Your Summer Beauty Questions, Answered

We put up a Q box on Insta stories and you guys filled it with your summer beauty dilemmas you needed answering. From the best ways to fight heat-induced frizz to getting skin that looks glassy not greasy, Sam knows all the ways to solve them…

How to tackle shaving rash?

If you get ingrown hairs on your bikini or shaving rash on your legs, this is the best invention ever. It’s basically a gentle blend of acids in a big old stick for your body which will unclog those pores and smooth it all out. Just glide and go; 7% Glycolic Acid exfoliates surface dead skin cells and help smooth rough, bumpy texture while Salicylic Acid unclogs oily pores, banishes breakouts and ingrown hairs.

Shop: The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick, £13.

How to keep make-up from sliding off my face?

Use a mattifying primer to control the oil in the areas where you tend to get oily, like the T-zone. It’s also important to use the right make-up products, so choosing a long-wear, oil-free foundation is best. Set it with a translucent powder and finish it with a setting spray that’s designed to keep your make-up in place.

Shop: E.L.F. Power Grip Primer (£10) and E.L.F. Dewy Setting Spray (£10) together will keep your make-up on all day.

We get no warning – suddenly it’s sunny here. How to get feed sandal ready, fast!

The best hack to get rid of crusty, dusty feet; apply glycolic acid onto a cotton pad and then apply onto damp feet. It eats away at the dead skin, follow with a layer of vaseline and leave a pair of socks on overnight. This from The Ordinary is great and only £7. Alternatively, if you’re not up for the DIY, these Beauty Pie Dr Glycolic Exfoliating Peel Socks have been my Summer Prep swear by for years. £6 for members, £12 for non-members.

How do I deal with a sweaty hairline in the city? Public transport is not my summer friend.

Blotting papers are my secret weapon. I keep a compact translucent pressed powder or blotting papers in my handbag to absorb excess oil. These are £6 for 100 sheets.

SPF gives me spots. Any suggestions?

There are plenty of non-comedogenic sunscreen products on the market now which are formulated for acne-prone skin. Look for a lightweight, residue-free formula with mattifying properties to minimise skin oiliness and breakouts. Eucerin Sun Oil Control Gel Cream SPF50 has been developed specifically for oily, breakout-prone skin types as has La Roche-Posay Anthelios Oil Control Fluid SPF50. The former has a gel like texture, whereas the latter is more of a milky fluid.

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My hair goes crazy on holiday. When I go in the pool and get wet it just looks a mess. I want to look nice.

Just like your skin, you should be using protective products to shield hair from UV and chemicals like chlorine that can fade colour. Once you’ve applied the product generously from root to tip, style your hair into a sleek bun, making sure you wrap the ends into the bun itself to ensure they’re not exposed to anything damaging.

Shop:City break? Protect from the UV exposure with Kerastase Soleil UV Sublime Leave-in Moisturising Hair Cream, £29 // Ina and out of the pool? Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water-Resistant Mask, £28 is the OG, originally developed for US Olympic Synchronised Swimming Team on tour.

Scalp SPF that doesn’t make your hair greasy?

It’s tricky but better to style out the greasy hair look during the day with a slick bun, teamed with a pair of sunglasses. I drench my hair in one of the hair masks above and twirl it into a chic topknot.

How do I tackle sun burn?

To soothe a sun burn and prevent peeling, avoid any heavy oils or butters – these can suffocate your skin and delay the healing process. Instead, apply creams and gels that are dedicated to sunburn. Hydrate – drink lots of water. Stay in the shade for the next few days.

Shop: Lancaster Golden Tan Maximiser Aftersun, £28 actively repairs post-sun DNA damage and stops peeling in it’s tracks. Piz Buin After Sun Instant Relief Mist Spray, £11, is great for re-application throughout the evening, and Garnier  Ambre Solaire After Sun Lotion, £6, is packed with soothing aloe vera, and helps take down redness.

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Best affordable daily moisturiser with UVA and UVB protection?

I really rate Garnier as a sun care brand. They are first to market with a lot of really high tech science and at an affordable price point. A lot of people don’t realise that they are owned by the parent company who owns SPF market leader La Roche Posay, so a lot of the science is shared between the L’Oreal owned brands.

Shop the Garnier Sun edit here. Use code thisismothership for an extra discount.

Best suncream for when you already have make-up on?

SPF top up sprays are brilliant for this. No matter how diligent you are in your SPF application at 7am, it’s highly unlikely it’s still clinging on by mid-afternoon.Top up spray are great for chucking in your bag and spritzing on top of make-up every few hours. My favourite is the Ultra Violette Preen Screen SPF50 Mist Skinscreen, £23 here. It leaves a bonus soft glow on the skin (think lit-from-within, not wet-from-sweat). Another favourite is the Ultrasun SPF50 UV Face & Scalp Mist, £17, which is non-greasy so ideal for protecting the scalp too.

I get small white heads in the heat. How do I get rid?

Most of the time, these seasonal breakouts are due to pores becoming clogged by the increased oil and sweat that the skin produces as a reaction to higher temperatures. Make sure that you’re exfoliating 2x a week, this will purge those pores of sweat, dirt and spf. Chemical exfoliants are a godsend for this – AHA’s, BHA’s and PHA’S.

Shop: If you’re travelling, Dr Dennis Gross Universal Daily Peel Pads, £21 are great; pre-soaked pads loaded with a blend of AHAs and BHAs (including glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, and malic acid) to purge pores and smooth skin. Everyone in the beauty world swears by Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, £12. A few drops of this best-selling exfoliator 2-3x a week can also be used use on keratosis pilaris.

Which facial cleansers do you recommend post suncream?

You don’t need a special cleanser to remove your SPF, your regular one will do just fine. You may need to double cleanse though to make sure you have removed all of it. I like to use an oil-based cleanser, like a cleansing balm or oil. After that I go in with my miceller water afterwards to remove any remaining residue.

Make-up for a hot holiday? Don’t want to look like I’m melting but look knackered without.

I hear you. Every year I take my full make-up bag, and every year there are a few products that get used. I never ever wear make-up in the day on holiday. A good pair of sunnies is all that’s needed. When it comes to the evening though, this is how I do it:

Foundation, maybe for the first night, but I would opt for one with a high SPF as it’s likely still sunny when you go out for dinner. I’ve been wearing the Ultra Violette Daydream Screen Tinted Veil SPF50 all summer; it’s a gorgeous foundation that happens to be high factor. Aside from the first night though, I would use a creamy concealer, waterproof mascara, flick of a liner and make the most of your holiday glow and simply use a cream bronzer and blusher combo. In hot climates, cream products work best and sit nicely on freshly moisturised skin.

SPF that actually looks matte on your face?

Ok, so I actually like the glow that a SPF gives but if you prefer a more matte finish, Heliocare 360° Gel Oil-Free SPF50, £24 or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Oil Control SPF 50+ Gel-Cream, £17 also offers a shine free finish.

Also check out the SPF’s aimed at men as they tend to be specifically mattifying.

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