Out with the old, in with the new – it’s time for spring! After a particularly rough winter, I’m sure you are more than anxious to put on shorts, sandals, and shades (but don’t forget your sunscreen!). Here are my seven tips to get your skin in shape for warmer weather without spending a bundle:
1. Let New Skin In: Get rid of the dead, dehydrated skin that’s accumulated over the winter by using a light exfoliator or resurfacing agent. I suggest nightly at-home treatments, such as using a cream-based Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) or gel-based Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) products. The most effective home resurfacing treatments contain 10-15 percent AHA.
2. Simplify your Skin Care Stash: While you are ridding yourself of dead skin, clean out your skin care cabinet too. Save time and money by simplifying to no more than three to four steps in the morning and at night. In the morning, you need a mild gel cleanser, an antioxidant such as Vitamin C and a sunscreen moisturizer. Before going to bed, use resurfacing ingredients such as AHAs and retinols in addition to restorative peptides.
3. Practice Safe Sun: Even if you’re indoors, you need to wear a sunscreen with full-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Most of the sun exposure that ages us comes from the windows of your car, home, or office. When it’s cloudy, UVB rays are scattered, but the aging UVA rays come through. A full-spectrum sunscreen will capture those A rays before they cause damage. A few brands even combine sunscreen with moisturizing into one step.
4. Go For a Sunless Glow: Sunless tanning is really the way to go if you want to avoid the skin damaging and health threatening effects of sun exposure. If you have freckles or hyperpigmentation, I recommend you only use the products from the neck down because sunless tanners will make them darker. Instead, use a mineral bronzer, BB cream or CC cream on your face. Also, don’t go into the sun for several hours after putting on bronzing products because they contain chemicals that make skin more sensitive to sun exposure. Instead, apply these products later in the day and sleep in them.
5. Add Some Oil: Oils are all the rage. When we start to show our legs and arms, we want a healthy glow. Not only will oils make your skin shine, they also reflect light and conceal flaws, such as veins, scars, and cellulite. When light is reflected away, it actually acts like a concealer. Even better, look for multi-purpose oils that can be used on your skin and hair; my favorite is the triple action Skin Authority Oil Nutrient for Face, Hair & Nails.
6. Feed your Skin: Think about skin care as an extension of healthy eating. Your skin is an organ that responds to the same nourishment as your body. Omega 3’s, fatty acids, and antioxidants are all vital, along with the essential skin vitamins A, D, E and K. Look for these ingredients on the label of your skin care products and in the grocery store.
7. More Sleep, Slower Aging: Did you know that the skin of people who sleep five hours or less a night doesn’t hold moisture as well as those who got seven or more hours of sleep? Also, less sleep means less melatonin and antioxidants, both of which fight off free radicals that cause premature aging and disease. Replenish those lost antioxidants and moisture by applying essential oils to the skin. When you have trouble sleeping, the natural effects of essential oils promote de-stressing and relaxation. Also, try counting backwards from 100 – your brain is forced to put energy into focusing on the counting and before you know it, you’ll be dreaming.
How do you adjust your skin routine for spring? Let me know in the comments below!
