After a long winter dealing with dry skin, itchy fabrics, and wind-chapped cheeks, spring might seem like a much-needed respite from your skincare woes. Unfortunately, the increased humidity and heat bring their own skincare needs.

So, what can you expect starting mid-March other than crocuses and lilies coming to life?

  • Increased breakouts due to upticks in sebum and sweat production
  • Long-lasting dry patches on the knees and elbows
  • More exposure to UV light
  • Atopic and contact dermatitis
  • Seasonal flareups of eczema and rosacea

Our recommendations for winter-to-spring skincare routines consider these concerns, ensuring you look radiant from head to toe.

Buff Away the Winter Blues

After months 0f dry air and harsh winds, your skin desperately needs exfoliation to banish the built-up dead skin cells and bring back your brightness.

Exfoliating in the winter is contentious, as it tends to dry out already dehydrated skin even more. With spring comes increased humidity, making it the prime time to bring buffing back into your skincare routine.

For your face, try a gentle chemical exfoliant that includes glycolic, lactic, or mandelic acid. Neostrata® Resurface Glycolic Peel Pads are ideal for nightly use, while NuCelle Rx Mandelic Serum 10% is great for day to work to enhance skin clarity while reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Spring is also the most popular season for chemical peels because even a light AHA or BHA treatment is incredibly effective at sloughing away dead skin, improving texture, and giving you a soft, glowy complexion after the harsh winter weather. Plus, the milder springtime temperatures are more comfortable for post-peel sensitivity.

To prepare for shorts and tank top season, you’ll also need an exfoliating body lotion like Neostrata® Lotion Plus AHA 15%. or Neostrata’s Bionic Lotion 15% PHA. It’s light enough for comfortable summer wear but potent enough to correct the signs of photoaging, brighten skin tone, and improve texture below the decolletage.

If dry, cracked heels are a concern, Baby Foot lives up to its name. The blend of botanicals transforms your tootsies from rough to sandal ready in a single treatment.

Ditch the Rich Cleansers

In the winter, when the humidity is low, your skin needs all the help it can get to retain moisture. Skincare experts recommend rich, creamy cleansers during the colder months. The blend of emollients and occlusives forms a protective barrier that traps water rather than letting the dry air zap it away. 

However, rich cleansers leave your skin feeling heavy once the mercury rises because of the increased environmental moisture. Instead, you’ll want to trade in the rich formulas for a gel-based cleanser that effectively cleans away sweat, bacteria, and excess sebum from your skin to help prevent springtime breakouts, such as Revision Skincare Brightening Facial Wash or Neostrata Mandelic Clarifying Cleanser. 

Hydrate in Layers

Like cream-based cleansers, you’ll need to trade in your body butter and thick facial lotion for easy-wearing, lightweight skin hydration in the springtime. With the increased humidity, your skin is less susceptible to moisture loss, so it’s best to let your pores breathe instead of clogging them up with heavyweight products. 

One way to ensure your skin is comfortably moisturized is to hydrate in layers.

Start with a water-based, antioxidant serum that contains a buffet of nourishing actives like brightening vitamin C, hydrating hyaluronic acid, or skin barrier strengthening B5. For you vitamin c, we recommend the easy-to-absorb formulas of SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic or Revision Skincare® C+ Correcting Complex 30%  and for your hyaluronic acid Revision Skincare® Hydrating Serum or SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel. All are packed with potent antioxidant blends that fight free radicals and diminish the signs of aging. 

Then, apply a lightweight lotion in the morning and before bed. Elta MD AM Therapy and PM Therapy are some of our favorite multitasking moisturizers because they stimulate the skin’s natural water system without oil or emollients, making them ultra comfortable for warm weather wear. 

Finally, spritz with a hydrating facial mist throughout the day to keep your moisture levels in perfect balance without making your skin feel greasy. 

Up the SPF

Wearing sunscreen is a year-round necessity, but after months of being bundled up indoors, many folks fall out of the habit. In the spring, you’ll spend more time enjoying the sunshine, which means that SPF is an absolute must.

Not only is sunscreen your best friend when it comes to antiaging, but it also helps you transition from winter pale to sunkissed without the painful sunburn that comes from the sudden increase in UV exposure.

We recommend applying at least 30 SPF for your day-to-day protection, then increasing to 50 SPF for days when you spend a lot of time outside.

Better yet, choose a lightweight, tinted sunscreen, like Revision Skincare IntelliShade Original SPF45, so you can skip the foundation and let your skin drink in the fresh air. We’re also big fans of Colorescience® Sunforgettable, a sensitive skin-friendly powdered mineral SPF 50. The built-in brush makes it easy to touch up your protection on the go and comes in four sheer shades for a flawless finish.

Put Some Spring in Your Step With Dermatologist-Approved Skincare

Spring is a time of new beginnings as the world once again bursts into life. You can give your skin the same rejuvenation and renewal by thoughtfully choosing products that heal winter worries while prepping your complexion for warmer weather.

Advanced Skin Therapeutics offers an extensive selection of dermatologist-approved products tailored to your skin’s specific needs. We exclusively carry trusted brands with a track record of transforming skin with safe, nourishing ingredients. Visit our online shop to see what springtime must-haves we offer!