A Letter from the Editor
Welcome to our Summer Beauty Special Issue! Here in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, summer for us means simplified, streamlined beauty: light and refreshing skincare, undetectable sun protection, effortless (minimal heat!) hairstyling, barely there makeup and simple scents that keep us fresh everywhere we go. Whether you're relaxing at home or jetting to an exotic locale, here's what you need to know to effortlessly — and gorgeously — sail through the season.
-April Franzino,
Senior Beauty & Style Director
Our Experts
Barely-There Skincare + Makeup
The Beauty Lab is excited about a new wave of featherlight skin, hair and makeup products that lets you handle the heat with no sweat. When it comes to skincare formulas, “gels, jellies, serums and essences tend to be lightweight, fast to be absorbed and less greasy,” Wnek says. “Gels usually have a higher water content, and serums and essences have a water-like consistency.” (Try Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Ice Soothing Serum Stick.) There are even skin "sorbets", which have a silky texture that melts on skin, such as Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Cleansing Balm and Vichy Minéral 89 48H Moisture Matte Sorbet.
For makeup, seek out face, eye, cheek and lip tints in liquid and gel formulas like those below, including Ulta Beauty Collection Weightless Water Lip Stain. (Another favorite: Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly). “Tints typically have a thinner, lighter-weight texture and a sheerer finish than cream makeup,” Wnek says. Here, more summer skin essentials, from face cleansers and sunscreens to trending ingredients.
Best of the Test: Face Washes
Having an effective face cleansing routine is even more important in summer, when sweat and excess oil can clog pores, leading to bumps and breakouts. GH Beauty Lab scientists tested new face cleansers on 57 women for ease of application, product attributes, cleansing ability and look and feel of skin after use. Reveal clear, radiant skin with a few splashes of these winners.
Boosted with mild exfoliating ingredients, this La Roche-Posay gel cleanser swept the competition in many categories.
Lab Results: A full 100% of users found that it removed impurities and excess oil and left skin feeling clean and refreshed. It was also tops for not irritating and brightening. “My skin feels so smooth!” a tester raved.
Suds up with SkinBetter Science for a deeply clean feel as well as clarifying effects thanks to salicylic and glycolic acids.
Lab Results: Among users, 100% agreed that it was easy to apply and rinse off. They found that the “airy” foam had the lushest lather and rated it high for cleansing fully. Two said it helped clear up breakouts.
The rare gel face wash that doesn’t dehydrate skin, No7 balances effective cleansing with moisturizers like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and glycerin.
Lab Results: It scored best at completely removing makeup and not stinging eyes or leaving skin feeling dry. “I couldn’t believe how soft my skin was,” a user said.
Q: Should I try a tinted sunscreen?
A: Yes! Tinted sunscreens are the new stars of the SPF world, and for good reason — they’re time-saving multitaskers that offer benefits beyond sun protection. As their name indicates, these sunscreens contain sheer pigment that can help them blend into skin and even out its tone. “Most tinted SPFs are mineral formulas, likely because a tint can help reduce any white cast from the mineral ingredients,” Wnek explains. Even better, tinted mineral sunscreens labeled “broad-spectrum” also protect against visible (including blue) light, which can cause skin hyperpigmentation and redness, she adds. Their tint comes from iron oxide, a mineral ingredient that “provides the best protection against visible light,” says Pearl E. Grimes, M.D., dermatologist at the Grimes Center for Medical and Aesthetic Dermatology in Los Angeles. Try GH Beauty Lab picks Bubble Plus One Tinted Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 or Alleyoop Sunsational SPF 50 Skin Tint, which comes in 16 shades. — Reporting by Catharine Malzahn
Are Electrolytes the Hydration Boost Your Skin Needs This Summer?
