Hotties, Assemble: The Best Skin Cooling Products Are Expert-Approved for Summer Weather
Because boiling temperatures can seriously wreck your epidermis.
Winter was rough. If the chilly weather that stretched well into spring wasn’t the obvious sign, then any remnants of dry, flaky skin are a likely indicator. Alas, temperatures are heating up quickly, but as we prepare to bare more skin and bask in the heat (sun-protected, of course) it’s time to give your summer skin lineup another look. You may not be quite in the clear from dryness and irritation.
Hot Girl Summer has its place, and by all means, indulge—but for the sake of your skin, you’ll want to dive just as hard into Cool Girl Summer. Ahead, experts share how heat impacts acne, collagen levels, and your skin barrier, along with product recommendations to keep your skin cool, calm, and clear, even when the temperature outside reaches boiling over the next few months.
How Does the Summer Heat Affect the Skin?
The effects of cold weather on skin and how to remedy them have been well-studied, but skin’s reaction to heat and warm weather, not so much. “I think people often underestimate how much heat itself, separate from UV light, can drive inflammation and skin dysfunction,” Kseniya Kobets, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care, tells Marie Claire. “When skin overheats, blood vessels dilate, which increases redness, flushing, swelling, and can worsen conditions like rosacea, melasma, acne, eczema, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and allergy reactions.”
Extreme heat, dry air, and direct sun can compromise your skin barrier in a lot of the same ways the cold does.
It’s not just the surface-level factors that are disrupted by heat. Skin laxity and wrinkles can also shift. “Even chronic low-level heat exposure has been associated with collagen breakdown and pigment stimulation through inflammatory pathways and oxidative stress,” says Dr. Kobets.
Does Heat Make Acne Worse?
Heat increases sweat and oil production. That’s no surprise. However, Dr. Kobets says these contribute to clogged pores, folliculitis, and irritation, especially in humid environments. The oiliness can make skin look hydrated and dewy, but Melissa Fox, a celebrity master esthetician and founder of Flawless by Melissa Fox in Miami and West Palm Beach, also points out that, “Even if someone thinks their skin is oily, heat can actually leave the skin dehydrated and reactive underneath.” While you can keep the visible high shine in check, you’ll want to simultaneously work on minimizing oil production and keeping your body temperature down to prevent heavy sweating.
How Does Heat Affect the Skin Barrier?
Warm weather feels great against your bare skin, but extreme heat, dry air, and direct sun can compromise your skin barrier in a lot of the same ways the cold does, and in some cases, even worse. Anetta Reszko, MD PH.D, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of SKORR SKIN, explains that the skin barrier relies on a balanced structure of lipids, proteins, and water to function properly. “Excessive heat disrupts that balance by increasing water evaporation from the skin and triggering inflammatory pathways. When the barrier becomes compromised, patients often experience redness, irritation, sensitivity, itching, and increased susceptibility to environmental aggressors,” says Dr. Reszko.
Heat can also alter the skin’s microbiome. Dr. Kobets compares these damaging effects to extreme cold or over-exfoliation. “That’s why many people notice their skin becoming paradoxically both oily and dehydrated during the summer,” she says. As a result, you may notice a flare-up of inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, and acne.
What Happens When You Cool Down the Skin's Temperature?
Fox explains that cooling the skin helps constrict blood vessels, reduces inflammation, calms redness, decreases puffiness, and regulates excess heat trapped in the tissue. “Skin immediately looks fresher, tighter, and more even-toned. Cooling also feels incredibly soothing to the nervous system, which is important because stress and heat often go hand in hand,” she says. She notes that in her treatments, she prefers cooling and calming techniques because the skin functions better when it’s not overheated. “Even something as simple as washing your face with cold water instead of hot water makes a huge difference over time. I’m very against hot water on the face,” Fox adds.
What Ingredients and Products Are Best for Hot Days?
