True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Did you know, your skincare routine needs to work extra hard during the summer months to ensure your complexion stays clear, moisturized and protected all season long?

One of the most important ways to keep your skin healthy is to employ a solid, consistent skincare routine. All year round. And what this means is finding your perfect product matches to help you build a basic routine that includes a gentle cleanser, facial serum, eye cream, moisturizer and sunscreen.

Once you find your sweet spots, however, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to them to the letter. Because things change. And so does your skin.

During the summertime, days get longer and warmer – which means more time outdoors and more environmental stressors for your skin to contend with. The weather also becomes more humid (depending on where you live, of course) which offers up more water in the air. And that’s great for your skin (free moisture, yay!), but super annoying for your hair (one word: frizz).

So, what are the best ways to ensure your routine stays fairly consistent while allowing your skin to smoothly transition from winter to summer? Below, are some of the most important dos and don’ts we believe are crucial for this time of year.

DO Try A Double Cleanse In The Evening

As a rule, we believe that cleansing your skin with just one gentle, but effective formulation should be enough. However, in the summertime you’re potentially sweating more and (definitely) piling on more sunscreen, so an evening double cleanse can be a really good trick to have up your sleeves to ensure your pores are clean and clear before bed.

Double cleansing is pretty simple. It requires cleansing your skin twice – first with an oil-based formulation to cut through makeup, sebum and sunscreen, then again with a water-based product to get rid of sweat and other surface debris. It’s a great way to thoroughly cleanse your skin before bed when it needs just that little bit more after a day in the heat. Try taking off your makeup with an oil-based remover or balm first, then wash your skin with your regular, gentle face wash. We’re big fans of using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser in the summertime but we have plenty of awesome ones to choose from, right here.

DON’T Overdo The Actives

It’s tempting to go wild with active ingredients in the summer when your skin feels stronger and more resilient. Don’t do that. Topical actives like retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and vitamin C are fabulous ways to target and treat your skin. However, you need to tread carefully with them – especially when it comes to retinol which is a potent ingredient that encourages your skin to turn over more efficiently. It’s an incredible way to boost the tone, texture and condition of your skin, for sure, but too much of a good thing can cause sensitivities and will make you more susceptible to the slings and arrows of UV radiation.

Our advice is to stick with retinol at night only, and maybe apply it just two or three times a week depending on your skin. You could also switch it out for bakuchiol which is a milder alternative and a real winner during the summer months. Try our Longevity Regimen Bundle which includes all three of our bakuchiol formulations – Rejuvenating Longevity Serum, Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream and Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream.

DO Apply Sunscreen Daily

The single most important way to look after your skin and preserve its integrity is to apply sunscreen every freakin’ day. It’s the most effective way to protect your skin from premature aging and will decrease your risk of skin cancer dramatically. Of course, the sun is around all year long, but in the summertime the intensity of UVB radiation is going to burn your skin lightning fast unless you shield it with a high quality sunscreen.

Your sunscreen should be the final step in your routine every morning, and it should check BOTH of these boxes.

✅ It must be SPF 30 or above. This blocks about 97 percent of UVB radiation.

✅ It must be broad-spectrum. This ensure it offers equal protection from UVA as well as UVB radiation. And that’s the stuff that’s around all year long, even on cloudy days.

We also prefer mineral sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide over chemical ones like oxybenzone and octisalate. Mineral sunscreens are a more natural choice. They’re also environmentally-friendly and provide instant protection as soon as they’re applied.

Get your fill of all of the above check points with our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C.

DON’T Forget To Reapply It, Regularly

Applying sunscreen to your face once a day in the winter is OK since you’re probably not spending that much time outdoors. However, in the summertime, when you’re likely to be outside and exposing your skin to longer periods of sunshine, it’s crucial to reapply generously, every couple of hours.

DO Up Your Topical Vitamin C

Vitamin C and summer are like gin and tonic – perfect together. Vitamin C is one of the most die-hard antioxidants, working like crazy to combat the free radical damage that amps up big time in the summertime (thanks to UV radiation). It also contains properties that help inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that generates melanin synthesis.

