Published: August 30, 2025
Your skin has a lot to contend with in the summer, making it important to be strategic when putting together your skincare routine. While you’ll want to help your skin deal with the heat, excess sweat, intense UV rays, and everything else that the summer season throws at it, you also don’t want to end up overloading it with too many products and ingredients. Your summer skincare routine should be as light and simple as possible, which is why you’ll need to pick your ingredients wisely.
So, when it comes to giving your skin all that it needs during the hotter months of the year, which ingredients are actually essential? Read on as Bionyx shares three skincare ingredients that experts agree are a must-have in the heat.
1) To Hydrate Your Skin: Sodium Hyaluronate
While your skin cells rely on moisture year-round, the need for hydration often intensifies during the summer. Everything from the heat to the sun’s powerful UV rays suck moisture from the skin, leaving it down to you to put some moisture back.
You’ve likely heard of hyaluronic acid. It’s famous for having powerful humectant properties, meaning that it binds moisture to the skin. Sodium hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid. It’s one that experts favor because not only is it more stable, but its smaller molecular size means that it’s more effective at penetrating the skin.
What Does Sodium Hyaluronate Do?
Sodium hyaluronate’s main purpose is to hydrate the skin. It works quickly, with the skin usually taking on a plumper and fuller appearance soon after the ingredient has been applied. This, in turn, also helps to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which can often look more noticeable in the summer months.
Many don’t realize that sodium hyaluronate also has a soothing effect on the complexion. It calms the feeling of irritation and sensitivities, with both being issues that the heat exacerbates. Even better, it’s a great ingredient for keeping the skin barrier feeling supported.
Adding Sodium Hyaluronate to Your Skincare Routine
Sodium hyaluronate is a popular ingredient – it can be found in just about every type of skincare product. However, if you want to make the most of its hydrating capabilities, look for the ingredient in a serum – ideally, one that combines sodium hyaluronate with other hydrating skincare ingredients.
This is where the Bionyx Alloy Platinum Synergizing Serum comes into play. It blends sodium hyaluronate with collagen, peptides, and glycerin, all of which also boast humectant properties. Thanks to the inclusion of castor oil, which forms a light seal over the skin’s surface, the moisture that these skincare ingredients give to your skin will be locked in for hours.
Sodium Hyaluronate Alternatives
Sodium hyaluronate is a relatively easy ingredient to find (you’ll notice that it has been used in several Bionyx skincare products) and is also tolerated by all skin types, meaning that alternatives are rarely needed. However, if you’re looking for another ingredient that has the same hydrating effect, glycerin is what experts recommend. In fact, one study found that glycerin has an even more hydrating effect on the skin than hyaluronic acid (not sodium hyaluronate), which is why it’s a great ingredient to have in any skincare product.
Another excellent humectant to add to your skincare routine is beta-glucan. Not only does it bind moisture to the skin, but it also slows down future moisture loss.
2) To Defend Against Visible Sun Damage: Vitamin C
It goes without saying that SPF is vital during the summer months. However, it’s important to pinpoint which SPF ingredient is the best. Usually, a combination of a few is needed to provide broad-spectrum sun protection.
However, no matter which SPF product you choose, there’s one ingredient that will work synergistically with it, leaving your skin feeling even better defended against UV damage. Vitamin C, skincare’s favorite antioxidant, shines in this regard, making it another essential for the summer months.
What Does Vitamin C Do?
In many ways, it would be easier to talk about what vitamin C doesn’t do! This ingredient is a true multitasker, assisting the skin in so many ways. Its antioxidant properties mean that not only will it help to back up how your SPF shields your complexion from the sun, but it will also work to prevent the appearance of sun damage from forming. After all, no sunscreen provides 100% protection. Vitamin C will, in a way, help to compensate for that.
Vitamin C brings with it several other benefits, too. It prevents and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, helps to lighten the look of hyperpigmentation, and can even boost skin hydration levels. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the most highly recommended skincare ingredients around!
Adding Vitamin C to Your Skincare Routine
While there are several forms of vitamin C to choose from, experts recommend giving 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid a try in the summer months. It’s a very stable form of the ingredient, meaning that it won’t degrade when hit by UV rays. It’s also well-tolerated by all skin types and won’t leave your skin feeling irritated.
