Summer changes everything for your skin. Heat, humidity, sweat, and longer hours outside all shift what your face and body need from one week to the next. A summer skincare routine isn’t about adding ten new products. It’s about lightening up, leaning into hydration, and giving your skin the kind of gentle, consistent care that makes the season easier on your complexion.
Here on the Eastern Shore, our days run long from late May through September. The Maryland humidity has a way of making everything feel a little stickier, including your skin. The routine below is the one we actually use, built around products we make by hand at our Owings Mills facility, with notes for every skin type.
Why Your Summer Skincare Routine Needs to Change
Cooler months call for richer, heavier products that lock in moisture against dry indoor air. Summer flips the script. Your skin produces more oil, holds onto more sweat, and faces more sun. The same body butter that felt like a hug in February can feel a little much in July.
The good news: summer skin is usually easier to manage than winter skin. The shift is mostly about texture and timing. You want lighter formulas, more frequent cleansing, and an extra step or two of hydration that won’t weigh you down.
The 7 Steps in a Solid Summer Skincare Routine
1. Hydrate From the Inside
Before any product goes on your face, drink your water. The simplest thing you can do for your summer skincare routine is to keep a bottle on your desk and refill it. Skin that’s well-hydrated from the inside looks plumper and feels softer, which makes every product you apply afterwards work a little better.
2. Cleanse Twice a Day, Without Stripping
Heat and humidity mean more sweat, more sunscreen, and more buildup by the end of the day. Twice-daily cleansing keeps pores clear without overdoing it.
Use a gentle cleanser in the morning and again in the evening. Cover your face and your neck. If you wear makeup or sunscreen, do a quick first pass to lift it off before your main cleanse.
Our Oatmeal + Lavender Bar Soap is gentle enough for the face and made with goat’s milk, ground oats, and lavender essential oil.
3. Mask Once a Week, Exfoliate Twice
A weekly mask and gentle exfoliation are two of the easiest ways to keep summer skin looking fresh. Regular exfoliation sweeps away the dead-skin layer that traps oil and makeup, so what you apply afterwards has somewhere to go.
Mask picks for summer:
- Sea + Tea Dry Mask mixed with a small spoonful of minimally filtered honey: a deep-cleansing feel that works well after sun-soaked days.
- Calming Dry Mask mixed with plain Greek yogurt: lavender, oats, and clay for a softer, more soothing finish.
- Clarity Dry Mask mixed with water: rose clay and kaolin for the days your T-zone is doing the most.
Exfoliation tips:
- Stick to two or three times a week. More than that and your skin starts to feel raw.
- Choose fine, plant-based exfoliants that won’t scratch.
- The Original Honey Body Scrub is just crystallized honey, so it works as a gentle face polish too.
4. Tone and Refresh
A spritz after cleansing helps balance your skin and prep it for the next step. We use our Lavender Flower Water, a hydrosol steam-distilled from lavender we grow on our Kent Island farm. A few mists across the face, neck, and chest, and the routine feels different.
If you want a little more weight, our MSM Mist adds organic sulfur and conditioning botanicals for skin that feels a touch dry by midday. Bayberry Leaf Flower Water is the third option in the lineup, slightly greener in scent. All three live in the Botanical Water collection.
The Best Face Forward Set is our six-piece kit with day cream, night cream, face oil, flower water, mask, and lip gloss, sized for a full daily routine.
5. Lightweight Hydration That Won’t Weigh You Down
The key word in summer is light. Skip the rich winter butter on your face and reach for something that absorbs in about a minute. Our Vitamin Bee Day Cream blends apricot kernel oil, cupuacu butter, rosehip oil, and five vitamins (A, B5, C, D, E) into a citrus-scented cream that disappears under sunscreen and makeup.
At night, switch to Vitamin Bee Night Cream, which leans richer with MSM and DMAE for overnight conditioning. The lavender scent helps you wind down. Both cover dry, combination, normal, and sensitive skin without feeling greasy.
6. Face Oil, Even in Summer
This one surprises people, but the right face oil belongs in a summer routine. Our Rose Face Oil blends camellia, jojoba, apricot kernel, and rosehip seed oils. Three or four drops, patted onto damp skin after cleansing, keeps the surface feeling balanced rather than parched.
For the body, our Sea + Tea Body Oil goes on neck-to-toes after a shower and absorbs without leaving a film. The bergamot, yarrow, rosemary, and lavender blend smells like a Maryland meadow.
7. Sun Protection Is the Final Step
Sunscreen is the single most important habit you can build for your face. We don’t make sunscreen ourselves, so this is the one part of the routine where you’ll want to find a broad-spectrum product you like, with SPF 30 or higher. Apply it as the last step of your morning routine, after moisturizer. Reapply every two hours when you’re outside, especially around water.
