Photo courtesy of Jim Lafferty/The Licensing Project
Layering Skin Care for Summer:
A Step-by-Step Guide
Do you put sunscreen on first or last? Does the serum come before the spritz? What about the oil? Layering skin care in hot weather involves some strategy—the key is choosing textures that sink easily into skin—but the payoff is fresh, glowing, healthy-looking skin all season long.
Step 1:
Vitamin C
No matter your skin type, put vitamin C on first thing in the morning. It’s especially great in summer because it helps fight free radicals from UV rays and other environmental factors while brightening, clarifying, smoothing, and refining the texture of skin. This one maximizes potency with a two-part system that mixes 20% vitamin C powder with a hyaluronic acid serum.
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Skin-Brightening Magic
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW 20% Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Glow Serum
goop, $125/$112 with subscriptionSHOP NOW
Step 2:
Spritz
Because they’re water-based, spritzes clear the way for treatment ingredients (those in the spritz itself and those in products that go on afterward) to go deeper into the skin. This one is made with super soothing botanicals like witch hazel and willow bark extract for softer, ultrahydrated, practically poreless skin.
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Rose-Infused Mist
Tata Harper
Hydrating Floral Essence
goop, $72SHOP NOW
Step 3:
Serum
With your skin damp from your spritz, a treatment serum sinks right in to address issues like breakouts, dull skin, and more. Each of these is targeted for specific benefits, and the results are powerful.
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To Calm and Smooth Fine Lines
de Mamiel
First Fix Serum
goop, $216SHOP NOW -
To Hydrate and Plump
Mary Allan Skincare
Pressed Flower Milk Hydrating Drops
goop, $185SHOP NOW -
To Nourish and Even Skin Tone
Beauty Thinkers
Antioxidant Boost Facial Oil
goop, $78SHOP NOW
Step 4:
Moisturize
(If You Need It)
Most skin types benefit from extra hydration even when it’s humid out; look for lighter textures to smooth, refresh, and plump your skin.
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The Face Oil with Clinical Results
goop Beauty
GOOPGENES All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil
goop, $98/$89 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Antioxidant Gel-Cream
Alpyn Beauty
Triple Vitamin-C Brightening Bounce Cream
goop, $49SHOP NOW -
Light-as-Air Skin-Boost Moisturizer
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW Glow Lotion
goop, $58/$52 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Melts-in-Instantly Balm
Furtuna Skin
Rinascita Delle Olive Replenishing Balm
goop, $185SHOP NOW
Step 5:
Mineral Sunscreen
Because mineral sunscreen sits on top of skin to create a physical barrier from the sun, make it your last step (by contrast, chemical sunscreens, which goop recommends against, go on first, as they need to sink into skin to work).
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Tinted to Blur Imperfections
ILIA
C Beyond Triple Serum SPF 40
goop, $64SHOP NOW -
Silky-Smooth
MARA
Algae + Zinc Sea Kale Sunscreen Serum
goop, $52SHOP NOW -
Velvety Semimatte
EleVen
Unrivaled Sun Serum SPF 35
goop, $50SHOP NOW
Before You Layer, Optimize Your Skin
No matter your skin type, cleansing and exfoliating make a huge difference in the way your skin looks and feels and also in the way your treatment products perform.
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Gentle, Skin-Polishing Cleanser
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW Cloudberry Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser
goop, $28/$25 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Retexturizing Toner for Baby-Soft Skin
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW Flower Acids
Resurfacing Toner
goop, $45/$40 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Every Few Days
Facial in a Jar
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator
goop, $125/$112 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Once a Week
Glowifying
Exfoliating Treatment
goop Beauty
GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel
goop, $125/$112 with subscriptionSHOP NOW
Every Day
Bonus: Summer Layering, Body Edition
Oils and creams leave your limbs gleamy and sexy-looking, mineral sunscreen is great for body protection, and we love aloe vera gel to soothe and cool—especially when we’ve been at the beach all day (or just had a wax).
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The Ultimate Soothing Summer Gel
Dr. Barbara Sturm
Aloe Vera Gel
goop, $70SHOP NOW -
Spritzable Body Oil That Smells Like a Garden
Seed to Skin
The Serenity Time Defying Dry Body Oil
goop, $162SHOP NOW -
Citrusy Butter for Firm, Healthy-Looking Skin
goop Beauty
GOOPGENES Nourishing Repair Body Butter
goop, $58/$50 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Amazingly Silky SPF Lotion
Unsun
Hydrating Full Coverage Body Lotion SPF 30
goop, $32SHOP NOW
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