As you know, melanin is responsible for the color of your skin, hair and eyes, and when you expose your skin to sunlight, melanin production goes into overdrive, making your skin tan. Melanin production can also become erratic if you keep on battering it with UV radiation, resulting in patches of dark skin otherwise known as sun spots. And this is where topical C comes to the rescue. By inhibiting tyrosinase and thus regulating melanin production, vitamin C helps to gradually fade patchy, dark areas and limit your risk of developing new ones.

We use an awesome derivative of pure vitamin C called sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) across all of our vitamin C formulations. Why SAP? Well, it’s way more stable than the pure stuff. It's also gentler on your skin which makes it officially the perfect way to treat your skin without causing irritation. Try our Vitamin C Facial Serum underneath your moisturizer every morning.

DON’T Be Tempted To Over-Exfoliate

Over-exfoliating is one of the most common skin faux-pas out there and it’s hella bad for your barrier function, making your skin dehydrated and itchy if you’re not careful. Most derms agree, however, that it can be a great idea to up the exfoliating ante in the summertime to help keep your pores clean and clear while balancing excess sebum and controlling breakouts.

This doesn’t give you free rein, however, to exfoliate too much. And by ‘too much’ we mean every day. Instead, slowly increase the number of days you exfoliate per week to get a more sensible feel of what your skin can handle.

We have two awesome exfoliators to suit all tastes. Our new Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub is an incredible physical scrub while 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant harness the powers of exfoliating acids to unclog pores and reveal brighter, stronger skin. Take your pick!

DO Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Routine

Moisturizing your skin (whatever your skin type) is vital all year but you can definitely afford to lighten it up in the summertime if you feel like your regular moisturizer becomes too much. Just don’t forego moisturizer altogether. That’s a huge mistake.

Thanks to all that extra humidity in the air during the summer months, your skin is treated to way more hydration than in the winter when the air is colder and drier. So, make the most of this by introducing a lightweight hyaluronic acid serum into your routine. Hyaluronic acid draws in all that water from the air and soaks it into the surface of the skin.

Apply Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum after cleansing and toning, but before your light lotion or gel moisturizer.

And that's what we call the perfect moisturization routine – all without any pore-clogging ingredients ruining your skin’s mojo.

Want to ensure your skin is doubly protected from the slings and arrows of the sun? Then the winning combination of sunscreen and antioxidants is everything.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: sunlight is the number one cause of skin aging. OK, in truth, your genetics are the actual number one, but you can’t change your genes, so go figure.

So, why is the sun so damaging? After all, it's deliciously lovely, warm and instantly makes us feel and look ten times better. So why, oh why do we have to be careful in its presence?

How The Sun Affects Your Skin

Sunlight is split into various forms of energy called the electromagnetic spectrum. This intricate spectrum includes visible light (the stuff you can see), infrared radiation (heat) and ultraviolet radiation among others. And it’s the UV radiation that’s to blame for over 80 percent of your fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin. UV is extremely powerful and not only accelerates premature aging, but is also believed to be one of the biggest causes of skin cancer.

But UV isn’t simply a one-and-done type of radiation. Ha, if only it were that easy. In fact, UV is split into three different wavelengths: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC rays are the shortest and, thanks to the ozone, don’t reach the Earth’s surface or, consequently your skin, so you can forget about the Cs. But the Bs and As? They’re a big deal.

UVA rays have the longest wavelength and make up about 95 percent of the UV radiation that hits your skin. UVA rays are able to penetrate through clouds and even glass, which means that they’re present all year round – summer, spring, fall and yes, even winter – AND they can get to your skin even if you’re inside, near a window. UVA radiation penetrates deep into your skin, screwing up your collagen, depleting elastin, ruining your barrier function and basically aging you up like it was its one true mission in life.

UVB rays, meanwhile, have a slightly shorter wavelength and aren’t so prevalent in the winter months. Nor do they penetrate your skin on such a deep level. However, don’t underestimate the Bs because they’re just as bad for your skin and they’re the ones most responsible for sunburn.

