10+ Summer Beauty Must Haves

This post is all about products you should use this season. If you’re looking for a little more help about how to take care of your skin this summer, that linked post has all the details you need.

Summer Beauty Must Haves

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Summer Skin Care Products

These will all help you protect your skin this summer.

Sunscreen

You absolutely want to protect your skin during the summer by using sunscreen. And don’t think that you can skip it on cloudy days. You still need that protection from the UV rays.

We have a few bottles of different types of sunscreen and use them based on what we’re doing that day. If we’re going to the pool or beach, we use a sport version, which is broad spectrum and water resistant. If we’re just looking for a light daily protection, we use a mineral sunscreen. Someone who can plan ahead (and remembers to apply before going on) might choose a chemical sunscreen.

Also, I prefer lotion, but you can choose a spray or stick. Whatever works best for you.

Lightweight Moisturizer

I usually change my face moisturizer every couple months to give my skin a break from the same formulas and products every day.

In the summer, I look for a lightweight moisturizer. I want something that feels breathable on my skin.

I avoid any products that mention a mask or a barrier because I know those will be too heavy and will make my face sweat and potentially break out.

After-sun Care/Aloe

When you’re done being outside, you want to soothe your skin with after-sun lotion or aloe. Most people associate these products with sunburn, but you can use them after any sun exposure.

You can use these to add a little hydration back to your skin and prevent it from drying out.

Facial Cleansing Wipes Or Micellar Water

When I get home from being out in the sun, and I don’t want to take a shower, I use either facial cleansing wipes or micellar water on a cotton pad to wash my face.

It helps to wipe away sweat, dirt, and sunscreen buildup.

It’s not a substitute for washing my face at night, but it is a way to feel refreshed after a day at the pool or an outdoor restaurant.

Summer Makeup Essentials

Lighter makeup and waterproof mascara, plus these other products, should be your routine this summer.

SPF Lip Balm

When we think about sunburn, we’re always concerned with our skin. That makes sense. But, don’t forget about our lips, which are also skin.

So, you want to pick up a lip balm with SPF to keep your lips protected during the summer.

Don’t forget to reapply it after eating or drinking because that can wash it away.

Waterproof Mascara

If you’re someone who has to have a little bit of makeup on at all times, even in the summer, you want to switch from your regular mascara to a waterproof mascara.

If you’re planning on swimming, you’re probably not going to do a full face of makeup. But, you might if you’re going out to dinner. And that restaurant may have outdoor seating, which can cause you to sweat.

You don’t want to sweat your mascara off and end up with long black streaks going down your cheeks. So, use waterproof mascara in the summer anytime you’re going somewhere you may sweat.

Makeup Primer With Sunscreen

When we went to Nashville, I packed a makeup primer with sunscreen. We used it solely for sunscreen, but it was great.

It was really lightweight, especially for primer. That’s really nice because you don’t want a heavy primer that can cause your face to sweat.

Even if you aren’t putting makeup on top, a primer usually adds a matte finish to your skin, which takes away any shine you may get from sweat or other sunscreen. So, I just really like how this primer makes my skin look and feel. Plus, it protects from the sun.

Summer Hair Care Products

Get your hair ready for the humidity with these items.

Dry Shampoo

When I first got bangs, my forehead was not used to hair sitting on it at all times, so my bangs caused lots of breakouts. When I started spraying the underside of my bangs with dry shampoo, my face cleared up.

So, if you have bangs and you sweat in the heat, dry shampoo is a good product to have.

It’s good, even if you don’t have bangs. If you’re outside and sweating, you can spray some of your hair with some dry shampoo to absorb the sweat, especially on your hair’s part. This will help to refresh your hair when you’re somewhere you can’t shower.

Wet Brush

Humidity doesn’t usually affect my hair at all, but it did when we were in Puerto Rico. I was not expecting that at all. My hair was so wild that Pete actually had to cut a hair tie out of my hair for me.

My travel brush was not helping. What I needed was a wet brush.

We have one now and it’s great. The other day, my hair was in a braid while we were out all day watching a band outside (and swearing). When I took it down when we went to dinner, my hair was wild and crimped. I easily brushed it with a wet brush and it looked great. It also works really well on wet beach hair too, so throw one in your beach bag.

Deodorant/Clinical Deodorant

Deodorant is probably the least glamorous item on this list, but if you ask the people around you, it’s probably the most important.

You can choose whatever deodorant works best for your body, whether that’s a traditional deodorant, a clinical deodorant, or a natural deodorant.

What’s important is that you’re choosing one, especially if you’re spending time outside on a hot summer day.

Japanese Washcloth

I use a Japanese washcloth year-round. It is a long, washcloth made of a scratchy material. I love how it exfoliates my skin, which is really helpful in the summer when you want to remove dead or dry skin.

I also feel like it really helps to wash off any layers of sunscreen that you’ve applied during the day, sweat that has accumulated from being outside, or salt, water, or chlorine from swimming.