Six Products To Keep Your Skin Stress-Free and Summer-Ready

What’s a better season for a “less is more” attitude than the long, sunny days of summer? The middle months of the year are prime for ditching layers, racking up out-of-office hours, and simplifying all aspects of life to concentrate on carefree fun. Skin-care routines are not immune to this minimalist mindset — our skin wants to be as free as our bodies and your products should reflect that. While in the winter, we focus on thick layers and hydration with multi-step routines that pack on the products, summer is all about emphasizing breathable skin, light makeup, and accessible routines you can seamlessly perform on the go.

As viral esthetician Sean Garrett told Vogue, “My summer skincare philosophy is all about light hydrating layers and prioritizing sunscreen! This is the season we’re exposed to the sun for longer periods of time and more often, so sun protection is a must during the summer months.” He goes on to recommend focusing on skin type and hydration rather than using a long list of items to reach your skin goals. Instead, stick to the basics: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen before adding one or two special accompaniments optimized for your unique skin type and specific needs. Below is Barrett Recovery’s curated list of amazing additions to complement any summer skincare routine:

Sunscreen + Primer: Anyone with a comprehensive skincare routine in 2025 knows how imperative a good sun defense is for youthful skin year-round, but summer and sunscreen especially go hand in hand. Created by world-renowned dermatologist Zein Obagi, ZO’s skin health’s broad-spectrum 50 SPF sunscreen protects skin from harmful light rays and defends against free radical damage while minimizing irritation from dehydration. Its ultra-mild formula is suitable for even the most sensitive skin types.

Key Ingredients:

• Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide to protect against UVA and UVB rays
• Fractionated melanin to protect against blue light from the sun and electronic devices

ZO Exfoliating Polish: Although summer is about embracing minimalism, sometimes a long weekend of sun, sweat, and fun can lead to maximally clogged pores. This gentle exfoliating polish is light enough to keep the skin barrier intact but powerful enough to remove dead cells and debris buildup. The result? Perfectly soft and smooth skin ready to be kissed by the sun.

Key Ingredients: 

• Ultra-fine magnesium oxide crystals slough away dead skin cells
• Vitamin C penetrates the skin and reduces the look of dark spots

ZO Daily Power Defense: This product is great for those with oily skin or those focusing on anti-aging while maintaining a bright, youthful complexion. ZO’s Daily Power Defense is a clinically supported serum ideal for summer, which is a season when outdoor activities exacerbate external environmental stressors. The serum defends and strengthens the skin’s top layer making it a wonderful addition to a reduced skincare routine.

Key Ingredients:

• Vitamins A + E to protect against environmental skin aging
• Specialized enzymes to encourage optimum skin cell health

Barrett Body Balm: All-over moisturization is imperative during the summer months, and we can’t let our faces get all the attention. As we’re wearing less clothes and showing more skin, a full-body glow can take any summer outfit to the next level. Barrett Recovery’s body balm incorporates one of 2025’s biggest skincare trends by using beef tallow as a key ingredient packed with essential fatty acids leaving your skin soft, supple, and bikini ready.

Key Ingredients:

• Grass-fed beef tallow to deeply moisturize and support skin health
• Organic beeswax locks in moisture and shields against environmental stressors

Barrett Lip Balm: Chapped lips aren’t only a cold weather problem — dehydration, excess sun exposure, and indulging in sugary drinks or desserts on a summer night lead to dry, flakey lips. Barrett Recovery’s specially formulated lip balm utilizes beef tallow along with organic shea and cocoa butter to soothe dryness and restore elasticity for plump lips in any season.

Key Ingredients:

• Grass-fed tallow contains a full spectrum of antioxidants to help restore the skin barrier 
• Vitamin E provides antioxidant-rich protection for healthy, glowing lips