Your #SummerOfRecovery With Celebrity Esthetician, Ian Michael Crumm

Summer is here, and with it comes a host of skin concerns that can leave us feeling less than radiant. To help you navigate these seasonal challenges, we’ve turned to celebrity esthetician Ian Michael Crumm, a trusted expert in the world of skincare and co-host of BeautyCurious Podcast, and member of Elle Beauty Advisory Board. In our exclusive sit down, Ian shares his insights on common summer skin issues and offers professional advice on how to keep your skin healthy, glowing, and protected all season long. From tackling sunburn and dehydration to selecting the best treatments and products for the season, Ian’s expert tips are your ultimate guide to summer skin perfection. Read on to discover how to achieve a flawless complexion, even in the hottest months.

Yes! Adjusting your skincare routine according to the season is essential, as your skin's needs change with the weather. Summer typically calls for lighter weight products to combat increased oil production and humidity.

Combination Skin

• Cleanser: Use a gentle, foaming cleanser to remove excess oil without stripping the skin.
• Toner: Apply a hydrating, alcohol-free toner to balance skin's pH.
• Serum/Treatment: Use a serum that helps combat DNA damage, which is more prevalent with increased sun exposure in the summer. DNA Repair Complex is a great choice for this. The gentle yet powerful formula won’t clog pores or cause irritation. 
• Moisturizer: Choose a gel-based, oil-free moisturizer.
• Sunscreen: Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.

Oily Skin

• Cleanser: Use a salicylic acid-based cleanser to help control oil and prevent breakouts.
• Toner: Opt for a toner with witch hazel or tea tree oil.
• Serum/Treatment: Use a serum that helps combat DNA damage, which is more prevalent with increased sun exposure in the summer. I recommend DNA Repair Complex. The formula is ultra-lightweight and non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. 
• Moisturizer: Use an oil-free, mattifying moisturizer.
• Sunscreen: Use a non-comedogenic, mattifying SPF 30 or higher.

Dry Skin:

• Cleanser: Use a hydrating, cream-based or gel cleanser, depending on preference. 
• Toner: Apply a hydrating toner with ingredients like glycerin.
• Serum/Treatment: Use a serum that helps combat DNA damage, which is more prevalent with increased sun exposure in the summer, like DNA Repair Complex. It’s a lightweight formula that is deeply nourishing for all skin types. 
• Moisturizer: Choose a lightweight but hydrating moisturizer with ingredients like squalane.
• Sunscreen: Use a moisturizing SPF 30 or higher.

No matter your skin type or tone, the DNA Repair Complex equips the skin to stop free radical damage in its tracks, so hopefully, any forgotten SPF reapplication moments will be eased! DNA Repair Complex contains powerful antioxidants, gentle moisturizers like dimethicone and allantoin, and regenerative Collaxyl peptides, but their hero ingredient is their patented lapachol. When external stressors damage skin DNA, the body signals certain proteins to initiate DNA replication, sometimes leading to errors and visible damage. Lapachol slows these proteins, reducing replication errors and helping create better-looking skin.

• Morning: Use DNA Repair Complex after toning and before your moisturizer to provide an extra layer of protection against UV damage.

Evening: Use DNA Repair Complex after cleansing and toning before your night cream to aid in skin repair overnight.

• Hydration: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Cool Compresses: Apply cool compresses to the affected areas to reduce heat and swelling.
• DNA Repair Complex: Apply to support the skin’s repair processes. By targeting the cellular damage caused by UV exposure, DNA Repair Complex aids in repairing the DNA damage in skin cells, reduces inflammation, and accelerates the skin's natural healing process. This results in faster recovery, reduced redness, and minimized long-term damage. 
• Moisturizer: Add a lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizer if needed. 
• Avoid Additional Sun Exposure: Stay out of the sun until your skin heals completely.

• Antioxidants: Use serums with antioxidants like vitamin C and E to help combat free radicals.
• DNA Repair Complex: Apply to support the skin’s repair processes. DNA Repair Complex helps repair sun-damaged skin by targeting and repairing DNA damage at the cellular level. It supports the natural DNA repair process, reduces replication errors, and promotes the regeneration of healthier, more resilient skin cells, thereby improving the appearance and health of sun-damaged skin.

SPF: Always, always, always use sunscreen to prevent further damage.

Avoid products with alcohol, retinoids, and AHAs/BHAs as they can further irritate and dry out the skin! Focus on calming the skin and replenishing hydration. Do not use too many products during the healing process as it’s best to avoid any product mixing reactions/sensitivities.

*RescueMD customer submitted photos taken 12 hours apart. Treated with RescueMD DNA Repair Complex.

• Exfoliation: Gently exfoliate once or twice a week with a mild exfoliant.
• Hydration: Use hydrating serums and moisturizers.
• Brightening Products: Incorporate vitamin C serums to brighten the skin. 
• DNA Repair Complex: Use DNA Repair Complex in your daily regimen. The formula with patented lapachol helps brighten the skin by repairing cellular damage and reducing DNA replication errors that can lead to uneven skin tone and pigmentation. 
• Healthy Diet: Consume a diet rich in antioxidants and stay hydrated.

• Microdermabrasion: A non-invasive treatment to improve skin texture. It’s very essential to increase sunscreen reapplication for 2 weeks after doing a treatment like microdermabrasion.
• HydraFacial: Combines cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration, and antioxidant protection.

DNA Repair Complex supports the skin's natural repair mechanisms, enhances cell turnover, and improves overall skin texture and radiance without causing irritation! The real hero ingredient is their patented lapachol which targets skin damage at the DNA level. The patented lapachol formula brightens the skin by repairing cellular damage and minimizing DNA replication errors that cause uneven skin tone and pigmentation. By promoting healthier, more efficient cell regeneration, it enhances skin clarity and radiance, resulting in a brighter and more even complexion. 

• Consistent Cleansing: Cleanse twice daily with a gentle, acne-formulated cleanser.
• Non-comedogenic Products: Use skincare and makeup products labeled as non-comedogenic.
• Exfoliation: Regularly exfoliate to prevent clogged pores.
• No Hands: Stop touching your face the bacteria on our hands can flare acne breakouts.

• Spot Treatments: Use treatments with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
• Calming Ingredients: Look for products with niacinamide, green tea extract, or aloe vera.
• DNA Repair Complex: The patented lapachol in Rescuemd DNA Repair Complex helps calm inflammation in acne-prone skin by targeting and repairing damaged cells, which reduces oxidative stress and minimizes the inflammatory response. This leads to decreased redness and swelling, promoting a clearer and calmer complexion.
• Cool Compresses: Apply to reduce swelling and redness.

• Sun Protection: Always use SPF to prevent hyperpigmentation.
• Avoid Picking: Do not pick or squeeze pimples.
• Post-Acne Treatments: Use treatments with ingredients like vitamin C, retinoids, or azelaic acid to promote healing and reduce discoloration. Use the DNA Repair Complex to amplify cell turnover to brighten post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. 

Ian Michael Crumm is a celebrity esthetician, skin care expert, and co-host of the educational beauty podcast BeautyCurious. Crumm is also an esteemed member of Elle Beauty Advisory Board. He is best known for his signature three-step facial program that has attracted a star-studded clientele of movie producers and country music artists. With a special interest in sun safety and skin cancer awareness, Crumm aims to use his platform to advance skin cancer education and is a committee member for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Champions for Change Gala and the Melanoma Research Foundation Gala.

Stay up-to-date with Ian Michael Crumm on Instagram and visit his website to schedule a virtual consult and learn more.