THE GLOWY SKIN EDIT
Glosses, glycolic acid and glass skin—what products to keep yourself glowing without looking oil-slick.
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May has been a whirlwind.
My birthday, my best friends’ law school graduation and the kickoff of summer has left me feeling optimistic about the season ahead. It’s finally time to be outside and I refuse to be ashy or flaky this summer.
As summer is rounding the corner, so have my beauty priorities. Sweat, sun and SPF are changing how I treat my skin. Instead of heavy body butters and lotions, I want my skin to feel hydrated and nourished—not dry or too slick.
In the words of my mom, I don’t want to look like my face is oily enough to fry fish.
This means adjusting my routine to use products that can create that glowing, sunkissed look that doesn’t feel oil-slick. Good skincare is year-round, but summer skin has a once-in-a-season glow that you can’t miss.
Here’s what I’m using and what’s on my skin glow wishlist.
Before achieving that luminous glow, you’ll need a solid base to start with a.k.a clean skin. That begins with a quality cleanser that can remove dirt, sweat and makeup without irritating the skin.
I use the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Facial Cleanser to wash off those impurities, and it’s a favorite. For the rest of my body, Naturium’s Glycolic Acid Body Wash helps cleanse the skin and lighten the stubborn hyperpigmentation on my body. After a few uses, my skin feels significantly smoother, too.
After cleansing, exfoliation is a must. Good news: you have options: chemical and physical exfoliants.
A chemical exfoliant uses chemicals—like Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) or Polyhydroxy Acids (PHAs)—to remove dead skin cells. This helps lighten and soften your skin for a better base. AHAs are water-soluble, great for fine lines, discoloration and enlarged pores. BHAs are great oil-soluble, great for acne, sun-damaged skin and fine lines, too. PHAs are an alternative to both, best for sensitive skin.
Murad has an AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser that both cleanses and exfoliates.
A physical exfoliant is an exfoliator that manually removes dead skin cells using ingredients like sugars, powders or brushes. I stick to the basics like Tree Hut’s body scrub. Dermalogica is a must-have for facial exfoliator too; it leaves my skin feeling baby-bottom smooth after each use.
My Summer Glow Recs for Cleansing and Exfoliation:
Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Wash, $17
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Facial Cleanser, $20
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, $37
Tree Hut Coco Colada Body Scrub, $12
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator, $49
After your skin has been cleansed and exfoliated, replenish it with a moisturizer or hydrator. And no, they’re not the same thing.
A hydrator adds hydration—water—to your skin. A moisturizer seals in that moisture so your skin can retain it throughout the day.
So do you need both?
Not necessarily. According to Healthline, most hydrators and moisturizers contain similar ingredients. But if you have dry skin, try a moisturizer to lock in that hydration. If you have oily skin, use a water-based moisturizer so your skin doesn’t overproduce oil.
With both water and glycerin, natural hydrators, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost moisturizer is a great hydrator. I also love Good Molecule’s moisturizer to lock in moisture; it’s thick yet feels lightweight on my skin.
To secure moisture for the rest of my body, I use Olay. It’s become a fan-favorite in my household for its hydration, scent and low price point. (It’s only $11!) Hyaluronic acid, which boosts skin elasticity, is also an active ingredient, so it’s improving my skin barrier day by day.
My Summer Glow Recs for Hydration and Moisturization:
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, $22
Good Molecules Lightweight Daily Moisturizer, $12
Olay Body Lotion, $11
Time to add the glow (and sun protection) factor.
Glowing skin is the result of hydration, creating an appearance of a glass-like glow. For that glow, I use Tree Hut’s Firming Body Oil for a smell-good, feel-good shine to my skin. But if you’re willing to go deeper in your pockets, Moroccanoil has a body oil that provides both hydration and shimmer.
When I’m not wearing makeup, I round out my skincare routine with Black Girl Sunscreen for the SPF and the glass-skin look it gives me afterwards. With makeup, I add the sunscreen and top off my makeup with Juvia’s Place loose highlighter to accentuate the high points of my face. To make sure my lips are also shiny as everything else, I apply Essence’s lip gloss for maximal shine. Even better, it’s minimal stickiness.
My Summer Glow Recs for Sunscreen and Body Oils:
Tree Hut Firming Body Oil, $13
Moroccanoil Shimmering Body Oil, $50
Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30, $17
Essence Extreme Shine Volume Lipgloss, $4
