Summer does not forgive carelessness. A coffee gulped down at the corner of a desk, the sun, the heat that leaves the skin shining: three forces that mark the face if you let them. Here is how to keep the upper hand.
1. Coffee and skin: friend or foe?
Good news to begin with: coffee is not your skin's enemy. It is even rich in antioxidants. The problem does not lie in the coffee itself, but in everything we add around it. There are three traps, in truth: sugar, which dulls the complexion, excess, since caffeine is a diuretic and dehydrates, and timing, when a coffee stands in for a real glass of water. Using it well comes down to a few simple rules: one to three coffees a day, with little or no sugar, always alongside water, and preferably in the morning, since the skin repairs itself at night and it would be a shame to cut your sleep short. Fancy a change? Matcha offers antioxidants with a steadier energy, without the spike or the crash.
2. Sun protection: the number one mistake men make
If you remember only one thing, let it be this: sun protection is the most rewarding step in your entire routine. The sun is responsible for the great majority of visible ageing, whether wrinkles, dark spots, sagging or a dull complexion. And not in ten years' time, but now, with every exposure. The mistake men make is to believe that SPF is for the beach. Yet UV rays pass through clouds and glass, so the commute, the lunch outdoors and the coffee in the sun all count. The right reflex is simple: an SPF 30 to 50 every morning, summer and winter alike. Look for a fluid, matte and non-greasy texture. Three safe choices for this: La Roche-Posay Anthelios (an invisible fluid), Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun (a natural finish, with no white cast) and Biotherm Homme UV Defense. Fifteen seconds to apply, and it is the best anti-ageing investment there is, the one no one ever regrets.
3. Sweat: a clear complexion all day long
Heat makes you sweat: the skin shines, the pores become visible, and the complexion turns dull by the middle of the day. There is no need for a complicated routine, only the right steps at the right moment. In the morning: a gentle cleanser, a light moisturiser, SPF. In the middle of the day, after exertion or a journey, a pass of facial mist works wonders (see last week), or failing that a rinse with cool water, patted rather than rubbed. In the evening, you cleanse to remove sweat, sebum and pollution, and this is not up for negotiation. Three minutes in the morning, three at night: that is all it takes to move through summer with a clear face.
The sun and fatigue mark the face in silence. In sixty minutes, a precision protocol erases the traces of summer and reveals a clear, rested complexion.
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