Sunscreen: Your Best Defense Against UV

Everyone knows that sunscreen should be a crucial part of your daily skincare regime. But while you might know it, do you actually put it into practice? The big picture is that if you don’t apply sunscreen to safeguard your skin from damaging UV radiation you’re putting your skin at risk. And not only of premature aging, but also of skin cancer. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation regular use of daily sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing skin cancers by between 40 and 50 percent. That’s major, if you ask us.

The uptake is that you should apply sunscreen every morning without fail, even if you’re going to be sat at your desk all day – windows, remember? Not sure what to look out for in your sunscreen? We can help with that here but, in short, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the following.

1. Always choose broad-spectrum protection to ensure your skin is shielded from both UVA and UVB radiation.

2. Never go below SPF 30 to truly safeguard your skin.

3. Choose water-resistant formulations.

Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is an incredible choice for daily use because it blocks around 90 percent of UVB radiation (that’s the SPF30 working hard, right there), plus it keeps you equally safe from UVA radiation (thanks to its broad-spectrum formulation).

Not only that, but our sunscreen contains vitamin C – one of the most effective antioxidants available in skincare.

The Wonder Of Antioxidants

Without doubt, sunscreen is our number one recommendation for sun protection. That, and staying away from direct sun as much as possible. Living your life, of course, just doing it safely.

But there’s another skincare essential for helping to prevent photoaging from hitting you in the face too soon: topical antioxidants. Why are they so crucial? Because they fight tooth and nail to neutralize free radicals. And if you don’t know what free radicals are, allow us to explain.

Free radicals are compounds that form in your skin when it’s been subjected to things like smoking, pollution and the biggest offender of them all, the sun. Free radicals are no good for your skin, destroying important proteins and causing what’s known as oxidative stress which leads to the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and results in lines, wrinkles and premature sagging.

Unfortunately, there’s no escaping free radicals – that’s the joy of modern living – however, antioxidants are their absolute nemesis, limiting their negative effects by neutralizing them before they get a chance to cause too much damage. Your body has its very own natural antioxidant system but the onslaughts of everyday life are often too much for it to keep up with. So you have to give it a helping hand with an antioxidant-rich diet (here’s looking at you fresh fruit and veggies) and by applying topical antioxidants.

Studies have shown that two of the best topical antioxidants for protecting your skin from the sun and all the free radicals that come with it are vitamins C and E. Of course, it’s worth remembering that antioxidants won’t shield your skin from sunburn (that’s what your SPF is for) but they’re a great addition to the party and, when combined with SPF are the real deal.

Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen contains a hefty sum of vitamin C but to really hit those free radicals hard, we like to apply an antioxidant serum underneath. We have plenty of awesome formulations to choose from but here are our summertime favorites.

1. Vitamin C Facial Serum

Our very own TruSkin OG and still the best-seller on Amazon, Vitamin C Facial Serum combines gentle vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) along with vitamin E, hydrating hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and jojoba oil.

2. Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum

If you never know which vitamin to choose from in your skincare routine (they all sound SO good), we say, don’t. Instead, go for our Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which fuses a holistic blend of antioxidant-rich vits with skin-hydrating minerals.

3. Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum

One of our gentlest serums, Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum is an everyday essential that harnesses the antioxidant powers of niacinamide to strengthen, soothe and illuminate your skin tone. Light and silky, it’s a shoo-in for those hot, summer months. And, in fact, for all the months!

It’s vital to make sure your sunscreen is doing everything it can to protect you from the sun’s evil rays. Here’s how to get on that.

The sun is annoying. When it’s out everything seems better. Your mood elevates, your spirit lifts, your hair looks shiny, heck even your complexion looks great. But beneath all that fabulous stuff lies some serious business. Because as awesome as the sun is  – heck, we’d be non-existent without it – it’s just no good.

No good as far as your skin is concerned, anyway.

