Beat the Heat: Expert Tips for a More Balanced Complexion

If you’ve got combination skin, you know from experience that this time of year can wreak havoc on your complexion. The hot weather of the late summer months can linger, which means you’re more likely to sweat and that can exacerbate the oily aspect of your skin. On the other hand, fall’s climate can make dry skin feel even more dehydrated.

You don’t have to live with a face dotted with blemishes and rough patches during this change of seasons. Take our experts’ advice and use these special strategies to keep combination skin looking healthy and well-balanced whatever the weather is outside.

Get Your Rest

There’s been a growing awareness that getting enough sleep does wonders for your overall health, and that holds true for the skin as well. “Your skin heals itself overnight. If you do not get quality sleep, your sunburn or sun exposure can lead to decreased elasticity,” says dermatologist Dr. Elma Baron. In order to get the seven to nine hours of sleep you need each day, according to the National Sleep Foundation, you’ll want to set regular times for sleeping and waking and create an environment conducive to rest—a supportive mattress, comfortable bedding, draperies or curtains to block light, a room temperature that’s not too hot or cold, and no electronics. Make sure your skin care is working for you while you sleep—DERMA E’s Hydrating Night Cream uses hyaluronic acid and natural anti-aging anti-oxidants to promote skin that appears plumper, firmer and more hydrated, so you wake up look refreshed and renewed.

Change Your Sheets

Speaking of sleeping and beds, this is one chore you definitely need to keep up with for balanced combination skin, says Rebecca Lee, a registered nurse and the founder of Remedies for Me, a website that focuses on natural and holistic health and personal care. “Clean your pillowcase and sheets. Daily pollutants, dead skin cells and oils can gather on your bedding. Daily contact with your skin and your dirty pillowcases can irritate your gentle skin, while clogging pores.”

Be Gentle with Your Skin

Combination skin requires a bit of extra care, and that can require a beauty regimen of different types of products to meet all your needs. “All skin should be moisturized and protected from the sun at all times,” says Mark Snyder, founder of the website Weird for Beauty. “In the morning I use antioxidants like Vitamin C underneath my creams because they help fight sun damage. At night, I like to use oils on my skin, even in the summer. One mistake many people make is over-exfoliating and over-scrubbing; this can make irritated or dry skin even worse. Be gentle with yourself!”

Many DERMA E products contain vitamin C in their formulations. A great place to start is with the Vitamin C Collection, which contains powerful and highly effective products including a micellar cleanser, serum, moisturizer, night cream and a clay mask. And if you stay away from facial oils because you worry they’ll just put your oily skin into overdrive, it’s time to give them a try. You might be surprised by the results—these beauty oils can actually help maintain a balance when it comes to oil production. DERMA E’s Radiant Glow Face Oil is especially beneficial for skin that is prone to blemishes thanks to its special blend of jojoba, argan and sea buckthorn oils.

Be Sun Smart

You should always be wearing sunscreen—throughout the year, whether you are spending most of your time indoors or out—to protect your skin from damaging UV rays. Make sure to choose your sunscreen wisely and use it properly, says Tsippora Shainhouse, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at the University of Southern California. “Whereas foundation with SPF 15 might have been enough while you were trekking through the snow from the subway platform to your office, it is not enough to prevent UV damage during the summer. For everyday use, look for an oil-free, broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with SPF 30 or higher. Let it dry before layering on your makeup. For daytime re-application, consider a mineral SPF powder, so that you can prevent sunburns while preserving your makeup.” DERMA E Sun Defense Mineral Oil-Free Sunscreen is a terrific starting point for your sun protection—it’s chemical and nanoparticle free, with zinc oxide as the active ingredient for strong SPF 30 coverage, but in a clear and lightweight formula perfect for daily use.

Don’t Skip Toner

Used after cleaning your skin and before applying moisturizer or serum, toner is ideal for combination skin because it helps clear away dead skin cells from the skin’s surface to prevent clogging and it also moisturizes at the same time. DERMA E has a collection of toners that are targeted to different skin needs. Toner can be used at morning and at night and will leave you feeling fresh.

But Feel Free to Skip Foundation

Heavy base makeup runs the risk of clogging pores, and it can also make dry patches on your skin stand out even more—and on those hotter days, it can be downright uncomfortable to slather on a thick foundation. You can use concealer on specific areas, such as blemishes or under the eyes, if needed—but if you have a skin care regimen that addresses your combination skin needs, your healthy-looking complexion won’t need the full coverage of foundation—your beautiful natural radiance will shine through.