The exact skincare routine you should follow if you’ve got oily skin.

My skin used to go nuts every summer. All the heat and humidity made my oil glands go into overdrive. My face looked like it was melting. So gross.

So when I moved to a country that has summer all year around, I made one BIG change – and it changed my life (and skin) forever!

I threw away my oil-stripping cleanser, my alcohol-based toner, my abrasive face scrub… anything that was unkind to my skin.

From now on, I was going to treat my skin like the most precious silk.

I put together a skincare routine that loves my skin. And within just a few weeks, I saw a difference. My skin was more balanced, pores were smaller, breakouts were significantly less and I no longer had an urge to wash my face every time I looked at the mirror.

Here it is.

The Ultimate Summer Regimen for Oily Skin:

1. Wash your face with the gentlest cleanser you can find.

Your cleanser needs to remove the oils from your skin – NOT your skin’s natural moisture barrier! Harsh cleansers remove way too much. When your barrier is stripped, your skin gets oilier because your oil glands are trying to balance things out.

Tip: If your skin feels ‘squeaky clean’ after washing, change your cleanser. It’s too strong for your skin.

Stuff I ♥️: Pears Pure and Gentle Face Wash is exactly that – pure and gentle. I use it twice a day for a satisfying cleanse, that doesn’t upset my skin.

2. Ditch the alcoholic toner.

Most toners that are created for oily skin types are astringent and contain some amounts of alcohol. They feel amazing when you use them – because they wick away oil, tighten your pores and leave your skin feeling super clean.

BUT that’s the exact reason why they are bad for you. Alcohol dries out your skin. Though that’s exactly what you want to do, your skin overcompensates by producing more oil to make up for the loss. So you end up with a greasier face than when you started.

Addicted to that clean feeling a toner gives you? You can still get that with a gentle toner that contains soothing and pore tightening ingredients like rosewater, cucumber, seaweed and green tea, to name a few.

Stuff I ❤️: Forest Essentials Facial Toner Pure Rosewater is one of the best rosewaters out there. It’s free of chemicals and preservatives that other famous brands tend to have. Yes, it’s expensive – but it’s really good and lasts for very very long.

3. Exfoliate your skin. But do it gently.

Your pores look sooo much bigger in hot, humid weather.

And worse, as the temperature rises, your poor pores get all choked up with the extra oil your skin is making. Add sweat and dirt to the mix and it’s breakout season!

Which is why in summer, you need to exfoliate more often to unclog your pores. But don’t overdo it. If you scrub hard or too often (like every day), your skin is going get raw, irritated and sensitive.

Rule of thumb: Scrub gently (very very little pressure) for 1 minute, 2-3 times a week. Not more.

Stuff I ❤️: Himalaya Gentle Exfoliating Walnut Scrub leaves my skin ridiculously soft and smooth. My pores look much smaller every time I use it.

4. Use a gel moisturiser. (And don’t ever skip it)

If you don’t use a moisturiser, your skin will get dehydrated (because it’s thirsty). This means that your oil glands are going to go crazy and make even more oil to make up for the loss of moisture!

So do yourself a favour, and use a light moisturiser every morning and evening.

Gel moisturisers are perfect for summer because they go on light and feel like you’re wearing nothing. Your skin is hydrated, but without any greasiness. It’s exactly what your skin needs.

Stuff I ❤️: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is a great summer moisturiser. It’s got high water content so it glides on my skin and sinks it super-fast. Feels like I just gave my skin a glass of water – ahhh!

5. Find a sunscreen that works for your skin.

If you didn’t use a sunscreen in the past because it was too greasy, made you sweat too much or gave you breakouts, it simply means it wasn’t the right sunscreen for your skin.

You need a sunscreen every day to save your skin from, well, everything – dark spots, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, lines, wrinkles, even breakouts!

You may have to try a few to find the one that works best for your skin. But once you use a sunscreen religiously, you will notice most of your skin problems will reduce (and you will wish you had started sooner).

Stuff I ❤️: Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+ is definitely one of my favourites. It goes on light and is water resistant. But the best part, it doesn’t break me out like a lot of sunscreens out there.

6. Put on a clay or mud mask to detox and brighten.

Clay or mud masks are your summer skin saviours.

They do 3 awesome things to your skin:

1. Pull out all the oils and gross stuff from your pores.
2. Boost blood circulation as they begin to dry and tighten on your skin.
3. Give your skin a healthy glow.

Use a mask 2-3 times a week to get all the benefits.

Tip: DON’T let a mask dry completely. As soon as it starts to harden on your skin – wash it off. Otherwise, it will draw out too much oil, which is not as good as it sounds. The last thing you need is for your oil glands to go out of whack and start producing copious amounts of oil.

Stuff I ❤️: I’ve been using multani mitti for years – because it works! In just 5 minutes, my skin feels cleaner, brighter and balanced.