Ticking clocks aside, the sun is the number one cause of skin aging. In fact, it’s responsible for somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of all your aging skin concerns. Wrinkles? Sun. Loss of firmness? Sun. Dark spots? Sun. Almost always, you can point the finger at the sun. Also, did you know that over 80 percent of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation?

As we said: the sun is no good.

Of course, we don’t recommend you close the blinds and never leave the house again. Drama, much? But being more sun savvy is something we can all accomplish. Staying out of the midday sun, wearing wide-brimmed hats and choosing protective clothing, for example – not too much to ask, right?

It's also wise to wear sunscreen whenever you expose your skin to the sun. It’s just common sense if you care about warding off premature skin aging for as long as possible. And it's an extremely important tool for preventing skin cancer which, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), around one in five Americans will develop at some point in their lives.

But what are the most important things a good sunscreen should offer or are they all decent enough? Well, in answer to the latter, no they’re not. And to answer the former, keep scrolling for the five most important things to look out for…

1. The Magic SPF Number

As we’re sure you know, a sunscreen’s SPF value is there to show you how well it’s going to protect you from burning. Low numbers offer you less protection whereas high numbers give you much greater protection. Simple enough, right? Ha, if only. Going by these rules makes it tempting to choose insanely high SPF ratings in a bid to protect your skin as best you can. However, the truth is that SPF 30 actually blocks a whopping 97 percent of UVB radiation, so anything higher than that is going to be very minimal. SPF 50, for example, only blocks an extra 1 percent, and studies show that anything above that provides almost no additional protection whatsoever.

That’s why we believe, along with most skin experts, that SPF 30 is the sweet spot.

Also, what about UVA radiation? Well, we’ll come to that in a minute because SPF doesn’t go there, it’s only an indication of UVB protection – the one that causes sunburn – not UVA which is present all year long and the biggest offender of skin aging. An easy way to remember which is which? Think UVA for aging and UVB for burning.

2. The Term ‘Broad Spectrum’

So you’ve got your UVB protection sorted thanks to SPF, but how do you know your product will also protect you from UVA radiation? After all, UVA rays are around every day, eating away at your collagen supplies and aging up your skin like nobody’s business – even on cloudy days. They’re arguably the worst of the lot.

Thankfully, there’s a simple way to ensure you’re getting the right level of UVA protection from your sunscreen: only ever buy broad spectrum. Any product that doesn’t mention this term? Not worth your dollars.

A broad-spectrum formulation that has SPF 30 is ideal for providing you with the optimum level of protection from both UVA and UVB radiation. It’s what we like to call the best of both worlds.

3. The Gold Standard Mineral Protection

There are two types of sun protection – mineral and chemical. Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like oxybenzone, octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate to absorb and break down UV rays where they are then released back out through your skin. They’re pretty smart, but some experts believe they cause hormonal disruption as well as damage to the planet’s waterways and marine life. We’re not keen on any of that.

Mineral (or physical) sunscreens, on the other hand, contain active mineral ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These sit on the surface of your skin, forming a physical, reflective barrier against UV radiation, and we believe they’re way more effective at stopping the sun’s rays from potentially damaging your skin.

Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide naturally protect your skin from UVA and UVB radiation which is another plus point and why they’re the only two sunscreen ingredients currently proposed safe and effective by the FDA. They’re also environment friendly and provide instant protection for your skin. Chemical sunscreens have to be applied at least 20 minutes before exposure.

Mineral protection is the only way to go, IOHO.

4. The Antioxidant Extras

Products that go the extra mile for your skin are priceless. So, if you really want to maximize the effects of your sunscreen, look out for formulations that also contain antioxidants.

Antioxidants fight tooth and nail to shield your skin from the damaging effects of free radicals, and exposure to the sun is one of the biggest causes of free radicals. When you put two and two together, therefore, it makes perfect sense that antioxidants should be a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine.

Studies have shown that one of the best antioxidants for sun protection is vitamin C. It’s genius for neutralizing any free radicals that are trying to do a number on your collagen supplies, plus it makes your sunscreen work harder and better by improving the absorption of UV radiation.

