summer always catches me off guard with this

Every year I think I'm prepared and every year my skin has other ideas. The switch from spring to proper summer heat — even Bristol summer, which let's be honest is still pretty mild — does something. More oil, a bit of congestion, that tight-then-shiny thing I can never quite explain to clients. Basically what I've landed on after a few years of trial and error: lighter doesn't always mean less. I swapped my richer moisturiser for a gel-based one but I actually upped how often I was applying SPF. That felt counterintuitive but the skin barrier stuff is real — more sun exposure means more stress on it, not less need for support. From a nutrition angle, I also notice I naturally eat more water-dense foods in summer — cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes — and I do think it makes a difference. Not in a magic way, just... skin seems a bit more comfortable. Hydration from food is genuinely underrated. Mind you I still forget sunscreen on my hands roughly four days out of five so I'm not exactly holding myself up as a model of consistency here 😅