Summer Skincare Mistakes to Avoid for a Healthy Glow

4th August 2025

Summer Skin Sins: 6 Habits to Avoid for a Healthy Glow

Summer has finally arrived! We’re all enjoying time with family and friends outdoors; days out, holidays – we’re all feeling happier and much busier than usual. But when we’re filling our calendars with fun activities, we may find ourselves neglecting other parts of our routine, and unfortunately, our skin often becomes one of them.

As we know from our recent blog, “Sun-Smart Summer“, the sun’s UV rays can have a harmful effect on our skin, and we should all be adapting a summer skincare routine to protect ourselves.

Warm weather and sunshine feel great, but your skin may not agree. From UV damage to dehydration, summer comes with skincare traps that can sabotage your glow. That’s why at Elixir Skin Clinic, we’re here to help you stay radiant all season long by guiding you through the most common summer skincare mistakes to avoid.

In this blog, we’ll look at some of the typical skin sins we come across and how to avoid them, so you can achieve healthy, nourished skin all summer long.

1. Skipping SPF

As we know, our exposure to harmful UV rays increases significantly in summer and it becomes so much more important to ensure we’re using the right protection for our skin. Too much exposure to UV rays can accelerate skin ageing, cause pigmentation and can even increase our risk of cancer.

Whilst most people know to keep topped up with SPF, too many people think one application a day will be sufficient. Most SPF’s will stop being effective after 2 hours and should be reapplied throughout the day. You should be using a minimum SPF 30 every day and don’t forget, we should still be using SPF when it’s cloudy! It’s one of the most important summer skincare mistakes to avoid.

2. “Base Tans”

When preparing for a summer holiday, a lot of people will take a few visits to the local tanning beds to “get a ‘base tan’”, as they believe this will make them less likely to sunburn when they’re away. The truth is, there really is no such thing as a safe tan!

Tanning beds emit harmful UV rays that deeply penetrate and damage the skin. Whilst there is some evidence that a “base tan” can offer very minimal protection from sunburn (at most equivalent to SPF 4!), these will still increase risk of long-term skin damage and therefore should be avoided!

Instead, why not simply fake it until you make it! Opt for a nourishing instant or gradual tanning cream or spray tan to achieve a healthy glow. Or, treat your skin with a hydrating glow-boosting serum. Choosing self-tanners or glow-enhancing skincare is a far safer way to feel radiant and addresses one of the biggest summer skincare mistakes to avoid.

3. Failing to Prioritise Hydration!

One of the biggest summer sins we see people make is failing to prioritise their hydration! Dry air, heat, chlorine, sun exposure and air conditioning can all have a significant effect on the skin’s moisture and we should all be upping our water intake to counteract this during the summer months.

Dehydration can quickly lead to dryness, dullness and more visible fine lines in the skin – all of which we’re desperately trying to avoid! Try to drink at least 2.5 litres of water per day, increase your intake of water-rich fruits and vegetables and add a hyaluronic acid based serum or moisturiser to your daily routine to keep your skin nourished and your insides hydrated all summer long, otherwise, you’re making one of the top summer skincare mistakes to avoid.

4. Wearing Heavy Makeup

The increased heat and sweat we experience in warmer weather can cause any product on our skin to get trapped and lead to congestion. This can in turn cause breakouts and generally unhealthy skin.

Instead of heavy foundations and powders, allow your skin to breathe this summer. Why not opt for lightweight, breathable skincare-makeup hybrids such as tinted moisturisers or even add an extra layer of protection with a tinted SPF! Much better than clogging your pores with thick foundations; another of those sneaky summer skincare mistakes to avoid!

5. Inadequate Cleansing

Whilst we cannot stress the importance of thorough SPF application, it’s also important to ensure you’re properly removing this at the end of the day. Sweat and pollution can clog up pores and cause breakouts, and excess SPF left on the skin and inadequate cleansing can increase congestion.

We would advise double cleansing at night to ensure all traces of SPF and sweat are properly removed from the skin, allowing your skin to breathe and reset overnight: because poor cleansing is one of the most overlooked summer skincare mistakes to avoid. Adding a deep-cleansing facial treatment to your routine will also add some well needed nourishment back into your skin. Speak to our team to find out more about our current skincare treatments.

6. Neglecting After-Sun Care

As we all know by now, exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause significant problems to our skin health if not properly cared for, and this also means regular and thorough after-care! It’s not enough to prep the skin before exposure, we also need to ensure we’re not neglecting after-sun care too!

Our skin desperately needs extra TLC post-sun exposure to calm any inflammation caused and to replenish any moisture lost. Aloe Vera, antioxidants and ceramides can help soothe and repair the skin, help lock back in that much needed moisture and tackles another major summer skincare mistake to avoid.

Need an extra skin boost? One of our in-clinic treatments, such as our ZO Stimulator Peel or one of our hydrating facials, could be just what your skin needs! Contact our team to find out what other post-sun skin care options we have available.

Professional Treatments to Rescue Summer Skin
If you’re looking for something extra to rejuvenate your skin this summer and address some common summer skincare mistakes to avoid, here are some professional treatments you could consider:

Hydrafacials to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate
Microneedling for sun spots and fine lines
LED Light Therapy to reduce inflammation
Vitamin C containing skincare for brightening
SPF consultations and product advice

Let’s Rescue Your Summer Glow
Don’t let your skin down this summer! Remember; SPF and hydrate regularly, no heavy make up, “base tans” are still harmful and thorough cleansing and after-care is a must!

Ready to undo summer’s damage? Whether you need a deep cleanse, a hydration boost, or expert SPF advice, Elixir Skin Clinic has you covered. Book a free skin consultation today and let’s restore your summer glow — the right way. https://elixiraesthetics.co.uk/contact/