and beauty gurus, to help brighten up your appearance.
We have a mess-free and easy equivalent: enter, Serve Chilled On Ice Eye Gels.
These oh-so-cooling undereye patches offer a much-needed cocktail of skin-smoothing, depuffing ingredients while cooling on contact for an incredibly refreshing experience.
Packed with firming and nourishing ingredients like Bakuchiol, Cloudberry Oil, and 9 (!!) Peptides, they’re the perfect antidote to bags and fine lines.
How do eye gels work?
Pop your On Ice Eye Gels in the fridge before use to increase refreshment and cool down any scorching hot day.
They work in just 5 minutes with our proprietary HydraSurge5 technology.
Pro-Tip: You can apply your eye gels and sheet masks at the same time! Just apply your eye gels first, and then apply your sheet mask right on top of them. The best time-saving hack for a busy morning!
The final prep step is to apply an SPF facial moisturizer and SPF lip product. No one wants dry, cracked skin or lips! We're big fans of the SPF Play lip balm and Unseen sunscreen by Supergoop!
Long-term repeated bouts of sunburn can also lead to premature wrinkling, sagging, and even skin cancer – all things we do not want.
Step 2: Manage
The next step to looking good without makeup this summer is to manage your skin throughout the week. If you’re only pampering your skin once a week, this is your sign to ramp it up, especially during the summer months.
On any given summer day, there’s no doubt you’ll encounter extreme heat, sweat, and sun.
If you notice a dull, gray cast taking over your under-eyes, skin, and lips, free radicals could be to blame…
What are free radicals?
Let’s go back to science class for a minute.
Free radicals are molecules that contain an unpaired electron, which makes them unstable and highly reactive.
They are found in unclean air around us, from environmental pollutants to solar radiation. Free radicals attack important molecules which can lead to cell damage.
How do free radicals affect the skin?
Free radicals are responsible for premature aging. According to the National Institutes of Health, they can damage the different layers of the skin, causing fine lines and wrinkles.
They can also contribute to dull, uneven skin tone, an increase in dark spots, and sagging skin.
What can prevent free radical damage to the face?
To prevent premature aging from free radicals, make sure you have enough antioxidants in your skincare!
Antioxidants and vitamins, among other nutrients, help protect your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.
The Illuminate FlashMasque is the perfect fix to protecting against free radicals. This brightening face mask is packed with antioxidants like vitamin C and Grapefruit Extracts to help protect against environmental toxins while also stimulating collagen production.
The Illuminate FlashMasque®
Patchology's FlashMasque® Illuminate is a 5-minute sheet mask designed to even skin tone and brighten your complexion.
Made with licorice extract and advanced masque material, the FlashMasque® brightens and evens skin tone with the accelerated delivery of essential ingredients.
Step 3: Detoxify
The final two steps are crucial after a long day of beating the summer heat. If your skin doesn’t look as radiant or bright as you’d like it to when you’re not wearing any makeup, it could be because you’re not treating uneven skin tone in your nighttime routine.
Uneven skin tone is the main reason for a dull complexion. To understand why, here’s a lesson in understanding skin radiance.
How radiant your skin appears as a result of these 4 things:
- How reflective your skin cells are: fresh skin cells reflect light which shows radiance, while dead skin absorbs light which shows dull skin
- The smoothness of your skin: smooth skin reflects light giving a dewy appearance, while uneven texture can trap and scatter light, giving the appearance of dull skin
- The evenness of skin texture: Dark spots and uneven skin tone absorb light instead of reflecting it the way an even complexion would
- Circulation of blood flow: Your water intake, daily exercise, and a healthy diet can promote healthy blood flow for a natural skin glow
The best solution to removing dead skin cells and buildup is a Detox SmartMud™ Mask.
How to use the Detox SmartMud™ Mask
Our Detox SmartMud™ Mask is an innovative skincare treatment packed with natural ingredients known for detoxifying and clarifying. You’ll get a spa-like experience in the comfort of your own home without the mess of a traditional mud mask in a jar.
Simply apply the sheet mask to cleansed skin, sit back, and let the powerful ingredients work their magic. As the mask dries, it gently exfoliates dead skin cells, leaving your complexion smoother and more refined.
Infused with a potent blend of minerals, antioxidants, and botanical extracts, our mud mask will draw out impurities, excess oil, and toxins from deep within your pores.
This is exactly what you need to even out your skin texture and promote radiance.
Learn more about the Detox SmartMud™ Mask in our blog post.
Step 4: Restore
The final step to looking good without makeup this summer is to restore your skin of lost minerals, radiance, and hydration after a long day.
The FlashMasque Illuminate 5-Minute Sheet Mask is the perfect option for anyone looking to even out skin tone and brighten complexion.
The FlashMasque Illuminate 5-Minute Sheet Mask
The FlashMasque® Illuminate 5-Minute Sheet Mask restores the skin by delivering Vitamin C, Licorice, and Grapefruit Seed Extracts into the skin to gently brighten in just 5 minutes.
Apply it just like the Get Dewy With It Sheet Mask. Feel free to kick your feet up, enjoy a cocktail, or indulge in some self-care while you wait!
The golden rule to looking good without makeup
We’ve given you so many amazing tips on how to care for your skin properly when attempting the no-makeup glow this summer. What we haven’t touched on is the most important key to looking good without makeup – confidence.
Confidence is your best friend, and it doesn’t need to come in the form of a foundation bottle.
We just want to take a sec to say that dry patches, acne, scarring, dark spots, or any other skin complications are part of being human.
Don’t beat yourself up because of every little imperfection you may encounter. Your skin is your biggest organ and it does so much to protect us on a daily basis. Find a sense of gratitude for your skin while you work to keep it healthy.
Pro-tip: remember that no matter how amazing your skin is, it’s impossible to avoid another pimple or dry patch on your face for the rest of your life. It’s part of being human!
For some extra assistance in the pimple department, try our Breakout Box equipped with Blackhead-Eliminating Charcoal Nose Strips, Pimple-Shrinking Salicylic Acid Dots, and Whitehead-Absorbing Hydrocolloid Dots. These tiny, adhesive dots may appear unassuming, but they pack a powerful punch when it comes to promoting skin healing and reducing blemishes.
Here's why Hydrocolloid Dots are an excellent choice for an overnight acne treatment: they promote healing, they stop bacteria from building up, they keep pesky fingers from touching the pimple, they reduce redness, and best of all they extract the impurities overnight.
If you’ve tried all of these tips and just can’t bare with the bare face, don’t be afraid to add a little bit of concealer, a tinted moisturizer, or a colored lip to your routine! Sometimes less is more, and a little bit of help goes a long way in the confidence department.
Self-love note: Don’t compare yourself, or your skin, to others. Learning to appreciate your natural bare face is what summer is for. We hope these products help enhance the beauty that already exists :)
If you’d like to check out more of Patchology’s products, click here to shop our award-winning products.