An embossed envelope lands on the doormat. Tickets are snapped up for a summer show. A milestone celebration is circled on the calendar, and a long-range prayer is sent up for the weather. And with each landmark diary date comes that familiar thought: I’d really like to look my best.
Those big summer occasions have a way of focusing the mind, don’t they? You don’t want to look double-take different, but you’d love to look radiant and rested, confident in close-up photos, and feeling polished rather than preoccupied with your appearance. All of which takes time.
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We all want to feel our best in summer
The reality is, what makes someone look fabulous at a marquee event isn’t achieved at the last minute. The basics of skin biology can’t be rushed and the glow you see on a big day isn’t down to a ‘miracle fix’ the night before but to decisions made weeks, maybe months, earlier.
Happily, time is on your side right now for a visible skin transformation. ‘Three months is the sweet spot for making a visible difference,’ says skin expert Dr Amiee Vyas. ‘If you begin with the right steps now and follow them consistently, you can expect to reap the benefits.’
Set your skin goals
A month or two is enough time to boost hydration and plumpness. ‘But 12 weeks is how long it takes for your body to produce collagen and elastin,’ says Dr Vyas. So take advantage of that window to work out your skin goals and create your glow-up toolkit… safely. Remember, with all skin programmes, it’s best to introduce new treatment products slowly, one at a time.
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Start your summer glow-up now
‘Something I commonly see in the clinic is people who’ve bought everything they’ve seen on social media, frequently with the same active ingredient. They’ve often damaged their skin barrier and become reactive and sore. Retinoids and acids are what we’re most likely to accidentally “overdose” on in the race to look our best,’ she says.
So pause and slow down. ‘I’d recommend consulting a skin expert first, so they can give you a skincare programme that’s appropriate for your goals, age and skin quality,’ says Dr Vyas. It may even be cheaper than grabbing everything and hoping for the best. You might find you have fewer products but the right-quality formulations, with the right ingredients that won’t irritate and will deliver the results you want.’
Find the right advice
Expert advice needn’t be prohibitively expensive. A great accessible option is GetHarley, which allows you to book a £40, 30-minute video consultation with a host of top-notch skincare experts (including Dr Vyas) who will talk through your needs and create a programme tailored to your budget. You can also book follow-ups for ongoing advice.
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Another pro-led service to consider is dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne’s Klira, which uses a ‘1:1 skin test’ to find your ‘SkinSize’, then prescribes a bespoke night treatment (£59 a month for a year, including video consultation) plus a ‘test-fit’ day serum (from £66). There’s also derm-led Renew+ Me, which offers bespoke retinoids and rejuvenating night treatments from £35, with access to online derm support.
Consider AI skin help
AI can be hit and miss for beauty advice, but Noli (aka No One Like I) is a neat new idea. Take the skin analysis survey, scan your face with the photo tool and once you’ve selected your skin goals, Noli will suggest a personalised routine from a host of beauty editor favourite brands, and post the products you choose.
P&P is free if you spend over £20 and you can also get discounts on a host of big names. Noli is a L’Oréal Group innovation, so you’ll find a huge span of brands, including L’Oreal Paris, La Roche-Posay, Lancome, Kiehl’s, CeraVe, Garnier, YSL, Vichy and more.
Address your pigmentation
Pigmentation is often the unwanted plus-one for big summer events. ‘Sun exposure from last year has a tendency to show months later as darker patches, not just on the face but also the chest, arms and hands,’ says skin specialist Dr Nina Bal. In other words, all the areas that will be back on display.
On the positive side, three months is often enough time to either knock age spots off the guest list or at least ensure they fade into the background. Step one is always a good SPF50, says Adonia Clinic medical director Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme. ‘Treating hyperpigmentation without using SPF is like trying to fill a cup with a hole in it – it takes longer and you need more product. Plus, hyperpigmentation is more likely to come back. Also, use a BB cream with iron oxide over the top, as this protects against pigmentation-triggering blue light.’
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Daily SPF is essential
There are some good over-the-counter (OTC) products now available, she notes. ‘Key ingredients include vitamin C, which gives up to seven times more protection when used alongside SPF, and arbutin, a good hyperpigmentation inhibitor. Azelaic acid is a potent anti-inflammatory, great to treat the underlying cause of pigmentation.’ Look for ones backed by clinical studies. ‘For the best results, apply twice a day,’ she adds.
That said, you need to assess your pigmentation realistically. ‘If you stretch a patch of pigmentation and you don’t see that much improvement, then topical OTC treatments alone won’t be that good,’ Dr Ejikeme advises. Consulting a professional will help you avoid wasting your time and money.
‘Hyperpigmentation can be caused by many things that look similar. What you assume are age spots might be post-acne marks, melasma, even lupus,’ she says. ‘A doctor will help you understand whether deeper treatments are needed or if there’s a secondary condition that’s driving your pigmentation.’
When you need to go deeper
If you need more intensive options for pigmentation, prescription topicals such as hydroquinone can be very helpful, says Dr Ejikeme, especially when there’s stubborn hyperpigmentation, or for melasma. ‘They’re often not as expensive as over-the-counter: it’s one product that works really well, versus buying lots of different things.’
Ekaterina Ilchenko
Sometimes pigmentation will require more work
Another option is SmartPICO Laser. ‘With this, I can adequately target age spots in one treatment, and I can use it on every skin type,’ says Dr Ejikeme. ‘Results take about 10 days – you have around five days of crusting first – and we use numbing cream, so most people feel nothing.’
And then there’s the new HEROic BBL IPL. ‘This uses broadband light to break down pigmented cells, and also increases collagen production,’ says Dr Bal. ‘That means smoother, firmer skin, and because it can be used on both face and body, on all skin tones, it’s ideal prep for summer events.’ While not painful, it takes a few days for dark spots to flake off. Best results take three treatments, a month apart.
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