7 Ways to Keep Your Face Cool & Sweat-Free on Hot Summer Days

Ah, summer … beaches, shorts, sandals, drinks on the deck, and HOT, HUMID, SWEATY FACES! Oh did I mention sticky? And shiny? And makeup-melty? You know, I hate winter so much that I try to never complain about the heat in the summer, but dang, it sure can wreak havoc on the way my skin feels and looks. Luckily, there are a few sure-fire techniques (and a TON of beauty products) to help us all keep our faces cool and lovely this summer. Cheers to that!

1. If you need to control your shine, but don't want to just add powder or other makeup on top of your already sweaty face, blotting papers are an excellent choice. They just lift AWAY the oil on your skin. (And they're super portable!) Sephora makes a great line, the Sephora Collection Blotting Papers, with different versions for a variety of skin needs. For example, the Rejuvenating Glacial

Sephora blotting

Clay and Salicylic Acid sheets are good for "waking up" your complexion, while the Lavender sheets are soothing, and the Mattifying version specifically targets oil. I find blotting papers incredibly satisfying for some reason! ($10 for a set of 50 sheets at Sephora.com)

2. Yes, as with just about all beauty and skincare products, there are a gazillion different facial mists, starting of course with the famous Evian Mineral Water Spray that made me feel so ultra tres chic while traveling back in college (that's when you were allowed to take potentially lethal items like bottles of water on the plane). ($12 at Sephora.com)

Evian is a mineral water mist, but there are also a bazillion (is that less than a gazillion?) facial mists that contain additional ingredients to make your skin happy …

L'Occitane

3. An excellent facial mist to START your day with is L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Face Mist. Made with the same Immortelle flower ingredient that makes the rest of the Immortelle line so fabulous, a spritz not only tones and hydrates your skin, but spraying it on after you do your makeup can help keep your makeup in place. Amazing! You can also use it throughout the day to freshen up. ($20 at L'Occitane)

4. Another really great mist that works both as a "pick me up" and for setting your makeup is The Body Shop's Vitamin E Face Mist. Made with the antioxidant vitamin E and rosewater, it's soooo refreshing and smells divine. ($16 at TheBodyShop-Usa.com)

5. One more facial mist of note: John Masters Lavender Hydrating Mist for Skin & Hair is organic and can be used on, yes, your skin AND your hair. Such a fab way to cool off and revitalize yourself on a hot summer day. ($16 at Beauty.com)

NOTE: The important thing to know about facial mists is that you should spray some on and then blot off the excess. Don't let it "air dry" because then you're dehydrating your skin along with the evaporating water!

Palmers

6. I'm the kind of neurotic person who needs to immediately put face lotion on after I cleanse my skin because I can't stand the way it feels otherwise, which is why the invention of moisturizing wipes is so darn exciting. A great, cheap option is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Gentle Cleansing Wipes, which contain some of that famous cocoa butter, along with chamomile, aloe vera, and vitamin E. ($5.99 for 25 at Drugstore.com)

7. I tend to use non-moisturizing wipes on my entire face only if I'm prepared to re-moisturize (and probably put some more makeup on); OR to swipe away smeared eye makeup in a pinch; OR if I feel like I need a clean slate before putting on another coat of sunblock. They're a great item to carry around all summer for any of those situations and/or for your neck and chest. An excellent, super affordable version that will simply clean your skin and not cause you to break out (ugh) is Yes to Cucumber's On the Go Facial Towelettes. I don't think there's anything more refreshing than the scent of cucumber! ($2.99 for 10 at YestoCarrots.com and drugstores)

What's your biggest summer skincare concern?