Your warm-weather skin and hair care questions, answered

STORY: Karina Antenucci

Should you be switching up your beauty routine for warmer weather? Answer: Yes. Your skin and hair have different needs depending on the season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to ditch every product you’ve been using, and what you do apply still hinges on your skin and hair type. Sara Lamond (left), founder of Fig & Flower Natural Beauty, shares her recommendations for summer swaps that make sense.

Update Your Cleansers

“To better remove the heavy film of SPF, plus sweat accumulating during the day, dry skin types should use an oil cleanser, and oilier and congested skin types should double cleanse with an oil cleanser followed by a foaming cleanser in the summer,” says Lamond. Oil? As it turns out, oil fights oil.

HERE’S HOW TO USE AN OIL CLEANSER: Don’t wet your face first. Put the oil in clean hands and rub them together to slightly heat the oil. Then apply it in a circular motion around your face. “That oil-to-skin contact is going to break up the makeup, sunscreen and oil,” Lamond says. Next, wet a washcloth with warm water and place it over your face for a minute. When the towel cools, wipe away the rest of the oil.

ONE TO TRY: One Love Organics Vitamin B Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover, $42

Stick with the Nighttime Moisturizer

You never want to lose your night cream, even in the summer. “That’s your holy grail of skin care. Our bodies are more restorative at night, so use your heaviest product then, when your skin is doing its resetting. One of the most profound things you can do for anti-aging is to keep your skin hydrated,” Lamond advises. However, you can pare down your daytime moisturizing since your skin is producing more sebum and sweat. Choose one high-performing hydrator like a serum or lightweight moisturizer with hyaluronic acid that “helps hold moisture to the skin but is a light ingredient,” says Lamond.

ONE TO TRY: HiQ Cosmetics COQ10 Facial Serum, $125

Trade Exfoliating Masks

If you’re spending more time outside, put the kibosh on the mask with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) you have been using since the winter; AHAs, including glycolic and lactic acids, can make your skin sensitive to light. Instead, choose a clay- or charcoal-based detoxifying mask or scrub that does double duty, clearing grime from those pores and exfoliating your skin. “If we don’t exfoliate, our lovely, expensive moisturizer can’t get where it needs to go under a layer of dead skin and product laying on its surface,” Lamond says. Use an exfoliating mask one to three times per week.

ONE TO TRY: Acure Brilliantly Brightening Facial Scrub, $10 (tip: use it as a mask)

Swap Some Shampoos

You’re going to feel tempted to shampoo more often in the summer thanks to increased oil production, humidity and sweating—but fight the urge. “It’s not great for the hair and will strip the natural oils. Frizzy hair is actually over-dry hair,” explains Lamond. She suggests replacing every few shampoos with co-washes, which stands for a “conditioner wash,” cleansing with your conditioner instead of shampoo. Just massage it into the scalp. “Co-washes do a great job of not leaving buildup, similar to oil cleansing for the face.” In addition, once per week, use a clarifying or exfoliating shampoo to remove any buildup of oils or products from your scalp.

ONE TO TRY: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal & Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, $42

Grab a Salt Spray

Summer in Atlanta is a great time to embrace natural waves instead of trying to get hair to perform with straight styles and styling products—the humidity just doesn’t cooperate. “Spritz a salt spray to add texture and let it dry naturally,” says Lamond. “This is also a great way to cut down on using heat tools and give your hair a break.”

ONE TO TRY: Captain Blankenship Golden Waves Sea Salt Shimmer Spray, $28.