You’ll find 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid in a few Bionyx products, including the BioLift Platinum Deep Wrinkle Concentrate. What makes this serum even more appealing is that it also contains sodium hyaluronate for hydration, plus a blend of peptides to keep your skin barrier feeling supported.
Vitamin C Alternatives
If your skin is struggling to tolerate vitamin C, niacinamide is considered to be a gentler alternative. It doesn’t offer quite the same potency, but it’s great for guarding against the appearance of sun damage. This is exactly why we’ve turned to niacinamide as one of the main ingredients in our Rhodium Facial Toner. It’s joined by sodium hyaluronate, meaning that it’s great for hydrating the skin too!
Another ingredient that’s known for boasting powerful antioxidants is green tea extract. One antioxidant in particular, EGCG, has been proven to repair the look of sun-damaged skin. The Bionyx Platinum Transformative Cream makes it easy to add green tea to your daily skincare routine. With this lightweight moisturizer also containing peptides, antioxidants, and hydrating skincare ingredients, it’s a popular product during the summer months!
3) To Soothe, Repair, and Restore the Complexion: Aloe Vera
The summer months can be difficult for your skin. Many experience a surge in inflammation and irritation. This is why experts recommend incorporating plenty of complexion-soothing skincare ingredients in a summer skincare regimen. Your focus in the summer should be to leave your skin feeling restored rather than stimulated.
The best ingredient for doing this? Aloe vera wins the vote. Aloe vera is one of those skincare ingredients that have been around for centuries, and it’s just as loved today as it was back in ancient times.
What Does Aloe Vera Do?
Once you understand how aloe vera works, it’s easy to see how this ingredient has managed to withstand the test of time. It’s packed with bioactive compounds, many of which significantly soothe the feeling of inflammation in the skin. Not only does this help with irritation, but it can also be a godsend if the summer heat has left you dealing with acne breakouts.
Aloe vera has powerful hydrating properties, too. Like sodium hyaluronate, it’s an efficient humectant. It draws moisture to the skin, which is always needed in the summer months. And if that wasn’t enough, aloe vera is loaded with antioxidants, too. From its high-performance polyphenols to vitamins A, C, and E, these compounds all tackle the appearance of oxidative damage – something that tends to heighten during the summer months.
Adding Aloe Vera to Your Skincare Routine
Thinking of heading to your local drugstore and grabbing a bottle of that ubiquitous bright green aloe vera gel? Think again. While this may look natural, aloe vera gel isn’t actually green – it’s more of a translucent golden color. Green gel has been artificially colored, meaning that you’ll be slathering your skin with potentially harmful chemicals.
Instead, if you aren’t able to find a source of pure and 100% natural aloe vera gel, look for a skincare product that contains aloe vera in extract form. In many ways, the ingredient is more effective when applied like this – it will bring your skin a higher concentration of bioactive compounds.
Want to add more aloe to your skincare routine? Check out the Bionyx Rhodium Intensive Eye Serum. It’s the perfect product if your eye area could do with some TLC this summer. It contains two types of aloe vera extract – leaf and phytoplacenta – bringing you double the benefits. It has also been formulated with several other complexion-soothing skincare ingredients.
Aloe Vera Alternatives
As we mentioned earlier, there are so many skincare ingredients out there that can help to leave your skin feeling soothed and restored. Combining a few together will likely bring you even better results.
Aloe vera aside, one of our favorites at Bionyx is shea butter. It’s packed with fatty acids, which leave the skin barrier feeling replenished. Like shea butter, it boosts hydration, but it also has a moisturizing effect on the skin. This is why it’s one of the main ingredients in a couple of Bionyx moisturizers. The Rhodium Essential Day Cream will give your skin access to the ingredient during the day, while the Rhodium Night Recovery Cream makes it easy to add some aloe to your evening skincare routine.
Knowing Your Skincare Ingredients
As you can see, with just three skincare ingredients, you can address the majority of your skin’s needs in the summer. With sodium hyaluronate keeping you hydrated, vitamin C working on negating the appearance of UV damage, and aloe vera to calm and restore your complexion, you’ll sail through the summer months with a radiant glow!
Click here to browse more summer skincare bestsellers from Bionyx.