Ah summer — the season of beach trips, fruity popsicles, and BBQs. It’s also the season of sunburns, boob sweat, and thigh chafing. These summer skin problems have likely caused us to make a few rush trips to CVS or late-night Amazon Prime purchases.
Here are some of the most common summer skin problems, how I deal with each, and which products are available to try to solve them.
Problem: Sunburn
As much as we all try to prevent it, from time-to-time most of us will get a sunburn. I still remember the time I fell asleep laying outside in the sun in my backyard in high school and had a finger mark on my thigh. Good times.
Sunburn isn’t just ugly, it’s also painful. The earlier you apply a product to help with the burn and pain, the easer things will be in the long run. Another tip is to keep moisturizing for weeks after the burn — it will help lessen the peeling and get your skin back to normal in a shorter amount of time (in my experience, at least).
Solution: Hydrating After Sun Products
At this point, you can’t turn back time and apply sunscreen, so your options are limited. Look for products with the following ingredients, which all soothe burnt skin and help the healing process: aloe, tea tree oil, Calendula, or witch hazel. Note: don’t use all of these products by themselves or apply directly to skin (especially tea tree oil). Instead, looking for products that contain a percentage of them and always read the labels.
I love Sun Bum products because they are practically found everywhere – Ulta, CVS, Target, and Amazon. Another pro to the brand is the variety of formulas they have. For example, for their after sun products, you can choose from lotions, gels, sprays, and more (I’m more of a lotion/gel girl myself).
SHOP: Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Gel | Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion
Problem: Thigh Chafing
Whether it’s from a sweaty workout or just a walk on the beach, inner thigh chafing is a common summer problem for many women (no matter your size!) All the increased moisture and friction from summer sweat makes us susceptible to the inflamed, chafed, red skin that we all cringe at the thought of.
Solution: Anti-Chafe Stick
Whereas this used to be more of a taboo topic, now there are tons of products on the market created specifically for (and marketed towards) this problem. One of the more popular options is the Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick, which is a non-toxic formula that glides on smooth and melts into your skin, creating a friction-free barrier. The cute packaging is a bonus!
SHOP: Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick
Problem: Boob Sweat
Whether you’re an A or a DD, chances are you’ve experienced the dreaded boob sweat from time to time. During summer, the devil liquid is pretty much unavoidable, and can even stain or discolor bras and clothing.
Solution: Body Powder
The key to tackle boob sweat (or really sweat on any other part of your body, like the backs of your knees) is to apply a powder product. Megababe makes a few – one specifically for the boob area and another for the entire body. The anti-boob spray delivers powder directly to the skin, which eliminates the mess associated with traditional shake-top powders. The body powder is made with soothing lavender and chamomile and offers a matte finish.
SHOP: Megababe Bust Dust Anti-Boob-Sweat Spray | Megababe Body Dust Top-to-Toe Powder
Problem: Bacne
When I was pregnant with Henry, my hormones freaked out and I was transported back to my 15-year-old bacne days. It was rough, since I couldn’t use many OTC products due to the ingredients. But if you’re not pregnant, the good news is that you can try a bunch of different ingredients to see what works (including salicylic acid).
Solution: Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is your BFF if you’re suffering from body acne, especially during the summer. It penetrates deep into pores and removes dead skin cells.
This body acne spray contains 2% Salicylic acid (BHA) to eliminate bumps, pimples, and blackheads without the damaging effects of rough body scrubs or brushes. If you have bacne in just one or two small areas, you may want to try these pads which deliver targeted spot treatment. This body mist is easy to apply in the shower (you don’t have to be super flexible to reach those areas!)
SHOP: Paula’s Choice CLEAR Back and Body Acne Spray | FAB Pharma White Clay Acne Treatment Pads | Versed Back-Up Plan Acne-Control Body Mist
Problem: Razor Burn
Razor burnlaser hair removal
Solution: Glycolic Acid
There’s a lot you can do to prevent razor burn, but you likely already know about those (exfoliating beforehand, using a fresh razor, using a rich shaving cream, yadda yadda). So if you maybe forgot or were rushing, here are some products to help treat razor burn, especially around the bikini line. These pre-moistened pads are easy to use – just swipe one across the affected area. You also can’t go wrong with the old-school favorite, Tend Skin.
SHOP: Completely Bare Bikini Bump Blaster Ingrown Hair & Bikini Bump Eliminator | Tend Skin Liquid Tend Skin Care Solution
Problem: Blisters
I’m very blister-prone, especially with sandals and heels. When I find a pair of shoes that fit me well and don’t rub or cause blisters, I’ll buy them in three colors. I’m that girl. But sometimes blisters are inevitable — mainly the first few wears of any new pair.
Solution: Blister Balm
How do blister balms work? Just apply a few swipes of the balm on blister-prone areas (like the back of your ankles or top of toes) immediately before you put on shoes. The balm helps prevent blisters and raw skin caused by rubbing. I like it as an alternative to wasting fresh band-aids every time I wear a pair of new sandals until they are broken in.
SHOP: BodyGlide Foot Anti Blister Balm
Problem: Oily, Sweaty Face
I’m not particularly oily, but when it’s 90 degrees outside, I think we all get sweatier than usual. In addition to using a primer during the summer months to keep sunscreen/foundation in place, why not try the drugstore product that went viral on TikTok?
Solution: Volcanic Face Roller
If carrying around blotting papers isn’t your thing, this tool might be! The face roller is made from real volcanic stone to soak up excess oil instantly. You can lightly wash the roller to keep it free of bacteria (this was my first worry about the tool itself).
SHOP: Revlon Oil-Absorbing Volcanic Face Roller