If that’s not enough to convince you, vitamin C also helps reduce and fade dark spots by blocking melanin production. The good news is that our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen contains a hefty amount of antioxidant-rich vitamin C so it does all the hard work for you. You're welcome!

5. The Best Possible Water Resistance

OK, so this one isn’t quite as important for your daily facial sunscreen – unless you spend all day, every day in a swimming pool or the ocean – but when on vacation, a water resistant formulation is vital.

In order to have the term ‘water resistant’ on its label, a product has to be tested to offer resistance from the clear stuff for at least 40 minutes. After that period of time, you MUST reapply.

However, let’s get one thing clear, sunscreens can never be entirely waterproof (it’s impossible), so if you see that written on a bottle that’s a red flag right there. It’s also disallowed by the FDA so... naughty.

PSA: pair vitamin C with other effective skincare ingredients and it becomes next-level good.

Vitamin C is basically our middle name here at TruSkin. Don’t get us wrong, we love any skincare ingredient that offers real-life benefits to your skin that you can actually see and feel. Retinol is one of the first that comes to mind, but also bakuchiol, its plant-derived cousin has also become a permanent fixture in our daily routines.

However, there’s something about vitamin C that makes it hard to beat. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s been proven to fight environmental stressors and thus protect your skin from all the damage that comes from exposure to things like smoking, pollution and, quelle surprise, UV radiation. It’s also known to inhibit a certain enzyme in your skin called tyrosinase which helps keeps melanin under control and reduces your likelihood of developing sun-related dark spots and an uneven skin tone. And if you’re worried about the potency of pure vitamin C on your skin? Don’t be. L-ascorbic acid (the pure stuff) packs a pretty mean punch, for sure, but there are many kinder-to-skin derivatives out there, including our favorite, sodium ascorbyl phosphate which is gentle, but oh-so-mighty.

All this is great, but one of our absolute favorite things about vitamin C is that it partners so well with other true greats. So which ones are worth your time? We’ve rounded up the vitamin C pairings we believe are pretty unbeatable.

Vitamin C + Vitamin E: The Ultimate Antioxidant Duo

As skincare couples go, vitamin C and vitamin E are an unbeatable little double act. You know that phrase, ‘you complete me’? That's these two, in a nutshell.

C and E are both potent antioxidants and proven to neutralize damaging free radicals which form in the skin when it’s exposed to environmental nasties. This helps reduce oxidative stress, slowing down cell damage and thus helping to preserve important proteins in your skin like collagen and elastin. As you know, these are super important to keep your skin strong, soft, clear and youthful-looking.

Of course, vitamin C does a pretty good job of this on its own, but if you combine it with vitamin E you automatically amp up both of their superpowers with zero effort at all. You see, vitamin E strengthens and accelerates vitamin C's protective abilities by preserving its stability and efficacy. Meanwhile, C stops E’s age-fighting powers from depleting as it fights off those free radical bad guys.

Vitamin E is also great at soothing and hydrating the skin as an extra bonus. Together, they're the ultimate fighting champions.

Try: Vitamin C Facial Serum

Vitamin C + Sunscreen: Great Alone… Even Better Together

As we’ve drummed into you by now, sunscreen is the number one way to fight off external skin aging, reducing your likelihood of developing everything from lines and wrinkles through to dull skin, sagging and dark spots. Any broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a decent SPF of at least 30 is going to effectively shield your skin from sun damage. No arguments there. However, there’s one way to make your sunscreen work even better. And that’s by pairing it up with vitamin C.

Studies show that vitamin C makes sunscreen work harder by neutralizing more free radicals than sunscreen is able to do on its own. It’s also thought to help your sunscreen absorb more UV radiation.

The truth is that sunscreen is only able to shield your skin from around 50 percent of the number of free radicals caused by the sun. And not only that, but even the most highly protective sunscreens that boast SPFs of staggering numbers can only protect your skin from around 98 percent of UV radiation. This means a certain number of UV rays are always going to sneak through. Ditto free radicals.

C to the rescue. And how!

