Do you change your skincare routine each season? Many experience different skin challenges as the climate shifts throughout the year. That’s why it’s important to make a few simple changes to your routine as each unique season begins to ensure your skin remains healthy and radiant. As the weather starts to warm up, here are some of my favorite skin care tips for the spring and summer:
Out with the Old, In with the New: The spring is a great time of year to check the expiration dates on your skin care products. Toss anything that is past its expiration date or over six months old and be sure to give your makeup brushes a deep clean. Products with SPF will lose their effectiveness over time, so this is a good time to replace these products in particular.
Don’t Skip the Sunscreen: It’s important to wear sunscreen daily to help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays – yes, this even goes for darker skin tones. While you might not need a very high SPF (I do recommend at least SPF 30), sunscreen is important during this time of year as you’re spending more time outdoors.
If you don’t have a bottle of sunscreen, look for protection in the products you do have – these days, many body lotions, facial moisturizers and makeup products come with some sunscreen included. When enjoying the sun for a prolonged period of time (e.g., at the beach or pool), sunscreen needs to be
applied every two hours so it stays effective. If you’re concerned that reapplying sunscreen will ruin your makeup, brands like ColoreScience have SPF 50 mineral powders with hues for skin of color.
Accessorize: In addition to using sunscreen every day, keep your skin safe from the sun by wearing things like wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses to minimize your sun exposure. Not only will this help complete your look, it will help protect your skin.
Read labels: Not all skin moisturizers are created equal. To fight visibly dry skin, it’s good to look for moisturizing creams that have the following things on their labels: emollients (e.g., cocoa butter, African shea butter, and ceramides); humectants (glycerin and hyaluronic acid); and, occlusives (dimethicone, petrolatum). The best moisturizing creams usually contain many of these dry skin blasting ingredients, such as GOLD BOND® Ultimate Radiance RenewalTM.
Get a gentle cleanser: The spring and summer are known for warm weather and outdoor activities. Unfortunately, sweat and oil production can make some people break out. Using a gentle cleanser every day can help combat this problem.
Moisturize while wet: The best time to moisturize your skin is after you get out of the shower. Gently pat your skin with a soft towel and apply your moisturizing cream right away. Applying cream to slightly damp skin will seal in the moisture from your shower and prevent visibly dry skin.
Dr. Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip is a Massachusetts based board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Partners in Wellesley, MA. She is a faculty member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the New England Dermatologic Society, and the Women’s Dermatologic Society, and also a spokesperson for Sanofi Consumer Healthcare.
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