Island Glow: How to Prep Your Skin for an Ibiza Summer
- Frederika Van Hagen
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
With the first notes of summer in the air and the island gently stirring, there’s no better time to start thinking about how to support your skin through the months ahead. Whether you’re here for restorative retreats and beach hikes or the season’s hedonistic parties, the Ibiza summer brings long days of sun, salt and fiestas, each one leaving its mark on the skin.
Rebuild Your Barrier
Now is the moment to support your skin barrier, your natural defence layer. Cold weather, indoor heating and overactive skincare routines from winter can leave it depleted. Now’s the time to simplify your routine.
Choose gentle, non-stripping cleansers, avoid over-exfoliation, and opt for calming hydrators. Ceramides, fatty acids, and postbiotic-rich formulas help restore balance and maintain resilience against sun, sea and the season’s inevitable late nights.
Editor tip: LED light therapy helps calm inflammation and restore the skin barrier. Look for red light to support collagen and repair.
Sun Protection
Let’s begin with the basics. The most effective way to protect your skin is to limit direct sun exposure, especially during the hottest hours of the day. Cover up with lightweight clothing, wear a wide-brimmed hat and choose sunglasses with proper UV filters to protect the delicate skin around your eyes. And for those devoted to sun-drenched afternoons basking in the heat of the day, remember, excessive UV exposure is still the quickest route to skin damage, pigmentation and premature ageing.
When it comes to sunscreen, confusion is common: should you use SPF 30 or 50, is mineral better than chemical, what does UVA really mean? In short, no sunscreen offers complete protection, so reapplication every two hours is essential, especially after swimming or sweating regardless of the type of sunscreen you’ve applied.
What’s the difference between SPF 30 and 50?
SPF 30 filters out around 97% of UVB rays, while SPF 50 filters about 98%. While that 1% difference may sound negligible, it can be significant over long periods of exposure, especially if you burn easily or are on the water, where UV rays reflect and intensify.
SPF 30 is often lighter and contains fewer active chemical filters, which may make it more comfortable for daily wear, especially on sensitive or acne-prone skin. SPF 50 tends to offer stronger protection for prolonged outdoor exposure but can sometimes feel heavier on the skin.
Broad-spectrum (UVA & UVB protection) formulas are essential, these protect against UVA (ageing) and UVB (burning). Many people don’t realise UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin and are present year-round, even on cloudy days, that’s why skincare experts always recommend SPF even during the colder months.
Sol De Ibiza Magic Sun Oil 15 Mineral SPF
Heliocare 360 Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50 for Oily or acne-prone complexions
Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF50 Lightweight fluid SPF for everyday use
Editor tip: Avoid spraying perfume on your skin, as it can react with the sun and cause accelerated aging.
Dont forget to apply SPF on the backs of your hands and the décolleté, where sun damage shows early.
Eat Your Sunscreen
While no food can replace your SPF, certain nutrients can support your skin’s natural defence against UV damage. A diet rich in carotenoids, polyphenols, and essential fatty acids can help reduce inflammation, neutralise free radicals, and strengthen the skin barrier giving your glow a head start from within.
Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit are high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant shown to reduce sensitivity to sunburn over time. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens offer beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A a key nutrient for skin renewal and repair.
Omega-3s from flaxseed, walnuts, and oily fish help reduce UV-induced inflammation, while polyphenols in green tea and dark berries are known for their anti-ageing effects and skin-repairing benefits.
Keep Your Skin Hydrated
Ibiza’s sun may be healing for the soul, but it’s drying for the skin. As humidity rises, swap thick winter creams for lightweight hydrators. Layer hydrating serums beneath your SPF in the morning and seal in moisture at night with a nourishing oil.
Try: Saent Skin Face Oil, ideal for post-sun replenishment and gentle overnight recovery
Laberau Collagen Serum, available at Papaduk Ibiza, plumps and firms without heaviness
Editor Tip: Add facial massage or gua sha to your evening routine to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, especially after travel or long days in the sun.
Antioxidant Serums
While SPF blocks UV rays, antioxidants fight the oxidative stress that sun, alcohol, pollution and lack of sleep can cause. This internal stress accelerates skin aging and dullness, breaking down collagen and triggering inflammation.
Antioxidant serums act like a daily green juice for your skin. Vitamin C, resveratrol, and vitamin A (in the form of retinol) are powerful defenders that also promote radiance and even skin tone. Think of them as your skin’s immunity boosters.
What About Retinol in Summer?
Retinol is one of the most effective ingredients for maintaining smooth, radiant skin but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Many people assume it should be completely removed from their routine during the warmer months but that’s not always necessary.
In fact, vitamin A levels in the skin naturally deplete with sun exposure, so maintaining a gentle form of it in your skincare can actually help prevent signs of premature ageing like collagen breakdown, pigmentation, and fine lines.
That said, the high-strength retinoids we rely on in winter may be too active for summer skin, especially when combined with UV exposure. The key is to switch to a milder form, such as retinyl palmitate or bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative with similar skin-renewing benefits but with none of the irritation or sun sensitivity.
This way, you continue to support healthy cell turnover without compromising your skin barrier or risking inflammation under the Ibiza sun.
The Final Glow
Transitioning into summer doesn’t require a full skincare overhaul but minor tweaks. Think hydration, protection, and consistency. The island has a rhythm, and your skin does too. Tune into both, and your glow will take care of itself.
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