Suncream
This is an obvious one, really. Suncream. I recommend getting a little bottle to throw in your handbag, because you never know when you'll get caught out in the sun (for example, whilst waiting for an iPhone4.. haha). Gemma just did a great post about anti-aging products and the gimmicks. Really, your number one best bet to help prevent aging on the face is to use suncream. Mix it in with your foundation, get a foundation with high SPF, just try and use it on your face as much as possible!
Facial Wash
This is also a bit of a no-brainer. In the summer, you sweat more, and if you wear makeup when you're all sweaty.. you're just going to end up with messy skin, so I realllly recommend a good cleanser. The Shu Uemura one here is pretty pricey - but it gets off foundation like a treat. I also think something cooling and refreshing such as The Body Shop's Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash, of which you find a review here. I came home from a sweaty 12-5PM shift this afternoon, and the first thing I did was scrub it all over my face and neck and it felt wonderful.
Exfoliators of all kinds!
No-one likes to have icky, dry, flaking skin during the summer.. and you're all the more likely to get it if you're getting a bit of sun. The Body Shop's Raspberry Scrub is a great all-over product, but I use this on my shoulders and my feet in particular, as it's a really good intense scrub - and all the Body Shop scrubs are good for this. I have waxed lyrical about how much I love Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub: if I am exposed to any weather that isn't your bog-standard English rain, my lips go to pieces. Sun or snow, my lips get dry and flaky, and this is a great helping. Finally we have the only face-exfoliator I really use. I don't really need a good one for my face as I don't get too dry, and this one is really gentle. I've had it for a while and can't remember where I bought it from, but I saw it in Vogue magazine, and bought it.
Body Moisturisers
I should've mentioned this above, but summer really is the season of tanning - you're going to want to watch out for those dry spots by exfoliating and moisturising like crazy - especially if you're a fake tanner! This Soap & Glory all-over moisturising "mist" is great. It smells fantastic and I spray liberally all over after I've showered. You don't really need to rub it in, it just sinks in on it's own. The mini-body-butter is great for popping in your handbag and all of those Body Shop butters are great for intensive moisturising. Apply to shoulders, elbows, feet and legs after exfoliating! (:
Hair Conditioners
I have a lot of hair. I have a lot of thick hair. I have a lot of thick, long hair. I also have a habit of washing my hair and then letting the sun dry it - mainly because I end up looking like Mufasa if I attempt it any other way - which makes it frizz something awful. In the summer my ends get all dry and my hair gets weaker. Conditioner's like this are ah-maz-ing. I swear by Miracle Moist - the only thing that doesn't give me intense breakage, and I love the leave-in conditioner: I just spray it all through my hair when I've got out the shower and it helps heaps.
Dry Shampoo
This is literally just a god-send, whatever the weather, but I seem to use it more in the summer, for whatever reason. Great for when it's too hot to do anything but you want to look respectable! I much prefer the Tropical scent - the rest seem a bit hospital-ish for my liking - but the mini Batiste I bought after a day out in London and needed to spruce my hair up before going for drinks and hasn't really left my bag since. Since I bought these they've realeased a brunette one, which I want to try.
Sunnies!
Your eyes are just as important as you skin, so make sure you protect those babies.
And that's all for now! There will be a Summer Essential's post for makeup coming up shortly, so make sure you don't miss that. I hope you like these kind of posts, let me know, I'd love to hear your input!