Get your glow on.
When I was a teen — approximately a million years ago — skin care was all about the attack. In 2022, skin care has pivoted to protecting your skin barrier from sun, from environmental pollutants, and, sometimes, from your own attacks with alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs) and other harsh ingredients. Summer skin care also previously featured lots of rough, physical exfoliators and toners to dry out summer breakouts. For May 2022 skin care releases, brands are dropping products that’ll help your skin be its healthiest with boosted skin barriers, lots of hydration, and gentler exfoliation than offered in past seasons.
Chances are, you spend more time sweating outside in the summer months and your skin care routine needs to account for that. It’s tempting to go hard with harsh ingredients in the warmer months when your skin can produce more oil thanks to an increase in sweat and other seasonal factors. Dr. Naissan O. Wesley, a surgical dermatologist based in L.A., previously told Elite Daily that swapping to more lightweight products — you won’t find any heavy creams on our must-have May skin care release list — is one option for folks worried about extra oily summer skin and resulting breakouts.
This month, the name of the game is definitely lightweight and I’m obsessed with products that are effective enough to meet the needs of summer skin, but gentle enough to support the skin barrier. From new SPF products with little to no white cast and body washes that leave your skin supple and refreshed, these are the brand new skin care products I am *literally* slathering all over myself.
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01
ZitSticka’s XL Hydrocolloid Patches
I love a hydrocolloid patch. They’re an effective treatment for pimples that’s way more effective and more gentle than attempting at-home extraction. While I enjoy feeling like I’m conquering breakouts without putting my skin barrier at risk on a pimple-by-pimple basis, sometimes I get patchy blemishes, which is where these new, extra-large patches from ZitSticka come in. They’re sized to treat more surface area than your standard pimple patch and come in a set of two sheets, featuring seven patches each, per box.
02
Pat McGrath’s Rosy Glow Essence
When Mother offers you skin care, you take it and thank her for the glow. That’s how I feel about this essence, anyway, which I’ve been using — and raving about — since I got a bottle to test ahead of the launch. The overall level of hydration and straight-up glow seen on the skin immediately after use is absolutely bonkers. You either have to see it to believe or take the word of fans like Naomi Campbell, who revealed she wanted to bathe in it while announcing the launch.
03
Mario Badescu’s Dreamy Body Oil
In the summer, I want my skin to gleam and I also want to smell like an alcoholic beverage with a paper umbrella in it. This new body oil from Mario Badescu checks off both of those boxes. You’re going to be seeing a lot more body oils as the summer progresses, so you definitely want to grab one with high-quality ingredients like this one. It features a blend of argan, rice bran, and coconut oils, and is also lightweight so you won’t feel greasy after application.
04
Sand & Sky’s Oil-Clearing Cleanser
If you’re worried about your skin overproducing oil, you can address that concern without stripping it of the oils it does need with Sand & Sky’s new cleanser designed specifically to control oil without destroying your skin barrier. While it does contain acid, Salicylic to be exact, this cleanser is balanced. Aloe Vera, a super soother, is also an ingredient as is Australian Old Man Weed — a plant valued by indigenous people for its healing properties.
05
Ole Henriksen’s Dry Body Oil
Body oil is having a moment and I intend to extend that moment for as long as possible. If you like an oil, but don’t like feeling oily, a dry oil is probably more your jam. This one from Ole Henriksen hydrates like a richer, denser oil, but won’t leave you feeling greasy. It’s perfect for summer when skin gets thirsty, but people are also trying to avoid feeling sticky.
06
Cocokind’s Hybrid SPF
I’ve already raved about cocokind’s Silk SPF and what I’ve said before still stands: It’s a wonderful option for folks with sensitive skin who still want the benefits of a chemical sunscreen with the mildness of a mineral SPF. It applies the way the name implies, silkily, and didn’t leave a white cast on my skin. That said, my skin tone hovers between deep tan and olive throughout the year, and folks with darker skin tones may find some white cast.
07Dr. Barbara Sturm’s “Stinky” Breakout Treatment
In terms of makeup, the vibe for summer skin this year is “less is more,” which is great until you’ve got a gnarly pimple. Fortunately, for flare-ups, there’s a new cream from Dr. Sturm that works to soothe and heal breakouts. Instead of aggressively drying out blemishes with alcohol and intense acids, this cream, which is gentle enough to be worn overnight, targets inflammation with all-star ingredients like tiger grass, apricot kernel oil, and hyaluronic acid.
08
CAY Skin’s Glow-y Body SPF
While I’m constantly reapplying sunscreen to my face, I am guilty of forgetting to apply SPF on my body when I’m out, but I’m pretty sure CAY Skin’s new Body Glow Lotion is going to change that. Along with SPF 45, it deposits a subtle, pearlescent glow on the skin — the look is lit-from-within, not oiled up — and I am here for regularly reapplying anything that leaves me looking like I was cast in bronze.
09
Korres’ Cooling Yoghurt Eye Gel
Caffeine is one of the most-loved ingredients for brightening under-eye circles and tightening up puffy, swollen, or sagging under-eye skin, so the fact that it’s a key ingredient in this eye gel got me excited. I was also stoked to see the metal rollerball applicator — I love to keep eye cream in the fridge and this applicator makes for an extra icy, depuffing moment. Last, but not least, there’s the Greek yoghurt, an essential skin care ingredient for soothing inflamed skin in Greek culture.
Make sure to come back throughout the month for more exciting new product drops.
Expert cited:
Dr. Naissan O. Wesley, Los Angeles-based surgical dermatologist
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