After sun, skin loves a little extra love. Our Place in the Sun Body Care Duo pairs the body scrub and butter from our Place in the Sun collection for a post-beach routine.
Summer Skincare Routine by Skin Type
Summer Skincare Routine for Oily Skin
- Lean on the Clarity Dry Mask twice a week. Rose and kaolin clays absorb extra oil without leaving skin feeling tight.
- Don’t skip moisturizer. Vitamin Bee Day Cream is light enough to use even when your face feels shiny by noon. Skipping moisture often makes the shine worse, not better.
- Use the Lavender Flower Water as a midday refresh instead of touch-up powder.
Summer Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
- Add Rose Face Oil over your day cream in the morning. Three drops on damp skin go a long way.
- Pull in the Calming Dry Mask mixed with whole milk or yogurt twice a week. Coconut, oats, lavender, and honey leave skin feeling cushioned.
- Lavender Flower Water before your moisturizer adds a hydration step that doesn’t feel heavy.
Summer Skincare Routine for Combination Skin
- Multi-mask. Clarity on the T-zone, Calming on the cheeks, all in one sitting.
- Vitamin Bee Day Cream covers the lighter side; layer Rose Face Oil only where you feel dry.
- Spritz Lavender Flower Water across the whole face to even things out.
Summer Skincare Routine for Sensitive Skin
- Patch test anything new on the inside of your wrist for 24 hours before applying to your face.
- Keep it short. Oatmeal + Lavender Bar Soap, Vitamin Bee Day Cream, and a quick spritz of Lavender Flower Water is enough.
- The Calming Dry Mask is the gentlest of the three masks, with no clay-heavy pull.
Putting Your Summer Skincare Routine Together
The best summer skincare routine is the one you’ll actually do twice a day. Start small. If you’re building from scratch, the Best Face Forward Set covers the core: day cream, night cream, face oil, flower water, mask, and lip gloss, all in one box.
Give any new routine four to six weeks before you decide whether it’s working. Skin takes time to adjust, especially when seasons are shifting. Keep notes if you’re trying multiple products. Most people figure out which two or three pieces become their non-negotiables, then reorder those.
For the full picture, our Summer Radiance Collection brings together the body and bath side of the routine, while our Face Care collection covers everything that goes above the chin. Either way, the goal is the same: skin that feels comfortable, hydrated, and ready for whatever the season brings.
What changes do you make to your skincare when summer arrives? Tell us in the comments below.
Summer Skincare Routine FAQ
What is the best skincare routine for summer?
The best summer skincare routine is a light, consistent one: cleanse twice a day, mask once a week, exfoliate two or three times a week, mist with a flower water toner, layer a lightweight day cream, finish with a few drops of face oil, and apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen as your last morning step. Add hydration from the inside by drinking water throughout the day.
How should I change my skincare for summer?
Swap heavier winter creams for lighter formulas like Vitamin Bee Day Cream, add an extra hydration step with a flower water mist, and lean on clay-based masks like Clarity Dry Mask if your skin runs oilier in the heat. Keep cleansing consistent, twice a day, to clear away sweat and sunscreen.
Do I still need moisturizer in the summer?
Yes. Even oily skin needs moisture in summer, especially after sweating or sun exposure. The trick is choosing a lighter texture. Vitamin Bee Day Cream absorbs in about a minute and won’t feel heavy under sunscreen or makeup.
How often should I exfoliate in the summer?
Two or three times a week is plenty for most skin types. Over-exfoliating can leave skin feeling raw or sensitive, especially when paired with sun exposure. Stick to fine, plant-based exfoliants and skip the day before any beach trip.
Can I use face oil in humid weather?
Yes, and you might be surprised how well it works. A few drops of Rose Face Oil patted onto damp skin after cleansing helps the surface feel balanced rather than parched. Oils can actually help oily skin feel less shiny over time.
What is the best mask for summer skincare?
It depends on your skin. Clarity Dry Mask, made with rose and kaolin clay, is best for oily or combination skin. Calming Dry Mask, made with oats, lavender, clay, and honey, is the gentlest option for sensitive or dry skin. Sea + Tea Dry Mask, with green tea and seaweed, is a deep-cleansing option for after sun-soaked days.
Should I use the same skincare routine for my body and face?
The steps rhyme, but the products are different. Your face needs lighter, finer-textured products like Vitamin Bee Day Cream and Rose Face Oil. Your body can handle richer formulas like Sea + Tea Body Oil and Place in the Sun Body Butter. Use bar soap or a gentle cleanser on both, but choose body scrubs sized for thicker body skin.
How long until I see results from a new summer skincare routine?
Give any new routine four to six weeks before you decide whether it’s working. Skin takes time to adjust, especially during seasonal shifts. Keep notes if you’re testing multiple products and pay attention to texture and comfort, not just appearance.
