You’re Probably Damaging Your Skin Every Summer—Here’s How to Stop

Sunshine, patio lunches, sandy beaches, and cottage weekends—summer is a magical time. But while you're making the most of the season, your skin might be paying the price… and not in the ways you expect.

Even with SPF and a basic skincare routine, many people unknowingly damage their skin every summer. The good news? With a few simple shifts—using natural, skin-loving ingredients—you can keep your glow without the harm.

Here are the 5 most common ways you're unknowingly damaging your skin each summer—and what to do instead.

1. Skipping After-Sun Care

Natural sunscreen is great—but what happens after sun exposure matters just as much. UV rays dry out the skin, accelerate aging, and can cause invisible inflammation, even without a sunburn. The upside of sun exposure is getting your vitamin D; but this requires only 8-10 minutes in the sun at noon.

How to stop: Use cooling, calming after-sun products like aloe vera, chamomile, or cucumber extracts. These ingredients help reduce inflammation, hydrate the skin, and prevent long-term damage.

Breathe Tip: Keep a bottle of our free formula for aloe-based mist in the fridge for instant cooling after a day outdoors.

2. Over-Exfoliating in the Heat

In summer, sweat, sunscreen, and oil build up fast—so it's tempting to scrub more. But over-exfoliating can strip your skin’s protective barrier, making it more sensitive to sun and environmental stress.

How to stop: Stick to gentle exfoliation 1–2 times per week. Choose natural exfoliants like rice powder, oat flour, or herbal scrubs that respect your skin’s balance.

Breathe Tip: Our Ashwagandha & Rice Bran Hydrating Body Butter Scrub uses finely ground natural powders that lift dead skin without irritation.

3. Using Citrus Essential Oils During the Day

Citrus oils like lemon, lime, bergamot, and grapefruit may smell amazing, but they are phototoxic—meaning they can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and cause dark spots, burns, or rashes when exposed to UV.

How to stop: Avoid applying citrus essential oils to exposed skin during the day. Use them in nighttime routines or opt for sun-safe alternatives like lavender, rose, or blue tansy during the day.

Breathe Tip: We carefully formulate with sun-safe oils for daytime products—such as our Seaweed & Ginseng Collagen Enhancing Hand & Decolletage Lotion which contains aloe vera juice and neroli floral water that hydrate and soothe irritated or sensitive skin types.

4. Dehydrating Your Skin Without Realizing It

Many people think oily or sweaty skin = hydrated skin. But heat and sun exposure actually pull moisture out of your skin, leaving it dehydrated and dull underneath.

How to stop: Add hydrating layers like floral waters (e.g., lemon balm or sage hydrosol) and aloe juice under your moisturizer. Drink more water—but also lock it into your skin with ingredients like jojoba, hemp seed oil, or glycerin.

Breathe Tip: Use one of our hydrating mists and seal it in with a light natural lotion such as our Gotu Kola & Blue Lotus Facial Lotion For Combo to Oily Skin Types.

5. Not Updating Your Skincare for Summer

What works in winter may be too heavy in summer. If you're still using rich butters and oils without adjusting for heat, you may be clogging pores or overwhelming your skin.

How to stop: Switch to lightweight, non-comedogenic oils (like grapeseed, jojoba, or hemp seed) and water-based serums or gels. Let your skin breathe!

Breathe Tip: Our skincare systems are designed to balance oily-prone skin without sacrificing moisture as well as balancing dry to combo skyn types as well.

🌞 Your Summer Skin Can Thrive Naturally

You don’t have to sacrifice your skin to enjoy the sunshine. With conscious choices and plant-powered skincare, you can nourish, protect, and glow—naturally.

At Breathe Natural Organics, every ingredient we use is chosen with care: for your skin, your health, and the planet.