Try: SPF 30 Sunscreen with Vitamin C

Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid: The Hydrating Power Couple

Vitamin C plays pretty well with most skin types – especially if you stick with the skin-loving sodium ascorbyl phosphate – but still, everyone’s skin has different levels of sensitivities so irritation can never be counted out.

So, what’s a great way to reduce your chances of flaring up? By ensuring your skin’s barrier function is strong and well hydrated. Of course, gentle cleansing and moisturizing is key, but another effective trick for rehydrating your skin is to couple your vitamin C with the master of moisture: hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a type of polymer that acts as a powerful lubricant and humectant. More technical jargon, we know, but humectants are water-loving components that suck in moisture and hold onto it like a sponge. They’re essential for keeping the skin hydrated, plump and smooth and, as humectants go, HA is kind of a big deal. Just one gram of the stuff can hold up to six liters of water.

HA is very gentle on the skin and works like a dream with most other skincare ingredients, especially vitamin C whose anti-aging and texture-enhancing abilities get enhanced like nobody’s business by the powers of HA. HA can also counteract any sensitivities or dryness you might experience from vitamin C. Major plus points.

Try: Vitamin C Super Serum +

Vitamin C + MSM: The Collagen Protectors

It upsets us that MSM isn’t center stage like vitamin C and retinol, but hey, not everyone can be the leading lady, right? But don’t let that fool you because, just like any great movie, the supporting actors are just as important. Often even more so. And MSM is all that… and then some.

Not familiar with the powers of MSM? Well, to quote its full name, methylsulfonylmethane is a natural-occurring form of sulfur that’s often referred to as the ‘beauty’ or ‘healing’ mineral. Does it deserve such a nickname? Absolutely. Its inherent ability to encourage blood flow, fight inflammation and boost collagen makes it a total whizz-kid for the skin. Simple as. It also works darn hard to fight environmental damage by helping to enforce your body’s natural defense system, so there’s also that.

In skincare, vitamin C helps your skin to readily absorb MSM, doubling up their combined collagen love and working extra hard to fight off the visible signs of premature aging.

Try: Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream

As skincare ingredients go, vitamin C is seen as the holy grail of glowy, radiant skin. But does vitamin C really work? And if so, how?

Vitamin C. If you know anything about TruSkin, you will know that we are all about it. Our first ever product was our award-winning and best-selling Vitamin C Facial Serum and over the last ten years, almost our entire range has been built around this fan favorite face treatment.

But what exactly is it about vitamin C that makes it SO good that it had to be the absolute foundation of our skincare journey? And why is it hailed as the one of the best ingredients for brightening dull skin?

Read on for the three main reasons we believe vitamin C deserves every inch of its glow-getting praise…

Vitamin C: The Antioxidant Master

Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant. Science says so. And who are we to argue with science?

Antioxidants are super important for the health of your skin. You see, life can be a constant struggle as far as your skin is concerned. You can’t get away from sun exposure, environmental pollution and stress – they’re all part of daily life. But they’re no good for your skin. Similarly, a lack of sleep, poor diet choices and smoking all contribute to this onslaught of aggressors that totally compromise the strength and stability of your skin.

Why are these such bad news? Two words: free radicals. Free radicals form in your skin when it’s been exposed to the aforementioned daily aggressors. They’re very unstable, highly reactive atoms that have unpaired electrons, and their mission in life is to pair up these electrons in order to stabilize themselves. In order to do that they commit theft, pinching electrons from unsuspecting healthy cells and proteins in your body. In your skin, specifically, they seriously chip away at things like collagen and elastin, damaging your skin’s tone and texture, and making it look dull and sad at lightning speeds.

Thankfully, the world has blessed us with antioxidants which help neutralize free rads by offering up electrons without themselves becoming damaged. They’re super important in the quest for healthy, bright skin which is why applying a topical antioxidant every day should be a vital part of your skincare regime.

We have tons of awesome vitamin C products for you to try but if you really want to reap the benefits, you should opt for a facial serum first and foremost. Serums have a very low molecular weight which means they’re able to penetrate your skin and deliver all their goodness exactly where it’s needed. Try our high-powered Vitamin C Super Serum + which offers a concentrated hit of vitamin C alongside hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing niacinamide.

