Why Your Skin Breaks Out More in Summer

Skin breaks out more in summer because heat and humidity make it produce more sweat and oil. That mixes with sunscreen, makeup and dead skin cells, and the mix sits in your pores. Add friction from hats and straps, and you get more clogged pores and more pimples than you had in March. Most of it responds to a few small changes.

Why do heat and humidity cause breakouts?

A pimple starts with a clogged pore. Oil and dead skin cells get trapped, and the pore becomes inflamed.

In a central Illinois July, the air is already holding a lot of moisture, so sweat does not evaporate the way it does on a dry day. It stays on your skin along with the extra oil that heat brings on. The longer that film sits there, the more likely it is to settle into pores.

Sweat on its own is not the problem. Sweat that dries on your skin under a layer of sunscreen and dust from the ball field is.

Is my sunscreen breaking me out?

It might be part of it, but the answer is not to stop wearing it. Thick, greasy sunscreens made for the body can be too heavy for a face that clogs easily.

• Use a sunscreen made for the face, and look for the words “oil-free” or “non-comedogenic” on the label.
• Wash it off properly at night. Sunscreen is built to stay put, and a quick splash of water will not remove it.
• Reapply over clean skin when you can. Layer after layer over sweat adds to the buildup.

If you are tempted to skip it, read do you really need sunscreen every day first.

Does the sun clear up acne?

It can look that way for a week. A tan evens out redness, and sun dries the surface of the skin, so pimples seem to fade.

It does not last. Dried-out skin can end up feeling oilier, not less oily, and the dark marks that pimples leave behind tend to get darker and stay longer with sun exposure. Sun is not a treatment for breakouts.

Why am I breaking out along my hairline, chin or back?

Where a breakout shows up tells you something about the cause.

• Forehead and hairline: ball caps, visors and sweatbands hold sweat and oil against the skin. Hair products that run down with sweat add to it.
• Chin and jaw: helmet straps, and resting your face in your hands.
• Back, shoulders and chest: a sweaty shirt or swimsuit left on for hours, backpack straps and sunscreen that never quite gets washed off.

What helps with summer breakouts?

• Wash after you sweat. Do not let it dry on your skin. A gentle cleanser is enough. If you cannot get to a sink, rinse with water and change out of the damp shirt.
• Cleanse twice a day, not five times. Scrubbing hard or washing constantly strips the skin and irritates breakouts you already have.
• Keep moisturizing. Oily skin still needs water. Switch to a lighter moisturizer for the season instead of dropping it.
• Exfoliate gently, a couple of times a week. That keeps dead skin from adding to the clog. More than that usually backfires. See how often you should exfoliate.
• Wash what touches your face. Hat bands, pillowcases, phone screens and makeup brushes all collect oil.
• Leave pimples alone. Squeezing pushes the problem deeper and is the fastest way to end up with a mark that outlasts the summer.

The Spathetics shop carries lighter options for the season, such as the Light Aloe moisturizer and Sheer Protection SPF 30, along with a Blemish Spot Treatment and Clarifying Toner Pads. If you are not sure what suits your skin, ask at your next appointment before you buy.

When is it more than a summer breakout?

Some things are not for a cleanser or a facial to sort out. See a doctor or dermatologist if you have:

• Deep, painful bumps under the skin, or breakouts that leave scars.
• A sudden rash of small itchy bumps, which may be heat rash or a reaction and not acne at all.
• Breakouts that started with a new medication.
• Acne that has not improved after a couple of months of consistent care.

How a facial fits in

A facial does the part that is hard to do at home. The Acne Facial at Spathetics includes cleansing, exfoliation, extractions and high frequency, a handheld tool estheticians commonly use on breakout-prone skin. Extractions clear clogged pores without the damage that squeezing at home causes, and Ashley can look at your skin up close and tell you what it is reacting to.

If your summer breakouts are mostly on your back and shoulders, the Back Facial covers the skin you cannot reach yourself.

Summer skin is not permanent, and it usually calms down once you find what is clogging it. If you would like help with that, see all facials or book an appointment when it suits you.