By Christine Preston, certified Holistic Skin Therapist and Founder of MySkinDiscovery.com, a virtual skincare consultancy, blog and shop dedicated to helping you achieve breakthrough skincare results at home.
With warm weather fast approaching, here are three spring skin care tips to prepare your skin effectively and reveal a bright, clear complexion.
In this article, you’ll learn:
Why exfoliating properly is crucial to renew your skin for spring
What products to pair together for optimal UV protection
How to know if you need to lighten up your moisturizer
Winter takes a great toll on our skin. From stealing moisture, to compromising our barrier and causing dry flaky skin, it’s no wonder we’re all eager for spring.
With warmer weather fast approaching, here are three spring skin care tips to prepare your skin effectively and reveal a vibrant complexion.
1. BUILD UP YOUR EXFOLIATION
Dry winter air causes dead cells to accumulate on the surface of our skin for months, causing a dull, lacklustre appearance. Spring is a great time to build up your exfoliation while UV rays are still relatively low.
Renew your complexion by using a chemical or fruit enzyme exfoliant this spring. If you have oily skin, choose a salicylic or glycolic serum to unclog pores and smooth your skin’s texture. For those with oily tendencies concerned with hyperpigmentation, try a mandelic serum for its brightening and age defying properties. Although oily skin can tolerate increased exfoliation, don’t overdo it. Work up to 5 nights a week if your skin permits.
For dry or sensitive skin, choose a lactic acid exfoliant that has a creamy texture. You’ll exfoliate gently yet effectively while hydrating your skin. Don’t scrub, instead let the lactic acid do the work for you and exfoliate no more than twice a week.
For combination skin, choose an exfoliant with a blend of acids and fruit enzymes like papain from papaya and bromelain from pineapple. If your skin is still on the dry side from winter weather, mix your exfoliant with your cleanser for a more gentle approach. Incorporate this slowly into your skin care regimen and build up to 3-4 nights a week to prevent blackheads and congestion.
No matter your skin type, always exfoliate at night to prevent photo damage as exfoliating causes the skin to become photosensitive. Exfoliating properly for your unique skin type will reduce flakiness, increase product effectiveness and reveal a bright, smooth complexion.
2. DOUBLE UP YOUR PROTECTION
With UV rays being the number one cause of premature skin aging, sunscreen should be worn everyday in every season. Look at sunscreen as your daily moisturizer so that you don’t have to use two products! This is the most important skin care product you can apply for anti-aging.
If your skin is easily irritated, reactive or sensitive, choose a physical sunscreen product with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients reflect UV rays away from the skin and are more gentle on the skin (and on our lakes and oceans) than chemical alternatives with avobenzone and oxybenzone.
Oily skin types will prefer an acne-safe sunscreen lotion that is non-greasy. Combination skin types
that tend to breakout will love a hydrating SPF cream that is lightweight and also acne-safe. Lastly, dry skin types need a more emollient-rich sunscreen to moisturize and protect the skin effectively.
Always choose SPF 30 or higher and make sure to reapply every 2 hours when outdoors. Don’t forget that the way you apply sunscreen matters greatly - missing a small area can damage your skin significantly so apply it evenly and generously to ensure optimal protection.
Don’t stop there - take it a step further!
Refresh and brighten your skin by applying an antioxidant serum under your sunscreen. A 2018 study found that using a vitamin C serum with vitamin E and ferulic acid doubles photoprotection when worn under sunscreen due to the synergy of these antioxidants.
Further, vitamin C is excellent at preventing and treating unwanted pigmentation. This is because vitamin C inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for producing melanin (unwanted pigment in the skin like sun spots and post-breakout marks).
What’s more, topical antioxidants overcome sunscreen limitations such as uneven sunscreen application and providing protection from pollutants in our environment. Pairing these products together this spring will give you the extra protection you need to prevent premature skin aging caused by UV exposure as well as promote a bright, clear complexion.
3. LIGHTEN UP YOUR MOISTURIZER
During the winter, most of us need a heavier moisturizer to shield our skin from the extremely dry air and cold weather.
As we move into spring, consider lightening up your moisturizer by switching to a lotion at night. For those who are breakout-pone, you’ll love a moisture complex that is packed full of antioxidants and skin-loving hydrators that won’t clog your pores. Irritated and reactive skin will benefit from switching to a clarifying cream that uses silver to promote a healthy skin flora.
Not sure if you need to make the switch?
After 10 minutes of applying your moisturizer, touch your face with clean hands. If you feel any residue on your hands, you need to switch. If your skin feels soft and no residue is transferring to your hands, your moisturizer is probably just right.
These spring skin care tips will help you properly transition from winter to spring while revealing a bright, vibrant complexion. Try it out and let us know if any of these skin care tips are helpful to you.
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All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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