After months of cold and dry air, spring is finally here bringing warmer temperatures, increased humidity, and higher UV levels. We’ve spent the first part of the year layering serums, balms, oils, and heavy moisturizers to protect and pamper our skin but how do we prepare our skin for sunnier days ahead?
Below you'll find top 4 tips on how to effectively transition your skincare routine from winter to springtime, giving you new ideas for your formulation development and personal customizations.
#1 DITCH THE HEAVY MOISTURIZER
Winter’s dry, cold and windy weather can cause a frustrating amount of dryness and flaking to our skin. Consequently, we tend to use heavier moisturizing creams, face oils, and balms during winter to combat those problems and protect our skin. Spring is just around the corner, nature is changing and there's a high chance your skin's needs are too.
Have some fun in the lab and try creating a lighter moisturizer with a spring skin feel. The easiest way to achieve that is by decreasing the oil phase of your formula and/or swapping the heavy oils for dry, light-weight oils. You can also decrease the viscosity of the product, giving it a lovely lotion texture.
If you're a fan of facial oils use the same principle of swapping some of the oils in the formula for lightweight options that provide the same skin-soothing compounds, without adding an extra greasy feel. Also, try to lower or leave out the heat-sensitive oils for daytime care and add those to the night care routine instead.
OTHER SPRING SKINCARE SWAPS:
CLEANSERS: swap your oil, balm, or cream-based cleanser and try a gel, powdered, or solid formula instead.
SERUMS: consider swapping your oil serum(s) to water-based ones if you feel you need an extra reduction of the oil in your skincare routine. Explore the market maybe some of the actives you're using exist in an oil and water-soluble form (e.g. Q10).
SCRUBS: getting rid of those leftover layers of dead skin from winter is important, so don't forget about exfoliating. Be careful and try to avoid chemical exfoliant treatments during the spring and summer. Think about creating a gentle gel or powdered scrub formula and don't overuse it.
MAKE-UP: if you're using make-up swap your creamy products and heavy foundation for powdered mineral make-up, or make a lightweight tinted moisturizer.
#2 SKINCARE DIET
I'm not going to tell you what should you eat during springtime to boost your skin complexion since a healthy, balanced & nutritional diet is a must all year round.
Rather than that, I'm going to talk about cutting down on your skincare products.
I'm a big fan of minimalistic and simple skincare routines, and skincare products made with few but powerful ingredients. A 2 or 3-step skincare routine should do the trick if you're working with customized products targeted to your skin type.
My skincare logic goes a little smth like: If you're using/making quality and potent skincare products that deliver, you don't need a lot of them.
"Skinimalism" or skincare minimalism is one of the big latest beauty trends and for a good reason - doing more for our skin with less can make the beauty industry (and our skin) more sustainable.
Minimizing the steps in your skincare routine not only decreases the risk for skin irritation but also saves you time & money. Spring is the perfect time for reducing your current routine as your skin would appreciate fewer layers of products so it can take a break from the heavy winter routine and simply "breathe".
*Example of a simple & effective morning routine: toner, tinted SPF moisturizer
*Example of a simple & effective evening routine: cleanser, toner, moisturizer or a light facial oil
#3 HIGHER SPF
UV rays can create dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles and cause serious damage to our skin health. Dermatologists and skincare specialists advise incorporating sunscreen into your daily skincare routine. In the winter, you can probably get away with using a moisturizer with a lower SPF (Sun Protection Factor), but in the sunny, warm months you should reach for higher protection. There are plenty of great skin-protecting products out there that are not heavy on the skin so investing in one sounds like a wise spring skincare goal.
Most natural sunscreens are formulated using zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Many oils and butters have a natural SPF and you can add those to your skincare products and enjoy their properties, as long as you understand that their UV protection is very low and insufficient for your spring & summer skincare routine.
*Important: if you're planning on formulating an SPF cream bear in mind that the formula MUST have a formal test to determine its SPF rating. Based on scientific resources it is practically impossible to determine the correct rating on your own.
#4 NOURISHED LIPS
Don’t forget about the lips. Super chapped lips may not come around for a while, but taking care of your lips in the springtime makes that perfect final touch to the skincare routine. Have fun with colors and create new lively & vivid springtime lip balm or lipstick color blends to get the spring vibe going.
Lovely SPF reminder: lips can get sunburned & damaged too! Don't leave out your lips when applying your sunscreen, follow up with your favorite lip balm/lipstick formula, or try something new like a lip ointment and add glycerine to your formula for extra hydration.
How many steps are in your current skincare routine? Share your #1 tip for transitioning from winter to springtime routine in the comments below.
Enjoy, you are now spring-skin ready! ;)
For more spring inspiration & tips follow my IG profile here.
