If you have sensitive skin, summertime can feel like a tricky season to navigate. One minute you’re enjoying an innocent dip in the ocean, the next, your skin feels anything from parched and itchy to downright sore.
While winter is the obvious season for dry skin and annoying flare-ups, summer comes with its own issues. Because as much as we all love the season of flip-flops and melting temps, summer’s biggest plus points are also a perfect storm of skin stressors that can wreak havoc on reactive skin.
The good news, however, is that summer doesn’t have to mean hiding indoors in order to avoid constant skin irritation. With the right knowledge and a generous dose of positive mental attitude, you too can enjoy sunny days while maintaining healthy, happy skin.
Read on for the most common summertime triggers for sensitive skin, plus how to up your game plan to ensure you stay ahead of potential irritation.
1. The Sun
It would be foolish not to start with the most obvious summertime skin enemy: the sun. As you know, this beautiful, life-giving ball of fire in the sky has a real dark side. Not only is it responsible for around 80-90 percent of external skin aging (1), but it’s the primary cause of skin cancer (2).
For sensitive skin types, however, the repercussions of time spent in the sun don’t stop there. UV radiation generates free radicals that trigger inflammatory responses in the skin and, thanks to a weaker barrier function, sensitive skin is particularly prone to this type of inflammation, resulting in anything from dry skin and redness through to full-on flare-ups.
Take Action…
Diagnosing sun-related sensitivities is crucial to managing the symptoms, so the most important thing here is to pay a visit to your dermatologist to determine whether you have a sun allergy or photosensitivity.
Seek out shade on hot, sunny days.
Wear wide-brimmed hats and loose, natural-fiber clothing.
Always apply SkinSAFE 100 sunscreen generously to any exposed areas of skin. These are free of the top common allergy-causing ingredients, making them the best options for sensitive skin. Check out our Shoppers' Choice award-winning sunscreens here.
2. Chlorine
There’s little better than an afternoon dip in a hotel pool to cool you off and truly put you in vacation mode. But swimming pools contain chlorine. And sensitive skin is not a fan.
Chlorine is a powerful and highly reactive detergent that’s used to disinfect water and kill harmful substances like bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. This is obviously very important from a health perspective, helping to avoid the spread of infection and illness… but it can spell disaster for your skin.
The problem is that your skin contains an intricate ecosystem of over a trillion microorganisms called the microbiome.
This microbiome works hard to maintain harmony and balance to your skin. Unfortunately, chlorine doesn’t discriminate between bad and good microorganisms, so it can strip away at your skin’s protective barrier, disrupting the microbiome and unbalancing its pH level. Small levels of exposure to pool chlorine is usually tolerated by most skin types, but if you have particularly sensitive skin or spend a lot of time swimming, it can trigger all manner of negative reactions such as dryness, itching, discoloration, and/or eczema flare-ups.
Take Action…
- Apply a good coating of water-resistant sunscreen to your entire face and body before swimming in an outdoor chlorinated pool. This will act as an effective barrier to the water as well as the sun. We love Elta MD UV Pure Face & Body Physical Sunscreen SPF 47.
- Always rinse yourself in clean water immediately after showering.
- At the end of the day, use a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser to thoroughly remove chlorine residue and follow with a barrier-repairing moisturizer.
3. The Ocean
Granted, salt water is less drying on the skin than its chlorinated cousin. It can also deliver some impressive benefits to the skin, acting as a natural exfoliant to help remove impurities and unclog the pores. Certain minerals in seawater, like magnesium, also have anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties (3). There’s a lot in its favor. If you allow saltwater to sit on your skin for a long period of time, however, it can be harsh for sensitive skin, causing irritation, dryness, and exacerbating existing conditions. Not to mention the fact that ocean water contains various pollutants that can also trigger reactions and increase your risk of infection.
Take Action…
- As with pool swimming, it’s always wise to rinse from head to toe to decrease any salt residue left on your skin (and hair).
- Shower thoroughly with a pH-balanced cleanser at the end of the day.
- After showering, apply moisturizer immediately to help lock in moisture and reduce transepidermal water loss. We love Cetaphil Soothing Gel Cream, which also contains calming aloe – ideal for cooling down after a day on the beach.
4. Air Conditioning
It goes without saying that when the mercury rises outside, the AC gets turned up inside. Aah, instant relief! The problem is that indoor air conditioning may well provide solace from soaring temperatures, but it also zaps moisture from the air. And stripping moisture from the air simultaneously sucks a whole load of moisture from the skin, causing dehydration and irritation.
Furthermore, rapid temperature fluctuations can cause the blood vessels to repeatedly dilate and constrict, which can shock the skin into reactive mode and trigger unwanted redness. It might feel like heaven at the time, but AC can be bad news for sensitive skin.
Take Action…
- At home, turn your air conditioning up to a comfortable, rather than frigid temperature. Most experts recommend 78°F to help control humidity (4). Added bonus: this will also help your energy bills.
- Invest in a humidifier for your home and set it to around 40-50 percent to reduce skin dehydration.
- Layer your skin with hydrating serum as well as moisturizer. Try The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum followed by Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator with SPF 25.
5. Humidity
Don’t get us wrong, skin generally loves a good dose of moisture-rich, humid air. However, excessive levels of humidity can lead to increased sweating. Sweat consists of 99 percent water, alongside 1 percent of electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and amino acids, all of which can act as irritants to sensitive skin, creating an environment where bacteria and yeast are able to thrive.
Bad news for sensitive skin, right there.
Sweat also has a higher pH than the skin, which can upset its intricate balance and compromise the skin’s protective barrier, causing anything from itching and flaking to burning, stinging, and even blistering skin.
Take Action…
- Wear loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, or merino wool to reduce sweating. These cause less friction and allow the air to circulate better.
- Drink plenty of cool fluids to keep you hydrated and help combat heat and humidity.
- Use lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizers and gently exfoliate your skin to prevent dead skin cells from building up and trapping sweat and bacteria in your pores.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3790843/
- https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/about/index.html
- https://www.usdermatologypartners.com/press-media/can-a-trip-to-the-beach-give-you-better-skin/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20this%20reason%2C%20it%20may,that%20it%20can%20decrease%20inflammation.
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/15/best-thermostat-temperature-summer/83605819007/