Vitamin C: The Dark Spot Warrior

Granted, most people know about vitamin C’s extraordinary antioxidant powers, but that’s not all it offers in terms of skin-brightening assistance.

Studies have also shown that vitamin C helps reduce dark spots and an uneven skin tone by blocking melanin production. As we’re sure you know, melanin is what gives your skin (as well as your eyes and hair) its color. The more melanin your skin produces, the darker your skin naturally is.

Melanin also absorbs UV radiation to help protect your skin from sun damage. This is why, when your skin is exposed to sunlight, melanin production amps up and your skin may become darker. Sometimes this is uniform and you tan, but other times melanin production becomes a bit wayward, and your skin tone becomes patchy and irregular as dark spots appear.

Dark spots can really kill your skin’s radiance, giving your tone an uneven appearance and generally making it look like kind of ‘meh.’ Of course, sunscreen is vital for warding off sun damage, but vitamin C is another great way to help keep melanin under control.

How does vitamin C help reduce the appearance of dark spots? Well, research shows that it inhibits a certain enzyme called tyrosinase which melanin needs in order to synthesize. Without tyrosinase, melanin production slows down meaning less darkness and potential patchiness as a result. Bingo!

Try the awesome duo of Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser each morning, followed by Vitamin C Facial Serum, Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer and that all-important sunscreen. Winner.

We also have a Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to help brighten, strengthen and repair your skin while you’re asleep. Just remember to always patch test any of these formulations before using regularly all over. All of our products are gentle and suitable for most skin types but everyone’s skin reacts differently, so you can never be too careful.

Vitamin C: The Sunscreen Bestie

Going back to sunscreen for a minute, this is the number one way to fight off ALL signs of skin aging, including dull skin and dark spots. Any broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s mineral-forward and has an SPF of at least 30 is going to do your skin all number of radiance-boosting, protecting and anti-aging favors, that’s for sure. However, if you really want to soup up the effects of your sunscreen and double down on its benefits, vitamin C is a shoo-in.

Word is that vitamin C makes sunscreen work better and harder, neutralizing more free radicals (check!) and helping your sunscreen absorb more UV radiation (double check!).

The thing is, even the very best, most highly protective sunscreens can only protect your skin from 98 percent of UV rays, so there will always be a few that slip through the proverbial SPF net. Not only that but certain studies have shown that sunscreen is only able to shield your skin from around 50 percent of the number of free radicals caused by the sun. So why would you not want to try to catch all those extra rays and rads by combining the antioxidant prowess of vitamin C alongside your sunscreen? There’s no reason not to do that. No reason at all.

Especially when our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen has been powered up by vitamin C for you, anyway. 

The pleasure is all ours!

Because it's almost time to wave winter goodbye and welcome the season of sunshine and glowy skin. 

Good news, people: you and your skin have made it through winter and spring is officially in the air.

So what should you do to ensure you’re doing the best for your skin as the weather changes and the temperatures rise? Well, we believe that a great skincare routine should, first and foremost, be as consistent as possible. Do you have a darling cleanser you could not live without? Then stick with it. Love your night cream more than life itself? Then you keep doing you. However, as the year passes and the weather transitions from winter to spring, there might be certain products in your routine that, while might have worked great in the colder months, suddenly feel a bit much.

Crazy rich moisturizers and heavy treatment masks, for example, are all great when dry, cold temps outdoors combine with dry, warm air indoors, sucking all the life and moisture from your skin. But do you really need them once humidity increases and the mercury rises? Probably not.

Instead, here are five important ways to get your skin (and your skincare routine) ready for spring…

1. Exfoliate More Regularly

Exfoliation often takes a bit of a back seat in the winter when the thought of exacerbating dryness and upsetting your skin’s barrier function far outweighs the potential benefits of exfoliation. And we get that. Dry, cold weather dehydrates your skin and can even cause irritation, so why on earth would you want to mess with that by overusing facial scrubs or exfoliating acids?

