5 Reasons to Moisturize Every Day This Summer – Even When You Have Oily, Acne-prone Skin

The days are getting warmer, which means summer’s inching closer! While we count down to sunshine, road trips, and indulging on a little too much ice cream, you might be wondering if it’s time to drop the moisturizer you’ve built into your skincare routine over the last few months.

As Spice Girls sang it: Stop right now, thank you very much.

For most of us, moisturizers are must-haves all year round – yes, even during summer and even when your skin has seemingly (more than) enough oil.

How Do Moisturizers Work?

Moisturizers keep skin nourished by increasing moisture levels and repairing the skin’s natural protective barrier. There are three main types of ingredients in moisturizers that make them the magical, skin-loving potions they are:

Humectants pull water into the skin cells and keep it there.
Examples include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and alpha hydroxy acids.

Occlusives form a barrier on the skin to lock in hydration and prevent water loss.
Examples include dimethicone, lanolin, and squalene.

Emollients fill in the spaces between rough or peeling skin cells to make skin feel smoother.
Examples include ceramides and oleic acid.

How Do Moisturizers Work? 

Moisturizers keep skin nourished by increasing moisture levels and repairing the skin’s natural protective barrier. There are three main types of ingredients in moisturizers that make them the magical, skin-loving potions they are: 

Humectants pull water into the skin cells and keep it there.  
Examples include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and alpha hydroxy acids. 
 
Occlusives form a barrier on the skin to lock in hydration and prevent water loss.  
Examples include dimethicone, lanolin, and squalene. 
 
Emollients fill in the spaces between rough or peeling skin cells to make skin feel smoother. 
Examples include ceramides and oleic acid.

Why Should I Moisturize? 

Your skin’s number 1 function is to protect your face and body from external stressors and excessive water loss1. When applied to skin regularly, moisturizers are like the hardworking assistant giving your skin the support it needs to excel at doing what it does. Moisturization is essential in protecting skin, making it smooth and soft, increasing hydration, and delivering key active ingredients to the skin1,2.  

Let’s take a deep dive into five reasons to moisturize this summer – even when you have oily, acne-prone skin: 

#1 Moisturizers give your skin a layer of protection.  

The summer means more time spent outdoors. While SPF should be your top go-to this season to protect your skin from harsh UV rays, your moisturizer will be a close second to lend an extra hand in reinforcing your skin’s barrier and shielding it from any harmful irritants lurking in the environment 1, such as the city’s air pollution. 

#2 Moisturizers keep skin hydrated, healthy, and young. 

Do you foresee the AC being on full blast this summer? The lower levels of humidity can cause skin to lose moisture and dehydrate it. For our skin to feel smooth and supple, the outer layer of our skin has to ideally be 20% to 30% water3.  

While dry skin is a skin type where there’s isn’t enough oil produced, dehydrated skin is a temporary condition where there’s a lack of water. If you have oily skin, but find that your skin feels tight with a dull complexion, you could have dehydrated, oily skin. 

If thirsty skin isn’t hydrated in time, your skin is at greater risk of inflammation, infection, wrinkles, and premature aging4. This is why moisturizing is recognized as the first anti-aging skincare1

#3 Moisturized skin could mean fewer breakouts. 

When you have oily skin, you may think a moisturizer will only add more unnecessary oil to your skin, leaving it looking shinier than you’d like this summer. The good news is, there are oil-free moisturizers out there that can keep skin hydrated without the greasy, sticky feeling.  

In fact, if you have acne-prone skin, you might find moisturizing twice a day can lead to fewer breakouts. This is because not moisturizing means your skin has to produce more oil to make up for the lack of moisture. This extra oil leads to clogged pores which can then lead to acne 5. Studies have even found that most acne patients see less acne between 4 and 8 weeks after beginning to use an acne-friendly moisturizer  (note the moisturizer is part of a dermatologist-prescribed acne treatment plan that included acne medication, a cleanser, and a moisturizer). 

#4 Moisturizers make powerful acne products more tolerable. 

