Summer skincare – THE MOTHER MADE EDIT

#Skinconfessions. MOTHER MADE team members share their summer skincare routine feat. Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash. Ep.3.

For this episode of #skinconfessions installment, we’ re talking to our assistant manager, Eva Babicheva. She manages the brand social media accounts and PR inquiries.

I: How would you describe your skin?

Eva: I have combination oily skin that can get dehydrated easily even in summer. I’ve done a lot of damage in my teen years – the concept of sunscreen was non-existent for me, and I loved tanning. And let’s not even mention years of neglecting hydration and over-using sebum-controlling toners. Now. I’m paying the price.

I: Do you have any particular skincare concerns?

E: Sun damage is definitely a big one for me. I’ve started to notice that my skin got sort of dull, not as firm as it used to be with fine lines and mimic wrinkles popping up here and there. Oh, and let’s not forget enlarged pores and blackheads! So, yeah, lots of concerns.

I: How would you describe your lifestyle?

E: I’d say balanced. I spend most of my time behind the desk in the office. But I try to compensate by going swimming every morning and commuting to work definitely helps to keep me moving. I also try to stay active on weekends – meeting friends, going to cafes and art galleries. It might sound like too much, but weekends on a couch is not my cup of tea.

I: Walk us through your typical summer morning and evening skincare routine.

E: I start my day in a swimming pool, so whether I want it or not, morning face wash with a cleanser is a must. It probably adds to the dehydration issue, but there’re a lot of people in the pool, so I feel like it’s a necessity. After that, I focus on one and only thing – hydration. First is a hydrating toner, then some kind of serum, followed by a hydrating yet lightweight lotion and a thick layer of sunscreen. Once I get home, I put on cc or bb cream, and I’m off to work.

My evening routine isn’t that different from the morning one. As soon as I get home, I double cleanse and follow up with the trusted toner-serum-moisturizer formula. Sometimes, I’ll squeeze a sheet mask in between. Right now, it’s too hot in Seoul, so I use the same moisturizer as in the morning. I make sure to layer it up, so I won’t wake up with tight skin.

I: How does an Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash fit in your skincare routine?

E: I use every night as my second cleanser. It’d be great to use it twice a day, but I keep my skincare in the pool locker, and the storage conditions aren’t ideal for powder cleansers. Too hot and humid. In the evening, I don’t use foaming nets, but sometimes I’ll use a silicone pore brush if my skin feels extra congested. But most of the time, I just foam it with hands and massage into skin. I really enjoy this part –adding water and watching the bubbles form – it’s my form of meditation.

I: What do you like about Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash the most?

There are so many things about this cleanser that I appreciate. As someone with dehydrated oily (and blackhead prone) skin, I love that it gives that squeaky-clean feeling without drying my skin out. It’s also changed my pore care game completely. I’m barely reaching for clay masks these days, and that’s a big one coming from someone who used them at least three times a week.

Heat causes skin aging. Here’s what to do to prevent it.

We know that exposure to UV rays wreaks havoc on our skin. It depletes the moisture, triggers excess sebum production, destroys collagen, and causes hyper-pigmentation. Luckily, preventive measures from this type of skin aging are relatively straightforward – regular (and generous) sunscreen re-application and UV protective clothing.

As it turns out, however, there is another skin aging culprit to watch out for – heat. Recent research suggests that constant skin overheating can be as damaging to skin as UV. Prolonged heat exposure makes protective antioxidant levels in our skin to drop, leaving it more susceptible to free radical damage. It also triggers cells to create a pigment that will show up on the skin as age spots. Unfortunately, this type of aging can’t be prevented just by stocking up on sunscreen.

So, what can you do? Read along to find out.

First thing first – know your ingredients.

There are plenty of natural ingredients to look for in your gels, creams, and masks that will help to reduce skin heat.

