Warm days are in bloom after months of snow, slush, and frigid temperatures, and it’s time to trade out your nourishing winter favorites for lighter options.
Because your wardrobe isn’t the only thing that needs revamping – your skin care requires a routine update for spring, too. We’ve put together some tips to transition your skincare routine from winter to spring.
1. Buff Away Winter
With temperatures warming up, your skin may change from dry/normal to oily, leaving you prone to developing breakouts. Rising temperatures prompt the skin to secrete more oil, leaving it greasy. Gel-based or foaming cleansers can decrease oil production and encourage skin cell turnover, making them a better spring choice. Your skin will also shed more cells as it repairs itself from these seasonal changes. The next best thing to do for your skin is to have an exfoliator on hand to get the dead cells off your skin.
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2. Damage Defenders (Antioxidants)
Antioxidants help prevent sun damage by blunting your skin’s inflammatory response to the sun’s harmful rays. In other words, they help protect against sun damage and premature aging. Tap into our tips for skincare by age. But wait, there’s more: Antioxidants also help brighten and even out your skin tone. Free radicals and frequent sun exposure can cause dark spots and uneven skin tone by triggering changes in your skin’s melatonin production. Since they reduce photodamage, antioxidants can help prevent triggering this change and, in turn, prevent dark spots.
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3. Light, Breezy & Easy Hydration
Switch out your heavier, thicker products for light layers of hydration. Typically, when the air around a person is dry, the water content from their skin goes into the air, resulting in dehydrated skin. On the contrary, our skin can better hold onto its moisture content when the air is moist. Serums (especially with hyaluronic acid), gel moisturizers, and even hydrating mists are great ways to add hydration without feeling like you’ll turn into a greasy mess as soon as you step outside.
It’s also important to hydrate from the inside out by drinking plenty of water. Hydrating your skin is just like hydrating your body: Your body needs hydration to look and feel its best — and, no matter your skin type, so does your skin. Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water every day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, shoot for 75 ounces of water per day.
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4. SPF = BFF
But before you trade in your winter parka for a swimsuit, be sure to spring into sun protection mode. Since warmer weather means more time outside and a higher UV index, an SPF of 30 or more is essential for protecting your skin. Reapplying every two hours is also crucial for adequate protection, so adding a spray or stick formula to your sunscreen roster is a great way to stay protected on the go. Read more about why sun care is vital for skincare.