LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULAS FOR TOP TO TOE

It’s hot, it’s humid, and you’re hiding behind a mask most days – now, more than ever, the texture of your products makes a difference. In fact, a total product switch-up can do your complexion a world of good, particularly if you’re among those experiencing clogged pores, irritated skin or “maskne”, a term as terrible as the skin condition to which it refers.

Today’s generation of summer skincare doesn’t skimp on efficacy just because the formulas are lighter, absorb faster and rarely leave behind residue. Products like Sisley’s Hydra-Global Serum are specifically targeted at fighting skin conditions caused by wearing masks, training skin to retain water and circulate it between layers more deeply and efficiently.

When it comes to cream, many of those thick winter salves that are so popular for ski season or European Christmases have summer sisters – Crème de la Mer, for example, comes as a Moisturising Soft Cream or a Moisturising Cool Gel Cream, and all three variations contain the brand’s patented healing elixir, Miracle Broth. Based on the recipe for the world’s first ever cream and handmade by monks in Europe, Fresh Beauty’s famed Crème Ancienne also comes in a Soft Cream iteration.

Tatcha is another skincare saviour known for its weightless formulas, with products such as The Water Cream and the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist which almost feel like nothing when applied. The name may suggest otherwise, but even the Indigo Soothing Body Butter sinks in quickly, with nary a sign of its signature purplish-blue hue (unless you get it on your sheets or towel!)

Body milk is an even lighter alternative to your body cream, and most brands have their own uniquely scented rendition: we like classics like Dior's J'adore Lait Sublime as well as the punchy but clean Byredo Gypsy Water Body Lotion, whose formula is definitely on the milkier side (the product name en français is also “lait pour le corps”, milk for the body).

Of course, sun protection becomes even more important in these hotter, sunnier months, but increased protection doesn’t have to mean thick and greasy. Estée Lauder’s Perfectionist Pro Multi-Defense Aqua UV Hydra Gel is SPF50/PA++++ is a gel-like sunscreen that fights UVA and UVB with anti-pollution and hydration functions – just what you need to get you through the season.