If you’ve made it through the long, hot summer, probably the last one you’ll have to deal with for several years, congratulations! But for some unlucky souls, the summer can be a living nightmare. They might get sunburned so many times that their skin turns into a red lobster from all the peeling. Or maybe they spend most of their time indoors and were never exposed to sunlight? In any case, the heat has sapped your energy and left your skin looking particularly lackluster by the end of it. If you’re not careful, this post-summer slump can turn into a constant source of frustration and embarrassment. Sure, nobody likes seeing their skin look worse than usual at this time of year but with no visible changes planned until spring, there’s not much you can do about it other than wait it out (and hope that someone is nicer to you than they usually are). Thankfully, though, we have some tricks up our sleeve right now that will help ease your skin back to life in no time.
## Stay hydrated
It’s impressive how many people forget to drink water throughout the summer, but it’s imperative to your overall skin health. The heat will make you tired, your skin will be more sensitive and irritated, and the increased amount of sunlight pouring on your skin will make it more oily. The best way to combat any of these issues is to stay hydrated, but what does that even mean? How often should you be drinking water? Everyone’s body is different, but the general rule of thumb is to drink water whenever you feel like you’re dehydrated. That way, you’re not unintentionally making your skin more oily.
If you’re not sure if you’re drinking enough water, you can use a skin hydration test. If you apply water to your skin, it should feel very damp, but not wet. If it feels like you’ve dipped your hand in a container of water, you’re good to go.
## Don’t forget to take your B.O.B.
If you’ve been putting off getting your blood pressure checked or your cholesterol checked because you don’t want to hear that you need to improve these numbers, take it from us: you do. Yes, you can get used to good health and it takes effort to get back on track, but the worst part about these kinds of diseases is their ability to get worse. If you’re not properly managing your health, it’s really easy to get into a bad place. And since your skin is the largest organ in your body, it’s super easy to get acne or some other kind of skin problem if you’re not taking care of yourself. If you’re worried about your skin, take the pressure off yourself by getting your blood pressure checked or your cholesterol checked. It’s easy, it’s painless, and it won’t do any harm.
## Shower twice a day
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. And like any other organ, it thrives when it has the proper amount of hydration, minerals, and vitamins. Unfortunately, your shower is the only place where you can easily make a change that will improve this. You can mist your face or shower a couple of times a day with lukewarm water and a bit of soap. Make sure to avoid the sun while doing this and don’t forget to avoid drying your skin with a towel. If you’re trying to combat acne, avoid scrubbing your face or using harsh cleansers. Instead, use a soft cloth or washcloth and lukewarm water to clean your face.
A better idea is to clean your face in the morning and again before bed, when it’s cooler and your skin has time to fully reboot.
## Exfoliate gently with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water
Exfoliating your skin is like getting a really, really good facial. Yes, it will feel like you’ve been hit by a truck, but it’s worth it. Exfoliating removes the dead skin and debris on the surface of your skin, which helps bring the pores to life and prevents blackheads and breakouts. If you get pimples or blackheads, exfoliating will help get rid of them. Even if you don’t get acne, it will help your skin look and feel better.
There are different kinds of exfoliation — chemical, mechanical, and enzymatic. Exfoliating with an acid like AHAs (glycolic, malic, citric) is the most potent, but it also has the most potential to harm your skin. AHA products are great at getting rid of acne because they help dissolve the oil and impurities on your skin that prevent it from breathing, but they can also harm your skin’s barrier.
## Don’t pop pimples — it only makes it worse!
People often say that the best way to get rid of a pimple is to pop it. While it might seem counterintuitive at first, it does actually work. If a pimple is popping, it means it’s getting ready to go away, so popping it could make it last longer than it otherwise would have. Excess skin on your face, especially on your cheeks and chin, is a common cause of acne. Pimples on these areas can look especially horrible and even scary, because they’re usually close to your eyes and mouth.
To avoid this, clean your face with a gentle cleanser and water instead of popping it. It may be tempting to squeeze out the excess fluid, but don’t do it, because it could make it worse. Although it sounds like common sense, this is something that many people do without even realizing it.
To make sure that you don’t squeeze it, you could make a habit of tying a washcloth around your head when you’re finished showering and rinsing your face with water. This will make it less likely for you to squeeze it.
## Don’t stress — it just makes your acne worse!
Acne isn’t just inconvenient, it’s also an extra source of stress. This can be especially bad if you’ve been dealing with acne for a long time, because it often happens when you’re trying to clean or treat it. It can also be a source of great stress if you’re about to go on a big trip or something else that’s outside of your comfort zone. Acne doesn’t just happen to normal people — it can happen to anyone. This means that the only way to truly be okay with it is to accept the fact that it can happen to anyone and that it’s not something that’s under your control.
You can’t control when it happens, where it happens, how much it happens, or what kind of stress you were in when it happens. The only thing you can do is make sure that you’re doing everything you can to stay as healthy and stress-free as possible when it happens, and to make sure that it doesn’t happen when it’s not supposed to.
## Conclusion
This post is about how to fight post-summer rebound acne. We’ve given you tips on how to stay hydrated, how to take your B.O.B., how to exfoliate gently with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water, and how not to pop pimples. We hope that you’ll be able to fight post-summer rebound acne as well as you can.