Titanium dioxide & zinc oxide. These minerals physically block infrared heat keeping your skin cooler. Bonus points –they also double as sunscreen agents typically found in physical (mineral) sunscreen formulas.
Peppermint & Menthol. While these ingredients don’t reduce skin temperature, they trick your brain into thinking it needs to re-adjust body heat. As a result, the blood flow to the skin’s surface decreases, and you get that cooling, tingling sensation.
Cucumber. A classic, tried-and-tested ingredient that will deliver cooling, calming, and de-puffing effect. It will also help to hydrate and slightly brighten the skin. That’s why people put fresh cucumber slices on their eyes to get rid of any night swelling and dark circles.
Aloe. Another classic. You won’t feel an instant cooling sensation with this hydrating and cooling gem like you would with menthol or peppermint. Instead, it will naturally reduce the skin temperature by several degrees, making for a more long-term, sustainable cooling effect.
Allantoin. Not precisely a cooling ingredient, but it is an ingredient worth looking for nonetheless. As overheated skin often equals red and irritated skin, it will help to calm down and hydrate the skin when it feels on fire.
Flower extracts. Look for extracts from white flowers such as Lily, Lotus, Plum or Cherry Blossoms. These will help physically cool down and soothe overheated skin.
Colloidal oats. It’s a natural soothing anti-irritant found in moisturizers and masks. It helps your skin to keep its cool.
Chamomile. Chamomile extract is known to work wonders on irritated, inflamed skin. Be it due to a bug bite or spending too much time under the sun, this natural anti-inflammatory ingredient will reduce redness and have a skin calming effect.

If you need to step your heat-aging preventing game further, here are the things you can do.

Ice towel or cold compress. Place it on your…neck. Yes, neck. The neck is like the cordon that heat must pass before fully reaching our face. So, concentrating on cooling down the neck area first is crucial to reduce the skin temperature effectively.

Ice roller + cooling sheet mask. Once you’ve placed something icy cold on your neck, now it’s the time to start working on cooling the skin on your face. Apply a sheet mask (preferably, containing some of the cooling ingredients from the list above) and start rolling across your forehead, around the eyes, cheeks, and mouth. It will physically cool down your skin and also help to reduce puffiness, enlarged pores, and improve redness.

Cold footbath. Keeping your feet warm in winter helps you not to feel cold. Vice versa, keeping your feet cold will reduce the body heat, preventing your skin from overheating. Soak your feet in ice-cold water for 20-30 minutes. Follow up with a menthol or peppermint cream.

Bamboo & linen bedding. Both are natural, breathable fabrics with exceptional temperature-regulating properties that are far superior to cotton. Cotton readily absorbs moisture quickly becoming heavy and clingy (think what happens with your cotton t-shirt when it gets wet). Bamboo and linen wick moisture away from the body and help to maintain comfortable body temperature.

And there you have it. Do you have any other tips on how to prevent the skin from overheating? Share them in the comments below!

#Skinconfessions feat. Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash. Ep.2.

For this episode of #skinconfessions installment, we’ re talking to our Operations Manager, Monica Shin. She oversees the production process and makes sure that all paperwork in the company is done well and finished on time.

Q: How would you describe your skin?

Monica: Very dry. So dry that even in summer, I need heavy moisturizing cream. Lightweight creams/gels do absolutely nothing for my skin. Girls in the office often complain how hard it is to manage oily skin, but in all honesty, having extremely dry skin that is not a piece of cake either. It can easily add a few years if I’m not diligent enough with my moisturizers. In Korean, we have a word akkeonseong [악건성], meaning “really really really dehydrated,” and I’m the perfect example.

Q: Do you have any particular skincare concerns?

M: Well, on top of being super dry, my skin is also papery-thin. You can almost see through it. And while I wouldn’t describe it as sensitive, it’s sensitized easily, so I have to be very careful with what I put on my face. I also have smile lines, and year after year, my skin is losing firmness.

Q: How would you describe your lifestyle?

M: I work in the office, so around 70% of the time, I’m clunking away on my keyboard. The rest of 30% I’m on my foot – in our warehouse or meeting our suppliers and partners. I’m not very into sports, and luckily my job allows me to move a bit during the week. But I know I should move more, so try to take long walks on the weekend if the weather allows.

Q: Walk us through your typical summer morning and evening skincare routine.

M: I never wash my face with a cleanser in the morning, just splash some water. I then apply a hydrating toner. Generously. Summer or winter – it doesn’t matter. I always use rich, viscose-y toners. After years of experimenting, I found that using hydrating products at every stage of the routine is the only way to keep my skin from being completely and utterly dehydrated by the end of the day.

After toner, I apply a thick layer of moisturizing cream ( REALLY moisturizing), then moisturizing sunscreen. Sometimes, instead of regular sunscreen, I use our Aqua Light CC cream, which has the same protection level as my daily sunscreen (SPF 50+/PA+++), plus it’s tinted. I don’t wear eye make-up, so that’s it.

