The Best Moisturizing Face Cream for Summery Conditions

By lesley / 18 December 2023

The Best Moisturizing Face Cream for Summery Conditions
Your down coat is long packed away, so why is the moisturizer you used all winter still sitting out on your vanity? Summery weather calls for a skin cream that’s formulated to addresses warm weather issues like pollution, humidity, storms, and oiliness that can impact how your skin looks and feels. Here are four things to keep in mind when picking out the best moisturizing face cream for summer.

The Best Moisturizing Face Cream for Summery Conditions...

Should Be Formulated for Either a Desert or Tropical Climate.

Pour Moi makes four Climate-Smart Day Creams: Tropical, Desert, Polar, and Temperate. Unless you live in Antarctica, Polar is out for summer. And most places are too hot during the summer for Temperate. That leaves Desert and Tropical. Desert Day Cream keeps skin hydrated and nourished in dry summer conditions (when temperatures rise to between 75°F — 120°F and humidity dips to between 5% — 45%), while Tropical is best for humid summer climates (when temperatures spike to 75°F — 120°F and humidity levels reach 65% — 100%). Each contains a unique mix of ingredients that address issues specific to that particular climate, referred to as Climate Energized Beautifiers (CEBs). For example, Desert Climate Energized Beautifiers (D-CEBs) include ingredients such as C20-22 akyl phosphate, an extract of phosphoric rock that gives skin a silky feel and functions as an antioxidant and UV absorber; tocopheryl acetate, a form of Vitamin A which repairs skin, protects against harsh climate conditions, and is an effective antioxidant; glyceryle caprylate, a glycerin and caprilyc acid derivative emollient that restores oils to the skin and regulates moisture; and oleic/linoleic/polyglycerides, essential fatty acids extracted from sunflower oil which protect and improve skin barrier function, slash oxidative stress, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tropical Day Cream has its own propriety combo of ingredients (TR-CEBs). For example, there’s coco-caprylate/caprate, a gentle emollient derived from coconut oil and glycerin that helps skin find its natural moisture balance by replenishing lost water and protecting against moisture loss. Another TR-CEB is hydrogenated coconut acid, a mixture of fatty acids derived from coconut oil that keeps skin moisturized in humid weather by trapping water in the upper layers of skin—yet won’t clog your pores.

Should Be Lightweight.

Many people think that a cream needs to be rich and thick to be hydrating. Not true! Pour Moi selects hydrating ingredients (emulsifiers and emollients) that are lightweight, so they penetrate and hydrate quickly and efficiently. The last thing you want in the summer is a cream that sits on top of your skin and makes your face look and feel greasy, and doesn't know how to respond or protect your skin from the environmental aggressors it's encountering.

Needs to Adapt to Temperature Fluctuations.

Yes, it may be hot outside during the summer, but it’s generally freezing cold when you step inside, thanks to blasting air conditioning. And both dry outdoor heat and air-conditioned spaces can rob skin of moisture. Pour Moi’s Climate-Smart skincare works with your skin’s natural climate IQ (yep, your skin has one!) to find exactly the right moisture balance for the climate you happen to be in. One key Climate-Smart ingredient is Squalane Oil, which kicks in whenever you walk into an air-conditioned room. Squalane is a powerful moisturizer, which also replenishes the skin with fatty acids and antioxidants. What’s more, it helps the skin barrier repair itself, which can even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Should Contain Three Sizes of Hyaluronic Acid.

Hyaluronic acid is the LeBron James of hydrators—no other moisturizing ingredient can beat it. This gel-like substance, which is found naturally in the body, attracts moisture to the skin and holds it hostage there (each hyaluronic acid molecule can hold 1,000 times its own weight in water). There are three sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules: Large molecules grab water from the atmosphere, while small and medium ones steal water from the drinks and foods we consume. But when there’s less than 50 percent moisture in the atmosphere—which is common in dry summer climates—large molecules can’t pull any moisture from the air so they get bored and start trying to pull water up from deep within the skin. Big and aggressive, they cause cracks in the skin barrier as they enter, and these cracks can rob the skin of its natural moisturizing and anti-aging agents (like collagen), leaving skin dry and damaged. Ninety-nine percent of skincare products only contain one size of hyaluronic acid molecule—the large ones. But Pour Moi products have a combination of all three molecule sizes, and pairs them with rare White Truffle extract (a propriety blend called HyalurTruf+). Why is it so important to have three sizes? For starters, the small and medium weight molecules are able to pull water from what you drink and eat to pull hydration into the top layers (which is important when humidity is low and your skin can’t absorb water from the atmosphere), and they also have the ability to switch off those bumbling big molecules when humidity dips, preventing damage.