Every summer the same question comes up: should you stop using retinol when the sun is out? It is a fair question. Vitamin A skincare has a reputation for disliking sunshine, and plenty of advice online tells you to put the tube away until autumn. The practical answer is more nuanced. Most people do not need to abandon their vitamin A routine for three months. They need to adjust how, when and how often they use it. Here is how to do that with A313.
Where the summer worry comes from
Vitamin A based skincare can make skin temporarily more sensitive to sunlight. This is why product packaging, including ours, advises evening use and daytime sun protection all year round. In summer that advice simply carries more weight: UV levels rise, days are longer, and holidays keep us outdoors for hours at a time. The concern behind the summer warnings is real. The conclusion that you must stop completely does not follow from it. What does follow is a set of sensible adjustments.
Evening is the golden rule
The most useful habit is also the simplest one. Apply A313 in the evening, never shortly before going out into the sun. Overnight your skin gets uninterrupted time with the product while you are nowhere near UV light. In the morning, cleanse as usual, then apply your moisturiser and sunscreen.
It helps that the A313 range is built on retinyl palmitate, a stable ester of vitamin A. Retinyl palmitate is gentler than pure retinol and converts step by step in the skin, which suits a calm, consistent evening routine, in summer as much as in winter.
Sunscreen carries the daytime
If vitamin A belongs to your evening, broad-spectrum sunscreen belongs to your morning. Choose SPF 30 or higher, apply it as the last step of your morning routine, and reapply when you spend long stretches outdoors. Sunscreen is worth wearing whether or not you use retinol, but together they form a logical pair: one supports your skin at night, the other protects it during the day. A hat and some shade around midday remain the most underrated skincare advice of all.
Adjust the rhythm, not the whole routine
- Use it less often. Two or three evenings a week is plenty for most people in summer, especially if you are outdoors every day.
- Keep the layer thin. A pea-sized amount is enough for the whole face. More product does not mean better care.
- Plan around sun-heavy days. A full day at the beach or on the water ahead? Skip A313 the evening before and the evening after, and let your skin recover with a good moisturiser instead.
- Rehydrate after the sun. After long hours outdoors, skin asks for hydration first. On that evening, a soothing moisturiser does it more good than an active.
When a short pause makes sense
There are moments when pressing pause is simply the sensible choice. If you are spending a week in intense sun with all-day exposure, leave A313 at home and restart when you are back. The same applies if your skin looks red, feels tight or starts flaking: give it a quiet week with gentle products and reintroduce vitamin A slowly. And as with any vitamin A product, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult a skincare professional or pharmacist before use.
A simple summer evening routine
- Cleanse gently and pat your skin fully dry.
- Apply a thin layer of A313 to dry skin, two or three evenings a week.
- Follow with your usual moisturiser to keep your skin barrier comfortable.
- Next morning: cleanse, moisturise and finish with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.
Skin does not take the summer off, and neither should a good routine. With evening application, a lighter rhythm and daily sun protection, vitamin A skincare and sunny months sit together perfectly well. A313 is designed for external cosmetic use as part of an everyday routine; follow the instructions on the packaging and listen to your skin along the way.
If you are putting together your summer evening routine, you can find the A313 Cream with Retinol and Vitamin A here.