While the retinol in our pore-purging, acne-targeting Clear Out is formulated to be effective yet gentle, if you are using other acne products or treatments that are strong, you might find that they are drying or irritating your skin5. Using a moisturizer every day and night can help your skin tolerate these ingredients better and minimize your experience of the side effects.  

#5 Moisturizers carry the good stuff to skin.  

Moisturizers are often formulated with key active ingredients that are then carried to the skin. These ingredients may be vitamins, antioxidants, peptides, or anti‐inflammatories2  that can address your specific skin concerns and help you reach your skin goals. 


Choosing the Right Moisturizer for You 

If you have oily skin, the last thing you want is to make your skin feel even more oily by using a heavy, creamy moisturizer. This is where oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizers come in!  

The Matte Hydrator is a light, hydrating serum that gives your skin all the moisture it needs without giving you an oily sheen. The formulation uses 100% medical-grade Ultra Low Molecular Weight hyaluronic acid that can hold 1000x its weight in moisture, leaving your skin amply hydrated.


If you have dry skin, you are most probably in need of a moisturizer formulated with occlusives to lock in hydration.

The Protective Moisturizer keeps skin nourished and is at the same time loaded with peptides and resveratrol, a potent antioxidant. While the peptides work to repair skin and strengthen the skin barrier, resveratrol works to relieve redness and protect your skin from harmful agents in the environment.


If you have normal or combination skin, it is likely that both the Matte Hydrator and Protective Moisturizer are suitable for you. Ultimately, it is about what your skin needs and what feels best for you. You could even combine them both for an extra boost of hydration!

Whichever moisturizer you choose, the best time to apply it is after cleansing your face in the day and night, when the skin is still a little damp.

Remember: it’s all about getting the moisture in, and keeping it in.

Want personalized advice on which moisturizer your skin will love most?

Get in touch with us on Messenger chat or Instagram DM (@clearlybasics).


References

  1. F.Bonté, 2011: Skin moisturization mechanisms: New data
  2. Zoe D Draelos MD, 2018: The science behind skin care: Moisturizers
  3. Harvard Health, 2019: Moisturizers: Do they work?
  4. Angela Palmer, 2020: Does Oily Skin Need a Moisturizer?
  5. American Academy of Dermatology: Moisturizer: Why you may need it if you have acne

Disclaimer: This article should not be interpreted as personal medical advice. For medical-related matters, please consult your dermatologist.

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Based on 25 reviews
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Skin Type: Normal
Comments: Any ideas on how to get rid of brown skin damage
Skin defence

Marks of sun damage are still there they haven't faded much after using twice a day for 60 days. . I will continue until product is finished. I'm a bit disappointed

Skin Type: Combination

I am so happy that I stumbled upon clearly basics on instagram. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try and bought clear out clarifying lotion. It's been 2 months and my skin has improved a lot. I can see significant reduction in pores and acne.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing

After years of medication and products, I decided to try clearly basics. In just 6 weeks my skin has calmed and I am now able to treat scarring.

So glad to have found these products!

Finding products that helped to control my acne without irritating my sensitive skin has always been a huge challenge. The clearly basics products have been my saviour, I can't recommend them enough ☺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent and actually works

I am so incredibly impressed with the TLC for pore minimising - it 💯 works and has transformed my skin.

I’m in my 50’s and always had hormonal flare ups with larger pores as I age - this is a game changer and have just reordered my 3rd bottle !

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Skin Type: Combination
This is the stuff.

So, long time sufferer of acne. Started when I was 12 and I'm 28 now still battling it. I've tried all kinds of different things to try and get it under control and besides birth control, nothing has helped long term. I never want to take birth control ever again and I just happened upon this brand and decided well, why not try? To my amazement, it has helped more than anything else I've tried, I'd say it has improved my skin to the level it was at when I took BC. Of course I still get pimples every now and then, and tiny flare ups during PMS but my skin is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. I highly recommend this company. To those who are considering trying this out, be aware that during the first week or so your skin will go through a purge and your acne will appear to get worse at first. Stick with it! Once that phase is over is when your skin will begin improving. I do need to use it every night for it to be fully effective, but even when I do forget, the pimples don't get too out of control. I just can't say enough good things about this product. It has helped my confidence improve immensely and I definitely recommend trying it to those who have skin as finicky as mine.

Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
The only moisturiser I trust

I am super sensitive and this is the only moisturiser that I trust honestly incredible.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing!

I use this product and with the clear out and it has really helped my hormonal acne.

Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
Here one day, gone the next!

After success with Clearly Basics for my acne scars, I stocked up with all of the active acne products to prepare myself for how angry my acne would get when going off hormonal birth control. I have tried and failed twice as my acne comes back so bad that I just start taking it again. This time I have been using clearly basics without fail every day (lighten up and clear out). I have had 3 pimples start to form and I use ‘Stop Spot’ and the next day instead of a much redder, much angrier pimple with a big white head - the pimple is gone! I have been very happy with this product. I’m one month down (typically when acne gets the worst) - let’s do this!

I love that these products are gentle on my daughter skin.

This skin care routine is the o lay one that has helped clear up my daughters skin.

My daughters skin is really starting to look better!

Skin Type: Oily
So far so good

Bought this for my daughter that has struggled with acne for years. She has seen improvement and less frequent breakouts.

Best moisturizer I have found!

V
Lighten Up Redness Rescue Cream
Veronica Ilenya Ranieri
Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
Perfect

Has changed my skin from acne pro to almost perfect 😍😍

Skin Type: Combination
Obsessed !!

Obsessed with this cleanser!! It left me feeling fresh and prevented break outs. It is incredible . Loved this product so much

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

Skin Type: Combination
Fresh and clean!

My face is filled with energy and feels so fresh and clean!

Skin Type: Normal
excellent item!

have been using this for years! so good for my skin :)

C
So Fresh pH Balancing Cleanser
Carmelinda Di Manno
Skin Type: Combination
Fresh Feeling

My skin feels so clean and still hydrated when I use this cleanser. It’s balancing and refreshing. My skin has responded really well to it and at times my skin can be sensitive. I highly recommend this product to anyone with relatively oily t-zone area

Skin Type: Combination
Very happy!

Love the texture, the minty scent and the lather.
I wish the bottles were a bit bigger HOWEVER they are just small enough to fly with.

Skin Type: Normal
Comments: The only thing I now need to use to keep my skin clear.
The holy grail for clearing hormonal acne.

This is the only product that I have needed to keep my skin clear since discovering it about 2 years ago, after suddenly developing cystic hormonal acne at the age of 25. I now only need to use it every second night, so it's incredibly affordable. It has also never irritated my sensitive skin and it has faded previous acne marks to truly clear my skin. After years of trying expensive supplements/products/harsh prescription creams, Clear Out was the only thing that gave me long-lasting results.

Skin Type: Oily
Clearly Basics is the only product that has helped my Adult Acne

I have always struggled with dehydrated acne prone skin. Every month like clockwork I would get a new breakout on my chin or cheek area. These included large cystic acne that by the time they came to a head would take me months to clear. With new breakouts each month this created more & more spots before the first could heal leaving more hyper pigmentation spots that never have time to clear. Clearly basics changed all that for me. It gave my skin a chance to heal and reduced the number of breakouts each month. When I do get a new breakout it resolves itself quickly with less scarring and redness. Now that the acne is under control the products are helping to eliminate the remaining hyper pigmentation spots left from years of acne. I have not been using the product for long but I will continuing relying on this product and look forward to the day I can happily look in the mirror at a smooth clear & even complexion some day soon.

Skin Type: Combination
Comments: Product consistency in terms of smoothness/coarseness/stickiness/ is sometimes a miss, don't believe it affects the result provided.
Great Combo

Have seen great improvements by using these 2 items concurrently, hard to fault and wil continue purchasing.

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