This cooling hemp skin-care line is a hot-weather hack

Chances are your skincare routine needs to adjust to the extreme heat and sun exposure during peak summertime. For me, it means swapping out heavy creams for more lightweight formulas or opting for products with skin-cooling ingredients — and I just so happened to find the holy grail of hydrating hot-weather products at Hey Bud. The Australian skin-care brand is most notable for using hemp seed oil as a hero ingredient in its lineup, which not only helps relieve conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis but also aids in collagen production, thanks to the oil's high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.

While the cruelty-free Hey Bud brand boasts an array of products ranging from a foaming cleanser to a brush-on face mask (you can read our shopping writer Mercedes Viera's review of the clay mask here), I wanted to kick-start my own hemp skin-care journey with very easy starter products. Enter: the Niacinamide + Hemp Serum and the Hemp Gel Moisturiser, which also happen to be the latest additions to the Hey Bud family. I already use a serum and moisturiser as part of my daily a.m. and p.m. routines (often, these are the only two skin-care products I use), so swapping in Hey Bud was seamless.

Hey Bud 10% Niacinamide + Hemp Serum, £25.62

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I've never used a skin-care product with niacinamide as the main ingredient, but the benefits of putting it on your face abound. The micronutrient, also known as Vitamin B3, helps balance oil production (read: acne) and can minimise spots and blemishes. It's used to promote the production of elastin and ceramides, which is what makes skin look bouncy, glowy, and more youthful.

I've used hemp lotions before to relax and cool off my muscles after workouts, so using this hemp seed oil serum as a summertime face product works especially well: it both hydrates and chills out my overheated face. Plus, it's incredibly lightweight, absorbent, and does not leave any residue behind. After cleansing my face as I normally do, I take two pumps of this Niacinamide + Hemp Serum to my palms and pat and press it onto my cheeks, forehead, and the mouth area where I usually tend to see a lot of dryness and/or redness from being out in the sun too long.

Hey Bud Hemp Gel Moisturiser, £25.62

After the serum comes the Gel Moisturiser, which is what helps seal everything in for me. This product is especially packed with essential nutrients that are ideal for someone who is somewhat active and lives in a humid climate. Like the serum, this formula is similarly lightweight, which means it allows my face to breathe, doesn't clog pores, and doesn't immediately melt off when I sweat profusely. I particularly enjoy this moisturiser as an after-workout treat because the concoction of aloe vera, cucumber, and green tea and grapefruit extracts is such a soothing relief for my face on days — something that's especially useful when I've been outside a bit too long and have forgotten to reapply sunscreen (which happens all the time).

The only complaint I have — and I admit it's a totally subjective one — is the smell of hemp seed oil products is not entirely my cup of tea, although I do know folks who enjoy these unique scents. As a relative newbie to hemp and CBD beauty products, I acknowledge these ingredients are an acquired taste, and they take a bit of getting used to. On the upside, the hemp fragrance is very subtle once the products have been applied — it's not like people around me can smell it. All in all, if you're looking for a way to lighten the load on your skin-care routine for these hot-weather months, consider making a seasonal switch to hemp seed oil products.