We’ve all seen drinks enhanced with electrolytes (minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper that carry an electric charge) to help balance hydration. Now you can get them in skincare products that claim to combat everything from dehydration to dullness and irritation. But are they really the reviving “sip” your skin needs for summer and beyond? “Electrolytes are essential for various bodily functions,” explains Tiffany J. Libby, M.D., a dermatologist at Brown Dermatology in Providence. “When applied to skin, they may help balance its natural moisturizing factors, defend against environmental stressors and improve barrier function.” Often found in water-based serums and moisturizers, “electrolytes are a beneficial addition to products for those with skin types from dry to oily who are seeking to retain moisture longer,” Butler adds. GH Beauty Lab and Pro Pick: Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream. — By Cameron Jenkins
Breezy Bodycare + Fragrance
This season, switch out your rich body moisturizer for a formula similar to that for the face such as a water-based gel or lotion, or one of the new body serums like Dove Cream Serum Hyaluronic + Hydration. “These often contain less occlusive ingredients [that form a barrier], so they don’t leave a thick, oily residue,” Wnek explains. “Some products like gels also include cooling agents such as alcohol and menthyl lactate for a refreshing feel.” Check out more ways to smooth your body skin and feel fresh all summer:
Smell Great on the Go
Unwanted odors can creep up anywhere and at any time in sweltering weather. Innovative portable perfumes for a variety of fragrance preferences will help you stay fresh.
- Solid Scents Dab on a no-spill gel or wax perfume in crayon, stick or compact form.
- Hair Mists Refresh strands and more with a spritz of these fine mists made with silkening plant oils. A light, clean-smelling option: Diptyque L'Eau Papier Hair Mist (above).
- Perfumed Soaps Instead of hefty fragrance bottles, pack a perfumed soap like to subtly scent skin.
- Aromatic Creams Stash a fragranced hand cream in your bag for a dose of scent and skin softening. (Another summer favorite: citrusy Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Hand Cream, above.)
Dior Miss Dior Mini Miss Blooming Bouquet Solid Perfume
Chloé Atelier des Fleurs Cedrus Perfumed Soap
Q: Do stretch mark creams work?
A: Yes and no. Now that more skin is exposed, you may be noticing stretch marks, narrow lines that can appear on skin as it expands or shrinks — but take comfort in the fact that they are very common. Depending on your skin tone and the marks’ stage of development, their color can range from white or silver to red, purple or dark brown. “Most stretch marks can’t be fully removed because they are technically breaks in the skin, which are difficult to repair,” says Manish Shah, M.D., a plastic surgeon in Englewood, CO. “But you can soften their appearance by improving skin’s collagen content and helping the color to fade with time.” When shopping for stretch mark treatments such as moisturizers and oils, seek out ones made with retinol and hyaluronic acid, which can help boost collagen production and increase skin’s elasticity. Try GH Beauty Award winner Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel.
— Reporting by Dori Price
Summer Strand Savers
A fresh crop of hairstyling and haircare products are emulating skincare, taking the form of watery sprays and mists, airy foams and mousses and even gel treatments that won't weigh hair down in the heat. There are even essences for hair, such as Pantene Pro-Vitamin Essence Weightless Leave-On Treatment. “These usually contain fewer heavy conditioning ingredients,” Wnek says, so hair looks and feels lighter and bouncier. Read on for how to tackle summer's number one hair woe.
Fight Frizz 24/7
Keeping strands sleek in high humidity requires a multi-pronged approach. Here’s how to fend off frizz in every part of your routine.
Build Your No-Fuss Beauty Kit
Now that you've explored all of our expert tips and tricks, it's time to shop the GH Beauty Lab's top-tested and -recommended summer beauty buys for skin, makeup and hair.
- Photos by: Mike Garten
- Prop styling by Lis Engelhart
- Makeup by Emma Elizabeth at Honey Artists using MOB Beauty
- Hair by Linsey Marmorato at Honey Artists using Kristin Ess
- Models: Stacie Premdas, Ashley Phillips and Maria Ramroop
- Video loop by Danielle Carson
- Headshots (Franzino, Wizemann, Wnek and Butler) by Mike Garten
- Headshot (Price) by Kate Pauley
