My Summer Must Haves 2017 With Links!

Seaweed Exfoliator and Gel - The stars of my summer sky

Both extremes, summer and winter can mess up your skin. Cracked lips, flaky sin or, oily skin and blackheads (or both!). It's easy to manage though, all you have to do is keep up with the weather, be patient and let your skin care regime make you glow.

Here are some of my skin saving, 2017 summer hits that's I've come across. Click on the images to open up a tab that'll take you to products.

Seaweed, Seaweed, Seaweed

Honestly, it's a life saver. It's great to eat as a healthy treat and when eaten with other foods it helps stop fat absorption, on it's own its a veggie's dream of iron and nutrients. On your skin, the slightly sticky feeling of some seaweed cleansers or gels helps control an oily complexion. BUT, it does not dry your skin! I love tea tree products for oil control but for me, without another non-tea tree product to add moisture, tea tree products dry my skin out a lot so I have to use them in moderation. With seaweed, my skin feels great.

The Body Shop Seaweed Gel Wash - £7.50

The gel wash is great on it's own in addition to your regular moisturiser. I'd tend to use this in the morning when I don't want to use an exfoliator on my skin to avoid any redness. The gentle cleansing wakes you up with a great smell.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Exfoliator - £11.00

At night (once or twice a week), the partner cleanser to the gel wash, the pore exfoliator works wonders. Again, the smell is great. I use it in place of my regular night time cleanser so by the morning my skin relaxes and becomes less reddened and agitated. It is still a gentle wash, don't worry, but I prefer using the most delicate cleanser in the mornings to avoid any agitation.

The Body Shop Oil-Control Overnight Gel - £14.00

I've saved the best of this range for last. This is the life saver. If you buy one thing, this is the one that'll change everything for your summer skin. All you do is take a pea size amount, smooth it onto your face and let the seaweed soak in through the night. When I have an event or my skin is extra oily for whatever reason (hot summer nights do that to me), I also use this in place of my day moisturiser. There is no SPF as it is marketed for night time use so if you use this in the day remember to use some sun protection.

Summer-lovin' Lips

Sephora Honey Lip Scrub - $6 .00

I had the luck of being able to spend a week writing my dissertation in Sicily and managed to go to Sephora. If anyone isn't from England, Sephora doesn't bless us, it's non-existent. Anyway, I love bees so by chance I ended up finding my favourite lip scrub. I'd only gotten it because of the bee hive design but it's so much more than a pretty face. The scrub is delicate enough to not make your lips hurt or bleed (mine often do because they are so chapped, this is not just a winter problem especially if you have some kind of seasonal allergy that makes your skin dry) and it also leaves them moisturised.

Prep Essentials

Lush Tea Tree Water £4.75/£8.95

After cleansing and before moisturising, a good toner can help keep blemishes at bay. Lush is always a great bet when you know you've got sensitive skin and this product is no exception. This toner is delicate enough to be used twice daily for both night time and day time regimes and it hardly has any scent. It'll help control particularly pesky break outs when used regularly.

Simple Micellar Water £4.94 (depending on retailer and size)

This is by no means exclusive to summer or 2017 however, if all the seaweed and toner are making your skin flake and dry out, micellar water really is a miracle. The Simple brand micellar water is great for me as it is as simple as it says it is. It hydrates your skin and sometimes, if my skin is a bit more sensitive than usual or blemished, I'll use this at night rather than any other cleanser. I start my daily skin care regime by putting a few drops on on a cotton pad and cleansing my face in preparation for deeper cleansing.

Refresh Your Body

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea™ Exfoliating Soap - £4.00

Green Tea is my absolute favourite thing to drink, smell, put on my eyes after long, insomniac nights and now, to wash my body with. I mean, I'm sure someone has worked out how to make pure green tea DIY body clensears but for now, I'm sticking with the The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea™ Exfoliating Soap. Exfoliating my legs is an essential part of my routine; the skin on my thighs is dreadful. I feel like a lot of women have similar issues but mine gets dry and itchy and I need to make sure I moisturise and exfoliate regularly (once a week for the exfoliation) in order to soothe my skin. It's past the point of 'looks' and well into the realm of necessity. For this summer I wanted a new refreshing scent and the Fuji Green Tea™ is a perfect balance of sensitive, delicate, effective and refreshingly scented. I also use the body butter which, like all The Body Shop butters, is indulgent and beautiful.

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea™ Body Scrub - £15.00

Mix and match the products as you wish and know there is no one size fits all routine. You really do have to experiment but I could not get through this summer without these delicate yet effective products.

#beauty #skincare