There’s a growing number of cryotherapy-inspired skincare and cooling tech tools—including facial globes that you pop in the fridge, cryo-sticks, chilled sheet masks, scalp cooling devices, and cooling gel formulations—all of which have both immediate and long-term benefits. Dr. Reszko says all of these options are useful and can help reduce skin temperature transiently and calm inflammation. “Ingredient-wise, I look for formulations such as aloe vera, ectoin, niacinamide, thermal spring water, centella asiatica, green tea polyphenols, cucumber extract, and panthenol because they help soothe inflammation and support barrier repair,” says Dr. Reszko. She adds that lightweight humectants such as hyaluronic acid are also beneficial during warmer months because they hydrate without feeling occlusive or heavy.
It’s hard to beat the sun when we hit peak summer, but with these expert-recommended cooling picks, your skin will stand a fighting chance.
Shop the Best Skin Cooling Products
To fast-track skin to a calm and cool state, Morayo Adisa, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and Medical Director of Dermatology Physicians Chicago/Kenilworth, recommends products with aloe vera, thermal spring water, gel-based moisturizers, and cooling facial devices. Her favorite hydrating skin refresher is Avène’s Thermal Spring Water Mist. The single-ingredient, mineral-enriched water pumps out into a fine mist to replenish lost moisture and cool as soon as it hits skin. “It’s very handy to rehydrate and refresh the face and makeup during the warm months,” says Dr. Adisa.
Dr. Adisa also recommends this multitasking sunscreen for cooling and UV protection in a single step. “It’s both refreshing and protecting at the same time. It’s zinc-based with aloe and cucumber, and a great body SPF when I’m outdoors,” she says. The soothing ingredients calm inflammation, and physical blockers shield skin from damaging UV rays. The non-aerosol mist also has a vanilla scent, so there’s none of that polarizing sunscreen smell lingering after you apply it.
Dr. Reszko heavily advises against over-exfoliating in the summer. But keeping oily skin and breakouts in control can be difficult without stripping the skin. This two-in-one facial spray requires no harshness in exchange for oil control. The mist douses skin in post-biotics to rebalance excess oil, pantenol to calm irritation, niacinamide to take down redness, and a refreshing cooling agent to bring down the heat.
Dr. Danny Guo, a double-board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, says that of the two main ways to cool down skin, physical and sensory, physical cooling actually drops your body temperature. “These work by physically absorbing heat from the skin to actually bring the temperature down,” Dr. Guo explains. Shark’s latest innovation, The ChillPill, puts this concept into a multifunctional tool that does the job of a fan, cooling spray, and ice packs, all in one. ChillPill features a 10-speed fan, a cool dry-touch mist, and a metal plate that, when pressed directly onto skin, can bring body temperatures down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sensory cooling Dr. Guo refers to using ingredients like menthol, aloe vera, peppermint oil, and camphor. “These work by generating a sensation of cooling,” he says. Peach & Lily’s version of this cooling method is its Cryo Reset Mask Pads. Each pre-soaked pad taps the brand’s Soothing Cooler Complex, a blend of aloe, apple mint, and Japanese elm, combined with a base of glacial water and soothing pantenol. The pads minimize redness as it mimics the effects of the ever-popular, inflammation-reducing cryotherapy.
Both Dr. Reszko and Dr. Guo emphasize how much havoc a heat-damaged skin barrier can wreak, both short and long term. “The combination of inflammation and dehydration can trigger itch, which can worsen the skin barrier if it causes scratching,” says Dr. Guo. The key is to reinforce the lipid barrier to help prevent dehydration and irritation. This is exactly what this barrier serum from The Ordinary does, using a combination of vitamin B12 and niacinamide. And while barrier creams abound, the lighter consistency of this serum allows skin to breathe and stay cool.
According to Fox, one area you don’t want to skip covering in cool is the under-eyes. “The under-eye area holds inflammation very easily in hot weather, so cooling patches make a noticeable difference quickly. Caffeine stimulates circulation while reducing swelling and heat around the eyes,” she explains. Topicals has cooling hydrogel eye masks that use a trifecta of caffeine, kojic acid, and arbutin to fade dark circles while it cools that area and reduces inflammation.
Meet the Experts
Dr. Morayo Adisa, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and medical director at Dermatology Physicians in Chicago/Kenilworth.
Dr. Kseniya Kobets is a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in NYC.
Melissa Fox is a celebrity master esthetician and founder of Flawless by Melissa Fox in Miami and West Palm Beach.
Dr. Danny Guo is a Mohs surgeon and double board-certified dermatologist.
