Summer’s almost here—is your top shelf ready? Sure, you probably have sunscreen on hand, but if you’re planning to spend more time outside between now and Labor Day, I recommend calling in extra reinforcement. Environmental stressors like heat, sun exposure, and air pollution can speed up the skin aging process, but with the right summer skin care, you can keep their negative effects at bay.

Here, I’ve rounded up the Kayo products that I can’t live without in summertime. All of them give my skin extra protection when I’m splashing around in the pool with my kids, having BBQs with friends, and going on beach getaways with my husband. Because let’s be real: Wrinkles and sun spots aren’t exactly the summer souvenirs any of us want.

Step 1: Protect Skin From Sun Damage

You don’t need me to tell you that UV light is your skin’s worst enemy. While sunscreen is essential for preventing sun damage, it won’t fully protect you—especially if you aren’t applying enough or forget to reapply every few hours. (Hey, it happens!)

Enter antioxidants: another important piece of the sun protection puzzle. See, when your skin is exposed to UV rays it creates free radicals, which are unstable atoms that damage skin’s DNA and lead to premature aging. Antioxidants can stop free radical destruction in its tracks, both preventing future damage and helping to repair existing damage.

This is why you should double down on antioxidants in summer, when you’re spending more time in the sun. I apply Kayo’s Body Beautiful Cream or Body Beautiful Oil twice daily in the summer, since they’re both packed with antioxidants from goji, acai, green tea, and other powerhouse natural sources. Both products are also made with Coenzyme Q10, which helps boost and preserve skin’s collagen. (Collagen damage is one of the biggest side effects of free radical exposure.)

I also drink my antioxidants daily with Kayo’s Vital Greens Superfood Powder. It’s packed with dozens of antioxidant-rich ingredients, from turmeric and wheatgrass to macqui berry, pomegranate, mangosteen, and more. We’re all about an inside-and-out approach to skin health here at Kayo, and that’s extra true when it comes to antioxidants!

Step 2: Detox From Pollutants

Air pollution affects skin in so many ways—it contributes to aging, alters the skin barrier, and is associated with inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.

If you live in a city, it’s impossible to avoid airborne pollutants when you go outside, but you can reduce their impact by deep-cleaning your skin at the end of the day. My favorite way to do this is with Kayo’s Detox Body Wash and Detox Mask to Scrub. Both products contain charcoal, which draws environmental toxins to skin’s surface, binds to them, and washes them away. They also gently exfoliate and hydrate skin, leaving it soft and glowing for swimsuit season. Win, win.

Step 3: Prevent Skin Dehydration

Air conditioning, sweat, sun exposure, plane travel—all of these things can make your skin dehydrated. Unlike dry skin, which is low in oil, dehydrated skin lacks water. (So yes, oily skin can be dehydrated!) If your skin feels itchy and tight, looks dull, or if you have fine lines, wrinkles, or dark undereye circles, chances are you could use a little extra hydration.

To prevent skin dehydration in summer, I add a scoop of Kayo’s Skin Perfect Collagen Powder to my water every day. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to lock in hydration at the skin’s surface, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dry patches. (It also makes an amazing addition to a margarita—get the recipe here!)

I’m just as obsessed with our Vital Hydration Serum Spray. It’s a full-body skin mist packed with hyaluronic acid and konjac root, which attract moisture to the skin's surface, as well as vitamin B5 for a healthy moisture barrier. It’s so refreshing when you chill it in the freezer—just throw it in your bag and spritz it on at the beach, by the pool, or in an airplane.

To recap: When you’re building your summer body care routine, make sure to incorporate antioxidants, deep cleansing, and hydration. Trust me, it’ll be worth it when you end the season with a fresh-air glow, minus the sun damage!

If you have any questions about summer body care—or to show us your summer shelfie!—DM me on Instagram at @christinebullock or reach out to our specialists at @kayobodycare.