6 Austin Skincare Essentials for the Texas Heat
Explore these lightweight cleansers, hydrating serums, exfoliants and mineral SPF built for triple‑digit days
Austin summers show no mercy, so a solid skin routine isn’t optional. These six favorites of ours cover every step: a gentle foaming cleanse, hydrating exfoliant, line‑smoothing serum, fast‑absorbing moisturizer, sheer mineral SPF, and a brightening eye‑and‑lip pick‑me‑up. Consider this your starter kit for surviving triple‑digit days.
Raeka Beauty
Lather Down Cleanser (5 fl oz) – $28
Austin‑based Raeka solves the sensitive‑skin dilemma with a lightweight foaming cleanser that leaves complexions calm and balanced. Powered by Indian sarsaparilla, an Ayurvedic staple for soothing inflammation, and fortified with antioxidant vitamins E and C, the formula refreshes, protects and promotes a healthier, more radiant finish.
AKINYI
Revitalizing Moisturizing Creme (1.85 fl oz) – $85
Unsatisfied with what was on the market, Austin couple Sheila Naya and JD Simon created AKINYI: a clean, fast-absorbing moisturizer designed for all skin types. Packed with aloe vera, collagen, ceramides, jojoba oil and vitamins E and C, the cream strengthens the skin barrier, smooths fine lines, and locks in hydration without a greasy finish.
Skin Pharm
For anyone after firmer, smoother skin, Skin Pharm’s Youth Serum is a must-try. Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and calming green tea leaf extract, this gentle serum smooths and soothes, even for sensitive skin. While Skin Pharm isn’t Texas-born, the brand recently opened a Westlake location offering microneedling, chemical peels, photofacials and more.
Mad Hippie
Hydrating Facial SPF (2 fl oz) – $24.99
Texas sunshine is no joke; Austin averages roughly 300 bright days a year, so daily SPF is a must. This local brand’s mineral face sunscreen uses pure zinc oxide yet applies clear, weightless and hydrating, playing nicely under makeup. Bonus: it’s reef‑safe, water‑resistant and fragrance‑free, ideal for everything from everyday errands to lake days.
foy
Eye & Lip Moisturizer (1 fl oz) – $71
Dr. Kristina Collins, the board-certified dermatologist behind Austin Skin, created foy to help women care for their skin with purpose. One of the line’s greatest hits is the Brighten + Smooth Eye & Lip Moisturizer—a botanical‑rich formula that hydrates, plumps and brightens delicate eye and lip skin. It’s an additive‑free blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and botanical oils (sweet almond, moringa, illipe, meadowfoam) plus vitamin K to hydrate, de‑puff and lightly brighten.
the beauty way
Renew body polish (8 oz) – $36
Austin’s the beauty way has built a reputation for clean body care, and its exfoliating scrub is a standout. Sugar and lactic acid gently slough off dull skin while kaolin clay draws out impurities and balances oil. Coconut and shea nut oils add hydration without leaving behind residue, and the light citrus scent feels fresh but not overpowering.
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