You leave the house looking fine in the morning. But by mid-afternoon, out on the terrace, you're shiny, sweaty and looking half-melted. If you have oily skin, summer only makes it worse. And that's not even the worst part: you think you're doing everything right. You drink water, you wash your face when it gets shiny, you show off your tan… and that's exactly what's giving you away.
Summer gets very good press. Too good. It's the season that puts you most on show – more skin, more photos, harsher light – and, at the same time, the one that wears you down most without you noticing. Here are the three myths it has sold you, and what the science says.
Myth 1: "Drink water and you'll be hydrated"
Drinking water keeps you alive; it doesn't hydrate your face. Skin hydration depends on your skin barrier (the stratum corneum), not on how many glasses you knock back: scientific reviews find little link between drinking more and better-hydrated skin.
So what really dries you out in summer? Air conditioning. Constantly switching between heat and cold – car, office, hotel – dries out the air, and your skin can lose up to 25% more water. It's not the heat: it's the AC.
What to do: hydrate from the outside (a hyaluronic acid serum to hold in water + a matte-finish moisturiser to seal it in), wash with lukewarm water – not hot – and at night turn the air con down or use a humidifier.
Myth 2: "If you're shiny, wash more"
It's the most logical thing to do, and the most wrong. For every degree your skin temperature rises, you produce around 10% more oil. With your skin at 32°C by mid-afternoon, your face is a sebum factory. And if you attack it by washing again and again, you strip the oil all at once… and it responds by producing twice as much. It's the rebound effect: the more you wash, the shinier you get.
What to do: exfoliate properly (without overdoing it), cleanse no more than twice a day and mattify rather than strip. If your pores are on show, we cover it in how to clean the pores on your face.
Myth 3: "A tan fixes my face"
A tan covers things up; it doesn't fix them. And as protection it's next to useless: a tan gives you very little protection and blocks only around 4% of UV radiation. What's more, every tan is a sign of damage: your skin produces melanin because its DNA is being harmed. A healthy glow today, the bill in September (dull, tight, lined skin).
What to do: don't rely on a tan for your complexion – we explain why in a tan won't fix your face. Restore the hydration the sun takes away and don't skip sun protection.
Bonus: you sleep, but you don't rest
Do you wake up feeling like you've had four hours when you've had eight? It's not your age: it's the heat. Above 22°C, your deep sleep – the kind that repairs your skin – can drop by up to 40%. That's why your face looks duller and puffier in summer. More tips in how to look fresh when you've slept badly.
The truth: it's not about doing more, it's about doing it right
All three myths have one thing in common: you do more and end up looking worse. The answer isn't adding steps; it's getting the right ones: exfoliate away excess oil, rehydrate the skin barrier and mattify the shine. That's exactly what the FETĒN Men's Hydration Kit does, designed so summer doesn't take your face apart.
SORT IT THIS SUMMER
Not sure where to start? Take the skin test.
FAQs
Why is my skin shinier in summer even though I wash my face?
Because of the heat: for every degree your skin temperature rises, you produce around 10% more oil, and over-washing triggers the rebound effect. Exfoliate in moderation and mattify rather than strip.
Does drinking water hydrate the skin on your face?
Drinking water hydrates you from within, but the hydration of your face depends on the skin barrier. In summer, what dries it out most is air conditioning, not the heat. Hydrate from the outside with a serum and a moisturiser.
Does a tan protect your skin from the sun?
Very little: a tan barely protects you. It's also a sign of DNA damage in the skin. It's no substitute for sunscreen.
What's the best facial routine for oily skin in summer?
Three steps: exfoliate away excess oil, rehydrate the barrier with hyaluronic acid and mattify the shine. No extra steps, no extra products.
Why you look worse in summer (even if you look after yourself): the 3 summer myths
You leave the house looking fine in the morning. But by mid-afternoon, out on the terrace, you're shiny, sweaty and looking half-melted. If you have oily skin, summer only makes it worse. And that's not even the worst part: you think you're doing everything right. You drink water, you wash your face when it gets shiny, you show off your tan… and that's exactly what's giving you away.
Summer gets very good press. Too good. It's the season that puts you most on show – more skin, more photos, harsher light – and, at the same time, the one that wears you down most without you noticing. Here are the three myths it has sold you, and what the science says.
Myth 1: "Drink water and you'll be hydrated"
Drinking water keeps you alive; it doesn't hydrate your face. Skin hydration depends on your skin barrier (the stratum corneum), not on how many glasses you knock back: scientific reviews find little link between drinking more and better-hydrated skin.
So what really dries you out in summer? Air conditioning. Constantly switching between heat and cold – car, office, hotel – dries out the air, and your skin can lose up to 25% more water. It's not the heat: it's the AC.
What to do: hydrate from the outside (a hyaluronic acid serum to hold in water + a matte-finish moisturiser to seal it in), wash with lukewarm water – not hot – and at night turn the air con down or use a humidifier.
Myth 2: "If you're shiny, wash more"
It's the most logical thing to do, and the most wrong. For every degree your skin temperature rises, you produce around 10% more oil. With your skin at 32°C by mid-afternoon, your face is a sebum factory. And if you attack it by washing again and again, you strip the oil all at once… and it responds by producing twice as much. It's the rebound effect: the more you wash, the shinier you get.
What to do: exfoliate properly (without overdoing it), cleanse no more than twice a day and mattify rather than strip. If your pores are on show, we cover it in how to clean the pores on your face.
Myth 3: "A tan fixes my face"
A tan covers things up; it doesn't fix them. And as protection it's next to useless: a tan gives you very little protection and blocks only around 4% of UV radiation. What's more, every tan is a sign of damage: your skin produces melanin because its DNA is being harmed. A healthy glow today, the bill in September (dull, tight, lined skin).
What to do: don't rely on a tan for your complexion – we explain why in a tan won't fix your face. Restore the hydration the sun takes away and don't skip sun protection.
Bonus: you sleep, but you don't rest
Do you wake up feeling like you've had four hours when you've had eight? It's not your age: it's the heat. Above 22°C, your deep sleep – the kind that repairs your skin – can drop by up to 40%. That's why your face looks duller and puffier in summer. More tips in how to look fresh when you've slept badly.
The truth: it's not about doing more, it's about doing it right
All three myths have one thing in common: you do more and end up looking worse. The answer isn't adding steps; it's getting the right ones: exfoliate away excess oil, rehydrate the skin barrier and mattify the shine. That's exactly what the FETĒN Men's Hydration Kit does, designed so summer doesn't take your face apart.
SORT IT THIS SUMMER
Not sure where to start? Take the skin test.
FAQs
Why is my skin shinier in summer even though I wash my face?
Because of the heat: for every degree your skin temperature rises, you produce around 10% more oil, and over-washing triggers the rebound effect. Exfoliate in moderation and mattify rather than strip.
Does drinking water hydrate the skin on your face?
Drinking water hydrates you from within, but the hydration of your face depends on the skin barrier. In summer, what dries it out most is air conditioning, not the heat. Hydrate from the outside with a serum and a moisturiser.
Does a tan protect your skin from the sun?
Very little: a tan barely protects you. It's also a sign of DNA damage in the skin. It's no substitute for sunscreen.
What's the best facial routine for oily skin in summer?
Three steps: exfoliate away excess oil, rehydrate the barrier with hyaluronic acid and mattify the shine. No extra steps, no extra products.