In the spring, however, humidity levels increase which offers up more natural moisture for your skin to soak up and hydrate itself with. This means skin becomes more resilient and is able to tolerate regular, albeit gentle exfoliation to boost cell turnover and freshen it up for sunnier days ahead. Also, if your skin is anything like ours, by the end of winter it definitely could do with a little radiance boost.

We recommend our 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which is non-abrasive and a gentle way to exfoliate your skin. But don't get us wrong, it still packs a good enough punch to boost sluggish skin turnover and wake up your collagen supplies. Depending on your skin type, you can use this exfoliating lotion every day but always patch test first, and if you have super sensitive skin, try it just two or three times a week.

2. Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Regime

There’s no better feeling than smothering your face and neck with a rich moisturizer in the winter months. But as the weather gets better and your skin starts to hydrate itself more efficiently (and maybe sweat a little more)? Not so much.

Spring and summertime are when lighter moisturizers come into their own. Unless you have very dry skin all year round, now’s the time to move away from heavy, occlusive ingredients like cocoa butter and mineral oils in favor of lighter, hydrating humectants and emollients. Humectants, which include the likes of glycerin and hyaluronic acid, draw water into the skin’s top layers while emollients like jojoba oil and squalane help to lock moisture into your skin without clogging up your pores.

Feel like lightening up for spring? Our favorite moisturizer for this time of year is our Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer which also contains an added glow-getting boost of vitamin C. Speaking of which…

3. Embrace The Benefits Of Vitamin C

It’s wise to go easy on potent, active ingredients like retinol, vitamin C and glycolic acid in the winter when your skin is drier, more dehydrated and easily irritated by strong ingredients. However, as humidity levels rise your skin becomes way more tolerant to powerful ingredients.

That’s why we believe spring is the best time to introduce some topical actives into your routine. And what better than vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a freakin’ amazing antioxidant, making it the perfect choice when you’re spending more time in the great outdoors. Because, sun damage. What’s more, it also helps your skin tone remain even and bright by keeping melanin production under control.

We have a whole bunch of winning vitamin C formulas but for the most powerful boost try our Vitamin C Super Serum + two or three nights a week under moisturizer. You could even alternate it with our classic Vitamin C Facial Serum if that floats your boat. We don’t think you’ll regret it.

4. Breathe Life Back Into Your Pores

All those heavy moisturizers and weighty makeup choices can sure weigh down your pores, so now’s a great time to give your skin a detox. Or a spring clean, if you will.

Cleansing in the winter can be a real juggling game because skin becomes very needy in the moisture department during those cold, dry months. However, come spring you can afford to introduce deeper cleansing ingredients into your routine – if that’s what your skin needs, of course.

Don’t fall into the trap of over-cleansing your skin with a routine that’s packed with chemicals, however. This will dry out your skin and fool your sebaceous glands into thinking your skin needs more oil. And the more oil your skin produces, the more likely it is to bind itself to bacteria, dirt and makeup, stretching your pores and asking for trouble, aka breakouts.

Instead, choose gentle, effective cleansing products that harness balancing ingredients like tea tree oil, coconut charcoal and kaolin. Wash your face in lukewarm, never hot water, and use a light massaging technique to thoroughly cleanse your skin without over-stimulating your pores. Try our Tea Tree Super Cleanser + to help kick-start dreary, end-of-winter skin.

5. Be Extra Vigilant With SPF

Of course, you’ve been routinely applying your SPF all winter long, right? RIGHT? Well, if you haven’t, then a) shame and you and b) best you rectify that right now.

While UVA rays are able to penetrate through clouds and are present all year long – rain or shine – the intensity of UVB rays increases in the warmer months when the earth is closer to the sun. Of course, they’re at their peak during summer, but if ever there was a time to start being more strict with your SPF, spring is it. Start now and it’ll become a habit before you even know it.

We recommend applying SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every morning as an absolute must. Even if you hate the feeling of sunscreen on your skin, this sheer, lightweight formulation is sure to win you over.