In the evening, I use an oil cleanser (or oil-based cleansing pads)/ low pH cleanser combo to wash the day off my face. Toner comes next and I might follow with some kind of brightening or firming serum if I feel like it. I don’t feel like it very often and honestly, over the years I’ve realized that the best anti-aging product is a moisturizer. That’s where most of my skincare money go. Sometimes I’d use a hydrating sheet mask, like our Rich Snail Mask, or a sleeping pack when my skin is feeling extra rough.

Q: How does an Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash fit in your skincare routine?

M: I use it every night as my second cleanser, and it’s been working great for me. I don’t like dense foams (they dry my skin out mercilessly), so I add quite a lot of water when lathering the product to make airy, weightless foam. A foaming net serves this purpose well.

My favorite way to use it though, is with cotton pads. I massage the foam first into my skin and then, instead of rinsing it, I’ll remove the foam with a dry cotton pad. It gives a light physical exfoliating effect plus my skin looks sort of polished afterward. I don’t do it every day, more like 2-3 times a week. This is the only form of exfoliation my dry skin needs in summer.

Q: What do you like about Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash the most?

This is the first charcoal product that’s actually mild enough for me, which makes me very happy. I love charcoal, but most of the products I’ve tried (and I’ve tried plenty) sucked the last bits of moisture that was left in my skin. I’m glad we could make our Charcoal Powder Wash so suitable for different skin types.

Another thing I appreciate is that it’s keeping my pores clean. Even if I have dry skin, it doesn’t mean my pores don’t get clogged. But I can’t use acids – they sting and tingle. So, our charcoal powder wash is an excellent alternative for me!

MOTHER MADE Exfoliating Aqua Peel Gel with Green Tea Explained

Meet our newest addition to MOTHER MADE family! The Exfoliating Aqua Peel Gel with calming and skin-soothing Green Tea Extract. Peel gels have been all the rage in Asia, and it might feel like they’re all the same. But in reality, every peel gel has its own flavour. So, in this post, we’ll give you a quick run-down on what our peel gel is, what drove us to create this product, what makes it special, and how to use it the right way. Keep on reading!

How it all began

Full disclosure – we love ourselves a good scrub. Even though they’ve earned somewhat controversial reputation. Don’t get us wrong; we love chemical exfoliators. But there’s just something so satisfying about touching the post-scrub smooth, evened out, bump-free skin. Unfortunately, conventional scrubs can be quite harsh, especially ones with bigger granules, which is a no-go for sensitive (or easily sensitized) skin. And frankly, despite the pleasant feeling, they aren’t as effective as their chemical counterparts since they only work on the outer layer of the skin.

So, we challenged ourselves to make a product that will deliver the same satisfying scrub feeling with the benefits of the chemical exfoliator.
Almost a year later, we’ve finally launched the Exfoliating Aqua Peel Gel with Green Tea, and it’s everything we’d hoped for.

What it is

Our Peel Gel is a mild exfoliating treatment formulated with both physical AND chemical exfoliants. We opted for natural cellulose, not carbomer, as our physical peeling agent. There were several reasons for that, but that’s a subject for another post. Finely milled, moisture-rich cellulose particles we used in the formula are imported from France and made from Egyptian cotton (so fancy!). The way it works is simple – bits of cellulose interact with natural oils on your skin and ball up once you apply some pressure. These balls/clumps/flakes (take your pick) act as a very gentle scrub that sloughs off dead cells sitting on top of the epidermis ready to go but in way that won’t traumatize your skin.

For the chemical peeling agents, we chose nature-derived extracts that are well-known to be potent but at the same gentle and sensitive skin-friendly.

Willow Bark Extract. Naturally rich in salicylic acid, this mild astringent helps to reduce inflammation, control sebum, unclog pores, and de-congest skin. No wonder, it’s a favorite among oily skin types. While this peeling gel does not target at clearing pores specifically, with consistent use, you might notice that your pores become cleaner and pesky blackheads go away naturally.
Papaya Extract. Yummy papaya is chock full of an enzyme called papain that is a perfect exfoliant for sensitive skin. Gentle than your regular AHAs, it will work on the outer layer breaking down excess keratin to help the skin appear brighter and smoother.
Apple Extract. Like papaya, apple extract is rich in antioxidants (Vitamin C is one of them), and it is also a natural source of AHA. This extract has astringent properties and can help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores, clear acne, and regulate oil production.

