It’s proper tropical here in The Netherlands at the moment. I actually am not going to complain about it and am here to fully embrace it. The only negative about this heat is the sweaty messes we all become. I have already written quite a few posts on how to dress for summer when it’s this hot (find those blog posts here). But I am yet to write a blog post dedicated to the summer beauty products that get me through this heat. My skin is very acne prone, especially during summer. All of the products I am mentioning in this blog post today contribute to containing those pesky little buggers under control.


As you may remember I am still recovering from a really big, bad breakout due to soy yoghurt (read that post here). So while dealing with the hyper pigmentation and scars that came from that breakout, I also want to keep any new breakouts from coming up with this heat. Throughout the years I have learnt that it’s so important to keep your skin cleansed, protected and hydrated, especially in this heat. This is the only way to really prevent any new breakouts from coming, which is why I thought it would be super interesting to see what products I religiously use during summer that help me look glowy, healthy and prevent any new breakouts from happening.

Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow tinted moisturiser

OK… I have to admit, when it’s tropical I don’t want ANY sort of tinted moisturiser or makeup on my face. It’s just going to sweat off my face within an hour, so what’s the point of really putting it on anyway? If my skin is feeling a little bit dull or when it’s around 20-28 degrees Celsius I do like to use this though. I love the Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow tinted moisturiser as it instantly gives you that ‘I have just come back from a lovely holiday in the south of Europe’-glow. It’s a stunning tinted moisturiser that gives you that little bit of coverage you’re after when you are dealing with uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation or acne scars.

Vichy Dermablend powder foundation*

Sometimes I can get a bit too oily from the Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Summer Glow, and sometimes I just get oily on my own after spending a lot of time outside. Whenever I feel like I know I will get oily, I like to put the teeniest-tiniest bit of Vichy Dermablend powder foundation in my T-zone. That is just so I can prevent myself from looking like a disco ball. I do find that now that I am properly treating my dehydrated skin, I get a lot less oily than I used to be so this powder is only for real bad emergencies.

La Roche Posay Anthelios 50+ SPF Shake Fluid

Obviously I cannot write a post like this without including some sort of sun protection. Not only is sun protection super important for your skin to prevent any damage, it also actually helps to prevent any further hyperpigmentation from happening. I have praised the Rituals face cream in the past lots, but I have recently rediscovered my love for the La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50 Shake Fluid. I love this product because you shake it up before use, then put some on the back of your hand and put it on your face. I love this because it’s super water-y and doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky. It doesn’t feel like there is this thick layer of sunscreen on your face, which is just not something I personally like. I have actually used this sunscreen in the past and I know it doesn’t break me out, which is why I have preferred using this one over the Rituals one at the moment.

Cleansing balm

Cleansing balm is SO important when it’s this warm and humid outside. We protect our faces with SPF, put on makeup and just are sweaty messes when we are wandering around town or at the beach. It’s so important to cleanse your face after a day of all of that. I like to actually use the double cleansing method. The first cleanse is to remove the SPF, sweat, makeup and all the general grime is properly off your face. Then you go in with the same or another cleanser afterwards to give yourself a deep cleanse. I find this perfect to do for me, as my skin feels proper clean afterwards. If you use a gentle cleansing balm, your skin will not feel stripped of its own oils afterwards too. You do not want something your skin to feel super tight, as I means you are stripping oil from your face and pulling all hydration out. That usually means your oil production will go skyward and actually cause acne. I use the Rituals cleansing balm as my first cleanse.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+

The La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ once again has made a comeback into my skincare routine. The main reason being the soy-related breakout I had at the end of May/beginning of June. I find that this is one of those products that can really contain breakouts in summer, especially those little whiteheads we sometimes get when it’s warm. It doesn’t necessarily cure with my huge cystic acne I get every now and again, but the salicylic acid and niacinamide in there help get the sebum/oil production under control. Like I said before, the sebum or oil production in your skin can sometimes can get a bit out of hand on those warm, tropical days.