How to Adjust Your Skincare Routine as the Heat Kicks In

The routine that worked through spring doesn’t always hold up as temperatures start climbing. Heat and humidity change how skin behaves — and a routine that doesn’t adapt can tip into congestion, breakouts, or sensitivity. Here are the targeted adjustments that keep skin performing as the heat kicks in.

How Heat Changes Skin Behaviour

Increased temperature stimulates sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Skin that was balanced in cooler months can become oily and prone to midday shine as summer arrives. The pore-clogging combination of excess oil, sweat, and heavier skincare products that don’t absorb cleanly causes the late-spring congestion that many people experience without connecting to their routine.

Humidity creates a counterintuitive situation. Despite moisture in the air, skin can still lose water through the barrier because high temperatures increase transepidermal water loss. Dehydrated-oily skin — oily on the surface, dehydrated underneath — is a common summer skin condition that a winter routine isn’t set up to address.

The Cleanser Adjustment

A lighter gel or foaming cleanser suits oily and combination skin better in summer than the cream or balm formulas that work well in winter. The goal is to cleanse thoroughly without stripping — removing the increased oil and sweat of the day without disturbing the barrier.

Double cleansing becomes more important in summer, not less. SPF reapplication throughout the day means more product to remove by evening. An oil cleanser first, gel second, ensures the surface is genuinely clean before the rest of the routine goes on. For more on how summer affects the post-sun routine: [How to Ease Your Skin Back Into Routine After Summer].

Lightening the Moisture Layer

A rich moisturiser that felt comfortable in winter can feel heavy and pore-clogging in summer heat. Switching to a gel-cream or lightweight lotion maintains the barrier support without adding to the oil and heaviness that makes skin more prone to congestion.

Dry skin still needs moisturiser in summer. The temptation to skip it because skin feels less dry is worth resisting — the barrier still needs support, and dehydrated skin under a lighter moisture layer is what produces the tight, uncomfortable skin that foundation sits badly on.

SPF moisturisers that combine two steps are practical in summer. One less layer means less product on the skin and less opportunity for pilling between steps.

Active Ingredient Adjustment

Retinoids and high-concentration acids increase photosensitivity, which makes them more likely to cause irritation during a season of higher UV exposure. Reducing frequency — from three nights a week to two, or from nightly to three nights — maintains the benefit without the compounded sensitivity risk. For the full approach to managing actives across seasons: [How to Layer Actives Without Destroying Your Skin or Your Makeup].

Vitamin C and niacinamide can continue at the same frequency. Both suit summer use well and provide antioxidant and brightening benefit that’s particularly relevant during higher UV exposure.

How the Seasonal Adjustment Affects Makeup

Lighter skincare in summer produces a better base for makeup. Less product layered underneath means foundation has a cleaner, more consistent surface to sit on. The switch from rich moisturiser to gel-cream under SPF typically improves foundation wear time in summer rather than reducing it.

The base prep adjustment is worth making even if nothing else in the routine changes. For how prep specifically affects what happens under makeup as heat increases: [What Skipping Skin Prep Does to Your Makeup].