Fashion
6 Skin Care Products to Prep All Skin Types for Spring
Hey, I had almost completely forgotten what the sun felt like! In a word: great. If the slowly but surely rising temperatures are any indication, it would seem to me that spring is, indeed, on its way. And we thought this day would never come!
Winter is all about rich, creamy cleansers and thick moisturizers, like the equivalent of six layers of varying weights and densities plus a scarf for your skin, and the closer we get to the equinox, the less of them we need. It's about time. This winter does feel like it has lasted several years rather than several months, so I don't blame you if you have no clue where to begin when it comes to getting your skin ready for the coming season. Let's talk about a few key products you can add to your arsenal to make the segue that much easier.
Cleansing Balm
For skin that still hasn’t fully recovered from the effects of the polar vortex, a gentle oil-based cleansing balm is perfect for ridding clogged pores of impurities while maintaining the moisture balance of the skin. This rich, eye-safe formula eliminates the need for a makeup remover, and utilizes a combination of essential fatty acids and citrus-based enzymes to calm and soothe skin while gently exfoliating. It’s the ideal year-round cleanser for fussy skin types, especially those prone to reactivity.
Elemental Herbology Purify & Soothe Facial Cleansing Balm, $52, elementalherbologyus.com
Chemical Exfoliator
An acid-based chemical peel sounds nothing short of terrifying in terms of “things to put on your face,” but used for even just 10 minutes once a week, a peel is just the type of product to get almost all skin types in fighting shape for spring. Play on the safe side with this Green Apple Peel from Juice Beauty, made for sensitive skin (we don’t want to know what’s in the other one), which uses alpha hydroxy acids drawn from organic fruits to hydrate, brighten, and refresh tired skin.
Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive, $39, juicebeauty.com
Exfoliating Tool
If the idea of a chemical peel is just too daunting to process, a cleansing pad is the perfect gateway tool to introduce exfoliating into your routine without purchasing a whole new product. The flexible pad of Sephora Collection’s Precision Pore Cleansing Pad is coated in tiny bristles to effectively invigorate and soften the skin — basically, it’ll turn your favorite cleanser (or any cleanser, you don’t even have to like it) into a high-powered scrub, and it’s only $6.
Sephora Collection Precision Pore Cleansing Pad, $6, sephora.com
Toning Mist
The days are finally getting longer, but unfortunately, a few more hours of sunlight alone can’t do away with the late-afternoon drag. What can, however, is a revitalizing facial spritz — Caudalie’s famous super-refreshing formula, which contains grape, orange blossom, rose, balm mint, and rosemary, revives tired skin and resets makeup for a few more hours of feeling like yourself. It’s perfect to use at the end of a long workday (say, a Friday), when going out after the office feels like a task unto itself.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir, $49, us.caudalie.com
Gel Moisturizer
If your skin is in tune with the elements — drier in the winter, more balanced when it gets warm — then spring is high time to ditch your rich, creamy moisturizer in favor of something a little more seasonally appropriate, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice hydration for a lighter feel. A gel moisturizer like this oil-free rejuvenating treatment by Origins uses extracts of lychee and watermelon to deeply quench skin without taking a turn for the greasy.
Origins Make A Difference Plus+, $39.50, origins.com
Lightweight Oil
If you’re still wary of using oils on your face, there’s no better time than the present to take the leap. I was as skeptical as anyone when I heard that naturally beautiful person Miranda Kerr was launching a line of skincare products, but now I don’t know how I could live without her brand’s rosehip treatment oil. The multi-purpose formulation combines noni extract, organic rosehip oil, jasmine, sea buckthorn, rose, and pomegranate oils for a luxurious blend that leaves skin perfectly moisturized, never too slick or like your face is marinating.
KORA Organics Luxurious Rosehip Oil, $49, koraorganics.com
