Do You Still Need a Face Cream in Summer Heat?

In short: Yes, you still need to moisturize in summer — skin loses water to heat, sun and air conditioning just as it does in winter. What changes is the texture, not whether you do it: go lighter, and on humid days let a few drops of face oil stand in for a heavy cream.

Does skin still need moisture in the heat?

Yes. Warm weather makes skin feel oilier, but oil and water are not the same thing. Sun, wind and air conditioning all pull water out of the skin, so it can be dehydrated and greasy at once. Skipping moisturizer usually makes skin overproduce oil to compensate. The goal in summer is lighter hydration, not none.

Oily skin isn't the same as hydrated skin

A shiny surface is sebum; dehydration is a lack of water underneath. This is why skin can look oily by midday yet feel tight. If that sounds familiar, see why your skin feels dry even when you moisturize.

How to adjust your moisturizer for summer

• Go lighter, not zero — a thinner application of your cream is often enough when it's humid.
• Let the oil stand in for the cream — on humid days, a few drops of face oil pressed into clean skin can carry the step on its own, without a richer cream on top. Our Radiance Face Oil absorbs rather than forming a film, which is what makes that workable in heat.
• If you use both, the oil goes first — press the oil into clean skin, let it settle, then the cream closes the routine. That order follows from how those two formulas are built rather than from a rule about oils in general.
• Hydrate first, then hold it in — water-based hydration goes on bare skin, before anything oil-based can block it.

For very dry or air-conditioned environments, keep a richer cream like our Radiance Face Cream for evenings. More on sequence in how to layer a face oil and a moisturizer.

FAQ

Can I skip moisturizer in summer?
Not recommended. Skin still loses water in the heat, and skipping it often leads to more oil, not less. Go lighter instead.

Is face oil too heavy for summer?
Not if you use a few drops rather than a thick layer. On humid days it can replace a heavy cream altogether; if you use both, the oil goes on before the cream.

Why is my skin oily but tight?
That's oily-dehydrated skin: enough sebum, not enough water. Use light water-based hydration, then a thin layer over it to hold the water in.