Spring Cleaning!
It's that time of year when we get to purge the old, dusty clutter that has been hiding in our homes all winter and let that fresh spring air in! As an avid organizer and seasonal redecorator, this time of year screams yard sales, refreshing my decor both at work and at home and did I mention yard sales? With all these activities, both outdoor and indoor, we forget to overhaul one very important piece of our lives...our skincare!
Your skincare should change to match the season/climate just like your clothes do. We don't wear heavy Winter coats in Spring and Summer so our skincare should reflect that same change.
Featured in an article in InStyle.com:
“‘The environmental conditions of where you live can impact the way your skin behaves, so paying attention to the weather will effect what types of treatments it needs’, says Saison skin care founder Julie Kim”
So how do we change up our skincare without freaking our skin out? For starters, stick to one product line, no more than two (i.e. Origins, Kheil’s etc.). Whatever product line you use, your skin is already accustomed to it and tweaking a few things shouldn’t throw your skin into the unknown. Changing up your moisturizer for the season is a first step, when it is turning from summer to autumn, go with a little heavier weight moisturizer so that you can combat winter dryness. When switching over to spring/summer your going to go in the opposite direction and will want a lighter weight moisturizer.
Also look into a physical SPF as those have a lower likelihood of skin reactions, zinc is a natural skin healer and offers great sun protection. You might want to add in a hydrating serum if you’re not using one already, or a skin-protecting serum with Vitamin C and loads of peptides to replenish sun-damaged skin. Using a mask is key, and often overlooked. A gel mask or sea-mud based mask can help winter-stressed skin, look for ingredients like Kelp, Kaolin Clay (doesn't harden) or Spearmint as they will help soothe and restore skin.
Many of us will also have to change up our foundation and powder as we get a little darker when the sun comes out again. Make sure your makeup has SPF so you can get that extra coverage (side note- when using more than one product with SPF in it you will add both SPF numbers and divide by the number of products. Like SPF of 15 and 25 15+25= 40 / 2 products = SPF of 20). Another benefit to using a foundation powder with SPF is that you can give yourself a little dust before heading out to cover up shiny spots and counts as reapplying SPF! Don't forget that any liquid makeup that is open is typically only good for 6 months to a year, so maybe don't use last years Summer foundation :-D
Speaking of which, when clearing out the clutter from winter, check expiration dates on everything you put in and on your body. Expired product is never safe and expired SPF may actually cause more harm than just being a little harder to spread. To read more about this check out this Throw It Out Thursday blog which breaks down expiration dates and reading the label on your product. Another great thing to do when spring cleaning, check expiration dates! The last thing you need is old, expired product cluttering up your shelves. Doing all these things should be enough to keep you busy for a while, just be consistent with anything you do in regards to your self-care, no one else is going to do your self-care for you!
Till next time, be good to your skin and even better to yourself,
xx eri