Two types of exfoliants make for an excellent team, ensuring that every nook and cranny of your skin is clean and refreshed!

Other additional skincare benefits

As the name suggests, we added Green Tea Extract that has well researched and documented anti-aging skin benefits. It also helps to soothe and calm down the skin, which feels wonderful after a long hot summer day. Ascorbyl Glucoside, or Vitamin C, is another antioxidant gem that’s made it into the formula. It helps fight free radicals that speed up the aging process in our skin and will also deliver brightening effect with consistent use.

Who’s it for?

It’s for everyone, really! Any skin type can reap multiple benefits from using this peel gel. Drier skin types will love how hydrating this product feels on the skin. People with combination to oily skin will appreciate the addition of astringents that help with sebum control and pore care. We especially recommend it for those who love scrubs in their skincare routine, but whose skin for some reason or another can’t tolerate them well. Alas, if you hate the feeling of scrub in any way or form, this might not be for use.

How to use

If you’re familiar with Korean peel gels, you might know that most of them require dry skin as a starting canvas. Otherwise, they won’t clump. With our peeling gel, we recommend applying it on damp skin. How damp? Well, it depends. Cellulose bits will clump more or less depending on how dry or damp your skin is. If you want the stronger scrub effect, dampen the face only slighly. If your skin is sensitized, introduce more water to make everything extra mild and smooth. You can even make a paste and leave it for several minutes to let chemical peels time to interact with your skin.

Our general recommendation is to use it 1-3 times a week, but always check in with your skin. If your skin is super sensitive and dry, using the Peel Gel once a week will suffice. But you feel extra congested and bumpy, increase the frequency. The bottom line is – whatever you do, make sure not to over-exfoliate. Too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a bad thing, right?

#Skinconfessions feat. Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash. Ep. 1

For this blog post, we decided to do something different and talk a little bit about our team members’ skincare struggles and what they do to keep their skin balanced and healthy in the heat and humidity of Korean summer. Our interviewee today is Hanla Lee, our brand manager who makes sure that everything runs smoothly here, at MOTHER MADE HQ.

Q:How would you describe your skin?

Hanla: It’s oily all year round, but even more so now that it’s so hot and humid.

Q: Do you have any particular skincare concerns?

Hanla: Excessive sebum seems to be the bane of my existence. I almost stopped wearing make-up in summer because it slides off my face after a few hours and primers/setting powders break me out. Blackheads and clogged pores are another significant areas of concern for me. Of course, having oily skin has its upsides. For instance, wrinkles and fine lines are not something I need to worry about. But I do feel that my skin can get pretty dull and lifeless if I’m not diligent with the skincare regimen.

Q: How would you describe your lifestyle?

Hanla: I’m in the office behind a computer most of the time, so I’d say sedentary. Regular exercise is something I’d like to start doing more of, but I’m yet to find an activity that doesn’t bore me to death. So for now, whenever the weather allows, I try to commute by bike, eat a healthy diet, and take long walks on the weekends. I feel a massive difference in how my skin looks and feels when I spend at least 2-3 hours walking on the mountain trails surrounded by greenery.

Q: Walk us through your typical summer morning and evening skincare routine

Hanla: It’s really simple. I mean REALLY. I love skincare, but I don’t have the patience for a complicated regimen. One thing I never skip, though, is a morning cleanse. I don’t like to sleep with an AC on, so I wake up already feeling sweaty and oily. Washing the face with some type of a low pH cleanser makes me feel so refreshed and awake. After cleansing, I go on with a toner, then apply lightweight moisturizer and finish off with sunscreen. If I have a meeting or an audit, I’ll put a thin layer of cc or bb cream, And that’s it, really. In the evening, as soon as I come back from work, I shower, do a double cleanse, apply toner and lightweight moisturizer. We’re currently working on developing several masks, so these days use sheet masks more than I’d typically do. On the weekend, I might do a clay mask, and I also use a sleeping mask a couple of times a week.

Q: How does the Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash fit in your skincare routine?

Hanla: I use it every day, morning and evening, as my mild, low pH cleanser. My oily skin LOVES charcoal, and it made a massive difference in the way my skin looks and feels. I don’t normally say “holy grail” (I hate that expression), but for the lack of a better word, let’s say this is what Charcoal Powder Wash is for me.

