My Summer Skincare Routine: Sun Protection, Lighter Textures, Thorough Cleansing, and Multipurpose Products

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love talking about skincare. It’s been a huge part of my personal journey—from healing acne to now caring for my skin during pregnancy. I’m not someone who just naturally has great skin, it’s something I’ve had to work at through diet, routine, and lots of trial and error. And especially now, with summer in full swing and my skin changing daily with pregnancy, I’ve had to adjust and rethink a few things.

Before we dive in, I always like to mention that how I eat is a foundation for my skin health. A gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free diet—focused on whole, minimally processed foods—has been transformative. Lots of antioxidants, probiotics, anti-inflammatory foods, and a rainbow of fruits and veggies have made a noticeable difference. (If you're curious, I actually wrote an entire ebook full of skin-supportive recipes!)

But today, I want to walk you through my summer skincare routine and the products I’ve come to love and rely on.

My mornings are all about gentle hydration and protection. I always start with a clean face, and one of the staples in my summer (and now pregnancy-safe) lineup is the Dr. Dennis Gross Vitamin C Serum. It’s packed with stabilized Vitamin C, lactic acid for gentle exfoliation, and tranexamic acid to help with discoloration. It’s been incredible for keeping my skin tone even and bright, especially now when hormonal changes can cause unexpected pigmentation.

After that, I layer on Barefaced’s Overachiever Multi-Peptide Serum. It’s a lightweight serum that does a little bit of everything—hydration, firming, strengthening the skin barrier—thanks to ingredients like bakuchiol, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. During pregnancy, my skin has needed extra support, and this serum has helped maintain elasticity without feeling heavy in the summer heat. Also, importantly, bakuchiol is a retinol alternative that’s pregnancy safe (since retinol is not)!

For the delicate skin around my eyes, I use Clearstem's Stem Cell Eye Gel. It’s brightening, firming, and super lightweight—perfect for those warm mornings when you want hydration without feeling sticky. I’ve noticed it really helps with puffiness, especially when I keep it chilled.

Moisturizer is non-negotiable, and I reach for Clearstem’s Hydraglow Moisturizer. It’s acne-safe, hydrating, and brightening without clogging pores. This one also has bakuchiol, truly one of my favorite skincare ingredients (pregnant or not)!

And of course, SPF is a pillar of my routine—pregnant or not, but especially now. Your skin becomes more prone to burning and pigmentation during pregnancy, so a good sunscreen is critical. I stick with tinted mineral SPFs only (chemical sunscreens are not pregnancy-safe). I have tested so many of these, but you can read this post to see my absolute favorites. Finding non-comedogenic options was a game-changer—no more sunscreen breakouts!

Evenings are when I really slow down. I always double cleanse, especially in summer when sweat, sunscreen, and city grime build up throughout the day.

I start with the Elemis Cleansing Balm. It’s rich, nourishing, and melts away makeup and SPF without stripping my skin. Ingredients like Padina Pavonica and elderberry oil leave my skin feeling moisturized before I even move on to my second cleanse.

Next comes the Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser. This is hands down my favorite cleanser. It’s powerful yet gentle, packed with probiotics, tea tree oil, and cucumber juice to keep my skin balanced, clear, and calm.

Depending on the night, I might layer in some treatments. I use Clearstem’s Clearity Serum when I feel like my skin needs a gentle exfoliation. It’s powered by mandelic acid and turmeric and helps brighten without the irritation that can come from stronger acids.

Another product I love is Clearstem’s Bounceback Anti-Aging and Repair Serum. It’s full of peptides and botanical growth factors that help repair and strengthen the skin—a gentle alternative to treatments like Botox.

For hydration and calming, I turn to Primally Pure’s Soothing Serum. It’s packed with blue tansy and aloe vera—perfect for reducing redness and inflammation after a day in the sun.

I finish with another layer of Hydraglow Moisturizer, and top it off with YAARA Honey Oil. Honey, propolis, and sea buckthorn oil work together to deeply hydrate, repair the skin barrier, and regulate oil production—all things that are especially important during pregnancy.

Beyond my face, pregnancy brought a whole new focus: body care. I’ve been religious about moisturizing my belly, hips, and chest to support my skin as it stretches.

I’ve been using Nemah Revitalizing Belly Cream and Ever Eden Golden Belly Serum—both non-toxic and recommended by clean baby product guides. They’re packed with hydrating, skin-nourishing ingredients without any questionable additives. For body hydration overall, Primally Pure’s Blue Tansy Body Oil has been a dream. It’s lightweight but deeply nourishing, and it leaves my skin glowy without feeling greasy. And if you want a full list of non-toxic baby products, you can check out this resource.

Some days, I treat myself to a little extra. I love the iRestore Red Light Therapy Mask for collagen stimulation and calming inflammation, and I’ll pop on Wander Eye Patches when my under-eyes are feeling tired or puffy.

For masks, my favorites are Primally Pure’s Soothing Mask for calming inflammation, and a good collagen-boosting mask when I need a glow boost.

I love a hypochlorous acid spray like Clearstem’s Skin Spray All Day or Barefaced Clean Slate Spritz to refresh, hydrate, and neutralize bacteria. I swear by these sprays when traveling to avoid breakouts!  

At home in Austin, I treat myself to a Laurel Corrinne Signature Facial with dermaplaning. It’s like hitting reset on my skin—deep exfoliation, hydration, and just a total refresh. One treatment I’ve had to pause during pregnancy is any sort of laser facial. I was doing BroadBand Light facials prior, which are non-invasive, non-surgical skin treatments that use a broad spectrum of light energy to rejuvenate the skin.

Skincare during pregnancy (and during a Texas summer!) has taught me a lot about patience, flexibility, and really listening to my skin. After testing hundreds of products, I can attest that with the right products and mindset, you can nourish your skin to glow through every season of life.

If you have questions or favorite summer or pregnancy-safe products you love, please leave them in the comments!

Learning: So many good makeup tips from makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes! Incorporating what I learn from her simple videos has made me feel much more confident in my makeup skills. I especially love her complexion tips and “priming the brush” method that she shared in this video. 

Drinking: Beauty Electrolytes for hydration and anti-aging. Pique's BT Fountain is a beauty electrolyte that hydrates the skin from within with ceramides and hyaluronic acid! You can get 20% (for life) at my link for a limited time. #PiqueLife #PiquePartner

Searching for: A really nourishing, pretty lip balm I can wear as a gloss this summer. Think Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment but made with clean/nontoxic ingredients. I would LOVE your recs! And of course I will share my favorites once I’ve tried them.