In the mornings, I like to use a foaming net to make a very soft, weightless foam. Since it’s a morning and I only need to remove the excess oil and leftover skincare from the night, I find that using the Powder Wash this way gives me just the right amount of cleansing.

At night, I use it in a shower as a second cleanser/in-shower mask pack. What I like to do is to lather it up into a dense, cream-like foam, apply it all over the face as I’d do with a regular wash-off mask. I then leave it on for about 10-15 minutes while finishing my shower. Not only it saves me a little time and effort each evening (which I’m all for), but my pores look extra clean afterward.

Q: What do you like about Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash the most?

Hanla: I like that it’s mild. Most charcoal products I’ve tried before dried me out, so I almost gave up until we decided to make one. Plus, as I said before, I’m not the one who enjoys complicated double-digit step routines. As someone with oily skin, I need to take care of my pores daily, and I appreciate that our Charcoal Powder Wash keeps my pores clean without extra efforts (or added steps) on my end.

Ingredient series: Bamboo Charcoal

Recently, activated charcoal-based skincare and beauty products have been having a moment. Praised for its sponge-like abilities to draw out toxins, charcoal, a.k.a. “blackhead buster,” is meant to bring a much-needed balance and clarity to overheated oily skin.

But did you know that not all charcoal products are created equal? From hardwood to peat to coconut shells – there are different types to choose from. But it’s the bamboo charcoal that increasingly gets the spotlight.

Curious to know why? Then keep on reading.

So, why bamboo?

Among other types, charcoal made from bamboo stalks is believed to have the best purifying properties thanks to its naturally super-porous structure. As the bamboo plant grows and matures, millions of tiny holes form on its surface, which ultimately gives bamboo charcoal the ability to attract and store more impurities.

While bamboo charcoal might sound very novel, it isn’t new. Back in ancient Egypt and then China, people relied on the detoxifying power of bamboo charcoal to treat poison, eliminate wound odor and purify water. Even in the present day, it has been extensively used in a hospital setting to treat food and alcohol poisoning.

Eventually, bamboo charcoal found a way into skincare in its more potent, activated form. The “activation” process further reduces the size of the holes on the bamboo surface, making it even more porous and absorbent. And while it sounds complicated, it’s actually a very straightforward technique – the charcoal powder is simply injected with steam, and no other chemicals are added. The results are amazing – the powder becomes four times more porous and can hold up to 1000 times its weight in pollutants and dirt. Sounds quite powerful, doesn’t it?

Bamboo is one of the world’s best sustainable resources.

Bamboo is also one the world’s best sustainable resources. And that’s another reason why bamboo charcoal is gaining a king status, especially among environmentally conscious brands and consumers. When a regular tree is chopped, it can take nearly a century for it to grow back to its original state. Bamboo, on the other hand, grows quickly (almost two feet or more in a single day!) and reaches maturity in under 5 years. If harvested responsibly, it will renew itself easily without needing any irrigation, complex maintenance or synthetic fertilizers. Bonus points – it also keeps the soil stronger and the air cleaner.

Last, but not least, bamboo charcoal products are a safer choice for people with extremely sensitive and allergy-prone skin. Regular hardwood charcoal is often a mix of woods and the truth is, it’s hard to know the exact types that went into the mix (unless the company openly discloses this info), how they were grown and harvested and whether they were sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides in the process. So you always have to consider a possibility of an allergic reaction and be extra careful when choosing a charcoal product that wasn’t made from bamboo.

How will it help the skin?

Now, we’ve established that bamboo charcoal is great at removing impurities from your congested, dull skin. But how exactly does it work? In short, the process is very similar to that of a magnet. The tiny holes on the charcoal surface have a negative electrical charge, while toxins, impurities and dirt molecules – positive. Whenever they come into close proximity, i.e., when you are washing your face or applying a mask, negatively charged charcoal holes attract positively charged impurities and trap them inside before being washed away. The finer the powder particle, the deeper into the pores it will go, allowing more dirt and sebum to be washed away.

Charcoal is one of the few ingredients that deliver both short- and long-term results.

The best part, however, is that charcoal is one of the few ingredients that deliver both immediate and sustainable long-term results. Since it literally draws out excess oils, dead skin cells, sweat, and toxins, after cleansing your skin will feel instantly cleaner, brighter and decongested. Best experience ever! And if you use charcoal-based cleansers daily, dead skin and sebum won’t stand a chance to accumulate and clog your pores in the long run.

Interested in trying a bamboo charcoal cleanser? Check out our Active Charcoal Enzyme Powder Wash that contains ecologically clean bamboo charcoal from pristine Damyang region in Korea. It also boasts an extra fine particle size that will travel deeper into the pores and suck out even more sebum and dirt, making way for fresh, bright and radiant skin.

Summer skincare DOs and DON’Ts for oily, blackhead-prone skin.

It’s this time of year again. Ever shiny T-zone, make-up that melts after one subway ride and stubborn blackheads. It’s easy to grow desperate – especially when your day at work is jam-packed with meetings where looking presentable is a must. But before you start taking radical measures, remember that summer heat and humidity is a stress for your skin, and your skincare regimen should focus on reliving that stress, not exacerbating it. So, let’s talk about some don’t and dos of a summer skincare routine that will help to balance overheated excessively oily skin and make it healthy again.

Don’t

Don’t switch to a harsh alkaline cleanser. It’s a common misconception that you need a stronger cleanser in summer because a low pH one won’t remove sweat and sebum as effectively. True, high pH cleansers do have superior powers, and you might feel instantly “cleaner” (ah, that instant gratification!), but in the long run it won’t do your skin any favors. It will start producing even more oil, trying to compensate for the loss of moisture and you’ll end up with even oilier skin.

Do

Double cleanse! Even though a one-step cleansing routine trend is gaining popularity in Korea (which is ironic given that Korea started a double cleansing boom), we aren’t entirely sold on the idea. Double cleanse is a way to go if you want to be gentle yet thorough with your cleansing. Use light cleansing oil and finish off with a gentle second cleanser that contains ingredients such as Salicylic Acid, Green Tea or Charcoal to target oily skin concerns.

Don’t

Don’t overdo on chemical exfoliators. Wait, what? Do you say exfoliate less? Well, here is the thing. For the same, reason we don’t recommend strong alkaline cleansers, using too many acids is a no-go. It will cause dryness, redness, flaky skin and even discoloration.

Do

Balance, balance, balance. Salicylic Acid and Beta Hydroxy Acids are extra powerful for oily skin. They help to clear blackheads, reduce and prevent breakouts, so by all means, use them. Just make sure to limit their use to 1 product per routine. For instance, if you opt for a toner with a high acid content, choose a non-acid-containing second cleanser. If you absolutely need to use both, then go for products with lower overall concentrations.

Don’t

Don’t abuse clay masks. While clay masks should be a staple in your summer skincare routine, using clay masks every day a sure way to dehydrated skin. Believe us when we say this – if there is one thing that is worse than having an oily skin in summer, it is having a dehydrated oily skin.

Do

Use clay masks 1-2 times a week and opt for milder, less drying types of clay like kaolin or bentonite.

Don’t

Don’t use pore strips. Just don’t. Please. We understand that it’s super satisfying to pull off a strip and see these little specks of gunk and grime covering the surface. But using pore strips regularly will stretch your pores and ultimately lead to even more blackheads. Besides, they can easily irritate and tear the skin bringing micro spider veins to the surface of the skin. Not a good look.

Do

Be gentle to your skin. The best cure is prevention. Don’t wait until the situation gets so bad you need heavy artillery. Devise a morning and evening pore-care plan (but nothing too complicated!) and stick to it. You’ll be surprised how a consistent routine will change the overall look and feel of your pores.

Don’t

Don’t face tan. There is a dangerous rumor circulating in a skincare community that tanning helps to clear out the skin and get rid of blackheads. And it’s the biggest don’t on this list. After spending a day under the sun, you might notice that your skin is seemingly less oily and blackheads are gone. But it’s an illusion. Sun rays dry out the skin, throwing it off balance even further. The result? You guessed it. Your skin will double up on oil production to make up for the missing water. Some skincare specialists also caution that sun damage you’ll inevitably get from frying your face will cause the skin to thicken. Thicker skin is harder to exfoliate, and you’ll have a higher chance to develop clogged pores in the future.

Do

Try mineral sunscreens as they are great for controlling excess sebum. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide will absorb the oils your skin is producing, minimizing the chance of clogged pores and keeping your complexion shine-free.

Et voilà! Do you have more tips for managing oily skin in summer? Let us know in the comments below.